2025 Acura ADX A-Spec Review: A Lifted Integra Is More Of A Good Thing
Acura’s littlest crossover offers both fun and functionality for a great value.
Crappy storms are ruining everyone’s fun in SoCal, with photoshoots and touge runs in gnarly tuner cars sidelined by a level of rain that was last accompanied by an ark. But there it was, our little 2025 Acura ADX A-Spec loaner, ready to tackle the weekend with confidence and deliver some semblance of peace amidst the chaos in the clouds.
That’s right. We’re actually reviewing a practical consumer product with a PRND shifter that isn’t some niche sports car with an H-pattern. How blasphemous. But even the most dedicated enthusiasts could use a coddling daily, and this Acura ADX just might deliver without sucking the life out of them.
Not a bad goal to strive for. But is it enough in this crowded market, stuffed with participants with similar resumes written in different fonts?
A (Sort-Of) Integra On Stilts
The Acura ADX launched for 2025 as an entry-level crossover, forming a two-pronged spear alongside the Integra on which it’s based to attract a more youthful audience. Like how the Integra is a tidied-up Civic, the ADX is a Honda HR-V fresh out of finishing school, complete with a sharp, slightly fastback roofline, optional all-wheel drive, and a big ol’ mean mug up front.
Specs:
MSRP: $35,000 base, $38,000 A-Spec, $42,000 A-Spec Advance, ($46,890 as-tested)
Powertrain: 1.5L turbocharged inline-four// CVT
Horsepower: 190 horsepower @ 6,000 RPM
Torque: 179 pound-feet @ 1,700 RPM
Seating Capacity: 5
Cargo Volume: 24.4 cubic feet (rear seats up), 55.1 cubic feet (rear seats down)
MPG: 25 city, 30 highway, 27 combined, 27.1 observed
Curb Weight: approx. 3,570 pounds
Base front-drive ADXs ring the bell at $35,000. The $42,000 A-Spec Advance trim adds a killer 15-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo system, Google integration, leather and suede upholstery, and a heated steering wheel versus the base A-Spec’s $38,000 sticker. A mild ground-effects kit adds a few hundred dollars per piece, while all-wheel drive is a $2,000 option on all trims, bringing our loaded Lunar Gray A-Spec Advance with all-wheel drive to nearly $47,000.
While less than the current national average for new car costs (a hair over $50,000), our as-tested price lines it up dangerously close to larger, more powerful offerings from BMW and Genesis. However, you can easily save thousands by ditching the ground-effects kit and the Advance level, turning the ADX into a relative bargain as far as luxury crossovers go. For reference, a BMW X1 currently starts at $42,800.
Standard A-Spec equipment includes a panoramic glass roof, heated and ventilated seats, and a thin veil of sportiness via black 19-inch wheels wrapped in Continental all-seasons and a sport-tuned Machperson front and multilink rear suspension. Motivation comes from a 190-horsepower version of the 1.5-liter VTEC-equipped turbo-four from its Integra sibling, as well as a myriad of Honda products.
What’s Hot?
Athletic enough to entertain
Great ride-handling balance
Excellent infotainment aided by physical switches
Refreshingly clear visibility
Spacious, comfortable seating
Bargain pricing
Cali Cruisin’ For The Whole Family
Upon departing LAX and heading for the stormy coast, the ADX proved to be a capable yet inoffensive commuter. It may not wear a roundel or three-pointed star, yet it makes the most out of its economy ute underpinnings.
NVH is hushed, and ride quality is controlled despite the A-Spec’s sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch rollers. It’s a tad firm but never really stiff, let alone harsh. Sharp bumps just have a bit of a rounded edge to them, while the dampers smartly absorb LA’s spine-shattering potholes with grace.
The A-Spec’s trade-off is a splash of dynamism. This near-3,600-pound crossover wafts around bends confidently with accurate steering that’s well-weighted in all drive modes. Perhaps that’s to be expected in something with a marginally shorter wheelbase than a BMW X1, Lexus NX, or Audi Q3. There’s plenty of grip for bullying traffic on freeway interchanges, and I found myself diving into intersections with more excitement than I should have and being rewarded with controlled, predictable body motions. The combination of well-suited Continental all-seasons and all-wheel drive meant traction was never an issue amidst this weekend’s downpour, too. I call that capable, while families will call it safe.
