How safe is the Acura RDX?
Drivers of the 2020–2023 Acura RDX died at a rate of 27 per million registered vehicle years, 25% lower than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it close to the middle of the pack for driver safety: it ranks 75th of 129 vehicles, safer than 42% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Acura RDX sits among all 129 vehicles
Acura RDX (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on a moderate amount of data, so treat small differences from nearby vehicles with caution.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Acura RDX 2WD | 41 | 2–79 |
| Acura RDX 4WD | 23 | 4–43 |
Vehicles ranked near the Acura RDX
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Subaru OutbackWagon / minivan · Midsize | 27 | 45 |
| 73 | Subaru XV CrosstrekWagon / minivan · Small | 27 | 44 |
| 74 | Ford Edge 4WDSUV · Midsize | 27 | 43 |
| 75 | Acura RDXLuxury SUV · Midsize | 27 | 42 |
| 76 | Honda Passport 4WDSUV · Midsize | 27 | 41 |
| 77 | Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 4WDSUV · Midsize | 26 | 40 |
| 78 | Ram 1500 crew cab short bedPickup · Large | 28 | 40 |
How it compares with other luxury SUVs
Among the 24 luxury SUVs ranked, the Acura RDX is 22nd. The safest luxury SUVs are below. See all luxury SUVs.
| Luxury SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMW X7 4WDLuxury SUV · Large | 0 | 99 |
| 2 | Audi Q7 4WDLuxury SUV · Large | 0 | 98 |
| 3 | Porsche Macan 4WDLuxury SUV · Midsize | 4 | 98 |
| 4 | BMW X5Luxury SUV · Midsize | 5 | 97 |
| 5 | Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class 4WDLuxury SUV · Small | 0 | 93 |
| 22 | Acura RDXLuxury SUV · Midsize | 27 | 42 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2019–2020 models, the Acura RDX had a driver death rate of 6 (range 0–18) and ranked 16th of 127. The newer rate is higher.
Common questions
Is the Acura RDX a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Acura RDX is close to the middle of the pack for driver safety. Its driver death rate of 27 per million registered vehicle years is 25% lower than the average, and it ranks 75th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Acura RDX compare with other luxury SUVs?
It ranks 22nd of 24 luxury SUVs. The safest is the BMW X7 4WD, with a rate of 0.
Is the 2WD or 4WD Acura RDX safer?
The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 41, 4WD: 23). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the Acura RDX's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.