2026 Acura RDX vs Lexus NX 350: What the Same Money Buys

The 2026 Acura RDX launched at $46,450. The 2026 Lexus NX 350 AWD launched at $46,220. Both figures already include the destination charge, and they are $230 apart.

The NX opens lower, but not by enough to decide anything on its own. What the two cars do with that money is where they separate. The RDX carries more luggage, holds more fuel and has two more gears. The NX pulls harder, tows more and is rated a mile per gallon better combined. Which of those counts comes down to what you ask a car to do in a normal week.

So here are the 2026 RDX and the 2026 NX 350 all-wheel drive, measure by measure.

2026 Acura RDX vs Lexus NX 350: What the Same Money Buys

Jump To

Jump To
  • Who Each One Suits
  • Prices and Grades Compared
  • Engines and Driving
  • Space and Practicality
  • Cabin Technology, Comfort and Safety
  • Where Each One Leads
  • Driving the RDX in Central Indiana
  • Frequently Asked Questions
Who Each One Suits

Who Each One Suits

The case for the RDX: what you carry matters more to you than what you pull. It holds 29.5 cubic feet behind the rear seats against the NX's 22.7, and 79.8 cubic feet with those seats folded against 46.9. It is the longer car on the longer wheelbase. It takes 17.1 gallons of fuel to the NX's 14.53, and its transmission has ten ratios where the Lexus has eight.

The case for the NX 350: you want the stronger engine and the higher tow rating. It makes 317 pound-feet of torque against the RDX's 280, tows 2,000 pounds against 1,500, and is rated one mile per gallon better combined. It also opens its range $230 below the RDX.

Whichever way you lean, all four wheels are driven. On the RDX that is Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, standard on all five grades. The NX 350 AWD drives all four as well.

Prices and Grades Compared

Prices and Grades Compared

The two ranges begin within $230 of each other. The Acura then keeps climbing after the Lexus has stopped.

The RDX comes in five grades, which is Acura's word for what most shoppers call trim levels. Cheapest first: RDX, RDX with Technology Package, RDX A-Spec, RDX with Advance Package, and RDX A-Spec with Advance Package. On the Lexus side there is the NX 350 AWD, the Premium, the F SPORT Handling and the Luxury.

Every figure in the table below is the price that 2026 grade launched at, destination charge included. None of them is the final figure you would pay. Real prices sit on the cars themselves, so our RDX inventory is where to look for those, and our specials page carries whatever offers are running.

Price at launch, destination included Acura RDX Lexus NX 350 AWD
$46,000 to $48,000 RDX, $46,450 NX 350 AWD, $46,220
$48,000 to $50,000 RDX with Technology Package, $49,050 Premium, $48,145
$52,000 to $54,000 RDX A-Spec, $52,050 F SPORT Handling, $52,195, and Luxury, $52,285
$54,000 and above RDX with Advance Package, $54,200, and RDX A-Spec with Advance Package, $56,200 The NX 350 AWD range ends at $52,285, below this band

Two things in there matter.

The ranges start together and then separate: the two least expensive cars here are $230 apart, but the RDX range keeps climbing to $56,200 at launch while the NX 350 range tops out at $52,285. That is roughly $4,000 of Acura range past where the Lexus stops. At or below $52,285, each range has one or more grades. Only the Acura has grades above that price.

The NX ladder is not a straight line: F SPORT Handling launched at $52,195 and Luxury at $52,285. That is $90 between them, so treat it as a fork in the road rather than a step up. The F SPORT Handling is the one carrying Adaptive Variable Suspension, and it sits lower than the rest of its range at 65.75 inches.

On the Acura side, the engine, the transmission and the all-wheel-drive system are identical on all five RDX grades. Climbing that ladder changes the audio system, the seats, the screens and the suspension. It never changes the horsepower.

Engines and Driving

Engines and Driving

The Lexus has the stronger engine and the better combined rating. The Acura has the extra gears and the bigger tank.

2026 Acura RDX 2026 Lexus NX 350 AWD
Engine 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
Horsepower 272 at 6,500 rpm 275 at 6,000 rpm
Torque, the engine's pulling effort at low speeds 280 pound-feet 317 pound-feet
Transmission 10-speed automatic 8-speed automatic
Which wheels are driven Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, standard on every grade All-wheel drive
Fuel economy, miles per gallon 21 city / 27 highway / 23 combined 21 city / 28 highway / 24 combined
Fuel tank 17.1 gallons 14.53 gallons

The NX has the stronger engine, and torque is where the larger difference appears: 37 pound-feet more than the RDX. Its three-horsepower lead is smaller. On paper, the Lexus has the higher output figures.

The Acura answers with ratios. Ten forward gears against eight gives the transmission two more to choose between. Paddle shifters are standard across the RDX range.

