Lexus NX review

The NX is a well built and comfortable premium SUV that’s easy to drive and packed with the latest infotainment and safety technology, including Bluetooth connectivity and automatic emergency braking. The interior looks great and uses high quality materials, plus it’s lavishly equipped, with leather trim and climate control across the range. There’s plenty of room and hugely comfortable seats, making it a relaxing place to spend time. It’s powered by a quiet and powerful petrol-electric hybrid system that mixes strong performance with impressively low fuel consumption and emissions.
Lexus is famed for its reliability and customer service, with owner satisfaction surveys from the likes of Auto Express, Which? and Auto Trader placing Lexus at the top of the rankings.

Stylish and extremely well-finished, the interior features high quality materials throughout, including leather seat trim. A high driving position gives a commanding view of the road, while all the controls are placed within easy reach. There’s a comprehensive array of instruments, plus lots of standard equipment, including heated seats. The large infotainment screen is perfectly placed on top of the dashboard, although its touchpad controller takes practice to use effectively.

The seats are supremely comfortable, with multi-way electric adjustment options to make it easy to find the perfect driving position. Those sitting in the back benefit from plenty of space, although very tall passengers might find headroom is limited by the NX’s sloping roofline.

While the boot of the Lexus is a little smaller than those of rivals. The capacity is 475-litres which is easily big enough for a three medium-sized suitcases. Better still it has a flat floor and load lip that makes loading bulky items easy, plus luggage capacity can be quickly extended by folding the rear seats flat using the handy release levers in the boot.

Towing capacity is impressive, particularly in the four-wheel drive models.

With the emphasis on comfort and ease-of-use, the Lexus is a relaxing choice, particularly around town and on long motorway trips. Some pre-2017 NXs have a turbocharged petrol engine but most are fitted with the smooth and efficient petrol-electric hybrid setup. This suits the NX perfectly, as it’s quiet and relatively powerful, yet delivers excellent efficiency. Light steering makes the Lexus effortless to drive, while the standard parking sensors and cameras deliver hassle-free parking.

There’s a choice of two and four-wheel drive, although the latter is designed for all-weather driving rather than serious off-road work.

Across the range the Lexus tends to cost less to buy than rivals and offers more standard equipment. The hybrid engines are the most cost effective to run, with impressive fuel consumption of up to 54.3mpg on some versions. Emissions are similarly low, attracting road tax bills as little as £30 a year on some two-wheel drive models registered before April 2019. A special EV driving mode allows pure electric running for up to a mile at 30mph, which is perfect for use in towns and cities. Insurance costs are competitive with other premium models, as is servicing, with Lexus even offering prepaid maintenance plans. And of course, Lexus customer care is first rate.

Lexus has an excellent reputation for reliability, regularly finishing at the top of independent customer satisfaction surveys.
Safety is equally impressive, with the NX being awarded a full five star rating by Euro NCAP. All versions get a comprehensive array of safety kit, including eight airbags and electronic stability control, plus many get powerful LED headlamps. Also included is adaptive cruise control, which automatically maintains a safe distance to the car in front on the motorway, braking and accelerating as conditions allow. There’s also autonomous emergency braking that automatically applies the brakes to avoid a collision with stationary vehicles in traffic.