Lexus NX test drive | The Car Expert

Make and model: Lexus NX
Description: Medium SUV/crossover
Price range: From £44,445

Lexus says: “The all-new Lexus NX is much more than a second generation of Lexus’s mid-size luxury SUV, it opens the next chapter for the Lexus brand.”

We say: The Lexus NX would make a great daily driver, offering good practicality and passenger space. But the driving experience is pretty bland.

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Introduction

The original Lexus NX was launched in 2014, replaced by this second-generation model in 2022. At the time, it was the company’s first plug-in hybrid model, although the larger Lexus RX SUV now offers this as well. 

As of March 2025, the Lexus NX holds an Expert Rating of A with a score of 74% in our award-winning Expert Rating Index. As a used car, it slips slightly to an Expert Rating of B, with a score of 70% thanks to its relatively high insurance and running costs.

What is the Lexus NX?

Positioned between the smaller UX and larger RX models, NX is a mid-sized SUV. Available with hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, it’s slightly smaller than the all-electric Lexus RZ SUV model. Given its price point and the positioning of the Lexus brand, NX competes against premium SUV rivals like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. 

There’s quite a wide range of manufacturers offering well-equipped luxury SUVs in this segment. The NX could also be pitted against the Genesis GV70, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Porsche Macan and Volvo XC60. Many of these competitors also offer hybrid and plug-in hybrid options as well. 

First impressions

At first glance, the NX’s exterior styling hasn’t changed a lot from the previous generation. However, the new version has grown in all directions and gained a sharper new grille pattern. Under the bonnet, the biggest change for this generation is the addition of the plug-in hybrid powertrain in a model called the NX 450h+. 

You’ll certainly notice a bigger difference inside the cabin. The new interior has a greater focus on the central touchscreen, with fewer buttons on the dashboard for a more minimalist look. Combined with soft-touch fabrics and high-quality materials throughout, the NX’s interior space has been pushed into a higher level of luxury. 

We like: Appealing interior design and feel
We don’t like: Push release door handles

What do you get for your money?

There’s plenty of choice across the NX range. The standard hybrid 350h model can be had with six trim levels: Urban, Premium, Premium Plus, F Sport, F Sport Takumi and Takumi. The plug-in hybrid 450h+ can be specified with the top five trim levels, excluding Urban from its possible configurations. 

Entry-level Urban comes well equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, powered tailgate and safety features such as lane keep assist, lane trace assist, road sign assist and automatic high beam headlights. This trim is priced from £44.5K. 

Stepping up to £46K for the 350h and £50K for the 450h+, Premium comes with a wireless phone charger, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, which warns you if a car, cyclist or pedestrian is approaching while you are reversing. 

With Premium Plus the screen grows from 10 inches to 14 inches, and the 18-inch alloys are replaced with 20-inch wheels. From this trim upwards, a head-up display is included along with leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats and LED cornering lights. Prices start from £52.5K for the standard hybrid and £56K for the plug-in. 

The majority of the upgrades from Premium Plus to F Sport focus on additional styling details. This level gets black exterior trim and sports seats inside. Underneath, adaptive variable suspension is added to improve handling characteristics. An F Sport plug-in hybrid will set you back £58K or the standard hybrid commands a £55K price tag. 

F Sport Takumi adds a 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, more safety kit and a digital rearview mirror. The 350h is the more expensive version at £62K and the 450h+ comes in at £60K. 

The range is rounded out with the Takumi trim from £60K for the 450h+ or £59.5K for the 350h. A panoramic roof comes standard along with more safety technology like front cross-traffic alert and lane change assistance. 

The NX has a three-year warranty as standard, which can be extended up to 10 years / 100,000 miles with eligible services at an authorised Lexus workshop. 

We like: Entry-level trim comes well equipped
We don’t like: Some safety technology added with higher trim levels

What’s the Lexus NX like inside?

