Lexus NX (2014 – 2021) Review

The Lexus NX is a bit of slow burner next to the more obvious charms of familiar SUVs such as the Audi Q5 or German rival the BMW X3. Take the time to get to know the Japanese car, however, and you find it’s a very refined option with a well appointed cabin. It’s also easy to drive and live with, although it could be more fun. Read on for our full Lexus NX review.

Apparently, the story behind the name of the Lexus NX is that it stands for ‘nimble crossover’. This is, after all, a smaller counterpart to the big Lexus RX 450h that was designed as an alternative to the likes of the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. Now it makes for a sound used SUV choice.

It’s a neat looking design. Lexus says it wanted to give the car emotional appeal and while it’s far from handsome, those sharp lines work well to create a sophisticated look.

There’s no diesel engine in the range. Instead, the Lexus NX 300h hybrid was offered, with a 2.5-litre petrol engine alongside an electric motor. It’s designed to be efficient with claimed economy of 54.3mpg in the majority of models, and CO2 emissions of 121g/km.

While it looks good on paper with a total of 195PS and a 0-62mph time of less than 9.5 seconds, the Lexus NX 300h is hamstrung by its CVT gearbox, which can make for a noisy driving experience unless you’re feather-footed.

Even gentle acceleration is accompanied by a continuous engine whine. 

This is a shame because engine noise aside, the Lexus NX is a good SUV. It’s incredibly refined, beautifully built, reliable and has a high-quality interior.

It’s also spacious with decent room in the back and a reasonably sized boot. And as with all Lexus models, standard equipment levels are very high, with top-spec versions coming with pretty much every conceivable bell and whistle.

The Lexus NX was the brand’s first model to feature a Pre-Crash Safety system and Adaptive Cruise Control as standard on all versions.

Other firsts for a Lexus included a wireless charging tray for easy charging of smartphones and a new Remote Touch Interface with a touchpad control that replaces the awkward mouse controller. However, it only came on top versions.

A Lexus NX 200t model, with a new turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol with 235PS, joined the line-up in 2015 and comes with a six-speed automatic. This is available as a higher performance version in F Sport trim to add to the appeal as a used car.

Fancy a new Lexus NX? Read our Lexus NX review here.

The Lexus NX impresses with its ride quality. It’s incredibly quiet and refined over rough roads, with no vibration coming into the cabin.

Body control is very good, too, with little pitch or roll, which means it feels safe and composed through corners.

However, the steering feels rather artificial, meaning it’s not especially involving to drive.

Push the Lexus NX harder on any sort of twisty road, and it struggles. It just feels numb and out of its sphere of ability, where a BMW X3 would come alive.

There is no diesel available. What you get is a choice of the Lexus NX 300h hybrid or the petrol Lexus NX 200t (which arrived in March 2015 and was dropped a year later).

The hybrid model is the more popular, and it’s the same system that’s used in the Lexus IS and Toyota RAV4.

This means a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine alongside an electric motor, which combined provide 197PS, and acceleration from 0-62mph in 9.3 seconds.

Yet thanks to 270Nm of torque from the electric motor, which is available from a standstill, the Lexus NX 300h pulls effortlessly and keenly away.

Lexus fine-tuned the hybrid system to deliver enhanced response and make it better on long inclines. A kick-down function for quicker overtaking uses additional electric power, while engine speed has been increased relative to the accelerator to create the feeling of a downshift.

The idea is to give a more natural feeling of acceleration, but in practice it’s a mixed bag. As with all Lexus hybrid models, the CVT gearbox proves to be the main sticking point.

Its fine at low speeds but, left to its own devices, even moderate acceleration is met with lots of engine noise at a continuous pitch, which is irritating.

Refinement is excellent in most instances, though, with a superbly insulated cabin and hardly any wind or road noise. It’s a shame that the excessive engine noise from acceleration ruins things, as that aside, this is one of the most refined SUVs around.

The Lexus NX was the brand’s first model to feature a Pre-Crash Safety system and Adaptive Cruise Control as standard on all versions.

Other firsts for a Lexus included a wireless charging tray for easy charging of smartphones and a new Remote-Touch Interface with a touchpad control that replaces the awkward mouse controller. However, it only came on top versions.

The rest of the safety spec is generous, with plenty of airbags and crash-avoiding tech as standard.

This Lexus NX makes a useful tow vehicle, as it can haul an unbraked trailer of up to 750kg. Hitch up with a braked trailer and it will pull up to a maximum of 1500kg.

