2025 Acura RDX A-Spec review: excitement, luxury, and utility - reasonably priced

There’s no such thing as a completely unbiased review of anything. We all have a little bias, and I am honest with mine. I like Acura products because they are usually well put together, offer a lot of performance for the money, and tend to be less expensive than many competitors. It’s always been that way, and it’s something I admire.

2025 Acura RDX A-Spec with Advance Package

Acura

In many ways, the 2025 Acura RDX A-Spec Advance personifies my sentiment. It is remarkably capable, sacrificing little to provide a very sporty drive. It’s still utilitarian, very comfortable and there’s a lot of tech offered. That said, there are some compromises as well.

Quick and nimble for its size

While there is no additional advantage to being a higher-spec version of the RDX, the thrust is no joke. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine provides 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The thrust is immediate, with very little lag. This is rather uncommon for turbocharged vehicles in this class. Even its distant cousin, the Honda CRV, is not without fault when it comes to lag.

The one thing Acura managed to pull off is something I normally would equate with BMW. They managed to get a fairly tall crossover that has plenty of power to handle like a much smaller, lower-to-the-ground car. Despite the higher center of gravity, the role, mitigation, and overall handling are downright impressive.

In addition, while there isn’t a ton of steering feel, the weight of the steering is ideal and it’s very easy to figure out what your front wheels are doing and where they’re pointed.

2025 Acura RDX A-Spec with Advance Package

Acura

Updated styling and tech throughout, but there’s an issue…

What you’re looking at are mostly minor updates, although the new nose is more distinctive than the previous model. If you simply must have those brighter colors, you will have to step up to the mid-level A-Spec. That includes interior colors and design.

The overall feel gives you the impression of being in something special. That’s especially true when you upgrade to the higher-end models and get the red leather treatment. It looks and feels great.

Sadly, Acura took a step backward with its infotainment system. The screen is in a good position, however it is on the smaller side. What’s even more upsetting is the touchpad interface. Forget touching the screen, all functions come from the small touchpad that sits south of the transmission selector buttons.

Even after using this pad for a week, I still took my eyes off the road to correct my hand position. You don’t feel a positive haptic “click” with every selection, and the mouse/pad is clunky at best. There’s a reason Lexus ditched such an interface setup.

2025 Acura RDX A-Spec with Advance Package

Acura

Economical and efficient for the class

As I stated earlier, I find that Acura is an excellent option for people who are looking for performance and a bit of luxury for slightly less money. That doesn’t mean they skimped on overall packaging or components though. Sure, they do share some components with Honda, but you would be hard-pressed to find anything that feels “cheap.”

It works well as a utility vehicle with 29.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 59.8 with all seats folded. It’s about mid-pack, but well under the cargo capacity of the Honda CR-V.

The 2025 Acura RDX has an EPA fuel economy estimate of 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. The A-Spec trim with larger wheels and beefier rubber drops a bit to 21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. My week of highway mixed with L.A. traffic fetched about 23 mpg.

There’s good news about the pricing and much of it has to do with the fact that you don’t need the top-of-the-line RDX to get the power or many of the amenities.

A base model RDX starts at $44,700, and that includes the stellar powertrain with all-wheel drive. That’s before fees, but it’s a great price compared to offerings from BMW, Audi, and Volvo. My fully loaded 2025 Acura RDX A-Spec Advance has a starting price of $54,450.

2025 Acura RDX

Acura

Daily driving a 2025 Acura RDX

One of the few things that I dislike about the RDX in general is the gear-change button system. Rather than having a switch, dial, shifter, or even a handle of some sort, Acura has opted to stick with buttons. Some people don’t mind, but they can be a little infuriating to an ape like me. One benefit is that when you shut the vehicle off while it’s in gear, it will automatically go into park to prevent it from rolling away.

Despite being sporty, the sports seats up front are very comfortable, even for large people. I wouldn’t mind a softer back cushion, but I am in the minority as other drivers seem to like the padding. Backseat comfort is quite good and space is only limited for very tall people. The legroom could be a bit better, once again for tall passengers. Otherwise, there are plenty of cupholders, USB-C outlets, and cubbies throughout.

Driving my youngest to school every day was a pleasure. This is a very easy vehicle to drive in stop-and-go traffic, with good sight lines and overall visibility. The camera systems are quite good as well. Being able to squirt in and out of lanes effortlessly is a real plus, not to mention the joy this vehicle brings when I’m powering through a curved on-ramp. It truly has excellent traction.

Much of that traction and outstanding driving process comes from the Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system. This allows up to 70% of power to be sent to the rear axle. From there, up to 100% of that power can be shifted to either rear wheel.

This is, in fact, a proper, mechanically based, torque vectoring system. As you power through a corner, power will go to the wheel that provides the best grip through that corner. The same applies when you’re driving through challenging traction situations.

You feel it just by having fun on a daily drive. It’s uncanny, and out-cornering some sporty sedans inspires laughter. Despite this much fun, the RDX is compliant on long journeys and I was able to lull my passengers to sleep on a small road trip to Santa Barbara, California.

2025 Acura RDX A-Spec with Advance Package

Final thoughts

The only vehicle I find to be a direct competitor to the Acura RDX is the Genesis GV70. They both provide outstanding bang for your buck potential. Both vehicles are also well put together and their reputations are quite good. I feel that the Genesis falls more on the luxury side, while the Acura is more of a performance crossover.

For me, and for others who have a pension for fun-inducing vehicles, the 2025 Acura RDX is hard to beat.