With AAA projecting 80 million Americans would travel during the extended Thanksgiving weekend—a new record for the holiday—flying or driving virtually anywhere in the country was likely to be a slog. I gritted my teeth with the knowledge that my travel was guaranteed to be miserable: Here in Seattle, we’ve got the second-worst road congestion in America on a good day. The greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metropolitan Statistical Area contains four million people, and basically all of them would be heading to dinner at the same time.
I had three dinners to attend—one each day of the holiday weekend—so whatever vehicle I chose would get a long, slow workout. I drove an Acura ZDX Type S, the sportiest, priciest, and most feature-laden variant of Acura’s first all-electric SUV. Although my holiday supplied enough turkey and stuffing to single-handedly induce atherosclerosis, I found the Acura a lot less fulfilling. It has all the right ingredients for a family hauler, but it’s missing the spice I expect in a dish labeled “Type S”.
| Quick Specs | 2024 Acura ZDX Type S |
| Motor | Dual Electric (Front / Rear) |
| Battery |
102.0 Kilowatt-Hours |
| Output |
499 Horsepower / 544 Pound-Feet |
| Range | 278 Miles |
| Base Price / As Tested | $74,540 / $75,850 |
| On-Sale Date | Now |
The carotid artery of Seattle’s byways is Interstate 5. On a good day, it suffers from stenosis; On Thanksgiving, I was concerned it would be terminally clogged. The ZDX Type S’s killer feature—and one that is exclusive to the Type S trim—is its level-two-plus automated cruise control (named Acura Hands Free Cruise), which I immediately put to work.
Hands Free Cruise is essentially GM’s Super Cruise, because the ZDX is a GM Ultium platform SUV (like the Chevrolet Blazer EV, Honda Prologue, and Cadillac Lyriq). Hands Free Cruise works as well as Super Cruise, for what that’s worth.
For many Motor1 staffers, Super Cruise can’t be beat. I’ve unfortunately had much worse luck with Super Cruise at highway speeds and the ZDX was no exception. I dealt with more disengagements than I’d prefer, in relatively low-traffic, high-speed areas. This would be less frustrating if the disengagement chime didn’t sound like a nuclear reactor meltdown alarm, but it does, and it made me jump every time.
In traffic jams, however, Super Cruise is truly unbeatable. It has none of the late-braking caught-off-guard character common to many other Level 2+ systems when approaching slow-moving traffic, and it feels continually in control and aware of its surroundings in bumper-to-bumper driving. If your commute is a miserable grind that feels like Thanksgiving traffic every day, this is the system—and the SUV—to get.
Pros: Excellent Ride Quality, Cavernous Interior, Hands-Free Cruise Handles Jams Well
The ride quality of the ZDX only drives this point home further. The ZDX Type S’s adjustable air suspension and massive 121.8-inch wheelbase are sponges that soak up potholes. Despite the massive 22-inch wheels wrapped in self-sealing tires, noise on the freeway was minimal. This is one of the most sedate EVs to cruise in, a welcome solace after the bustle of Thanksgiving dinner.
Taking a glance around my Type S as it drove me home, though, left me with a mixed taste in my mouth. The broader picture is excellent; The seats are comfortable and the cabin is cavernous. I’m fully convinced that this Acura could seat four sumo wrestlers comfortably. But because the ZDX uses all of the same switchgear as the Chevrolet Blazer EV, the details feel cheap.
The enormous tablet plunked into the center of the dash is clumsy when combined with the stark design of the cabin. The software is written by Acura, but the infotainment appearance and design is all GM, and crucial functionality is buried frustratingly deep in menus. The Type S-exclusive 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system is impressive on paper, but no matter how I adjusted it, the sound quality was middling for the price point.
Cons: Too Heavy (Even For An EV), Interior Doesn't Match The Price, Unsporty At Any Speed
There’s not enough attention to detail for an SUV that starts at almost $75,000. Even with the $7,500 federal tax credit—which brings the base price to $67,350—there are many competitors, including the Cadillac Lyriq on the same platform, that feel more luxe and cost less.
The rest of the driving experience simply doesn’t live up to what I expect from a Type S-badged Acura. Sport Mode—on the most-expensive, most-powerful Type S badged Acura currently on sale—is activated by a small gray plastic button on the lower half of the dash hidden on the left side of the steering wheel.
There are no gauge cluster differences when Sport Mode is toggled. All it seemed to do was increase the volume of the piped-in acceleration sounds and make the throttle more sensitive. The numb steering became heavier, too, but never felt engaging or direct at any point in my drive.
This is where the Type S stops making sense. It never mimics sporty driving dynamics. It weighs 6,052 pounds, over 1,200 pounds more than a Kia EV6 GT, but is less powerful and slower from a dead stop. There’s no rowdy handling or crackle-burble sound effects like in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
Trading off more weight and less fun nets you very little real-world improvement: Despite a massive 102.0-kilowatt-hour battery pack, the EPA rates the ZDX Type S’s range at just 278 miles. This is a far cry from quite a few range-focused competitors—the more-powerful dual-motor BMW iX xDrive50 is rated at 324 miles, for example.
Actual range in my Thanksgiving testing was significantly worse, especially given the ZDX’s overly rosy range estimation. A full charge to 100% gave me a ZDX-estimated 300 miles of range; roughly 191 miles later I was down to my last 15% (40 miles) and frantically looking for chargers. Analyzing power usage showed that a lot of that juice went to battery conditioning and climate control, but it never reached below-freezing temperatures all weekend. It’s a concerning omen for those who live in cold climates.
Considering that the dual-motor ZDX A-Spec AWD gets the exact same 102.0 kWh battery, loses just nine horsepower (for 490 total), and gets an EPA-rated 304 miles of range—all while costing $5,000 less—I find it hard to make a case for the Type S. The sole Type S-exclusive that I’d find difficult to forgo is the extremely comfortable adaptive air suspension, but everything else—massive six-piston Brembo brakes, “Sport” Mode, 22-inch wheels, premium audio, even Hands Free Cruise—I could easily live without.
The real ZDX strengths—gorgeous styling, cavernous interior, comfortable ride—will be retained at any trim level and price point, and this SUV makes much more sense as you clamber down the trim ladder. And if you’re searching for the Acura Type S experience in an SUV, simply stick with gas for a while longer. The MDX Type S is one of the most fun three-rows on the market.
Acura knows how to build a fun family hauler. This, sadly, just isn’t it.
Competitors:
Gallery: 2025 Acura ZDX Type S Review
Acura ZDX
