Acura ZDX will be pulled from market soon

Acura has a winner of a sport utility vehicle in the MDX. As the MDX train rolls along on its production line a few Acura ZDX “Luxury Crossovers” are sprinkled in. When the ZDX appeared in 2009 reviewers who drove the ZDX, which is sort of squashed sport ute, often asked why any buyer would choose this instead of the MDX it is based on. Performance was almost identical, and the ZDX had less usable space. Apparently, buyers also asked that question.

ZDX and the Crossover Craze

Part of the reason the ZDX was created from the MDX is that during the late 2000s, the crossover craze was in its full glory. Everyone wanted a big sedan-like vehicle that could pretend to have some off-road credibility and the “security of all-wheel drive.” Subaru caused that mentality. Competitive mass hysteria cannot be ruled out either. BMW launched the X6 which is a lot like this ZDX in the same model year. Seeing a ZDX or X6 in the wilds of a Trader Joe’s parking lot is like spotting an albino whale on a whale watch. Possible, but very unlikely. The demographic for these vehicles is three guys from Connecticut and they all have one. Last month Honda sold 48 ZDX, half of the number it sold in September 2011. In the car world that means this is just a hassle for Acura. By Comparison, MDX sales were up 60% to a very healthy (and likely very profitable) 4,700 units.

Honda Steals Acura Sales
Another problem for Acura is that Honda has almost exactly the same vehicle for sale. It is called the Honda Crosstour. An Acura salesman could tell you about 30 different things an ZDX has that the Crosstour doesn’t, but the truth is the Crosstour is faster, gets dramatically better mileage, looks a lot like its cousin, and has the same layout. Oh, and it costs $18,000 less when fully loaded with every option package. At nearly $60K you have to really love the ZDX to buy it instead of the MDX. You also have to really like going slower and paying more for gas. Honda dealers sold literally 44 times as many Crosstours as Acura dealers sold ZDX units last month. Remember, you can have your Honda serviced at your Acura dealership.

Credit Acura for trying new things and if you have always dreamed of owning a new ZDX you have a little more time to fulfill that dream.