2022 Acura RDX vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2022 Buick Enclave continued Buick's tradition of conservative styling, featuring softer, less aggressive character lines and simple, functional interiors. Over the past 15 years, Buick transitioned from a sedan-heavy lineup to an all-SUV portfolio, reflecting the broader market trend. The Enclave, introduced in 2008, replaced older models and received a significant redesign in 2018, moving it further upmarket. For 2022, the Enclave received a mid-cycle refresh with exterior enhancements, including a new grille, fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and wheel designs. The Avenir trim level featured unique styling elements and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave boasted a restyled center console, upgraded materials, and available heated, cooled, and massaging front seats. The Avenir trim also included standard climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and unique trim and seat stitching.

The 2022 Acura RDX featured subtle styling changes inspired by the larger MDX model, including updates to the grille surround, front and rear bumper styling, wheel designs, and paint colors. The limited-production RDX PMC Edition returned with exclusive Long Beach Blue Pearl paint and an Orchid white interior. The RDX lineup included the base model and option packages named Technology, A-Spec, Advance, and A-Spec Advance, with starting prices ranging from $42,300 to $53,300. Our test vehicle, the A-Spec Advance package, featured Apex Blue Pearl paint and an Orchid interior, totaling $53,645. The RDX A-Spec Advance justified its price with high-quality interior materials, solid build quality, and a quieter cabin. Despite some controversial design elements, the RDX demonstrated more style than many of its rivals.

The 2022 Buick Enclave kept it simple with a single powertrain option: a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Enclave came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave provided a smooth, quiet ride, enhanced by the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The AWD-equipped test vehicle handled well on various terrains, offering a serene cabin experience thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. Despite its size, the Enclave's powertrain was responsive, with good off-the-line acceleration and a pleasant engine sound at wide-open throttle.

The 2022 Acura RDX featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 272 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 280 pound-feet of torque between 1,600 rpm and 4,500 rpm. The engine delivered quick acceleration, though heavy-footed driving reduced fuel economy from the EPA rating of 23 mpg to an average of 20.6 mpg during testing. A 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters was standard, providing smooth performance. Front-wheel drive was standard on the base, Technology, and A-Spec packages, while the Advance and A-Spec Advance packages included Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. The SH-AWD system offered excellent torque-vectoring capabilities, enhancing the RDX's driving dynamics. The 2022 RDX also featured a revised Integrated Dynamics System (IDS) and re-tuned adaptive-damping suspension, providing a smoother ride in Comfort mode and greater responsiveness in Sport mode. The RDX's cabin was quieter than before, thanks to enhanced sound insulation and noise reduction measures.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered easy ingress and egress, with excellent visibility thanks to its large windshield and windows. Standard features included an eight-way power driver seat and six-way power front passenger seat, both heated and with power lumbar control. Premium and Avenir trims added four-way power lumbar with massage and second-row heated seats. The Enclave's spacious cabin accommodated passengers comfortably in all three rows, with ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room. The second-row captain's chairs made accessing the third row easy, and the seats flipped and folded for added versatility. The restyled center console featured new push-button transmission gears and a covered compartment with cupholders. The Enclave offered 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. Power-folding third-row seats were available for added convenience.

The 2022 Acura RDX, though a compact SUV, provided ample room for four adults and their luggage, with a standard panoramic sunroof. The RDX's interior emphasized a sporty driving position and featured a dramatic IDS driving mode knob on the dashboard. The control layout required some acclimation, with transmission buttons and switches beneath the IDS knob and the True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system control pad. The A-Spec, A-Spec Advance, and PMC Edition models had metallic gauge faces with red markings that were difficult to read in low light. The RDX's standard 12-way power-adjustable and heated front seats were comfortable and supportive, with available ventilation. The new-for-2022 thick-rimmed, flat-bottom steering wheel was available with heating. Dual-zone automatic climate control was standard, and Iconic Drive ambient lighting was available on all but the base trim. The back seat, while spacious, lacked support and comfort for adults. The RDX featured a standard power liftgate with available hands-free operation, revealing 29.5 cubic feet of cargo space and hidden storage compartments beneath the load floor. Folding the back seat down created 58.9 cubic feet of cargo area.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, with Premium and Avenir trims upgrading to an 8-inch reconfigurable version. The Essence trim included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The Enclave's infotainment system could pair up to 10 devices, with two smartphones active simultaneously, and included a built-in WiFi hotspot. The system was user-friendly, though some graphics appeared dated. The standard six-speaker audio system in the Essence trim was adequate, while the 10-speaker Bose system in Premium and Avenir trims offered superior performance. Each Enclave came with a three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM 360L and six USB ports, with two in each row. Notable available features included adaptive cruise control, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, hitch guidance with hitch view, a digital rear camera mirror, and HD surround vision.

The 2022 Acura RDX's True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system paired a 10.2-inch display screen with a sectioned touchpad controller on the center console. The touchpad corresponded to the screen, requiring users to match finger location on the pad with the cursor location on the screen. While the TTI was initially complicated, users could acclimate over time. The 2022 RDX included Amazon Alexa Built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a wireless charging pad. Standard features included satellite radio and AcuraLink connected services with access to a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Technology package and higher trims included a navigation system. The RDX offered three premium sound systems: a nine-speaker setup in the base model, a 12-speaker ELS Studio system in the Technology package, and a 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D surround-sound audio system in higher trims. The Advance and A-Spec Advance packages included a 10.5-inch head-up display.

The 2022 Buick Enclave saw significant updates to its driver-assist and safety tech, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package becoming standard on all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Other standard safety features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, rear-seat reminder system, and HD reversing camera. Premium trim added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The Enclave received a four-star rollover resistance rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and "Good" ratings in most crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), with an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.

The 2022 Acura RDX received structural upgrades to improve side-impact safety, aiming to maintain its Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. New safety features included a rear seatbelt reminder system and additional driver-assist and collision avoidance systems in the standard AcuraWatch package, such as pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Technology package and higher trims added front and rear parking sensors with low-speed automatic braking. AcuraWatch's adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems were mostly accurate but not as refined as some competitors. The NHTSA awarded the 2022 RDX a five-star overall crash-test rating, with four-star frontal-impact and rollover resistance ratings and five-star side-impact ratings.