Review: 2025 Acura ZDX Had Me Scratching My Head, But Not Because It’s Bad

Step inside the 2025 Acura ZDX, and you’re not greeted by Acura’s usual trackpad infotainment system, but rather by a large, horizontal tablet that can finally be operated using touch controls. Refreshing.

But then, you find yourself scratching your head as to why the wireless phone charger feels awfully familiar. “Where have I seen this pocket-like setup before?” – you’ll think. A quick peek at the OnStar button on the ceiling gives it away. Now you know why this Acura’s interior smells like the Cadillac Lyriq you recently test drove.

In case you’ve been living underneath a rock, allow me to bring you up to speed about what the ZDX is. No, it’s not the return of the atypical (and kinda cool?) coupe SUV from the early 2010s. It’s Acura’s first-ever electric vehicle (EV) built from a joint venture with General Motors. Is it any good? Oh, it is. But not because it’s an Acura.

2025 Acura ZDX Exterior: Just As Eccentric As Its Predecessor

While not always successful, joint ventures and even badge engineering have, in some cases, led to great things. Perhaps the best example of a match made in heaven is the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GR86 affair. The reason it’s good is that it truly feels like it was the result of both Subaru and Toyota. It’s a win-win situation.

But some joint ventures seem to just benefit their respective carmakers, taking the buyer for granted in the process. The Toyota GR Supra is a fine sports car indeed. But what true Supra fans wanted was a Toyota-built inline six. They wanted a new 2JZ, not BMW’s B58. In other words, while the Supra is everything an enthusiast wants, it’s not what Toyota fans actually wanted.

Which brings me to this Acura ZDX. Before I make a judgment about it not being a real Acura, I’m going to review it first. Also, since it’s built on GM’s lineup of excellent Ultium-based EVs, I already know that this is going to be a good car. But will it feel like an Acura?

A close friend of mine owns an Acura dealership. He was telling me that the ZDX is a hard sale because he claims that his customers are loyal to the Acura brand. As per his observations, and after running the family business with his father since the early 1990s, folks buy an Acura precisely because it’s not something else, i.e., it’s not a BMW, a Mercedes or even a Lexus. They want the luxed up Honda precisely because it is a luxed up Honda. But I’ll get back to all that in a bit.

The ZDX looks…interesting. And large. Its wheelbase is a full eight inches longer than an MDX, so by all means, it’s a hefty machine. But Acura played around with this design to sort of evoke the old ZDX through the illusion that the roof drops aft of the C pillar, like a coupe. It sort of works at shrinking it. The large, now symbolic Jewel Eye headlights are instantly recognizable as just that, so you immediately know that this is an Acura.

I also like the sort of shelf-like design element the designers integrated into the hatch. It reminds me of some of the weird French designs from the 1990s. Like the original ZDX, this new one looks eccentric, a little weird and definitely bares no resemblance with all of GM’s current EVs.

Exterior Dimensions

2025 Acura ZDX: Differences Between The U.S. And Canadian Market

The only real difference between the U.S. and Canada is that U.S. market models are available with rear-wheel drive in the base trim, while in Canada, the ZDX comes standard with all-wheel drive. U.S.-bound cars also get an additional color in the A-Spec trim (A-Spec is the base trim) called Blue Abyss. Canada also doesn’t get the Type S in Mercury Silver. From a mechanical standpoint, both markets sell the exact same vehicle.

U.S. Versus Canada Lineup Breakdown (model tested in bold)

Driving Impressions And Performance: Linear Acceleration, Soft Ride

Interesingly enough, I drove the Cadillac Lyriq – the ZDX’s mechanical clone – two weeks prior. So, my impressions of the Cadillac were still fresh enough to realize that this Acura essentially drives exactly the same. Now, if this were a Type S, I could say that the adaptive air dampers make a difference in terms of ride quality, but the A-Spec doesn’t get them.

This means that the ZDX feels like a vehicle that was tuned more for comfort than canyon carving, but one that also annoyingly bounces about when driven on imperfect tarmac. This is the inevitable outcome of a near 6,000-pound vehicle riding on 20-inch wheels.

The good news is that on the performance front, the ZDX accelerates in the same linear manner as the Lyriq, which makes it feel more relaxed than other EVs. It’s quick, but not neck-snapping quick. Acura claims a 0-60 MPH time of 4.5 seconds, which is fast by any standard. But for an EV, that’s also mid-pack.

Handling is also fine. If you’re wondering why the ZDX isn’t wearing Acura’s famed SH-AWD (for Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) badge on its trunk, it’s because its dual-motor setup doesn’t create mechanical torque vectoring. That being said, there’s a ton of grip from two electric motors quickly reacting and braking to throttle movement, but there’s nothing dynamic in the way a ZDX takes on a corner. You feel its weight and there’s really not much in terms of steering feedback. In other words, the ZDX will carry speed effortlessly due to its EV configuration, and its respectfully quick off the line, but it does nothing to truly set itself apart.

