Lexus NX Hybrid Review & Prices

If you want a practical family SUV with head-turning looks and efficient hybrid engines, the Lexus NX should definitely be on your shortlist.

Lexus is renowned for its striking designs, and the NX definitely fits that trend with its Predator-like front grille and sharp origami creases running along its bodywork. It certainly stands out against the more understated German alternatives like the Audi Q5. The rear light bar that spans the width of the car’s back end is reminiscent of a sci-fi spaceship.

There’s sportiness, too, in the sloping, coupe-like style roofline. Despite its sleek profile, though, there’s still impressive headroom in the back for three passengers. There’s decent leg room in the second row too, and plenty of cubby holes make it easy to store all of your random odds and ends. Compared to the smaller UX and larger RX, the new NX could be described as the ‘Goldilocks’ SUV of the Lexus line-up – it’s just right.

With similar boot capacity to the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, the NX is a practical, comfortable and well-made car. However, it’s only available with a range of hybrid engines, so if you’re after a long-distance, diesel-powered motorway machine you might want to consider the likes of a BMW X3 or Audi Q5. The NX will be more efficient in town, though, because it can run for short periods on battery power alone.

The NX’s hybrid power units are pretty impressive. The plug-in-hybrid (PHEV) model can go up to an impressive 47 miles in EV mode – which makes it perfect for pottering about town and the daily commute. However, when the petrol engine pipes up and joins the party, it can be quite loud under acceleration because of the eCVT gearbox. But you’ll only notice this when going up hills, and on slip roads when you’re heavy-footed on the throttle pedal.

Inside, the NX is just as unique as it is on the outside. Perhaps not to everyone’s taste, but wherever you look and touch, the tactile materials have a premium feel, although not quite a match for those in the Mercedes GLC. There’s a choice of both real and vegan leather upholstery and the seats are by far the comfiest in the class. Classic Lexus.

The comfort extends to how smooth the NX is on the road. The ride is extremely comfortable and there isn’t much body roll in corners. If you want a sporty driving experience, the BMW X3 is the better bet, but if you want to chill out behind the wheel, the NX is the way to go.

The Lexus is packed with tech, too. The infotainment system is easier to navigate than that in the old NX, and the wide touchscreen is more responsive, too. Wireless Apple CarPlay is available but Android users will have to plug their phones in for Android Auto. That’s a tad puzzling but a wired connection is generally more reliable and easier to use than wireless.

The 360-degree panoramic parking camera is a really handy option to go for. With a birds-eye view of the car, it’s easier to slot into a space and helps you avoid kerbs – great for keeping the wheels in pristine condition.

All in, the Lexus NX is a stylish, well-made, efficient and comfortable family SUV. If it sounds like it could be right up your street, have a look at the latest Lexus NX deals and used Lexus deals to see how much you could save when you buy through carwow.

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There are three trim levels available on the NX (Lexus calls them ‘grades’). The range starts with the entry-level, nameless grade. Above that, there’s the sporty-looking F Sport and luxurious Takumi. There are also three powertrains to choose from. They all have a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a CVT automatic gearbox. The difference is how much electrification they have.

First up, there’s the NX 350h FWD. It has a self-charging hybrid system with a battery-powered electric motor, driving the front wheels only. The NX 350h AWD has the same setup but with an additional battery and electric motor that powers the rear wheels. The AWD version has no more power than the FWD version, but it can go a bit further on battery power alone.

If you want to go a long way on battery power, though, you need the plug-in hybrid NX 450h+ AWD. It also has an electric motor that drives the back wheels, powered by a much bigger battery that gives up to 47 miles of zero-emissions range. Incidentally, the entry-level NX 450h+ has the otherwise optional Premium Pack as standard.

Alternatives to the NX include the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes GLC, Jaguar F-Pace and Volvo XC60. Starting prices for all of them are higher than for the NX. However, all but the Volvo are available with petrol and diesel engines, which you may prefer. They’re all also available with plug-in hybrid power but, again, they cost more than the Lexus.

The Lexus NX is a comfortable and relaxing car to travel in, but others are better when the road gets twisty

In town

The NX may look quite big and bulky, but it’s actually shorter than a BMW 3 Series. It’s not too wide either, so threading along narrow streets and through small gaps isn’t difficult. Especially in F Sport and Takumi models that have a superb surround-view camera system. Front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are standard, so manoeuvring into a space is no hassle, despite the small back window.

Anyone of average height or more can slide right into the seats of the NX. The driver’s seat and steering wheel have lots of adjustment so it only takes a matter of moments to find a good driving position. The view out of the front is great, not so much out of the back.

The ride is lovely and smooth, the suspension barely noticing most lumps and holes in the roads. F Sport models have adaptive suspension that can switch between soft and sporty at the press of a button to suit the road you’re on. It’s really quiet, too, especially when driving on electric power. With light steering and an automatic gearbox, it’s really easy to drive, too.

On the motorway

The engine gets a bit loud if you stamp on the throttle to get up to motorway speeds but, once there, it settles into near-silence. Hardly a trace of wind or road noise gets through to the interior, either. It’s a deeply comfortable, relaxing car to spend a long journey in.

The plug-in hybrid NX 450h+ has more power than the NX 350h, so can provide a useful extra burst of acceleration if there’s charge in the battery. It’s also capable of driving at 70mph on electric power alone, although the range will plummet if you do that.

