2020 Honda CR-V vs. 2020 Acura RDX – which is best?
Sure, the idea of the 2020 Honda CR-V vs. 2020 Acura RDX seems silly, they are completely different vehicles. Ah, but what about in snow? How do they stack up when it comes to their all-wheel drive systems? I mean, they ARE both products built by Honda and they are about the same size – right?
We had an opportunity to drive these vehicles head-to-head at the Redline Winter Driving Encounter in Winter Park, Colorado. This event allows journalist wheel time in a variety of AWD vehicles on snowy courses. It’s a hoot.
The 2020 Honda CR-V
One of the most popular vehicles in the segment, and a sales winner for Honda – the newest CR-V is impressive. The 2020 Honda CR-V now comes standard with a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque. It’s hooked up to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and Honda’s “Real Time AWD” system.
Look at Honda’s Real Time AWD system as a safety component rather than a performance enhancer. It’s built to keep you safe in any driving situation, but it isn’t for high performance handling or off-roading. Up to 40-percent of the power can be sent to the rear axle when needed.
The 2020 Acura RDX
One of TFL’s favorite sporty crossovers. The 2020 Acura RDX A-Spec is powerful, capable, luxurious and a bargain compared to the competition. Powered by a 272 horsepower, 2.0-liter inline-four engine, it makes 280 lb-ft of torque. That power is managed by a 10-speed automatic transmission and Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system.
The SH-AWD system can take up to 70 percent of the power and send it to the rear wheels. The rear axle can take up to 100 percent of that power and send it to the wheel that needs the power thanks to torque vectoring. It works as a performance enhancer on the tarmac and is very effective in challenging traction situations.
2020 Honda CR-V vs. 2020 Acura RDX prices
Granted, these vehicles don’t compete in price either. Both are more than competitive in their segments and they are packed with high-end tech as well. The 2020 Honda CR-V Touring we tested has an MSRP of $35,845 and the 2020 Acura RDX A-Spec has an MSRP of $46,795.
In the near future, we will be testing the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid. A vehicle that has the same Real Time AWD system as the regular model, but with far better economy numbers.
In this video, we get a chance to put their AWD systems to the test. Heck, we even get to drag race them. Fun stuff!
