2025 Acura ADX Up Close: Who Wants an Integra SUV?

It used to be that the RDX was the baby in the Acura showroom, serving as the entry point to a lineup of cars and SUVs based on more mundane Hondas that had been spiced up, leather-lined and given a boost of extra grunt. But over the years, the RDX (along with the rest of the Acura SUV lineup) has gotten bigger, more expensive and, let’s just admit it, porkier. With the RDX now pushing $46,050 to start (all prices include destination fee) and the bigger MDX now starting at an eye-popping $52,550, Acura figured there was room at the bottom end of the showroom for a new model — and the ADX slips nicely into that spot.

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Slick Family Looks

Based on the Honda HR-V subcompact SUV, the new ADX looks nothing like its mass-market Honda cousin. It’s pure Acura styling here (which has become decidedly better in recent years), with its angular headlight treatment, high waistline and slick rear end. Only in the roofline does some of its Honda roots start to show up, but it’s not really an issue at all. Big wheels and tires help complete the Acura family look, and bringing in more than a whiff of the sporty Integra hatchback sedan was a good move on Acura’s part.

The interior does show a little bit more of the Honda origins, however, despite being significantly upgraded with nicer materials and Acura-specific graphics on the bigger electronic displays. Things like the climate controls (which are still actual knobs and buttons, thank God) look similar to the Honda’s, but that’s not a bad thing — the interior of the HR-V is one of its strong suits, and it only gets better in the ADX. We’re very grateful that the awful trackpad multimedia system from other Acura models isn’t here. Instead of having to use a peripheral control like a trackpad or scroll wheel, there’s a touchscreen front and center, which remains the best way to access multimedia systems. Kudos to Acura for keeping that thing out of this new SUV.

The Promise of More Power

But what really has us more excited is the word that the ADX will feature the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine out of the Integra rather than the anemic non-turbocharged 2.0-liter four from the HR-V. There are very few cars out there today that I’d genuinely criticize as “slow,” but the HR-V is absolutely one of them. Acura hasn’t mentioned output numbers yet, but I’d be very surprised if it’s less than the Integra’s 200 horsepower. The ADX’s engine is mated to the continuously variable automatic transmission from the Integra, as well, so that’s less thrilling. It’s still an adequately tuned transmission in the sedan, though, so we’re hopeful its sporty demeanor carries over to the SUV.

In an era of ever more expensive vehicles, the arrival of the ADX to help bring new buyers into the Acura showroom with a more reasonably priced model seems beautifully timed. If it can deliver on the Acura promise of sporty performance, it should be a hit for them.

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