In the front, the NX has a modern dashboard and steering wheel design with useful shortcut buttons that show up on the head-up display. While the climate controls are partially integrated into the screen, there are physical dials to control the temperature and the climate settings are always present on screen so you never have to go searching for them. Every surface you come into contact with feels smooth and high quality. 

The rear passenger compartment gives slightly less legroom than the RZ and RX models, given the NX is a smaller SUV, but even so, the vast majority of people will have plenty of room. Headroom is good, too, but if the sunroof or panoramic sunroof options are specified, the interior roof height drops a little.

For extra comfort, the rear seat backs recline so passengers can find the optimal seating position. All seat controls, including to fold the seats down flat, are accessed through the rear doors. Other rivals add a handy seat release lever or button in the boot that means you don’t have to walk around. The rear seats can be specified with an electric folding function. 

The boot is a good size with decent depth and a square shape. Under the floor, there’s space to store charging cables, so the boot can be used for anything you like without having to shift cables out of the way. There’s a good amount of storage space throughout to deliver on the practicality front for family use. 

We like: Practical layout and good infotainment screen
We don’t like: No rear seat release from boot

What’s under the bonnet?

Both versions of the NX are equipped with 2.5-litre petrol engines. The 350h comes in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations and has a small battery for the hybrid system. The 450h+ is only available with all-wheel drive and comes with an 18kWh battery to deliver up to 46 miles of EV-only range. The standard hybrid has 240hp while the plug-in gets 305hp. 

Maximum speed for all versions is limited to 124mph, but the plug-in is the quicker off the mark. Its 0 to 62mph time is 6.3 seconds, while the all-wheel drive 350h reaches 62mph from a standstill in 7.7 seconds and the front-wheel drive 350h is another second slower. 

Fuel economy for the 350h is officially calculated between 45 to 50mpg. Thanks to the electric-only range available in the 450h+ efficiency rises significantly to between 250 to 300mpg, provided the vehicle is regularly charged. The 450h+ can accept charging at up to 7kW and takes around 2.5 hours to fully charge. 

Towing capacity is fairly limited for this category of SUV, with both variants only able to tow an unbraked trailer up to 750kg and a braked trailer of up to 1,500kg. 

What’s the Lexus NX like to drive?

It’s easy to get comfortable in the driving seat and, with the high ride height, visibility out the front is good. The 450h+ offers up to around 45 miles of electric-only driving which should be plenty for short trips to town. It can even drive up to 70mph using the battery alone so it could make the daily commute almost like an electric car. 

While the plug-in hybrid version is quicker than the self-charging hybrid, it doesn’t have the same sporty feeling as a BMW X3 or Porsche Macan. That’s not to say it feels underpowered, but if you’re looking for fun driving as well as a practical family car, then competitors can deliver a better balance. 

As with most Toyota and Lexus hybrids, the NX can get noisy when you try to accelerate firmly, thanks to the particular type of automatic transmission used (called a continuously variable transmission). However, in most local driving, you won’t notice. 

Like the rest of the Lexus range, the NX’s safety features make themselves known with the requisite bings and bongs when the speed limit changes or if you’re driving too fast. Thankfully, these alerts can be turned off but they reset every time the car restarts. 

We like: Comfortable driving experience
We don’t like: Safety systems can be annoying

Verdict

Coming from the engineers who pioneered some of the first and most successful hybrid engines from Toyota and Lexus, it’s no surprise this is one of the NX’s strong points.

Inside, the latest generation also focuses on technology with an improved infotainment system and a step up in the premium look and feel. In this segment, some premium SUVs also deliver on the sporty driving experience which the NX just misses out on. Nonetheless, the Lexus NX would make a great daily driver that offers good practicality and rear passenger space. 

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Lexus NX, you might also be interested in these alternatives

Alfa Romeo Stelvio | Audi Q5 | BMW X3 | DS 7 Crossback | Genesis GV70 | Jaguar F-Pace | Land Rover Discovery Sport | Mercedes-Benz GLC | Porsche Macan | Range Rover Velar | Volkswagen Tiguan | Volvo XC60

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