2025 Acura RDX – Aging Gracefully

SUVs
May 27, 2025
Dan Gunay

Refined, athletic, and quietly confident, the 2025 Acura RDX continues to carve its niche in the crowded luxury compact SUV segment, with less luxury, but more athletic value proposition. With a focus on driving dynamics, premium comfort, and a value-packed feature set, the RDX doesn’t chase trends – it sets its own path. For 2025, Acura makes subtle but meaningful updates to its popular crossover, enhancing its tech and fine-tuning its design, while retining the engaging driving dynamics and sharp styling that have long defined it.

The RDX is clearly not the newest kid in the block, but it it still looks fresh. It debuts a sharper, more modern front end that builds on Acura’s performance-driven design ethos. A new frameless version of the Diamond Pentagon drille takes the center stage, now featuring a sportier mesh pattern that adds depth and aggression to the front end. Flanking the grille are Acura’s signature Jewel Eye LED headlights, still striking but subtly reworked for a more cohesive integration with the surrounding fascia. Enlarged side intakes and a reshaped lower bumper lend the RDX a wider, more planted look that aligns with Acura’s Type-S inspired visual themes.

From the side, the 2025 RDX maintains its athletic silhouette but introduces meaningful visual updates. The most obvious one is the updated wheel designs, and the A-Spec trim comes with the larger 20-inch machine finished rims that adds extra layer of sporty design. Chrome pieces have been dropped in favor of gloss-black accents, and Acura also added new colour options for 2025.

At the rear, the RDX stays true to its sculpted, athletic identity but adds subtle refinements that enhance its overall balance. The sleek Dragon Tail LED taillights remain a focal point, offering a distinctive light signature that’s instantly recognizable after dark. A revised lower bumper and reshaped rear diffuser give the SUV a more tailored, aerodynamic finish. The A-Spec trim gets the dual exhaust outlets along with body-coloured accents to complete the performance-inspired look, ensuring the RDX looks as confident pulling away as it does head-on.

The interior of the RDX is spacious, comfortable, and well-built, but its aging design and frustrating infotainment system make it feel increasingly out of step with modern luxury rivals. The dashboard is desigend when BlackBerry was still a thing. It’s symmetrical, clean, and wrapped in nice materials, but it’s also a reminder that Acura’s definition of “modern” hasn’t caught up with the rest of the luxury segment. Sure, it feels premium, but far from luxury. Acura has cleaned up the center console a bit and made the wireless charger easier to reach. But analog gauges and a giant drive mode knob? That was cool ten years ago. Today, it just feels like Acura’s trying to age gracefully instead of evolving.

What hasn’t aged poorly is the seating comfort. Acura knows how to build a seat- wide, supportive, and endlessly adjustable, especially in top trims with 16-way power adjustment and Milano leather. Rear-seat passengers aren’t shortchanged either; there is adult-friendly legroom and a view out the panoramic sunroof that’s standard accross the board. Everything feels solid, well-bolted together, and ergonomically spot-on, even the vibe is more “premium-Honda” than “tech-forward luxury.”

When it comes to space and practicality, the RDX punches above its weight. Nearly 38 inches of rear legroom and up to 1,668 litres of cargo space (with the seats down) mean it hauls people and stuff better than most of its rivals. It’s not quite as cavernous as a BMW X3, but it outshines the Lexus NX and Audi Q5 in real-world usability. This is the part of the RDX that feels well thought out- Acura knows how to nail the basics.

Then there is the infotainment system, which continues to be Acura’s Achilles’ heel. The True Touchpad interface is still here, still not a touchscreen, and still about as intuitive as programming a VCR. Even with the new widescreen layout for CarPlay and Android Auto, it’s a clumsy system that no amount of learning curve can fully redeem. It was annoying to interact the first day I picked it up, it was still annoying the day I dropped it off. In a world where most luxury SUVs offer slick, user-friendly tech, the RDX feels like it’s trying to convince you that difficult equals premium. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

Under the hood, the 2025 RDX sticks with the same tried-and-true setup: a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that churns out a respectable 272 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. It’s not going to set any stoplight races on fire, but it’s punchy enough for daily driving and highway passing without breaking a sweat. Acura isn’t messing around with some wild new powertrain here, they know this engine works well, and it’s pretty efficient too.

Power gets sent exclusively through a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission that’s been dialed in for quick, seamless shifts. No complaints here- the gearbox knows when to hustle and when to chill, making the RDX feel polished rather than frantic. Even though there is a lot of gears to go through, it doesn’t hunt gears. It’s kind of transmission you forget about, because it just gets the job done without fuss.

As for the all-wheel-drive system, Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) remains one of the best in the business. It’s not just about sending power to all four wheels—it’s about sending power to the right wheel. The system can actively torque-vector to the rear wheels, pushing power to the outside rear tire when you’re hustling through corners. This makes the RDX handle better than most SUVs in its class, allowing the driver to rotate the car by applying more throttle mid-corner. It gives the RDX a sporty edge you don’t often expect from a luxury crossover.

Bottom line: the RDX’s drivetrain isn’t about big numbers or flashy tech gimmicks. It’s a well-balanced combo of solid power, smooth shifts, and a seriously capable AWD system that keeps the whole package feeling sharp and engaging without overdoing it. It’s a drivetrain that gets the job done, and does it with a bit of style. It won’t blow your mind with raw speed, but it delivers enough punch to keep daily driving enjoyable.

As a daily driver, the 2025 RDX strikes a satisfying balance between comfort and engagement. Despite its large wheels, the suspension soaks up the bumps with enough composure to keep passengers comfortable, yet the chassis never feels soft or disconnected. Visibility is good, and the cabin remains relatively quiet at highway speeds, making long commutes or weekend road trips less taxing.

The steering is responsive without being twitchy, it weighs up nicely with speed, giving the driver confidence whether navigaint tight city streets or open highways. The SH-AWD system adds a subtle, but noticeable confidence when cornering or driving in less-than-ideal conditions. It’s clearly not a sports car, but the RDX injects through enough athleticisim into everyday driving to keep things interesting without wearing you out.

At the end of the day, the 2025 Acura RDX isn’t about flashy tech or jaw-dropping power – it’s a solid, well-rounded package that knows exactly what it wants to be: a sporty, comfortable, and practical luxury crossover that doesn’t try to hard to impress. It’s got enough pep to keep daily driving interesting, a chassis that handles corners better than most in this segment, and an interior that’s comfortable if a bit behind times.

Sure, the infotainment system is a headache, which should have been updated for 2025, and some of the design cues feel stuck in the past, but it still punches well above its weight if you are looking for a sharp-driving SUV that doesn’t sacrifice everyday usability or value. It feels like a reliable friend who’s not perfect, but always shows up ready to roll.

Engine	2.0-litre turbocharged and intercooled inline-4
Transmission & Drivetrain	10-speed automatic & all-wheel-drive
Max power	272 hp @ 6500 rpm
Max torque	280 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
0-100 km/h	6.3 sec
Curb Weight (estimated)	4057 lbs – 1840 kg
Fuel Economy (observed)	21 MPG – 11.2 L/100 km
Price (as tested)	$66,356 CAD
Website:	www.acura.ca