On fuel the NX is a mile per gallon better combined: 24 against 23, and in the city the two are identical at 21. The RDX holds 17.1 gallons to the NX's 14.53, about 2.6 gallons more, and multiplying each tank by its own combined rating gives about 393 miles for the Acura and about 349 for the Lexus. That is arithmetic rather than a rating, and how and where you drive moves both. The Lexus has the higher combined rating; the Acura has the larger tank.

Space and Practicality

Space and Practicality

The RDX is the bigger box. The NX has the higher tow rating.

Measure 2026 Acura RDX 2026 Lexus NX 350 AWD
Length 187.4 inches 183.46 inches
Width 74.8 inches 73.43 inches
Height 65.7 inches 66.14 inches, or 65.75 on F SPORT Handling
Wheelbase 108.3 inches 105.91 inches
Cargo behind the rear seats 29.5 cubic feet 22.7 cubic feet
Maximum cargo, rear seats folded 79.8 cubic feet 46.9 cubic feet
Maximum towing 1,500 pounds 2,000 pounds

Both cars' cargo volumes are measured to the SAE standard.

Luggage room is the RDX's clearest advantage: rear seats up, it holds 29.5 cubic feet against the NX's 22.7, which is 6.8 cubic feet more. Fold the rear seats in both and the figures read 79.8 cubic feet in the RDX and 46.9 in the NX. The RDX's rear seatback splits 60/40, so a long item can go down one side with a passenger still sitting beside it, and its cargo volumes are the same on all five grades. Boxes, bicycles, a flat-packed piece of furniture: if that is a regular week, the folded figures are the ones to weigh.

Towing runs the other way: the NX 350 is rated at 2,000 pounds, the RDX at 1,500. That is 500 pounds of Lexus advantage. Weigh what you plan to pull, loaded the way you would really pull it, and check it against both ratings. If it lands between the two, the NX is the one rated for the job.

Outside, the RDX is longer and wider: 3.9 inches longer, 1.4 inches wider, on a wheelbase 2.4 inches longer. The NX is taller by just under half an inch, and its F SPORT Handling sits lower than the rest of the NX range at 65.75 inches.

Cabin Technology, Comfort and Safety

Cabin Technology, Comfort and Safety

Both cars come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Beyond that shared feature, their displays, comfort features and other equipment differ.

The Acura RDX uses the True Touchpad Interface, with a 10.2-inch center display and a 7-inch driver's screen. Alexa built-in, a Wi-Fi hotspot, AcuraLink connected services, SiriusXM and HD Radio are on every grade. Navigation with 3D View and the wireless charger arrive from the Technology Package up, and the Advance grades add a 10.5-inch head-up display and remote engine start. Audio climbs in three steps: a 9-speaker Acura Premium system on the base RDX, ELS Studio 12-speaker on the Technology Package, then ELS Studio 3D 16-speaker on the A-Spec, the Advance and the A-Spec with Advance Package.

Comfort runs on its own ladder. Dual-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic roof, heated front seats and Jewel Eye LED headlights are on every RDX. Ventilated front seats come with the A-Spec, the Advance and the A-Spec with Advance Package. The Advance grades add heated rear seats in the outer positions, a heated steering wheel, a hands-free power tailgate, acoustic rear side glass and the adaptive damper system.

The Lexus NX 350 runs Lexus Interface, on a 9.8-inch or a 14-inch touchscreen, with a choice of audio: a 10-speaker Lexus premium system or a Mark Levinson 17-speaker system. A wireless phone charger is included from the start. A Digital Rearview Mirror is available. The F SPORT Handling adds Adaptive Variable Suspension, the Lexus counterpart to the adaptive dampers on the RDX's Advance grades, and both the F SPORT Handling and the RDX Advance grades sit near the top of their own ranges.

Each car carries its maker's driver-assistance suite as standard on every grade: on the RDX that is AcuraWatch, covering collision mitigation braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, blind spot information and rear cross traffic monitor. Parking sensors come in from the Technology Package up, and the Advance grades add a multi-view camera. On the Lexus side it is Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, along with Intuitive Parking Assist with auto braking and rear pedestrian detection, and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert. A Panoramic View Monitor and Advanced Park are available on the NX.

Where Each One Leads

Where Each One Leads

Both of them have rows in their favor.

Measure 2026 Acura RDX 2026 Lexus NX 350 AWD The difference
Cargo behind the rear seats 29.5 cubic feet 22.7 cubic feet RDX, by 6.8 cubic feet
Maximum cargo, rear seats folded 79.8 cubic feet 46.9 cubic feet RDX, by 32.9 cubic feet
Fuel tank 17.1 gallons 14.53 gallons RDX, by about 2.6 gallons
Transmission ratios 10-speed automatic 8-speed automatic RDX, by two ratios
Length 187.4 inches 183.46 inches RDX, by 3.9 inches
Width 74.8 inches 73.43 inches RDX, by about 1.4 inches
Torque 280 pound-feet 317 pound-feet NX, by 37 pound-feet
Horsepower 272 275 NX, by 3
Fuel economy, combined 23 miles per gallon 24 miles per gallon NX, by 1 mile per gallon
Maximum towing 1,500 pounds 2,000 pounds NX, by 500 pounds
Price at launch, destination included $46,450 $46,220 NX opens $230 lower
Height 65.7 inches 66.14 inches NX, by just under half an inch

Read it as a whole and the shape of the decision is plain enough. The RDX leads on cargo room, fuel capacity, gear count and exterior size. The NX leads on torque, horsepower, combined economy, towing and the price it opens at, and it stands a fraction of an inch taller. For most shoppers, the answer is simply which of those two lists sound like they would best suit their needs.

