2010 Acura ZDX - Four Seasons Update - March 2011
By Jason Cammisa
Photography by Eric Tingwall, Joe DeMatio
CURRENT MILES: 26,489
MONTHS IN FLEET: 11
We’ve spent eleven months with our ZDX and, as controversial as this car is, no one has had any complaints about the way this Acura drives.
Senior Web editor Phil Floraday says it’s a “supremely comfortable cruiser.” Associate editor Eric Tingwall praised the navigation system, noting that while “the graphics look a bit dated, they do a brilliant job at showing smaller side streets and street names.”
Assistant editor David Zenlea is even warming slightly to the ZDX’s styling, even though he doesn’t seem to want to admit it. “I’d hesitate to say the ZDX’s styling has grown on me, but I will admit to appreciating a few of its nicer design elements as time passes. The roofline, for instance, is elegantly curved both length- and width-wise, which balances nicely with the chiseled lower half of the vehicle. The real design flaw in the ZDX is its size. I can readily imagine Acura stylists looking at a scale model of the vehicle and thinking they had quite a hit on their hands. Had it been made into small hatchback or even a large fastback in the vein of the new Audi A7, it might have looked ‘just right.’”
The praise for the ZDX never lasts long before we start complaining about its packaging. Floraday added that “The execution of the ZDX would be perfect if only it were a little more useful for moving people and stuff.”
And then Tingwall dropped the bomb: “The ZDX is intriguing and unique, but can you blame anybody for not buying one?”
As it turns out, at least two people have -- since both Copy editor Rusty Blackwell and West Coast editor Jason Cammisa finally spotted ZDXs on the streets, owned by real people. Of course, it’s actually more than two. For the record, Acura moved 3259 ZDXs in America in 2010– although BMW sold almost twice as many X6s in the same year.
And the complaints about the quick-wearing interior continue to fill the logbook. Floraday again: “As others have said in the past few months, the soft leather interior doesn’t seem to be holding up as well as I’d expect for a $56,800 vehicle. I’d guess the ZDX had about 45,000 miles on it based on the wear on the driver’s seat, not the 25,000 miles the odometer says. Perhaps the acrobatics of getting in and out of the vehicle make the leather age at a rate approaching dog years.“
At least the rest of the Acura is holding up well, as it’s experienced no mechanical problems. Road test coordinator Mike Ofiara took it into the dealer for the most expensive service yet, but “after 26,000 miles in 11 months, $460 is not a bad price to pay to keep this reliable crossover in tip-top shape.”
2010 Acura ZDX
Base price (with dest.): $46,305
Price as tested: $56,855
Overview
Body Style: 5-door crossover SUV
Accommodation: 5-passenger
Construction: Steel unitbody
Powertrain
Engine: SOHC 24-valve V-6
Displacement: 3.7 liters
Power: 300 hp @ 6300 rpm
Torque: 270 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic with sportshift and paddle shift
Drive: All-wheel
Fuel economy: 16/23/19 mpg (city/hwy/combined)
Chassis
Steering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Turns lock-to-lock: 3.4
Turning Circle: 38.5 ft
Suspension, Front: Strut type; coil spring
Suspension, Rear: Independent multi-link; coil spring
Brakes F/R: Power-assisted ventilated disc/disc; ABS
Wheels: 19-in alloy
Tires: Michelin Latitiude Tour HP 255/50R19 103H
Tire Size: 235/60R18
Measurements
Headroom F/R: 38.0/35.3 inLegroom F/R: 42.2/35.7 in
Shoulder Room F/R: 59.7/55.4 in
Wheelbase: 108.3 in
Track F/R: 67.7/67.7 in
L x W x H: 192.4 x 78.5 x 62.8 in
Cargo Capacity: 27.5/57.3 cu ft (rear/with seats folded)
Weight: 4452 lb
Weight Dist. F/R: 58/42%
Fuel Capacity: 21.0 gal
Est. Range: 400 miles
Fuel Grade: 91 octane
Standard Equipment
3.7-liter V-6 engine
6-speed automatic transmission with sportshift
Paddle shifters
SH-AWD system
4-wheel disc brakes
MacPhearson strut front suspension
Rear multi-link suspension
Variable-assist rack-and-pinion steering
Vehicle stability assist
Electronic brake distribution
Tire pressure monitoring system
XM satellite radio
MP3/auxiliary input jack
USB audio interface
Bluetooth connectivity
Heated front seats
Power tailgate
Panoramic glass sunroof
19-inch alloy wheels
Xenon HID headlights
Fog lights
Heated power door mirrors with turn indicators
Options
Advance package -- $10,550
Acura navigation system with voice recognition
Multi-view rearview camera
Sport seats with perforated leather
Acura ELS surround sound system
10 speakers and AM/FM/DVD-A
Hard disk drive
Dual-zone climate control
Integrated dynamic system
Collision mitigation braking system
Blind spot information system
Front seat belts with e-pretensioning system
Ventilated front seats
Adaptive cruise control
Credit: Automobile Magazine (www.automobilemag.com)
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