The All-New Smallest Acura SUV
The all-new 2025 Acura ADX joins the Acura line-up as their smallest SUV. As Acura says, it now covers SUVs from “A to Z” with the ADX, MDX, RDX and ZDX. Sharing a platform with the Honda HR-V, the ADX plusses-up the HR-V with a premium experience of quality interior materials, a more powerful engine and a tuned suspension. The premium subcompact SUV category is highly competitive but Acura is ready to take-on the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA 250, BMW X1 and the Lexus UX Hybrid.
One Engine. One Transmission. AWD Optional
Acura makes it simple as the ADX is available with only one engine and one transmission. The turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine is mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with paddle shifters. Performance numbers are 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque, driving the front wheels with all-wheel drive optional. In a few timed 0-60 mph runs we averaged a respectable 7.6 seconds.
Running on 91 octane, the EPA rates the ADX AWD at 25 mpg city/30 highway/27 combined. If opting for the front-wheel drive ADX, fuel economy numbers are 26/31/28. In 131 miles we averaged 32 mpg with pretty aggressive driving from sea level in Encinitas, California, at the Alila Marea Beach Resort to Santa Ysabel, at about 3,947 feet in the Laguna Mountains. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific, and represent the reviewer’s driving experience using the dash gauge computer. Your numbers may differ.
Hitting the Open Road
Clean Fleet Report was intrigued to drive the 2025 Acura ADX A-Spec AWD. The three hours of seat time at the media event in San Diego County gave us an opportunity to see what a CVT can do, especially when climbing mountains. The Snow, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual drive modes allowed for experimentation with the CVT, a transmission not known for delivering performance. Acura says its sport-tuned CVT has a Step-Shift that simulates gear changes, similar to a traditional automatic transmission, and even has artificial engine sounds to help with drivers get a better sense of acceleration and deceleration.
The AWD system has what Acura calls Intelligent Control to sense when the vehicle is losing traction, when it automatically sends power, based on road conditions, to the rear wheels (more than 50%) such as when starting on snow or when climbing hills. When AWD isn’t needed, the system switches back to front-wheel-drive. This computer-operated system automatically and seamlessly makes the power transfers without notice to the driver.
Our route took us on country sweepers and mountain twisties. The wide torque band, between 1,700 and 5,000 rpm, was appreciated. We tossed-around the 3,611 pounds as hard as was sensible (and safe) the ADX A-Spec AWD effortlessly taking long sweeping esses with ease. The handling was more agile than would be expected on a compact SUV with precise steering and brakes that held up well to repeated use.
John Fabricante, product planner on the ADX, told us: “We focused on our target buyer. We are not creating a performance car, but having said that, Precision Crafted Performance is in our DNA. There had to be a balance for really, really good handling (for an SUV) and a family car.” He went on to say the “importance of the ADX is to bring more customers into our brand, and it acts as parallel gateway into the much larger SUV market.”
Exterior Design
The ADX is the smallest of Acura’s four SUVs. All-new for 2025, the ADX features the brand’s Diamond Pentagon grille with a black-out mesh pattern framed by wide-set LED headlights, daytime running lights and fog lamps.
The ADX we drove was finished in Urban Gray Pearl and void of unnecessary chrome or cladding. The door handles and shark fin antenna were body color while the power heated exterior mirror caps, lower door panel and front and rear fascia were in black. The ADX A-Spec gets Shark Gray 19-inch wheels for the 235/45R Continental ProContact all-season tires.
The 2025 ADX A-Spec is understated, but certainly set apart from the Honda HR-V with which it shares a chassis.
Comfortable Interior
Climbing inside, the black and red leather-trimmed seats were 12-way power adjustable for the driver and 4-way power adjustable for the passenger. Both are heated and ventilated with the driver getting power lumber and memory.
The rear seat room welcomes grown humans, holding two comfortably (three for short jaunts) with ample leg, shoulder and head room and well-padded seat bottoms. There is a flat cargo area of 53.9 cubic feet with the 60:40 split rear seat folded.
The cockpit design is driver friendly, with a 10.2-inch digital driver’s screen with white numbers against a black background for the configurable gauges that make finding information quick and convenient. Using controls on the steering wheel, the driver can scroll-through various vehicle settings.
The ADX comes standard with a 12-inch color infotainment touchscreen. The A-Spec we drove had the optional Bang & Olufsen sound system with 15 speakers. The good sounding audio system has a simple user interface with AM/FM/HD radio and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is a volume knob and a rocker button to select the radio channels, but two knobs would be more user friendly. The lighted USB ports were accompanied by a 12-volt outlet.
The interior build and material quality are at a high level for compact SUVs. There were soft surfaces on the dash, door panels and center console, all embellished with top stitching. The low profile dash aided in good forward vision, while the linear dash design gave an appearance of length and widening. The conveniently placed dual-zone automatic climate control has large wheels for easy operation.
Safety and Convenience
All ADX models come standard with active and passive safety features such as front and side air bags with rollover sensors, along with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Safety technologies include forward collision and road departure mitigation, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.
Pricing and Warranties
The 2025 Acura ADX comes in three trim levels, all available in FWD or AWD. These prices include the $1,350 destination charge.
ADX
- FWD $36,350
- AWD $39,350
A-Spec
- FWD $39,350
- AWD $41,350
A-Spec with the Advanced Package
- FWD $43,350
- AWD $45,350
Observations: 2025 Acura ADX
To some, the all-new 2025 Acura ADX, as an entry level compact SUV, could be considered a fancier Honda HR-V. It isn’t. The ADX is six inches longer, so placed side-by-side, the ADX has more of a presence. But length isn’t the whole story here. Acura engineers, exterior and interior designers dug in with the result a familiar, but different car. The biggest difference, of course, is the engine the ADX shares with the sporty Integra, a decision by Acura to keep a bit of the performance DNA in its first entry into this popular SUV segment.
Mike Langel, assistant vice president, Acura national sales, said: “The dealers are excited about the ADX as the segment is hot and has seen huge year-over-year growth that is expected to continue. The ADX is a great step-up from a sedan, but also some people will be downsizing from the larger RDX or MDX as their life needs change.”
So how does the thought of a premium compact SUV being in your driveway sound? Visit your local Acura dealer and see for yourself.
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Story and by John Faulkner. Photos by the author and Acura.
