We’ve all grappled with the conundrum of whether we like the idea of someone (or something) more than the actual physical and emotional presence of that someone and/or thing. I find myself in that conundrum with the 2026 Acura ADX—I like the idea of a more powerful HR-V, but something about the ADX’s execution gives me pause.
I can’t quite put my finger on it, so let’s talk it out.
Is it the looks?
Definitely not. The Acura ADX was new last year, so it heads into 2026 unchanged, but I'm not complaining. It's a good-looking thing, trading the HR-V's softer lines and bubbly look for Acura's typically sharper creases and folds. There's a lot more going on than the HR-V visually, but it's all cohesive and hides the "Honda-ness," as it were, quite well.
This pearl white tester wore Acura's A-Spec styling treatment. Instead of the satin grey body cladding and 18-inch wheels on the base ADX, the A-Spec gets gloss black trim and upsized 19-inch wheels to match, thus fulfilling the faux-sporty role seemingly everything needs to be these days. The back end is finished off with outstretched and more angular tail lights, and a more aggressive hatch spoiler than its Honda sibling. All in all, I don't hate it — it's a good-looking thing and you can even get it in Boost Blue like a Type R.
Is it the interior?
Now we might be onto something. The ADX doesn't hide the Honda-ness inside quite as effectively as the sheet metal, but it still looks and feels appreciably nicer, as long as you're sitting up front. Contrast red stitching adds a subtle pop of colour throughout, and instead of Honda's elongated mesh trim piece concealing the dash air vents, the ADX wears a solid piece of brushed aluminum to split up the pit of black. It's probably not real metal, but it sure looks convincing, and it's all well-built.
Acura usually puts in a little more effort with its other models to differentiate the digital experience over Honda's. For instance, the MDX uses a wider 12.3-inch display that now functions as a touchscreen, while the RDX and TLX are hold-outs still pairing the widescreen with the infernal touchpad. On the other hand, the ADX follows a similar approach to the Integra, with a more upright nine-inch touchscreen for infotainment and a 10.2-inch display for the digital gauge cluster.
I can see how this would turn off some prospective buyers. When you're dropping more than $50,000 on a jacked-up hatchback with nicer leather and red stitching, overtly using the same hardware as the "lesser" version is a turn-off for those seeking more "Acura" vibes. But the flip side is simplicity — you know where everything is, and you don't second-guess anything.
If you're a real stickler for details, the ADX's rear-seat environment is very Honda. It uses the same door panel design as the HR-V, meaning they don't quite jibe with the rest of the ADX's design. That said, there's plenty of headroom and legroom regardless of where you sit, and cargo space punches in at 691 litres with the seats up, and 1,590 when folded. That's roomier than the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA—hell, nearly everything else the ADX competes with.
Is it the powertrain?
Kind of. I'm not complaining about the idea of a more powerful HR-V, particularly as it manifests into an appreciably more premium experience — as long as you're sitting up front. To that end, the ADX is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine shared with numerous Honda products, putting out 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque. It falls short of most competitors on raw power alone, but the upsized engine genuinely does add a spring to the ADX/HR-V's step, feeling punchy off the line and not breaking a sweat when you mash the skinny pedal on the highway.
The hang-up is what the turbo engine works with. All ADXes are paired to a CVT and are all-wheel-drive, but while the transmission is mostly well-behaved, it does exhibit the textbook CVT moaning-and-groaning under hard acceleration. As well, it uses the same AWD system as the HR-V, meaning it's a "slip-and-grip" system that sends kick to the rear wheels only when it detects wheelspin. Everything else in Acura's portfolio uses their more advanced, more performance-oriented, full-time SH-AWD system.
All that said, living with the ADX is easy. It still holds its own in foul weather despite having the "inferior" AWD setup, it rides well and stays composed, and when you're not flooring it, the ADX's cabin is well-hushed. On paper, the ADX sips 9.1 L/100 kilometres in the city, 7.7 highway, and 8.5 combined; we averaged 9.2 L/100 km.
Final thoughts
Look hard enough and you'll spot the Honda-ness, but by and large, the 2026 Acura ADX fulfills the role nicely as a more powerful and slightly nicer HR-V. The final hurdle is price — at $51,880 as-tested for this top-spec A-Spec Platinum Elite tester, it isn't terrible value per se, and the ADX does undercut most of its competition. It's also within $3,000 of a base RDX and its "real Acura" bits, and about $10,000 dearer than a fully loaded (but admittedly less powerful) HR-V. Perhaps Honda just needs to stuff the turbo into the HR-V.
