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All Wheel Drive, Front Wheel Drive
The 2025 Acura ADX fills a hole at the bottom of Acura’s lineup, which, until now, hasn’t featured a subcompact SUV model. Most other luxury nameplates have long had one to serve as a gateway to their brands, offering a higher degree of refinement, performance, and feature content than non-luxury models of a similar size would typically provide. For car buyers, these small luxury SUVs represent a lower cost of entry into a premium vehicle.
Photo: James Riswick
Unfortunately, while the ADX fills a hole, the bar should be higher than that, and this small Acura crossover SUV comes across as a half-hearted effort. Based on the Honda HR-V (its dimensions and rear quarter view make that an easy conclusion), the ADX has the same power output as the Honda CR-V. Although its chassis is specially sport-tuned, the Acura’s interior is barely more luxurious than the top trim levels of its Honda-badged cousins. Its value is questionable as a result.
Only one body style and powertrain are available, with base ADX, A-Spec, and A-Spec Advance trims available, although Acura refers to the latter two as “packages.” Base prices range from $36,350 to $45,350, including the destination charge, and there are no factory options besides color.
Read our full 2025 Acura ADX preview for more background and details.
For this 2025 ADX review, Acura provided a test vehicle equipped with the A-Spec Advance package. The only option was Urban Gray paint ($600). The test vehicle’s manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) was $45,950, including the $1,350 destination charge to ship the SUV to your local dealership from the Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, assembly plant.
Photo: James Riswick
The ADX’s seating position is relatively low, which provides a sporty, car-like feel when you climb in. Some will love it; others will find the ADX lacks that “commanding view of the road” often desired from an SUV. The driver seat itself is a stand-out feature—incredibly supportive in terms of long-distance comfort and when cornering. It also provided more than enough adjustment range for this 6-foot-3 test driver.
From there, though, the ADX disappoints. The quality is acceptable for its segment—and maybe that’s good enough—but I don’t think the cabin looks or feels more luxurious than the top trim levels of the Honda HR-V and CR-V. The buttons, knobs, and touchscreen seem to be shared with its Honda cousins, and in general, the ADX interior comes across as being an alternative HR-V instead of a dedicated Acura like the RDX and MDX.
On a positive note, my A-Spec Advance test vehicle had a unique white/blue color scheme, which extended to the doors and center console via simulated leather and suede trim. That certainly spruces up the joint compared to the Hondas, but it’s more of a sportier aesthetic than a luxurious one.
As for space, second-row legroom is identical to the HR-V, and while there are 1.2 fewer inches of headroom in the ADX, my head wasn’t touching the ceiling. My legs were also barely grazing the driver seat despite being set nearly all the way back, which is impressive for the luxury subcompact SUV segment. Indeed, rear-seat legroom is a big plus. Again, though, it’s the same as the HR-V and less than the CR-V or other fully loaded, non-luxury compact SUVs with lower price tags.
Cargo space is also identical to the HR-V at 24.4 cubic feet. That’s an OK number for the segment, but the angle of its liftgate makes it difficult to load and less useful than its volume would suggest. Non-luxury compacts like the CR-V and Mazda CX-50 have much bigger cargo areas. I also found the cargo area of the BMW X1 (a top luxury subcompact competitor) could more easily hold luggage.
Photo: James Riswick
The ADX has a 9-inch infotainment touchscreen standard, just like the 2026 HR-V. Judging by photos, the base ADX and A-Spec also seem to have the same interface. The Advance, however, features an upgraded unit with Google Built-in capability that’s not available on the HR-V. It arrives in the range-topping CR-V trim level for 2026. You also can’t get it in the CX-50 or X1.
Standard features included in every 2025 ADX include:
While every ADX comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which allow you to control smartphone apps with the car’s touchscreen, Google Built-in effectively cuts out the middleman. As the name suggests, Google Maps is built into the vehicle with greater functionality and improved graphics. Voice commands are handled via Google Assistant. You can also integrate various other apps via the Google Play Store.
There are certain apps and functions (reading text messages, for instance) for which CarPlay and Android Auto will still be helpful. Also, I don’t find Google Built-in such a game-changing feature that I’d stretch to get it in the Advance trim or choose the ADX instead of another SUV.
Further damaging the ADX’s case is its lack of satellite radio. And no, downloading the SiriusXM streaming app to CarPlay or Google Built-in is not the same. Ironically, the user interface is worse, and if you lose cell service, you’ll be sitting in silence.
The ADX also includes a 10.2-inch digital instrument panel. Still, it’s not as vibrant, customizable, or generally impressive as what you’ll find in other luxury-branded models such as the BMW X1, Cadillac XT4, or Mercedes-Benz GLA. This is another example of the ADX being better than a Honda, but falling short of its luxury segment.