Driving the RDX in Central Indiana

Driving the RDX in Central Indiana

You will find us at 96th and Keystone, where Marion County meets Hamilton County just south of Carmel. Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville and Zionsville are all a short drive from us. Specifications will not tell you how either car feels, and a 37-pound-foot torque difference and two extra gears are exactly the sort of things that read one way on a specification sheet and another way on a real drive up Keystone. If the RDX is on your list, book a drive on our test drive page. And if cargo is the question you are weighing, take it out loaded the way you would really load it.

Before you come in, our RDX inventory page lists that model on its own, the new Acura SUVs page gathers the rest of the Acura SUVs, and our new Acura inventory page covers everything new we sell. If the monthly payment is what really decides this, start with our finance center. Our hours and directions page will get you to us on the north side of Indianapolis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has the stronger engine, the Acura RDX or the Lexus NX 350?

The NX 350, on both output figures. Its 275 horsepower exceeds the RDX's 272, and its 317 pound-feet of torque exceeds the RDX's 280. The RDX has a 10-speed automatic to the NX's 8-speed. Drive the two back to back before you decide.

Which one holds more, the RDX or the NX?

The RDX, on both measures. Behind the rear seats it holds 29.5 cubic feet against the NX's 22.7, which is 6.8 cubic feet more. Fold those seats and the RDX holds 79.8 cubic feet to the NX's 46.9. Both cars' volumes are measured to the same SAE standard, and the RDX's are the same on all five of its grades, so moving up the Acura range never costs you luggage room.

Which one tows more?

The NX 350, at 2,000 pounds against the RDX's 1,500. Weigh your trailer the way you would really load it and check it against both ratings. If it sits between the two, the NX is the one rated for the job.

Which costs less to start?

The NX 350 with all-wheel drive, by $230. It launched at $46,220 and the RDX at $46,450, both figures with the destination charge already inside them, so they compare fairly as they stand. Neither is the final figure you would pay. The gap widens at the top of the ranges: the RDX climbs to $56,200 at launch, while the NX 350 range ends at $52,285.

Is the Acura RDX all-wheel drive?

Yes, on every grade. All five RDX grades come with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, and the NX 350 AWD drives all four wheels as well. So on a slick February morning in Hamilton County, this is not a point of difference between the two.

Which is better on fuel?

The NX 350. It is rated at 21 city / 28 highway / 24 combined miles per gallon against the RDX's 21 / 27 / 23, so the city figure is identical and the combined gap is a single mile per gallon. The RDX carries a 17.1-gallon tank against the NX's 14.53. Multiplying each tank by its own combined rating gives about 393 miles for the RDX and about 349 for the NX, which is arithmetic rather than a rating. The NX has the higher combined rating, while the RDX has the larger tank.

Which one is bigger on the outside?

The RDX, on every exterior measure except height. It is 187.4 inches long against the NX's 183.46 and 74.8 inches wide against 73.43, on a wheelbase of 108.3 inches against 105.91. The NX is the taller of the two at 66.14 inches against 65.7, and its F SPORT Handling sits at 65.75. The NX is shorter and narrower, while the Acura has the longer wheelbase.

What separates the NX 350 Luxury from the F SPORT Handling?

Barely anything on price, and quite a lot in intent. The Luxury launched at $52,285 and the F SPORT Handling at $52,195, both destination included, which puts them $90 apart. The F SPORT Handling carries Adaptive Variable Suspension and sits lower, 65.75 inches against 66.14. Engine, transmission, cargo volumes and tow rating are the same either way, so the two read as a fork in the range rather than one above the other.

Does moving up an RDX grade get me a stronger engine?

No. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, the 10-speed automatic and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive are identical on all five RDX grades, so climbing that ladder buys audio, seats, screens and suspension instead. The A-Spec with Advance Package, which launched at $56,200, makes exactly the same 272 horsepower as the base RDX that launched at $46,450.

Which one should I choose?

Start with the two questions the specification sheets answer outright. If what you tow lands between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds loaded, it is the NX. If you fill the back of the car most weeks, it is the RDX, at 29.5 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 79.8 with them folded, against the NX's 22.7 and 46.9. If neither applies, compare the remaining specifications and drive both before deciding.