Compare the2024 Acura ZDXVS 2024 Nissan Ariya

Both the ZDX and Ariya have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ZDX has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Ariya’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The ZDX’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Ariya doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the ZDX and Ariya have Rear Cross Traffic Alert, but the ZDX has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Ariya’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the ZDX and the Ariya have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The ZDX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Ariya’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura fourth in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 17th.

The ZDX has more powerful engines than the Ariya:

On the EPA test cycle the ZDX A-Spec AWD gets better mileage than the Ariya Platinum+ 20" Wheels (94 city/80 hwy vs. 89 city/84 hwy MPGe).

The ZDX can travel longer on a full charge than the Ariya on a full charge:

For better stopping power the ZDX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Ariya:

For better traction, the ZDX has larger standard tires than the Ariya (265/50R20 vs. 235/55R19). The ZDX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Ariya (275/40R22 vs. 245/45R20).

The ZDX A-Spec’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ariya’s standard 55 series tires. The ZDX Type S’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Ariya Platinum+’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ZDX A-Spec has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Ariya. The ZDX Type S’ 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Ariya Platinum+.

The Acura ZDX’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Nissan Ariya only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the ZDX can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Ariya doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The ZDX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Ariya’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ZDX’s wheelbase is 12.5 inches longer than on the Ariya (121.8 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the ZDX is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Ariya.

For greater off-road capability the ZDX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Ariya (7 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the ZDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The ZDX has 10.1 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear legroom, 13.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Ariya.

The ZDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Ariya with its rear seat up (29.7 vs. 22.8 cubic feet). The ZDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Ariya with its rear seat folded (63 vs. 59.7 cubic feet).

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the ZDX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Ariya doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The ZDX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Ariya’s (3500 vs. 0 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the ZDX uses the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Ariya doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 22% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 18th.

The ZDX has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Ariya doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The ZDX’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Ariya’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the ZDX to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Ariya doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The ZDX has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura ZDX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Ariya Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ offers wireless charging.

The ZDX Type S has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Ariya doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.