2025 Acura ADX Tested: Not Exactly a Taller Teg

Car and Driver

03-06-2025

Small SUVs are replacing small cars as the entry point for more and more automotive brands, but the differences between them can extend beyond their form factors. At Acura, the Integra, currently $34,195 to $39,195 (not counting the $50K-plus Type S), has served as the brand's entry point. But now it's joined by the ADX, a new subcompact SUV, whose three-level lineup runs from $36,350 to $45,350.
Just as the Integra shares its platform with the Honda Civic, the ADX is related to the Honda HR-V. The ADX rides on the same 104.5-inch wheelbase as the HR-V but gets its own suit of sheetmetal, sharing no body panels with its Honda sibling. It's also some six inches longer, putting it within spitting distance (1.6 inches) of Acura's larger RDX.
View Exterior Photos
Andi Hedrick
|
Car and Driver
All ADX models can be had with front- or all-wheel drive—our test car, a top-spec A-Spec Advance model, had the latter. And all are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder paired with a CVT. This is the same engine you'll find in the Integra, and while the ADX's 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque are a bit less than the Integra's 200 horses and 192 pound-feet, the output substantially betters the HR-V's 158-hp 2.0-liter four.
Look outside the Honda family, though, and 190 horses looks less impressive. The Audi Q3 musters 228 horsepower, the BMW X1 xDrive28i proffers 241, the Volvo XC40 manages 247, the Lexus NX350 corrals 275, and the X1 M35i boasts 312 horsepower.
HIGHS: Looks nothing like its Honda relation, nicely finished interior, well-tuned chassis.
Lo and behold, the little Acura trails every one of those competitors in the sprint to 60 mph. Its 8.7-second time may be better than the glacial 9.4 seconds we measured with the all-wheel-drive HR-V, but it's well in arrears of the Acura's premium-brand rivals. Even the slowest of that aforementioned group, the Q3, buries the ADX with a 7.4-second time, and it's probably best not to talk about the X1 M35i and its 4.7-second blitz.
View Interior Photos
Andi Hedrick
|
Car and Driver
The ADX also trails well behind its sedan sibling, which in our testing of an automatic-equipped model scooted to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. The ADX had the off-the-line traction benefit of all-wheel drive, but it carries 457 pounds more mass than the Integra. Therein, we surmise, lies the issue.
The ADX's modest 179 pound-feet of torque is available at a low 1700 rpm, so calls for a bit more speed don't necessarily send the tach needle soaring. But when the 1.5-liter is giving its all, the ADX's slow climb up to speed is accompanied by a nasal honk of an engine note. And whether the engine is in the standard drive mode or (with a slightly different pitch) in Sport, it's vocal. We measured 78 decibels under wide-open throttle—significantly louder than the 74 decibels for the XC40 or the NX350.
View Interior Photos
Andi Hedrick
|
Car and Driver
If power is wanting, fuel economy is more in line with segment norms—although here again it's well short of the Integra's numbers. The all-wheel-drive ADX carries EPA estimates of 25 mpg city and 30 on the highway (front-wheel drive bumps those up by 1 mpg). Those numbers exceed the Audi's or the Lexus's and are similar to the Volvo's—the BMWs do a bit better on the highway. In our own 75-mph highway testing, the ADX returned 29 mpg.
LOWS: Honking engine note, plodding acceleration, uncomfortable rear seat.
The ADX's all-wheel-drive system does not shuffle torque across the rear axle, as in the RDX and MDX. Nor can adaptive dampers be had, as in the Integra. Despite lacking that sophisticated gear, the ADX corners eagerly, guided by quick steering (2.4 turns lock to lock) with spot-on weighting. This car also erases bumps and traverses bad pavement with minimal fuss. No, it's not a funster in the manner of the low-slung, canyon-slaying Integra Type S—note the modest 0.82 g of skidpad grip from the A-Spec-specific 235/45R-19 tires. But for a compact crossover, the ADX's ride and handling should please its audience. Some small degree of customization is possible via the ADX's drive modes (which alter engine response, steering effort, engine sound, and the cluster appearance), and the Advance adds an Individual setting to mix and match.
View Interior Photos
Andi Hedrick
|
Car and Driver
Inside, the ADX has a clear Acura family resemblance. Our A-Spec Advance test car was decked out in a lively red and black color scheme; an interesting off-white (Orchid) and blue two-tone combo is also available, as is a more boring all-black. The cabin features a nice mix of materials, plentiful storage, and gimmick-free physical controls. The infotainment screen isn't the biggest out there, but wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are on hand. Seating comfort is fine for those up front, less so for those in back. The issue isn't headroom or legroom—both are adequate, if not generous—it's a low seat cushion.
The cargo hold is par for the course in this class. Its 23 cubic feet behind the rear seats (24 in lesser trims) places it neatly between the measurements for the BMW X1 M35i and the Volvo XC40. Same for the 54 cubic feet (or 55 in the base and mid-tier versions) with the rear seatbacks folded.
View Interior Photos
Andi Hedrick
|
Car and Driver
We'll grant that subcompact-SUV form factor gives the ADX more interior room than the Integra, and its available all-wheel drive (a $2000 option on all trim levels) is something the Integra does not offer. But there are clear trade-offs in performance and fuel economy. We're glad that—for now, at least—the ADX isn't the only choice at the affordable end of the Acura spectrum.
VERDICT: The entry-level Acura for those not in a hurry.
Specifications
Specifications
2025 Acura ADX A-Spec Advance AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $45,350/$45,950
Options: Urban Gray Pearl paint, $600
ENGINE
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 91 in3, 1498 cm3
Power: 190 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 179 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm
TRANSMISSION
continuously variable automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 12.3-in vented disc/12.2-in disc
Tires: Continental ProContact TX
235/45R-19 95H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 104.5 in
Length: 185.8 in
Width: 72.5 in
Height: 63.8 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 53/43 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 54/23 ft3
Curb Weight: 3601 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.7 sec
1/4-Mile: 16.9 sec @ 86 mph
100 mph: 24.0 sec
120 mph: 44.6 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 9.3 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.6 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.0 sec
Top Speed (C/D est): 125 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 176 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.82 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 23 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 29 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 400 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 27/25/30 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Joe Lorio
Deputy Editor, Reviews and Features
Joe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days, and he got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.