Lexus NX Review 2024

The original Lexus NX was a bit of a win for the brand. Launched in 2014, it soon became Lexus' best-selling car in Europe, tempting buyers away from more obvious competitors like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. The second-generation car, on sale now, is set to build on that success – and we reckon it's got enough chutzpah to fend off fresh competition from the likes of the Genesis GV70. Read our Lexus NX review to find out more.

There are two key models available: the Lexus NX 350h and the Lexus NX 450h+. The first, in typical Lexus fashion, is a 'self-charging' hybrid; while the latter is a plug-in hybrid. That's a first for Toyota's premium brand, opening up a new audience of company car drivers or those who want to cover short journeys under electric power alone.

The entry-level Lexus NX 350h has quite a big cost advantage over the NX 450h+, with prices starting from a smidgen over £38,000. It pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to provide a combined output of 244PS. Perhaps more importantly, it's very efficient – and you don't need to bother plugging it in at night to get the best from it. Officially, it returns up to 49.5mpg in front-wheel-drive form, while the AWD model returns up to 47.9mph. Lexus models tend to perform fairly close to their WLTP figures according to our Real MPG data, too.

The Lexus NX 450h+ uses a similar setup to the plug-in hybrid Toyota RAV4, pairing a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a rechargeable 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery. An electric motor on each axle means the Lexus NX 450h+ is four-wheel drive.

When it's fully charged, Lexus says the NX 450h+ can travel up to 47 miles (in varying conditions at speeds of up to 83mph) under electric power alone. That means you can enjoy refined electric running with effortless acceleration for quite an extended period.

When the petrol engine kicks in, it's pretty seamless, and only during the harshest of acceleration will you notice a bit of a thrum from the e-CVT automatic gearbox. There's enough power available that you don't need to work the Lexus NX 450h+ particularly hard to make progress. It's closer to the Volvo XC60 than the BMW X3 in the way it drives, though, meaning it's best to sit back and enjoy the comfortable ride quality.

The interior is superb – it soon becomes clear why the Lexus NX is considerably more expensive than the mechanically similar Toyota RAV4. The biggest focal point is the new 10.1-inch infotainment screen which is fitted as standard to Lexus NX F Sport and Takumi models. While you might worry that its sheer size means it's initially a bit distracting, it's actually easy to operate, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard too.

You get a generous amount of standard equipment for your money, while prices are competitive against premium rivals like the BMW X3 and the new Genesis GV70. Being a Lexus, it's also likely to be a very reliable choice, while you also get the benefit of a warranty that can be extended for up to 10 years.

We lived with a Lexus NX for three months - find out how we got on with it in our Lexus NX long term test. 

We've sampled two extremes of the Lexus NX range: an NX 350h with the 18-inch alloy wheels and a Lexus NX 450h+ F Sport with standard-fit 20-inch alloys. It's perhaps no surprise that the regular NX 350h with its smaller battery pack and thicker tyre walls is the more comfortable of the two, although neither struck us as particularly harsh. In fact, we'd say the Lexus NX strikes a good middle ground between the wafty Volvo XC60 and sporty BMW X3.

Sharing its underpinnings with the Toyota RAV4, you'd expect the Lexus NX to be fairly similar to its mainstream relation in the handling stakes. And it is, to an extent, with responsive steering and a reassuring amount of grip on offer. It's not the most nimble of SUVs and there's little point selecting the 'sport' drive mode, but it doesn't lean too much in bends.

The majority of UK Lexus NX models are four-wheel drive and, while we wouldn't expect it to venture far off road (the Toyota Highlander would be a better option for that), we don't think you'd need to take a working from home day should a bit of snow fall from the sky.

Around town, the Lexus NX does feel like quite a large car, although there are systems in place to lend a helping hand. A reversing camera is standard across the range, while F Sport and Takumi models come with a 360-degree panoramic view monitoring which is very handy when tackling tight parking spaces.

