2025 Acura ADX First Drive Review: Inexpensive, Not Cheap

Further adding to the high-end experience is the new Bang & Olufsen sound system. This 15-speaker hi-fi is seriously impressive, to the point that I advocate for the range-topping A-Spec Advance model, which is the only trim where it’s offered. The system fills the cabin with sound and doesn’t distort with the volume turned all the way up. It had no problem reproducing a number of tracks from my playlist of songs that test a system’s limits (I use an older version of this list from What Hi-Fi?), though one outlier exceeded them. Ludwig Göransson’s “Killmonger” from the Black Panther soundtrack introduces a ton of low-end bass at the halfway point that causes rattles from the door speakers. So you can’t blast that one. The system should satisfy listeners of almost all of history’s other recorded music, however.

On the safety front, every ADX comes with a host of familiar Acura advanced driving aids, including adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot monitor and lane departure mitigation. A 360-degree camera and parking sensors with automatic braking are included on the A-Spec Advance. None of these systems break new ground, but we like that most of them are standard, while a number of competitors relegate them to the options list.

Dressed to impress

Elite vehicles like the Mercedes S-Class and Bentley Bentayga aren’t concerned with competing on price, but things are quite different on this end of the luxury spectrum. Here, value isn’t a four-letter word, and the ADX makes a strong case for itself. The starting price of $36,350 is thousands of dollars less than its German rivals; the trim structure is such that you can get a fully loaded ADX with all-wheel drive for less than the starting price of the Mercedes GLA 4Matic. The Merc might have a more impressive interior, but there’s no doubt you’re paying dearly for the experience.

The Acura ADX is an impressive new entry in the luxury subcompact SUV space. The nicely appointed interior only hints at the ADX’s Honda roots, and road comfort and a banging audio system are among the many highlights. Its powertrain isn’t as impressive as those in other luxury SUVs, but we’re willing to get over this hump considering the ADX’s MSRP undercuts rivals by thousands of dollars.