I certainly enjoy my time in Sport mode and the ADX’s customizable Individual mode, pretending it wears a Type-S badge instead. It’s no Type-S substitute, but it’s more fun to drive than most buyers ever need it to be. Bless! If only it rocked a variant of Acura’s trick Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, which it doesn’t. Boo.
The heated and cooled front seats are plenty comfortable for anyone who still takes issue with the ride. The panoramic glass roof is incredible for bringing light and airiness into an ergonomic cabin that anyone can settle into in minutes, and the thin A-pillars and expansive glass provide stellar visibility. Rear cargo space is ample enough for a few large duffles or a couple of roller bags, but know that it trails some rivals by just a few cubic feet with the rear seats up or down.
Although the interior layout is nearly the same, the average buyer may be hard-pressed to believe this shares close ties with the Honda Civic and HR-V. Panels are snapped tight, and cheaper materials are at least gussied up to look more presentable and sidelined away from common touch points. Acura ensured you mainly notice the spacious greenhouse and those wonderful seats, upholstered in a creamy Orchid and accented with blue suede.
The interior tech is a breeze, thanks to smartphone-quick touch response, Google Maps integration atop of wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and physical switchgear for the home screen, audio, and climate controls. Trend-followers will call the latter a “dated” choice, but buttons over haptic touch broaden the ADX’s appeal to more drivers, and they actuate with a satisfyingly firm solidity.
The back-up and surround view cameras are among the clearest I’ve seen, while the ADX’s small-ish footprint and front and rear parking sensors ensure that you have to be legitimately trying to hit something. Lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise manage their inputs smoothly and elegantly, which unfortunately can’t be said about the refinement of the start-stop system.
What’s Not?
Could be a tad sportier
Could have a smidge more power
Interior styling is too similar to its Honda counterpart
Sluggish stop-start
Not the most opulent or tech-laden luxury crossover
Rivals offer more powerful and efficient powertrains
It’s a bit rough at times and takes a half beat longer to fire up, prompting me to always turn it off and reminding me of the humble origins of what’s under the hood. It’s tuned just smooth enough to fit into the segment, and its comparatively meager output is plenty for zipping through traffic. Just don’t expect to win against BMWs or the Genesis GV70 2.5T. Max torque comes on early at 1,700 rpm, but with only 190 ponies and 179 pound-feet on tap, it’s a far cry from ever making us forget more muscular peers.
At least a well-programmed CVT aids this modest honey of a powertrain. Yes, a CVT. And it’s good. Fight me. It does a remarkable enough impression of a seven-speed auto, both at low speeds and high, and is unexpectedly responsive in Sport when you hop on the metal shift paddles for wannabe NSX action. There’s still the faintest whiff of CVT-ness, which is fine when the trade-off is an average of 27.1 mpg over three days of mixed driving. EPA highway estimates are 30 mpg, but the light-footed can easily manage 35 mpg.
A Better Honda Or A Cut-rate Luxury Crossover
Okay, you could find this level of equipment downmarket in a loaded RAV4. Sure. But you’ll miss out on the superior quality and styling, and its infotainment isn’t as nice. The Germans are far more athletic, but nickel and dime you for every option, from heated seats to driving assists, and those sick of touchscreens, scroll knobs, or their styling may be dissuaded. The ADX welcomes these outliers with open arms.
It’s got all the comfort, tech, and space a 21st-century yuppie or budding family could want for an agreeable price, given what’s in its gift basket, even at lower rungs of its spec sheet ladder. Its Civic underpinnings aren’t much to nitpick, and being blessed with its genes with a splash of Acura’s aura births an entry-level luxury crossover that’s sporty enough to satisfy some enthusiasts in search of a warrantied errand runner. The last say in compact luxury crossovers? Perhaps not. But let’s be glad Acura even has a say in it at all.