Now for some great news! The A-Spec Advance’s 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system is exceptional. It is the most obviously upgraded part of the ADX over a comparable Honda. Not only that, but it is also the finest sound system I’ve heard in the small luxury SUV segment. If you’re an audiophile who just wants an extra-comfy driver seat and a killer stereo for sitting in traffic, the ADX may fit the bill.
Photo: James Riswick
The ADX has quicker and more responsive steering than the HR-V, which imparts a greater sense of driver engagement and confidence. Acura tunes its suspension to be far more capable on a winding road, and more composed everywhere else. Moving beyond the Honda comparison, the ADX could also transition between tight corners on my mountain road evaluation route more precisely than a Lexus UX, Mercedes GLB, or Volvo XC40.
Unfortunately, the ADX is slow. Its small, turbocharged 1.5-liter engine has enough torque at low rpm to make it feel punchy off the line, but once underway, its power falls off a cliff, and you’re left pushing your foot further into the floor. This causes the engine to rev and therefore drone as the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) hangs onto a higher ratio (as opposed to changing gears as a traditional transmission would).
Nothing about this experience says “luxury,” from the power itself to the transmission. Perhaps this is because the powertrain’s specs are identical to the non-hybrid Honda CR-V: a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder good for 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque connected to a CVT. And while the CR-V has larger dimensions than the ADX, its top turbocharged trim level weighs only 24 pounds more. Performance should theoretically be equal, and it sure feels like it.
I can’t speak for every luxury shopper, but “performance equal to a CR-V” isn’t exactly enticing. Nor is “quicker than an HR-V” that impressive considering how doggedly slow its Honda fraternal twin is. By comparison, the cheaper BMW X1 and Mazda CX-50 Turbo have far more power and torque (and you can feel it), along with conventional transmissions better suited to a premium vehicle’s performance and luxury.
As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates, the ADX’s fuel economy with all-wheel drive (front-wheel drive is standard on all trims) comes in at 25 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined. That’s one mpg combined worse than the CR-V EX-L AWD and BMW X1, but two mpg better than the Mazda. That’s ultimately not great considering the underwhelming power output.
Moreover, I managed only 23.6 mpg on my 75-mile evaluation route. Although I matched the EPA highway figure during my route’s initial 40-mile highway portion, efficiency plummeted once I hit the mountains, and the underpowered engine needed to work extra hard (and burn extra gas) to keep pace.
From a comfort perspective, highway noise levels were acceptable, if a tad too elevated. The ride quality is on the tauter side of things, especially compared to the Hondas mentioned above, but it’s well within the realm of comfort and does a good job of filtering out bigger bumps and smaller, high-frequency ones alike. At the very least, between the decent ride and the driver’s seat, your time in the ADX should be comfy.
Photo: James Riswick
The same AcuraWatch suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is standard on every 2025 ADX. It provides all the systems you could want, including:
Buyers should expect this level of ADAS at this point, and, thankfully, it’s all well-executed (remember, not all systems are created equal). The features worked as they should in my test vehicle without false alarms or annoying nannying. The adaptive cruise control system also did a capable job of accelerating, braking, and maintaining speed.
According to the JD Power 2024 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Lexus UX ranks highest in the Small Premium SUV segment. The Audi Q3 is the next-highest-ranked model.
According to the JD Power 2024 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the Genesis GV60 ranks highest in the Small Premium SUV segment. The BMW X1 and the Alfa Romeo Tonale are the next-highest-ranked models.
Other 2025 ADX competitors include the Cadillac XT4, Mercedes-Benz GLA, and Volvo XC40.
Photo: James Riswick
For urban-dwelling single folks, couples, or even one-child families, the ADX A-Spec Advance can be a comfy commuter vehicle with a bit more style and verve than they’ll get from a Honda. Ultimately, though, I don’t think you get enough value for your money in terms of added performance, quality, space, or design.
A loaded CR-V (with a more powerful and efficient hybrid powertrain, no less) is far bigger and almost as luxurious for about $2,000 less. The bigger, more powerful, and, arguably, more luxurious Mazda CX-50 Turbo is roughly the same price as the ADX A-Spec Advance. So is the BMW X1 xDrive28i when comparably equipped, and that’s just one extra-competitive example in the subcompact luxury SUV segment. In short, there are better choices out there.
James Riswick has been testing and reviewing cars since 2007, serving as an editor at Edmunds.com and Autoblog. He has also contributed to Autoguide Magazine, Autotrader, Capital One Auto Navigator, Car and Driver, and Hagerty. He resides in Southern California and owns a 1998 BMW Z3, a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon, and a 2023 Kia Niro EV.
