Acura is a brand in motion. While they’re making great vehicles lately, they’re also thinning the herd. The sporty TLX sedan – gone. The ZDX EV – also gone. But while we’re sorry when any really good vehicle says goodbye, Acura is sweetening the deal with an all-new ADX – a great entry level small crossover/SUV. Should it be on your radar? Let’s take a look!

Good Looks in Small Packages

To make an affordable product, Acura goes to the sibling Honda lineup and takes their small HR-V SUV and gives it the full-on sport luxury makeover. And it’s a good one.

The front makes a great first impression, with a bold, large pentagon shaped grille with a large chrome Acura logo. No mistaking what you’re looking at here! LED headlights with signature eyebrow driving lights over them gives the ADX a look like it’s peering down at you, and you better move aside.

Adding to that aggressive vibe, our sporty A-Spec tester adds LED fog lights, and contrasting lower fascia for a powerful presence. And we might add, we like it a lot better than the blander HR-V!

The profile is much closer to the HR-V, which we feel is actually the little Honda’s best view, and the ADX wears no chrome for a serious performance look that wears well on the sporty lines, especially the swept back windshield, fastback rear pillar and fender flares with deep cut-ins on the doors. We also liked the tasteful A-Spec badges on the front fenders. Finishing off the look are hunky, blacked-out 19-inch alloy wheels.

Our favorite view of the ADX is from the back, with slender LED taillights and an angled line that flows from the rear window down and comes to a plateau above the license plate. A deeply carved-in area around the plate adds depth, while a lower contrasting fascia features large dual exhaust pipes. It’s the kind of cohesive balance we’ve come to love lately in Acura’s design language. Finishing off our tester was the optional Urban Gray Pearl paint, a creamy cement color that’s all the rage right now, and it looks expensive and elegant here.

Sport meets Luxury

Inside, the ADX continues to impress. We recently had been in another ADX A-Spec, and we found that tester’s red interior to especially sporty and keeping in sync with the A-Spec’s mission. So, it was interesting to see that our current tester in a different hue, an Acura-first Orchid with Blue accents. And it really does change the vibe, feeling more luxurious, like something you’d find in a Volvo.

While that two-tone color does look upscale, there’s still plenty here that says driver focused. When you opt for the A-Spec, that includes a thick leather-wrapped, flat-bottomed steering wheel, ambient LED interior lighting, stainless sport pedals, red needles on the gauges and more.

The front seats are sporty and hold you in place with Alcantara inserts, and another A-Spec plus, the seats are ventilated as well as heated. We’re also big fans of the panoramic moonroof that bathes the interior in light, and unlike the Subaru Solterra we recently tested, the roof also tilts and opens for added fresh air. Nice.

Info-tainment is complete, but it does look a little dated, with most of the luxury brands – and some mainstream ones – now featuring seamless dual-screen displays, the ADX makes do with a separate10.2-inch digital gauge display, and we’re pleased that it gives you the traditional look of a circular speedometer and tachometer, along with key information including audio, driver’s aids etc.

Instead of wall-to-wall dual screen goodness, there’s a separate 9.0-inch touchscreen, standing proud of the center of the dash, and it’s within easy reach with excellent legibility. And hurray! A dedicated volume knob as well. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with wi-fi and wireless charging also make it to every ADX model.

Our tester had the Advance Package, and that really elevates the game with added goodness, including Google built-in including Google Maps, Alexa built-in, Surround View Camera System, 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, remote start and more.  

And while we may miss having a flashy dual-screen display, we’ll give Acura kudos for keeping the climate control separate, with easy-to-adjust knobs and pushbuttons. And while we’re at it, we’re also pleased Acura stuck with a traditional gear shift lever instead of the pushbutton design that the brand uses on many of its other vehicles. It just feels sportier with a lever in your hand!

While the ADX is not a large vehicle, those riding in the back will enjoy impressive space, and Acura says it enjoys best-in-class rear legroom. Cargo space is impressive too, with 23 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and nearly 55 cubic feet with the rears folded – room enough for two mountain bikes with the front wheels removed. Access is easy with the hatch featuring a low lift over height, and A-Spec exclusive hands-free assist power tailgate. The more time we spent with the ADX, the more we were impressed with how much you get in features, creature comforts and technologies.

Acura-Driven Performance

It’s clear Acura didn’t want to make compromises on its smallest SUV, so they brought their A-game (sorry, bad pun) when it comes to performance as well.

It starts under the hood. The sibling Honda HR-V features a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder serving up a frugal, but unenthusiastic 158 horsepower. Giving you the power you want, Acura upgrades to the familiar Honda/Acura 1.5-liter, turbo 4 cylinder that punches out a 190 horsepower, and 179 lb.-ft of torque, starting at just 1,700 rpm.

And it’s a huge improvement, this is an engine that loves to rev, makes a great sound doing so, and gives you that turbo kick in the back that’s so much fun. The only trick here is to keep it in Sport Mode which keys a more responsive throttle, and move the shift lever to S, so the CVT mimics sporty shifts to add to the fun.

Ah, the CVT. Even using the paddle shifters, it’s not a replacement for a traditional automatic in our eyes. Yes, for an everyday grocery getter, it’s smooth and efficient and Honda makes one of the best out there.  But for something sporty that really feels crisp, it’s not quite there. On the bright side, it is pleasant in non-sporting occasions, and 30 mpg Highway rating is quite good for a turbo four.

Whether it’s a twisty road or sloppy weather, we’d strongly recommend the optional all-wheel drive. It’s an advanced system that can send more than 50% to the rear wheels, helping create great steering feel and snappy responses to the helm. There’s plenty of good Honda/Acura DNA in the setup, and the ADX loves to be tossed around, and that fat torque curve helps you come zipping out of the corners under power.

And when you just want a quiet commuter, the ride is a perfect blend of supple and responsive – it’s impressively quiet, and that 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system fills the cabin with great sounds.

We mentioned the loaded-to-brim feeling, and safety and driver assist tech are equally impressive, with a Standard AcuraWatch suite with Blind spot information, Lane Keeping Assist, Collison Mitigation Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow, Traffic Jam Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Monitor and Traffic Sign Recognition, and more.

What should I A-Spec to Pay?

Here the Honda DNA shines through – the ADX presents strong value. You can get into a base ADX front wheel drive starting at $35,000. Style, tech, and luxury all at an excellent price.

Our tester was the top-of-the-line ADX A-Spec Advance All-Wheel-Drive. It’s already the full-enchilada model, so our sole option was Urban Gray paint ($600). Add in $1,350 for Destination, and we rang the bell at $45,950.

Acura is taking direct aim at the European brands, so competitors would include the BMW X2, a great drive with true European road manners, but coming in at $54,150, you’re really paying a lot for that roundel on the hood!

 We also like the Volvo XC40 which has a gorgeous interior and strong road manners, but comparably priced at $52,200 it’s also an expensive step up, making the ADX seem like a screaming deal.

Loaded with style, tech, value and great fun to drive, the 2025 Acura ADX is a small premium SUV that’s easy to love!