2025 Acura RDX Pros and Cons: Still a Good Buy

The best camera is the one you always have on you, and the best car is the one you never have to think about. It’s not about being the most powerful, the quickest, and certainly not about being the most expensive—if you rely on your car to get places daily, you want one that’s completely worry-free. Hondas are great at that, but Acuras add a healthy dose of luxury, sportiness, and tech, combining the best of all worlds. The 2025 Acura RDX follows that protocol, serving up a swanky and practical way of getting around town.

With the recent arrival of the brand’s all-new ADX compact crossover, the RDX is now the middle child of Acura’s SUV lineup. The ADX, RDX, and MDX make up the brand’s gas-powered SUVs, with the ZDX EV sitting off to the side. The RDX’s corporate sibling is the Honda CR-V, which offers a hybrid variant, though that powertrain option is not available on the Acura side.

The current-generation RDX has remained mostly the same since it was introduced in 2019, meaning that an all-new model will likely be announced soon. A light round of updates for 2025 aims to keep the sporty crossover fresh until a proper successor arrives, but frankly, this won’t move the needle for shoppers. However, it’s not entirely bad news, because the RDX already offered a solid starting package with five different trims to cater to various budgets.

Pros

• Size: Whether you have a family or not—or maybe you have a dog or two—the RDX just feels like the right size for whatever stage of life you’re in. I ferried around my two teenagers with ease during my time with it and even took advantage of the spacious trunk to move some stuff for a friend. It turns out you can fit an entire Barbie kitchen in the RDX as long as you fold the rear seats flat. Also, as an extra-large guy, I never felt cramped in the way I do in most other crossovers, especially the Koreans and Germans. My son is six-foot-two and he was perfectly comfortable in the backseat as long as the front passenger seat allowed him enough legroom.

• Performance: The 2.0-liter turbo-four under the hood produces 272 horsepower and 272 lb-ft of torque, and is paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. While not eye-popping numbers, especially compared to today’s EVs, the RDX is more than just peppy around town—it’s actually pretty quick. Lay on the gas and you’ll feel the turbo quickly spool up, giving you near-instant acceleration to help you pass, merge, or whatever you’re trying to accomplish. The transmission shifts quickly and smoothly, and using the paddle shifters makes things slightly more engaging, though not exactly any quicker. The standard programming for the various driving modes (Normal, Comfort, Sport, and Snow) works well enough, and I found myself using Comfort most of the time.
• SH-AWD: Acura’s performance-oriented all-wheel-drive system is standard across all trims. I like that.
• Tech: I know I will get some angry emails about this, but I really don’t have a problem with Acura’s touchpad. Yes, getting used to it takes some time and can be tricky at first, but it’s not as awful as some make it out to be. I certainly prefer it over having to lean forward to reach for the touchscreen (which you can also do). Specifically, however, I enjoyed the RDX’s updated positioning of the wireless charger right next to the cupholders, which is where I want my phone to be in case I need to glance at it or simply have it within reach. I also enjoy having the camera button on the tip of the right stalk, which is the perfect place to access it quickly and easily when whipping into a parking spot.

Cons

• Cabin Layout: The RDX’s interior design has aged less gracefully than its exterior. While the positioning of the infotainment screen is fine, everything below it is starting to look like an old-school Sony sound system—y’know, the ones with the big, bright-colored or backlight volume/bass knobs. Primarily, the big silver knob to adjust the crossover’s driving mode and the push-button shifter look dated, and so do all the buttons around them. Furthermore, the positioning of the physical volume knob at the very top of the console feels random and out of place. Luckily, you don’t need to use it often if you use the buttons on the steering wheel.
• Lack of Engine Options: While the turbo-four is a good fit for the RDX, it’s not exactly the poster child for efficiency with an EPA rating of 21 city, 26 highway, and 23 combined. An optional hybrid engine to get those numbers closer to the 30 mark would be ideal, but so would a more powerful one to match the sportier look of the A-Spec kit. RDX Type S, anyone?

Quick Verdict

Going back to my opening statement; the best kind of daily warrior is the one you don’t have to think or worry about. The 2025 Acura RDX checks that box with its ease of use, comfort, and practical approach to everything a luxury crossover should do. Whether it’s transporting kids, dogs, or folding the seats to haul junk around, it’s going to do it and it’s going to do it well and unventfully. And because it’s a Honda underneath, you know it won’t leave you on the side of the road. On top of that, it’s genuinely fun to drive. It’s quick, responsive, and its sharp handling can’t be mimicked by its competitors—at least not without a severely inflated price tag.

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