The standard Lexus NX 350h is a 'self-charging' hybrid, combining a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor. It produces 244PS, which means it feels pretty sprightly, accelerating to 62mph in 8.7 in front-wheel drive form, or a second quicker if you opt for the all-wheel drive model.

The plug-in hybrid Lexus NX 450h+ combines the same 2.5-litre petrol engine with a bigger battery and a more powerful electric motor. This is offset to some degree by the bulkier weight it has to shift round, but a combined power output of 309PS means it can accelerate to 62mph from a standstill in just 6.3 seconds. 

You're best not trying to race between the lights in the NX – doing so kinda misses the point of the car – but it's pacey enough that you don't need to mash the accelerator pedal everywhere. That means the usual scream of the CVT automatic gearbox rarely becomes an issue.

All Lexus NX models come with the brand's third-generation Safety System+. This includes a long list of safety systems designed to prevent a crash (or at least reduce the impact) – things like a pre-collision system, dynamic radar cruise control, lane keep assist and an adaptive high beam system.

There's the usual extensive mix of airbags, while Isofix child seat anchor points are fitted as standard on the outer rear seats.

A blind spot monitoring system and rear cross traffic alert are standard on F Sport and Takumi models (optional on the base Lexus NX), while an extended safety pack with front cross traffic alert and lane change assist is standard on the Takumi (optional on the F Sport).

Another safety feature of note is the e-latch electronic door opening system. Rather than a conventional handle to open a door from inside, you press a button. This works with the car's blind spot monitor to detect if there's anything approaching from outside (a passing car or cyclist, for example), and will stop you opening the door into the path of oncoming traffic.

The latest Lexus NX is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP but we'd be very surprised if it didn't stand up very well in a crash.

Both the Lexus NX 350h and NX 450h+ have a braked towing capacity of up to 1500kg. That's less than 85 per cent of the kerb weight of both models, meaning they should pretty comfortably tow a medium-sized caravan.

The slightly larger exterior dimensions of the new Lexus NX over its predecessor has resulted – unsurprisingly – in a bit more interior space. The boot of the Lexus NX can now accommodate 545 litres of luggage space (three golf bags or two large suitcases, says Lexus). That's no better or worse than most premium competitors but, if you need as much space as possible, you might want to look at more versatile mainstream SUVs like the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace or Kia Sorento.

There's loads of space in the front, with the kind of high seating position people buy SUVs like the Lexus NX for. A wide centre console separate the driver and front-seat passenger, with a useful amount of storage under the arm rest and two cup holders big enough for the most grande of takeaway coffees.

Rear space is pretty good (if, again, nothing special). A pair of adults will fit back there comfortably enough, though, while the back of the rear seats can be adjusted for tilt.

As you'd expect from an SUV that rivals cars like the Mercedes-Benz GLC and Audi Q5, there's little to criticise when it comes to interior quality of the new Lexus NX. The entry-level grade gets the brand's Tahara faux-leather, while F Sport and Takumi models both feature 'actual' leather seats (heated in the front and rear; ventilated in the front).

Despite the bold red leather finish to the cabin of our Lexus NX 450h+ F Sport test car, it looks and feels very upmarket inside, helped by the leather-covered steering wheel and aluminium door inlays. The new infotainment system means the NX looks a lot more modern than it did before, while rotary controls for the climate control mean it's no less usable.

The infotainment in the old Lexus NX was pretty dire. It was one of those over-engineered systems that should never have got further than the drawing board. It combined a pathetically small digital screen operated by a touchpad on the centre console (a bit like BMW iDrive's rotary controller but not as good).

Anyway, whoever was responsible for that has presumably been moved on and the new infotainment system is a whole heap better. We're yet to try the standard 9.8-inch display, but there's (quite literally) no missing the ginormous 14-inch display fitted to F Sport and Takumi models.

It's speedy and responsive, with logical menu layouts that are easy to navigate. There's a 'hey Lexus' voice recognition system (so you can shout instructions at it like Siri or Alexa), while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, too. That means you can scroll through your Spotify playlists on the move or use Google Maps for navigation.