There’s plenty of room in the Lexus NX, as it was designed as a family vehicle.

Up front, it’s spacious, while those in the back are well catered for with plenty of headroom and generous legroom.

The boot is a good size and user-friendly with a wide opening, while top models get an electrically opening tailgate, although it can be frustratingly slow.

Overall boot capacity is 475 litres, although that’s some way behind an Audi Q5 at 540 litres. On the plus side, all Lexus NX models come with a space saver spare wheel as standard, which is not the case with all of its rivals.

There are plenty of advanced systems on the Lexus NX, including a wireless charging tray on top models. This sits in the cubby that doubles as an armrest between the front seats and lets you charge your smartphone by simply placing it in the tray.

This means there’s no need for cables.

The interior of the Lexus NX follows the same pattern as the Lexus IS of the same era with a high-quality feel and a sleek design.

It’s arguably too button heavy and some elements do look a touch dated – the old-school digital display for the air-conditioning for example – but overall it feels like a luxury vehicle.

The leather finish on top models covers the dash and door tops, and has a lovely soft feel to it, while the plastics that are used feel solid.

Other highlights are the thick metal surround on the air vents and centre console, plus the neat analogue clock. As with the Lexus IS, it has the feel of a high-end stereo system.

As you’d expect from a Lexus, refinement is excellent with a superbly insulated cabin and hardly any wind noise or road noise.

It’s a shame that the excessive engine noise when accelerating ruins things, as that aside, this is one of the most refined SUVs around.

There’s a real attention to detail and precision to everything. While it may not have the wow factor, there is no denying the superb quality.

One interesting feature of the Lexis NX is its head-up display. This projects speed data on to the windscreen, along with navigation information if you so choose.

It works very well, with a clear and sharp display, plus it means you can focus more on the road than looking at your instrument dials.

Thankfully, Lexus also revised its Remote Touch Interface control, ditching the awkward mouse controller for a much slicker touchpad.

It’s much easier to use on the move and comes with the optional Lexus Premium Navigation, which is standard on Premier models.

A 10-year-old Lexus NX 300h with 65,000 miles under its wheels will cost you around £16,000, which can seem pricey. But the car does hold its value well and has relatively low running costs.

A four-year-old Lexus NX 300h with 30,000 miles to its name will set you back £24,000.

Finding a petrol-only version of the Lexus NX will prove difficult, as the hybrid model was the mainstay of the range by a huge margin.

The Lexus NX 300h came with claimed combined economy of up to 39.7mpg under the more recent and stringent WLTP testing method.

Our Real MPG data shows this is close to being spot on, with our numbers coming in at 37.8mpg. The Lexus NX 200t claimed 35.8mpg and delivers a real-world 31mpg.

In terms of carbon dioxide, the Lexus NX 300h emits 121g/km, which means £140 per year in road tax for earlier cars with a £10 reduction for its hybrid power.

Cars registered from 1 April 2017 pay the flat rate of £170, which also has a tenner knocked off thanks to the hybrid power. The Lexus NX 200t pays £320 for a year’s road tax.

Servicing at official dealers is not going to be too expensive, and the Lexis NX has a very solid reputation for reliability.

As for insurance, the Lexus NX sits in groups 28 to 38 (out of 50) depending on the trim and engine. The petrol-only model is notably pricier to get cover for than the hybrid versions.

The entry-point Lexus NX S models came with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights, adaptive cruise control, pre-crash safety system and reversing camera.

There’s also dual zone climate control, Lexus Media Display with remote dial controller, DAB, electric folding door mirrors, hill-start assist, eight airbags, USB, remote double door locking and Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management.

The Lexus NX SE adds all-wheel drive, integrated roof rails, 18-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers and heated front seats.

Lexus NX Luxury trim comes with LED foglights with cornering function, rear privacy glass, heated and electrically adjustable leather front seats, parking sensors, Smart Entry and an auto-dimming rear view mirror.

Choose the Lexus NX 300h Premier and it has 18-inch bespoke alloys, LED high-beam headlights, auto-dimming door mirrors, driver’s seat position memory, a Mark Levinson audio system and Card key.

It also enjoys a Lexus Premium Navigation system with Remote Touch Interface touchpad, 360-degree panoramic view, lane keep assist, head-up display, heated steering wheel and blind spot monitor.

For a sharper look, the Lexus NX F Sport gains 18-inch alloys with a two-tone finish, F Sport heated electric leather front sports seats with lumbar support, F Sport suspension and performance dampers, electric steering column adjust, a powered tailgate and a wireless smartphone charger.