The first electric vehicle I ever drove was a Tesla Roadster in 2011. I’ll never forget the feeling of instant torque delivered by the electric motor, propelling me to 60 mph in under four seconds – a feat my little Miata daily driver couldn’t even dream of doing.
Since then I’ve had something of a love affair with this type of acceleration. But as in all relationships, time has awakened in me the desire for something more – I want an electric vehicle that gives me just as much joy in the corners as it does on the motorway on-ramps.
It was with great anticipation that I got behind the wheel of the 2025 Acura ZDX Type S. Sure, it’s a midsize SUV, but it’s nicknamed the Type S, a name reserved only for the drivers who enjoy driving the most Acura stable. Could this be the EV unicorn I’ve been looking for?
Y’all, things didn’t go as expected.
screws and nuts
Photo credit: Emma Hall
At launch, the ZDX will be available in A Spec and Type S versions – both equipped with a 102 kWh battery. The A Spec will be available with rear-wheel drive with a range of 313 miles and just over 350 horsepower, while all-wheel drive reduces the range to 304 miles but increases power to 409 horsepower.
The performance-oriented Type S sends power to all four wheels and goes full throttle with 499 horsepower and a whopping 544 pound-feet of torque. However, all those fast-moving electrons affect the range, as the Type S can only travel 278 miles on a full charge.
Although I didn’t have the opportunity to test the ZDX’s 190 kW charging capability, Acura says it’s fast enough to travel up to 81 miles in 10 minutes of charging and increase battery capacity from 20% to 80% in 42 minutes increase . However, things are quicker with the offerings from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis.
When it comes to charging at home, the ZDX has an 11.5 kW onboard charger that Acura says can add nearly 30 mph with a 60 amp wall charger.
The S stands for sport, right?
Photo credit: Acura
Acura says the driving experience comes first with this new car, and that’s even more true for the enthusiast Type S. Unfortunately, the upper equipment doesn’t put a smile on my face.
When you put the car in Sport mode, it drops 15 millimeters, or just over half an inch for us Americans, while the brake and throttle become a little more responsive and the already heavy steering gets a little heavier. The adaptive dampers become firmer and the car produces a subtle but noticeable performance sound.
Combined with 544 pound-feet of torque, this should make for an extremely fun car, but somehow that just isn’t the case.
The ZDX is fun to start on the highway. Likewise, accelerating at higher speeds is a pleasure, and chasing a Prius around the fast lane at 55 km/h is an easy task.
Still, I expected more enjoyment from an Acura Type S vehicle.
Don’t get me wrong, the driving experience is generally not bad. And yet, slinging the SUV through the back roads of Santa Barbara, California, felt clinical. This is where the error occurred.
The Type S weighs over 6,000 pounds. Even if the weight is evenly distributed front to back, that’s a lot of weight to handle a corner. I like the strong steering, but there isn’t much feedback. The torque is always there at the exit of the corner and the body roll is kept under control, but I still don’t feel any joy.
The Type S’s 275/40 Continental Premium Contact 6 summer tires offer plenty of grip, but the flat sidewall combined with the harder run-flat rubber compound means the ride is a bit harsh.
Of course, Acura knows how to build a proper Type S car. The new Integra Type S is a real driving pleasure. I just wish the company would apply the same technique to this much larger and heavier sibling model.
Braking in the ZDX is confident with the big old Brembo brakes up front and three levels of regeneration. You can turn off regeneration completely, but why give up free electrons? It may take some time to get used to maximum recuperation, but it allows for complete one-pedal driving and brings the ZDX to a complete stop. Even if you are not in maximum mode, you can generate even more recuperation by pulling the steering wheel paddle on the left side.
There’s also a snow mode, which raises the suspension by almost an inch, as well as a custom mode where you can choose your own adventure, but most people will probably just leave the car in normal mode, and that’s perfectly fine, too .
Acura will go it alone
The all-electric ZDX is not a pure Honda Motor vehicle. It was developed in collaboration with General Motors and used the American company’s battery technology. The original plan was to develop a range of affordable electric vehicles, but that plan was scrapped late last year as demand for electric vehicles waned. However, Acura wants 100% of all products to be zero-emissions by 2040 and has set a goal of achieving net-zero emissions across all products and company activities by 2050.
Developed using virtual and augmented reality in both the US and Japan, Acura’s creatives have clearly taken the Precision EV concept we saw at Monterey Car Week in 2022 and called it a good one.
And most of the time they were right.
The car is almost the same overall length as the MDX midsize SUV, but the wheelbase is a full 20cm longer, pushing the wheels into each corner for a somewhat aggressive appearance. It also sits lower than the MDX, giving the ZDX a bit of an is-it-a-wagon-or-is-it-an-SUV profile, especially with its squared-off rear roofline. The rear gives off serious hearse design vibes, which can be a good, good or bad choice for exterior style depending on your aesthetic.
What Acura did right
Photo credit: Emma Hall
Acura has proven to be a master at color selection – Tiger Eye Pearl and Double Apex Blue Pearl are a welcome sight on a midsize crossover. Acura even offers a red interior for every Type S with a standard exterior color of black, white or gray.
Inside, the ZDX’s center console clearly divides the interior into driving and driving areas. I like it. There is plenty of storage space for small items and the console also has a basement storage area for larger items such as laptops and handbags.
All trim levels have power leather seats that can be heated and cooled, as well as a heated steering wheel. The Type S also features heated rear seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a digital rearview mirror and a head-up display.
Overall, the ZDX is comfortable with clean design lines and plenty of passenger and cargo space. Sure, there are a few buttons and dials from the GM parts box, but the design is very Acura-ish. The back seat is particularly spacious and offers more legroom than the competition from Germany and Korea. There is 28.7 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats including 5 cubic feet of storage space under the floor. With the rear seats folded down, the volume increases to 62 cubic feet.
Photo credit: Emma Hall
Anyone who has driven a GM product recently will immediately recognize the 11.3-inch infotainment interface. Google is integrated here and I think it’s a more user-friendly system than anything Acura currently offers, so I’m not even mad. In addition, Google-based navigation can be sent to the 11-inch digital instrument and optimizes route planning for charging. It can even initiate battery preconditioning. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included.
All trim levels of the ZDX come with the Acura Watch suite of ADAS features, which includes things like blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and the like. The Type S has a few features, including the Hands Free Cruise system – essentially GM’s excellent Super Cruise technology. During my test drive, the clutch disengaged once when the road markings disappeared on newly laid asphalt. For this reason, drivers must always be attentive, even with a hands-off system.
Like Super Cruise, Acura Hands Free Cruise can be set to automatically change lanes, allowing the computer to decide whether it is safe to overtake a slower-moving vehicle. The car does its job well and confidently moves a lane to the left in moderate traffic, it just surprises me deeply.
All Acura ZDX vehicles are ordered online, either at home or from the dealer, so you can still get help when you need it. Acura is also offering buyers some charging benefits with its new electric SUV. Options include a Level 2 charger, a $500 credit for installation and a $100 credit for public charging or a portable charger, a $250 credit for home charger installation and a $300 credit for public Load. For those who can’t charge at home, Acura also offers $750 worth of public charging options.
While the original intent of the GM/Honda partnership was to eventually build a cost-effective electric vehicle, the 2025 Acura ZDX definitely isn’t it. Sure, there’s eligibility for a $7,500 tax credit, but my top ZDX Type S tester costs $74,850 including destination charges, a hard pill to swallow when the fun factor just isn’t there.
Perhaps driving the cheaper A Spec is the most worthwhile electric route.