2025 Acura RDX First Look: A New Bumper and Not Much Else

Yes, the changes really are that small

written by Nick Yekikian^{Senior News Editor
Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.}
edited by Steven Ewing^{Director, Editorial Content
Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of car-related articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET Roadshow, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Ars Technica, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, SlashGear, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and lust over small JDM cars that never made it to the States.}
8/7/2024
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Minor tweaks inside and out.
The infotainment screen still doesn't let you touch it.
The 2025 model will be in dealers by the end of August.

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Acura fans looking for a brand-new small SUV will have to wait a little longer, as the updated 2025 RDX receives a mildly revised exterior design and minor interior updates; this is the second time the current RDX has received a midcycle refresh. Even though the RDX is older than much of the competition, Acura is soldiering on with the current recipe for at least a few more years.

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The base car hasn't really changed at all. There are no mechanical refinements or changes of any sort. That means you still get the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine (272 horsepower, 280 lb-ft of torque) under the hood and standard all-wheel drive. Despite the ZDX, MDX and TLX all getting spicier Type S variants, the thought of a more performance-oriented RDX was always a little far-fetched, and it remains so. The base turbo four-popper remains your lone powertrain option.

The changes start on the outside. The car's front fascia has been reworked — if only slightly — to bring it more in line with the rest of the brand's models. It gets slightly larger openings on either side of the new frameless grille, and top-spec Advance models now get body-color lower trim. There are also slick new wheel designs across the range. The rear, however, remains unchanged. There's just enough to let you know this is "new" without actually being totally new.

The interior receives similarly minor tweaks. The center console is new and does away with the sliding cover. In its stead are two cup holders and the wireless charging pad for your smartphone. The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display now stretches across the 10.2-inch screen; previously, a small information panel remained on the screen's rightmost side.

Despite the MDX getting a touchscreen, Acura is keeping the touchpad as the screen's means of navigation for the RDX. It seems we'll have to wait until an all-new car shows up for a touchscreen in the center console. The last of the tweaks include ambient lighting elements in the speaker grilles and around the center console for Advance models.

The changes are, in truth, tiny. However, the RDX remains a relatively strong seller for Acura, and while a new model should come in the next few years, there's not that much wrong with the current car. If you want a more in-depth look at the RDX, check out our full review here.

Edmunds says

Though we don't mind the current RDX, we're still excited to see what an all-new one will bring to the table in a few years' time.

by Nick Yekikian

Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the Senior News Editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

edited by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of car-related articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET Roadshow, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Ars Technica, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, SlashGear, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and lust over small JDM cars that never made it to the States.