The Acura ADX Makes Me Worry About the Integra's Future
What you see above is an entirely functional small premium SUV.
I recently drove the 2025 Acura ADX, the latest addition to the Japanese brand. It was and is a perfectly cromulent lil' thing, checking off most of the boxes buyers have at that end of the market. It looks good, it rides well enough, and it has the expected tech and comfort bits. It is neither the best nor worst choice when shopping small SUVs. And that's why I believe the ADX will end up killing the Integra—one of the few semi-affordable premium cars left on the market.
Sales Figures
This concern has been bubbling in the back of my head since I drove the ADX. Acura making the recent decision to discontinue the TLX only added to the sense of inevitability. Yes, TLX sales cratered in 2024 to 7478 units in America, less than half the previous year (16,731) which itself was barely a third of the model's best-ever year: 47,080 in 2015. It made financial sense.
So it's then unsurprising that it took all of three months for the ADX to outsell the Integra. The crossover clocked 178 sales in America in March of this year; by June Acura moved 1,971 ADXs across the country against 1,429 Integras. At its current pace, it will outsell the Integra in total sales by year's end.
A Smaller Slice of a Bigger Pie
But wait, I hear you say: Acura regularly touts the Integra as a dominant seller in its class. Why would the brand abandon that success?
Two reasons, the first being that it's a small pie. For the '26 Integra updates, Acura claims 37 percent of the segment according to a study from Urban Science's DataHub sales figures for June 2025. That pretty much aligns with the 2024 year-end sales when counting the Audi A3 (9,528 units), BMW 2 Series (15,384 units) Cadillac CT4 (6,208 units), and Mercedes-Benz CLA (10,366 units). The 2 Series doesn't break out 2 Grand Coupe and regular Coupe numbers, but nonetheless, the Integra captured almost exactly 37 percent of the 65,884 total with 24,398 units sold.
On its own, the Audi Q3 beat that figure. So did the BMW X1 (and the X2 contributes a few thousand on top). Buick averaged over 50,000 units each across the Envista, Encore GX, and Envision. Conservatively, the small SUV segment is roughly five times the size of the sedan one, and that's before we start counting vehicles that straddle the limit like the smallish Lexus NX.
If the ADX can match something like the Q3—a little over 32,000 sales in 2024—Acura might not be too sad about abandoning a segment that everybody except the Germans (and Cadillac) already has, especially if margins are better on the ADX than the Integra.
2025 Acura ADX A-Spec: All the Details
Buyers Still Want SUVs
This last point is more gut-feeling than numbers, but look: advertising works. The pervasive messaging of higher ride height + all-wheel drive = adventure has gripped North American buyers, convincing them only a crossover or SUV can handle the handful of times a year they might encounter a dirt trail. The Integra and ADX are almost identically sized inside for passengers and their stuff, and the former's weight and front-drive make it a better handler and more economical.
Call it a hunch, but I don't think many buyers care. If you're shopping for an entry-level premium model, the penultimate word matters there: premium. The ADX gives buyers the badge they want, the image that's currently popular, and for a minor difference in monthly payments. And no, I don't think the hot Integra Type S is enough to save the Teggie, especially since it has its own relative to fight.
I hope I'm wrong, and the Integra exists for years to come. But if Acura follows many of the other premium brands by going all-in on SUVs only, well, don't say I didn't warn you.
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Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
More by Kyle Patrick
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As a current Acura owner (2001 CL Type S 215k miles), I have come to terms that Acura may not be with us in another 10 years.
In my opinion, the downfall of Acura started with the release of the 2017 NSX hybrid. Acura priced the NSX at $120,000 msrp. It was not what people wanted, it was priced too high, and at the price point it did not compete with its competitors. I like the NSX,but if I had $120,000 in disposable income, I am buying a used AMG GT S coupe. I digress.
To continue, when the 2 door TLX concept was released, people were excited, then Acura released the 4 door instead, and no one was really that enthusiastic and the sales up until this point has indicated that.
Yes, you are right in that people are buying SUVs/crossovers, but, that has nothing to do with Acura manufacturing subpar products compared to its competitors.
Not including reliability and low maintenance costs, what does Acura offer that its competitors do not?
Honda sells civic's and accord's like hot cakes, but yet they cannot manage to sell their premium model sedan?
Additionally, when the integra was finally released in 2023 and Acura explained why they did not release the 2 door model, Acura stated, "2 door vehicles do not sell." Mercedes and BMW has no issues selling their 2 door models and their entry level vehicles are more expensive than Acura. In early 2025 reports were released stating Honda was working on a 2 door Prelude and then the concept was released. A car is usually in development for about 3-5 years before release. This would mean that the Prelude was in production at the time of the integra release. Acura is struggling compared to Honda sales, why would Honda keep the 2 door for themselves and give Acura the underpowered integra? The base model integra is laughable and the type S is in manual only, which further isolates your customer base. Why isolate your already small customer base, to an even smaller audience and you have struggling sales? The nail in the coffin, is the RSX SUV concept. Why is Honda getting the 2 door prelude again??
Lastly, when you look at Acura compared to Honda over the last 10-15 years, Acura has gotten the short end of the stick. Honda has hybrid models, was the first to get manual (civic type R and Honda accord 2.0), have a better infotainment system than Acura. Now that Acura has 4 vehicle models, it would be easy for them to dissolve their Acura division and move those models under Honda. The integra would be placed above the accord and next to the civic type R and the MDX/RDX would fit right above the Insight/Prologue. Similar to BMW, they have their regular model vehicles and then the AMG models at the top of each model class.
The million dollar question: What does Acura offer not including reliability and low maintenance costs, what it's competitors is not offering?
Acura needs hybrids! I love my '25 Civic "HYBRID". Up the 2.0 to 2.5, like Toyota in their SUV's and there you go.