2025 Acura ADX, An All-New Compact Luxury SUV, Stuns with Style, Features and Impressive Pricing

The question was: “What would happen if we blended the sporty and luxurious driving dynamics of the Integra, and the cargo space, styling, and comfort aspects of our SUVs?” And the answer came in the form of the 2025 Acura ADX.

It’s a fairly wide body, it’s low to the ground, and it even has the same engine as the Integra. Wide tires and powerful brakes hint at what this SUV was made to do as a daily driver: be versatile.

Almost 200 horsepower is generated from the 1.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and while that seems low, it’s paired with a complimentary CVT that makes the most out of each “gear.” It’s responsive, torquey, and most of all, fun.

The Acura ADX is as fun to look at as it is to drive, speaking to Acura’s slogan of “Precision Crafted Performance.”

Acura’s designers wisely decided that no trim level of the Acura ADX would have boring interior colors. Instead, the base of the A-Spec trim has a beautiful “orchid” color, which debuts with the 2025 Acura ADX. At the very base, an all black interior is standard.

The primary color is an off-white accented by a bluish-purple color that’s carried out throughout the interior. The other option, which was shown in the car I drove, is black with red accents. Perfect for complementing red lipstick, which I pleasantly discovered.

In either color, I appreciated the open interior from the driver’s seat. In the rear, passengers enjoy an even better view of the world around them, thanks to a large (and thankfully tinted) sunroof. There will be no such thing as car sickness in the ADX.

The seats, both in the front and the rear, were plenty comfortable, too, especially for the hour and a half long route Acura plotted for us. However, we’ve never had an issue with comfort in any Acura we’ve tested.

I’m not usually a fan of CVTs. They’re great for mileage, but they’re not very responsive like a standard transmission tends to be. So, I was surprised when the ADX was peppy and responsive instead of feeling very rubber-band-like or slow to respond.

The 2025 Acura ADX roared to life (literally, thanks to rich exhaust notes) once I put it in Sport mode. The CVT kept the RPMs high and was insanely in-tune with the accelerator, making it feel like it was a tuned standard transmission. When I learned that it was a CVT, it was difficult to disguise my shock.

When dropping it back into Normal mode, however, that’s when it was more apparent that it was a CVT with slightly laggier response times—but whether it was passing a car or cruising on the freeway, it was hands down one of the best CVTs I’ve experienced. Especially from a sporty perspective.

It also was great for mileage. Even when I was carving canyons for nearly 45 minutes, I was averaging a stunning 27 miles to the gallon.

Read: 10 of the Best European Luxury SUVs, For Budgets from Thrifty to Luxe

One of the [many] things I liked about the 2025 Acura ADX was the size. It was obvious the sizing was meant to be between the larger SUVs and the Integra, putting it in the same size category as something like a Subaru Forester or Honda HR-V (the Honda it shares a platform with). It had all the space of an SUV without the bulk, which is something many current SUVs, unfortunately, lack.

The rear seats were comfortable for a 5’8″ adult woman, but even without a measuring tape, I could tell it would be cramped for a rear-facing car seat. Even with that, the lower anchors were easy to access without having to dig in the seats for them, and the upper tethers were on the roof just behind the headrest.

A front-facing car seat would be a dream for toddlers who love cars because the sunroof would give them plenty to admire, and the tint would keep them comfortable and shaded. The rear seats have vents and accessible USB-C charging ports, too. For both adults and children, the rear climate control and fan speeds are controlled by the driver.

The truck space was impressive for an SUV its size, which would make it easy to fit the daily needs of families. However, it would be tight if you had to do grocery hauls with the kids or road trips with the family. Though I can’t see how that couldn’t be fixed with a roof basket or cargo box.

The exterior of the 2025 Acura ADX was just as beautiful as the inside, as it faithfully followed the company’s angular, sporty-yet-elegant design language. The gray paint, paired with the glossy black wheels, black exterior trimming, and large Acura badge, helped separate it from other cars on the road.

The same language is loudly spoken in the rear, which also features angular and sharp taillights and a curved rear end.

It’s a design that’s easy to admire and appreciate, and no one would ever assume you didn’t break the bank when you signed the financial papers.

As I mentioned before, the 2025 Acura ADX A Spec featured a 15-speaker sound system from Bang & Olufsen, which makes sound systems for other luxury brands like Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Genesis. So, it’s pretty cool to think that a car under $46,000 has a sound system brand found in cars in the six-figure range.

It had a dedicated subwoofer under the trunk’s cargo floor, making that long route especially enjoyable. I listen to a wide variety of music, from classic rock to bassy electronic genres, and each genre sounded incredible.

Aside from the price and exterior design, the sound system was one of my favorite parts of the 2025 Acura ADX experience.

I’ve test-driven a lot of vehicles, ranging from domestic to six-figure luxury, and none have had me smiling as widely or as often as the 2025 Acura ADX did. The open interior, the incredible sound system, the interior and exterior design, and the Sport mode made this car a no-brainer.

Personally, it was a little small for me, strictly due to my having two toddlers in car seats, but I may have successfully convinced my little sister to trade in her 20-plus-year-old Subaru for one when they’re finally for sale this spring.

With all the features, capabilities, design, space, and driving style, the ADX may just set a new standard for affordable luxury SUVs.