DCH Tustin Acura

                  
    

 

Is the Acura ZDX the Best Car of the New Decade?

                                                  By Dan Neil of Esquire      January 19, 2010

    
The first nominee for the Esquire Car of the Year is the most gorgeous, thrilling, undeniably American Japanese ride of 2010. The wildly styled Acura ZDX is the Lady Gaga of new cars: out of nowhere, time-warped from the future, icy cool, hard to define, fascinating, gorgeous. And like our Gotham-born little Lady, the ZDX is absolutely, undeniably American.

Ordinarily, the Japanese bosses treat Acura's Yankee designers with a kind of benign condescension, much as a proud owner would treat a beloved poodle. But for whatever reason, the product executives empowered Acura's California design staff and they, in turn, ripped the skin off the ball.

In a season of gene-spliced coupe crossovers such as the BMW X6 and 5-Series GT, the Honda Crosstour and the upcoming Land Rover coupe-crossover, the ZDX is one of the few, maybe the only one, that work as sculpture. Based largely on the MDX - with the trucklet's high ground clearance and all-wheel drive - the ZDX is more than five inches shorter, canopied in a daring, all-glass greenhouse that tapers dramatically toward the back above hindquarters that are right out of the Porsche 911's playbook. As rakish as sling-back hiking boots, the ZDX disguises its four-door conformation with blacked-out roof pillars and concealed rear-door handles (hidden in the rear sail panel). The glowering, visorlike front end suggests a sex android here to devour your bank account. See Lady Gaga, above.

Under the skin, the ZDX features Honda's excellent, turbine-smooth 3.7-liter, 300-hp V-6, new six-speed automatic AWD system, and nineteen-inch alloy wheels. Acura has applied all its usual blandishments to the chassis, wadding the frame with abundant acoustic materials and applying its active noise-cancellation technology in the cabin, which works like the headphones you use on airplanes.

Aside from the styling, the ZDX's other outrage is its value. At a base price of $45,500, the ZDX is handsomely equipped with an all-leather interior, power tailgate and rear camera, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity. At about $56,000, the full-boat ZDX is a tech lover's dream: two-mode dynamics system (with a sport mode for quicker steering and stiffer suspension); adaptive cruise control with collision mitigation; navigation with voice recognition; Elliot Scheiner - brand ten-speaker audio system. The list is long and tempting.

In these deeply troubled times for the domestic auto industry, the ZDX offers a balm to our national vanity and reminds us that American car design can still be one of the nation's great cultural exports.

 

 First Drive-2010 Acura ZDX

by Motor Trend

     

  Whether you like the daring curves of Acura's all-new ZDX crossover, there's no denying that there is something  super about its shape -- it stands out among today's array of sport / utilities like an Armani suit   at 24 Hour Fitness. While one editor thought  the ZDX resembled a  "Mitsubishi's Dakar-racing  Pajero Evo mated with a TL," an  over whelming majority of our  team was drawn to this audacious Acura, especially its blacked-out all-glass roof, accentuated  fenders, and hidden door handles  just forethe C-Pillar. "Calling the ZDX distinctive is an understatement," says associate Web producer Carlos Lago. "It looks otherworldly. It's the best looking vehicle in Acura's camp -- and I mean that as a compliment. Love the view  from the rear. Its strong, wide  shoulders give a dominant, purposeful shape." Editor at large Arthur St.  Antoine says, "I'll admit it: I was taken aback --no, shocked -- by my first sight of the ZDX in the metal. This thing is out there-to my eye, way edgier and more futuristic-looking than the X6. But the more I looked, the more I found the ZDX...interesting. Even...stunning." Sure,the ZDX sports Acura's signature and controversial can-opener grille that we've ridiculed on the TL, TSX, et al, but on this bigger, fastback sport/ute, it works-- at least more so than on the brand's sedans. 
  
Step on the throttle and turn the fat-rimmed three-spoke leather-wrapped wheel, and those fuzzy feelings are quickly transfused with adrenaline. Underhood resides a 3.7-liter single-cam V-6 that routs 300 horses and 270 pound-feet through a new six-peed automatic and Acura's  signature "Super Handling" all-wheel-drive system. Zero to 60 takes just 6.5 seconds and lateral  grip, at 0.83 g, falls  right in sport-sedan  territory. 
Depending on how you set the IDS, the ride  can be tuned from sporty firm to tautly supple.
And even with our lead foots spurring it along, the ZDX delivered17.1-mpg observed fuel
economy 

 

        

 
 

While its most direct competitor, the 300-horse twin-turbo BMW X6 xDrive 35i, is quicker to 60 (5.9 seconds) and around the skidpad (0.87 g), the ZDX is more fun to drive. The reason, unsurprisingly, is weight. At 4445 pounds, the ZDX is no bantam, but it tips the scales with 540 fewer pounds than a comparably equipped X6. Sure, the BMW's twin-turbo I-6 and nifty xDrive all-wheel drive make it quick in a straight line and around a circle, but it can't cheat the laws of physics and mask 4985 pounds when tackling a twisty road. What about the Infiniti FX? Yes, in terms of test numbers and road manners, the lighter 4293-pound FX35 AWD is more akin to the ZDX, scooting to 60 in 6.1 seconds and around the skid pad with 0.82 g of lateral grip. Nevertheless, while it's a looker, the FX doesn't wear the shock-and-awe lines of the ZDX, nor is it as fun to drive, lacking the Acura's utter sure-footedness. Then there's the value proposition. A base ZDX, which comes standard with 19-inch wheels, Xenon headlamps, leather, power/heated front seats, power moonroof and tailgate, XM satellite radio, and Bluetooth, should start in the neighborhood of $44,000. A base X6, which offers heated front seats, power tailgate, satellite radio, and Bluetooth as options, opens at $56,725. When similarly equipped, the Acura should represent a $10,000-$15,000 savings compared with the BMW. And the Infiniti? An FX35 AWD starts at $44,465 and, unlike the Acura, doesn't come standard with Bluetooth, 19-inch wheels, or paddle shifters. Tart up an FX to mimic a ZDX with the Advance Package, and you're looking at a $50,000-plus crossover.

Of course, the ZDX isn't perfect. A couple demerits worth mentioning are the challenging ingress/egress, a cramped back seat (it offers less headroom and legroom than in a Mazda RX-8), and somewhat compromised cargo capacity, which, at 26.3 cubic feet, is less than in the stubbier and narrower Audi Q5. That said, Acura isn't marketing the ZDX as a family transporter; rather, it's a "passionate getaway" car for two adults.

So if you need a rig for hauling the spouse and kids, Acura will gladly point you in the direction of the
RDX and MDX. Otherwise, opt for the ZDX. No other Acura is as engaging to drive or scintillating to behold --period