2025 Acura RDX Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2025 Acura RDX fits between the smaller ADX and the larger three-row MDX in the automaker’s lineup. It’s available in a base level of specification as well as A-Spec or Platinum Elite A-Spec trims. Every RDX includes a standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive (AWD). Prices range from $57,526 to $66,356, including the $2,595 destination charge and other fees. Our U.S. equivalent of the Platinum Elite A-Spec test vehicle had extra-cost paint and carries a Canadian manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $64,756, including destination.

The RDX’s styling has aged gracefully and receives a few tweaks for 2025. The grille adopts a frameless appearance and a different mesh insert. Revised wheel designs and finishes are also available across the lineup, and you can choose new Solar Silver and Urban Grey Pearl paint colours.

Refreshingly, the RDX Platinum Elite A-Spec model’s 20-inch multi-spoke wheel design features a machined surface, which means you can actually see what the design looks like. That contributes to a design that’s easy on the eyes, with the possible exception of the oversized air inlets punched into the corners of the front bumper.

Our test vehicle’s A-Spec treatment gave it a slightly sportier look with gloss black exterior accents and a finned rear diffuser panel. The Platinum Elite A-Spec trim now includes full leather upholstery instead of a mix of leather and artificial suede, which carries over on the A-Spec trim.

A standard panoramic glass sunroof bathes the cabin in natural light. On the A-Spec trims, black upholstery is the default, while red is available with certain exterior colours. Sadly, the grey, white, and brown offered in the U.S. are not sold in Canada.

Acura fits the RDX with ambient lighting and quality interior materials. Our test vehicle featured soft premium leather in a perforated and piped design, simulated suede on the dashboard and door panels, brushed aluminum speaker grilles and pedal covers, and soft-touch surfaces throughout the interior. As you move to the rear seats and cargo area, the sense of quality follows, which isn’t the case in every luxury vehicle.

In the A-Spec trims, the RDX’s gauges adopt red markings on a silver background, reducing contrast and making them harder to read at a glance during the day. This is particularly true in low-light conditions. Also, Acura’s approach to the RDX’s True Touchpad Interface (TTI) infotainment system is undesirable. Otherwise, there are plenty of properly marked and intuitively located buttons, knobs, and switches.

Under the RDX’s hood, a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine supplies a robust 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission offers manual control via paddle shifters located on the steering wheel, and it directs the power to all four wheels through Acura’s torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. The SH-AWD system can put up to 70 percent of engine output to a single rear wheel when necessary.

A large knob on the dashboard operates the Integrated Dynamics System (IDS). Drivers can choose from Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Snow driving modes, adjusting the powertrain response and steering effort levels accordingly. The Platinum Elite A-Spec trim has an adaptive-damping suspension that calibrates according to the driver’s IDS selection.

Performance is lively, but the more you dip into the turbocharged torque, the more fuel the engine consumes. The RDX’s official Natural Resources Canada fuel economy rating is 9.9 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving for the base trim and 10.3 L/100 km combined for the A-Spec trims. On our mountainous driving loop, the Acura averaged 14.6 L/100 km when driven primarily in Normal mode. That’s what you might rightly expect from a larger three-row SUV, not a compact like the RDX. For comparison, a BMW X3 xDrive30i is rated at 8.1 L/100 km while zooming to 100 km/h in about six seconds. Acura might want to buy one, tear it down, and see what makes the Bimmer tick.

When we first started driving the 2025 RDX, it felt a little old. Perhaps that was due to our familiarity with an SUV that’s pretty much the same as a 2019 RDX, or it might be subtle but detectable cues related to structural integrity, suspension isolation, and interior noise. However, during a week-long evaluation, those impressions faded, replaced by favourable feelings about the RDX’s driving dynamics.

Like other Acuras, the RDX is enjoyable to drive during the daily grind. The dual-pinion, variable-ratio steering is crisp and responsive, and the steering wheel is a genuine delight to hold. The brakes bite with authority and are easy to modulate, so bringing the RDX to a smooth, clean stop is no trouble at all. The adaptive damping suspension properly matches the ride compliance and body motion control with the chosen IDS setting.

It would be nice if the IDS offered a configurable Individual mode, though. A firmer Sport ride combined with Normal drivetrain response and Comfort steering would be terrific. That said, the RDX underscores that an A-Spec badge reflects the sporty-looking trim level, not a performance model. Under pressure on a favourite back road, the brakes, tires, and suspension are simply unable to deliver the dopamine release that true driving enthusiasts seek. If you want a genuinely thrilling Acura with some added utility for around $60,000 Canadian, we recommend checking out the brilliant Integra Type S hatchback.