Although we haven't sampled it, the 17-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system ought to be on the radar of audiophiles. It's fitted as standard on Takumi models.

With on-the-road prices for the Lexus NX 350h starting from £38,250 (at launch), it actually undercuts the likes of the Volvo XC60, BMW X3 and Audi Q5 by quite a healthy chunk. You'll probably want to pay more for one of the pricier trim levels, of course, with the F-Sport starting from around £47,000 and the Takumi coming in at nearly £52,000.

Like-for-like, the Lexus NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid represents good value for money, too. The cheapest model sold in the UK is the basic NX with the Premium Pack, which starts at £48,800. That's several thousand less than the likes of the Volvo XC60 Recharge or BMW X3 PHEV. Of course, if you're not fussed about the premium image, you could buy a Toyota RAV4 Plug-in with the same powertrain as the NX 450h+ for around £6000 less.

Lexus quotes a combined fuel economy figure of between 44.1 and 47.9mpg for the NX 350h, while the NX 450h+ officially returns up to 313.9mpg. That's not a typo – but, like all plug-in hybrids, the actual efficiency of the NX 450h+ will depend heavily on how it's used and how often you plug it in. Lexus says it can travel up to 47 miles on electric power alone – so, if you charge the battery regularly and never stray far from home, the petrol engine will rarely need to kick in.

Charging of the plug-in hybrid Lexus NX 450h+ is best done using a 7kW home wallbox. This'll fully charge the battery in about two and a half hours. If you can't (or don't want to) recharge, you'd be better looking at the 'self-charging' NX 350h, which relies on the engine for power.

Fuel costs aside, the Lexus NX shouldn't cost a great deal to run. The first year's VED (vehicle excise duty – car tax) is lumped into the on-the-road price, while after that you'll pay £145 a year. Careful, though – cars with a list price of more than £40,000 (that's most Lexus NX models) will be stung by an extra £335 a year in premium car tax. This runs for five years from the second time the car's taxed and, as it's based on the list price of the car when new, it doesn't matter if you've paid significantly less than the threshold on a nearly-new model.

The Lexus NX – particularly the plug-in hybrid model – is likely to prove popular with company car drivers for its low BIK tax rate. With its sub-50g/km CO2 emissions and range of more than 40 miles, the Lexus NX 450h+ attracts company car tax at a rate of seven per cent.

The Lexus NX is available in three trim levels for the NX 350h – NX, F Sport and Takumi – while the NX grade can also be upgraded with the Premium Pack and Premium Plus Pack. The same line-up applies to the NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid, apart from the standard NX model.

Equipment highlights for the NX include: 18-inch alloy wheels, Lexus Link Connect with 9.8-inch multimedia and cloud navigation system, Tahara synthetic leather upholstery, bi-LED headlights with Automatic High Beam and the new generation Lexus Safety System+.

The Premium Pack adds rear privacy glass, smart keyless entry, a wireless phone charger, LED cornering and front fog lights, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Premium Plus Pack provides 20-inch alloy wheels, Lexus Link Pro 14-inch multimedia with navigation, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, four-eye LED headlights with Adaptive High-beam System, a Panoramic View Monitor and ambient cabin lighting with 64 selectable colours.

The F Sport model has F Sport 20-inch alloys and dedicated exterior design features including a piano black grille, black roof rails and F Sport badging. The cabin features an F Sport steering wheel, aluminium pedals and sports front seats. The package also equips the car with Adaptive Variable Suspension.

Sitting at the top of the Lexus NX range, the Takumi model has 20-inch alloy wheels with a dedicated design, a Mark Levinson 17-speaker Premium Surround audio system, a digital rear-view mirror, remote and automatic parking functions, panoramic roof and additional Lexus Safety Sense+ features, including Front Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Change Assist.

The specification highlights are the same for the NX 450h+, excepting the Takumi version, which is equipped with 20-inch Takumi alloy wheels, automatic parking, a sunroof, wood trim inlays and the additional Lexus Safety Sense+ features.