Performance Specifications

2025 Acura ZDX Energy Consumption, Charging And Range

The EPA rates the all-wheel drive Acura ZDX’s range at 304 miles, with an average combined energy consumption rating of 87 MPGe. According to Acura, the fast-charging rate on a compatible DC fast charger is 190 kW, or on par with what GM will sell you these days. This translates – as per Acura – into 79 miles of range in the span of 10 minutes. The onboard charger for level 2 home charging is set at 11.5 kW, which equates to 29.4 miles per hour.

As for me, I only relied on my own 7.2-kW home charger to perform all of my weekly duties with the ZDX. An overnight charge would put me back up at 100% the next day, while my average energy consumption over the span of a full week and 365 miles (in winter) was 2 mi/kWh, or the equivalent of 67 MPGe.

EPA And As Tested Energy Consumption

Interior Design And Comfort: Spacious, Comfortable And Well Put Together

So, here’s a funny story that’ll make you better understand how much of a GM this Acura is. I picked up this press unit upon my return from the 2025 GMC Sierra EV launch event in California. The moment I strapped myself inside the ZDX, the bongs and bings were exactly the same as in that GMC. They’re also incredibly infuriating.

There are more GM-specific things as well. The entire HVAC setup is nearly identical to what you’ll find in an Equinox EV. And the large center console, armrest and storage compartment – while rather spacious – is taken straight out of Equinox, Blazer EV and Lyriq.

But if you’ve never sat in those vehicles, you will find that the ZDX’s cabin is a fine place to be. While there is a resemblance to GM’s EVs, the overall dashboard presentation, comprised of two separate screens (more on that later), isn’t unpleasant to look at. The ZDX also exhibits above average build quality, while tapering the cabin with premium-feeling materials. But I’m still wondering why Acura swapped its excellent ELS sound system for this Bang & Olufsen unit. This system simply doesn’t sound as exquisite as what Acura has accustomed us to.

The front seats in a ZDX are comfortable and supportive. It’s also spacious in there. Front and rear head, leg, shoulder and hip room are generous, allowing even tall passengers to find comfort. Sadly, when comparing the ZDX’s rear seat dimensions to the Lyriq’s, the Acura is oddly less spacious than its corporate cousin.

2025 Acura ZDX Interior Dimensions Versus 2025 Cadillac Lyriq

Technology And Ease Of Use: GM’s Great System, But Dressed Up Differently

In a sense, it’s probably a good thing that the ZDX inherits GM’s infotainment software, because the trackpad setup it used to offer in its other models (MDX, TLX) wasn’t all that great. Acura fixed this in the 2025 MDX, but in all honesty, the ZDX’s user experience is simply better, mostly thanks to GM’s expertise in the matter. Acura dressed it up to look like its own thing, and the interface’s skin is somewhat different from what you’ll find in GM’s vehicles, but it’s all pretty much familiar stuff at this point.

What’s interesting here is that Acura puts at your disposal Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which you no longer get in GM’s more recent EVs. The system itself never really lags, is easy to understand, and most basic functions end up being completed with very little complexity. Meanwhile, the main digital display is both attractive and straight-forward, while allowing you to cycle through different pre-configured displays. The technology in a ZDX is all very easy to live with.

Cargo And Storage Space: Better Than In A Lyriq

While we’re on the topic of comparing the ZDX’s dimensions to a Lyriq’s, I discovered that while its cabin is slightly smaller than its cousin’s, the Acura actually offers a bit more cargo space than the Cadillac.

2025 Acura ZDX Cargo Space Versus 2025 Cadillac Lyriq

It’s A Great EV, But Not Thanks To Acura

Back to my original statement about the Acura faithful. There’s a very specific reason these buyers flock back to this brand. That’s because they expect the craftsmanship, the engineering and the precision crafted performance they’ve been served for so many years. Sure, Acura did have some bad apples in the past, but at least they were its own bad apples. They weren’t the result of someone else’s fault.

The same can be said about its success. When Acura released the Integra, its first-ever sports compact car. The NSX, its first-ever supercar. The Legend, its BMW 5 Series fighter, and even the MDX, its first-ever SUV, Acura didn’t ask for anyone else’s help. It engineered these vehicles itself. Honda’s luxury division had precision crafted its way to the top, at a time when American carmakers were selling us awful, awful cars.

It seems like the tables have turned. Acura’s first-ever EV is honestly pretty good. It’s excellent, even. The problem is that none of the ZDX’s merits are an Acura effort. Who’s really crafting precision performance these days?