With the Platinum Elite A-Spec trim, the RDX has 16-way power-adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation. In addition, Acura provides a standard heating steering wheel, including for the perfectly sized and shaped flat-bottom steering wheel on the A-Spec trims. Heated front seats are standard, and heated outboard rear seating positions come with the Platinum Elite A-Spec. Many locations where your arms or legs might contact the interior have soft or padded surfaces.

We found the test vehicle’s front seats to be exceptionally comfortable. However, drivers with longer legs might wish for denser padding on the sides of the centre console, where a right knee might rest. Rear seat comfort is more elusive due to a flat bottom cushion lacking proper leg support and an excessive backrest recline angle. Kids and smaller adults likely won’t complain, but taller people won’t find this seat assignment satisfactory.

Storage space is generous, and the oversized bottles frequently accompanying gym runs fit easily in the new cupholders. The oversized wireless charging pad accommodates different phone styles, but it takes up a lot of space and could be susceptible to spills.

Open the power liftgate, and you’ll find at least 835 litres of cargo space. Fold the back seat flat, and the volume expands to a minimum of 1,668 litres. This is a competitive amount of room, and Acura provides three generous underfloor storage compartments beneath the cargo load floor. In addition, to the left, a deep well is perfect for securing loose items.

While the front centre console design remains somewhat compromised due to the TTI infotainment system’s control touchpad, the interior layout, comfort, passenger room, and cargo space all make the RDX easy to live with during the day-to-day routine.

Perched atop the RDX’s dashboard, a 10.2-inch display provides access to infotainment and vehicle settings. It is not a touchscreen display. Instead, you must use the TTI touchpad on the centre console, which transforms your fingertip into a computer mouse. By coordinating your finger on the pad with the same location on the display, you can select functions, adjust vehicle settings, and more. Over time, you get used to how the TTI works. But when driving on irregular road surfaces, it is easy to mistakenly select something due to the bumpy ride.

Fortunately, the infotainment system offers wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and Alexa Built-in, so you can use voice commands to avoid interacting with the TTI as much as possible. In addition, the RDX has a stereo volume knob, radio tuning buttons, and separate climate controls, further reducing the need for the TTI.

In addition to those features, the infotainment system offers SiriusXM satellite radio and AcuraLink connected services with access to a Wi-Fi hotspot, and all versions except the base model have a navigation system and an Acura/ELS Studio premium sound system. In the test vehicle, the audio system had 16 speakers — including four mounted on the ceiling.

AcuraWatch is the name of the standard safety features package. The list of included features is long: forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. Higher trim levels also offer low-speed front and rear braking and a surround-view camera system.

During our evaluation, the RDX’s lane-assist systems were irritating, no matter the situation. On suburban boulevards, winding coastal roads, arrow-straight rural two-lane roads, and urban highways, the driver consistently resists and overrides its inputs, which gets tiring. Fortunately, a button on the steering wheel allows you to turn them off.

However, using them with adaptive cruise control was more satisfactory. We think that’s because, psychologically, you expect the tech’s steering inputs when using the adaptive cruise control, and you don’t when you’re otherwise in full command of the vehicle. In this situation, it is the adaptive cruise that draws negative attention because it can struggle to smoothly maintain a proper following distance.

We’re fans of surround-view camera systems, but Acura reserves this feature for the RDX Platinum Elite A-Spec. Low-speed front and rear braking, such as when you’re parking or pulling out of a blind parking space, is more widely available. Only the base RDX lacks it.

Crash protection is favourable. The 2025 RDX earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the 2024 calendar year, which has been extended to the 2025 model year. The SUV also gets a five-star overall crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Though RDX prices have increased since this generation debuted in 2019, Acura’s middle-child SUV remains competitively priced in its segment. The Cadillac XT4 and the Lincoln Corsair both start at roughly $5,000 less, and the Infiniti QX50 is just over $2,000 less to start. However, both the XT4 and QX50 are being discontinued at the end of 2025, reducing the volume of competition at this end of the segment.

Meanwhile, European alternatives can cost several thousands more than the RDX. The Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic and the new 2025 Audi Q5 start at roughly $5,000 more than the RDX, while the next-generation 2025 BMW X3 starts at nearly $8,000 more and has less standard equipment.

The money you save by choosing the RDX over these more expensive alternatives can pay for much of the extra gas its thirsty turbo engine burns. More importantly, the more we drove the RDX, the more we liked it. This Acura’s quality, interior space, practicality, and thoughtful details make it pleasing to live with over time if you can come to terms with the increasingly irrelevant TTI infotainment system.

Note: Images show a US model.