For regular motorway journeys, though, the NX 350h works better. That’s because, if the batteries run out, the NX 450h+ has no more engine power to haul along a heavier car, so it’s less efficient.

Or you could go for a diesel SUV…

On a twisty road

The NX can be driven pretty rapidly cross-country. The steering is responsive, the body doesn’t lean over much and there’s tons of grip, so the car feels really safe and stable, soaking up bumps rather than being bounced off them. There’s enough power to get a shift on and the gearbox responds quickly and smoothly if you put your foot down to overtake. All good stuff.

But there’s not much enjoyment to be had from driving quickly. Even the sporty-looking F Sport model, with its adaptive suspension that can be made stiffer, doesn’t feel particularly sporty to drive. If you really enjoy driving, an alternative like the BMW X3 or Jaguar F-Pace is much more fun.

The Lexus NX is a great family car with a big boot and space for four, although a fifth passenger will struggle for foot space in particular

In the front seats of the NX there’s as much space as the vast majority of people need – leg, head and shoulder room are all really generous. The seats are supremely comfortable, too.

There’s a decent amount of storage space. The door bins are large enough for a litre bottle, and there’s a deep cubby hole under the armrest with a two-way hinge, so it can be opened towards the driver or passenger. There are two cupholders in the centre console, a cubby to the left of the steering wheel, a glasses holder in the ceiling and a biggish glovebox. There’s also a compartment in front of the gear selector with a roller shutter-type lid. The lid doubles as a wireless charging pad in all but the base model and can still be rolled back with your phone in place, concealing it so you don’t get distracted.

Space in the back seats

As in the front, there are few people who will be short of space in the back of the NX. There are certainly bigger cars with less – including some of the alternatives. There’s a large hump in the middle of the floor, so anyone sat in the middle seat won’t have much legroom. Or headroom either because the seat is perched higher up. Still, three adults will fit for a shorter journey. Two adults (or children) can lounge in considerable comfort.

For storage, there’s big door bins, cupholders and pockets on the back of the front seats. There’s also two USB charging ports.

Boot space

The NX has a boot capacity of 545 litres, which is a little less than the alternatives but still enough to swallow a week’s worth of family holiday clobber. Significantly, though, the capacity is the same regardless of which powertrain you go for. Plug-in hybrid alternatives lose quite a large amount of boot space to the batteries.

There’s extra storage under the boot floor – a useful place to keep charging cables in the NX 450h+ plug-in model. There’s also a cut-out to stow the load cover away neatly. We’d leave it there because it’s kind of irritating when in place.

Compared to a Volvo XC40 (up to 586 litres), Audi Q5 (up to 550 litres) and BMW X3 (up to 550 litres) though, the NX is slightly down

The boot lid opens electrically leaving a big gap to heave heavy stuff through. The boot itself is a square shape that’s easy to pack. The back seats fold down if you need to carry anything really big – a large chest of drawers should slot snugly in.

One last point that may be relevant to you. Being hybrid-powered, the NX has a low towing capacity for this type of car. It’s rated for just 1,500kg – diesel alternatives can tow well over 2,000kg.

Lexus has vastly improved its infotainment with a simpler and more logical system as part of a big leap forward on cabin layout, although the base specification doesn’t get the nicer large screen․

The interior of this latest Lexus NX is a vast improvement on the older car’s. It’s a much cleaner design, with fewer buttons in a simpler layout. There’s a large touchscreen infotainment system display in the middle of the dashboard, but Lexus has resisted the temptation to put controls for minor features in the system, as is the case in many alternatives. So the Lexus is more user-friendly than those cars.

The base grade has a 9.8-inch screen; F Sport and Takumi models have a 14.0-inch screen. It looks clear and crisp, it’s easy to navigate and responds promptly when you press it. Features include satnav, DAB radio and Bluetooth, plus access to a suite of Lexus apps. Or connect your phone using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Other standard features include climate control, heated leather seats, adaptive cruise control, a 10-speaker stereo and electric steering wheel adjustment. F Sport models add electric front seats, heated steering wheel, wireless charging pad and one of the best head-up displays we’ve seen. Takumi models also have ventilated front seats, an opening panoramic roof and a fabulous Mark Levinson stereo.

The official numbers show that the NX 350h can give average fuel economy of up to 49mpg. In the real world, you should see 40-ish, which is pretty good for a hybrid of this size. Though you might do more with a diesel alternative, especially on longer runs. Vehicle excise duty costs £165 per year after the car’s first birthday, but prices of more than £40,000 means it also incurs an extra annual of £520 until the car is six years old.

Car safety experts Euro NCAP awarded a full five star rating to the NX, scoring it very highly in every area that’s assessed. In short, it’s one of the safest cars you can get.

Safety features include automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, collision warning, front and rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, road sign recognition and adaptive headlights, to name but a few.

This latest NX is too new to make concrete judgements about its reliability. But, given the very strong reputation of the previous NX, there’s every reason to suppose this new one will be a very reliable and satisfying car to own. Lexus provides a three-year warranty which extends up to 10 years so long as you have the car serviced by Lexus. The mileage limit on the warranty is a decent 100,000, more than you get with most premium brands. You also get three years of roadside assistance coverage thrown in.