Lexus NX Review

There's an awful lot of competition among premium SUVs, and you have to do a lot to drag shoppers away from traditional leaders like the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC. The Lexus NX is the Japanese brand's entry into this field, borrowing a handful of oily parts from the Toyota RAV4, but dressing them up in a much sharper suit.

Sitting side-by-side with its German rivals, the case for the NX isn't immediately obvious. It's not the sportiest to drive, nor is it the comfiest over bumps and, while there's nothing about its cabin design that's unappealing, it doesn't quite look as modern as established rivals. Cars like the X3 and Q5 now come with gargantuan screens in place of old-fashioned buttons, and bathe their occupants in glitzy ambient lighting.

Chasing trends isn't Lexus' style, however, and everything the brand has fitted inside the NX looks good and feels fantastically solid. There are no creaks or rattles from trim pieces and, despite there being a little more black plastic than we'd like to see, most of the parts you touch regularly feel plush and inviting. Most versions come with premium fabric or black leather, but models equipped with optional white, red or tan leather do feel a notch more luxurious.

Under the bonnet, there's a choice of either the full-hybrid NX350h with front or all-wheel drive, and the plug-in-hybrid NX450h+. Some drivers might be disappointed at the lack of straightforward petrol or diesel options, which you'll still find powering its German rivals, but Lexus hybrids work really well in mixed motoring. You have plenty of power for motorway drives, with superb urban economy thanks to the strong and responsive hybrid electric motor.

As a new car, the NX costs around £45,000 – roughly £5,000 cheaper to buy than its closest rivals. However, once you've specced your NX to add a few choice options, the price gets within touching distance of the German cars. NXes seem to hold their value well on the used market so, while prices don't drop especially far once the car has a few miles under its belt, you won't lose as much money to depreciation as other options.

We've already established that the NX isn't quite as up-to-date as its German rivals. And, as we'll cover further down in this review, there are other areas where it can't really match those cars toe-to-toe either. That somewhat misses the point of the NX, however. For some drivers, they'll pick the Lexus over those other cars for its cast-iron reputation for reliability, backed by its brilliant 10-year factory warranty.

Lexus has equipped the NX with the now-expected pair of dashboard screens – one for the central infotainment system and one to serve as the driver's dials. Unlike the Audi Q5 and BMW X3, which have integrated both screens into a monolithic slab that runs atop the dashboard, Lexus still embeds the driver's screen in a traditional bezel, with the central screen sat out on its own.

There's nothing particularly outlandish about the NX's interior design – you could even call it a bit conservative – but the material choices are excellent. There's soft-touch and faux-leather surfacing in places your hands and elbows are likely to sit, plus attractive stitching details on the door panels and centre-console cubby lid. The switchgear on the steering wheel and armrest features big, clearly marked buttons which, again, looks a little old-fashioned, but you're rarely left hunting around the interior for the button you want.

Our test car came with the smaller 9.8-inch central touchscreen, with a larger 14-inch unit fitted to NXes in Premium Plus trim and up. Despite being the lesser option, the small screen is still easy to use thanks to its fairly square shape, which means there's usually enough on-screen space that controls are large enough to hit easily with your finger. There are persistent on-screen shortcuts down the right-hand side, plus climate settings along the bottom.

We've complained about rivals that've completely consigned the climate controls to the screen, as on-screen adjustments aren't as intuitive as simply pressing a button or turning a knob. The NX finds an awkward compromise, with features like the recirculation, fan speed and heated steering wheel on the touchscreen, while there are two physical dials on either side of the screen for dual-zone temperature. Beneath the screen is a traditional volume control for quick, easy adjustments – it's a tiny point but the volume knob's smooth action with no clicks puts us in mind of a high-end stereo system.

Where the smaller Lexus UX is frustratingly compromised in terms of practicality, the NX is much easier to recommend if you need a spacious family car. It has a larger body with more length between the axles, and it also avoids the heavily sloped rear windscreen that robs the little UX of even more space. It's still not quite the most accommodating option in this segment, but only the loftiest of families will find its limits.

Space up front is vast and there's a wealth of adjustment so drivers of any size can get comfortable. Even if you push the front seat all the way back for a driver from the furthest edge of the bell curve, you'll still be able to sit an average-sized adult behind them. If your front-seat occupants are more average-sized, passengers in the back will find they have lots of legroom to stretch out along with plenty of headroom. You can also recline the rear seats to give back passengers a comfier ride.

There's 520 litres of boot space to play with, and the area itself is usefully square with wide access and a minimal load lip. It'll handily swallow a couple of large suitcases with space left over for some extra soft bags. Alternatively, you'll be able to sling a pair of pushchairs, or even a rather portly pooch back there without getting close to its limits. Rivals like the BMW X3 offer a few extra litres of space, but it's not enough to be a dealbreaker for those considering the NX.

Cabin storage is about average for the class, with the usual selection of a centre console cubby, a glovebox and door bins for all passengers. You'll also find a wireless phone charging pad, which can be slid out of the way to reveal an extra coin tray beneath it.

Whatever NX you choose, it's going to have some degree of electric power. Most buyers will be well served by the NX350h – a full or 'self-charging' hybrid that comes with a choice of front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. We tried the latter, which adds a second electric motor on the rear axle for a total of 242hp and, while it stops short of feeling powerful, has more than enough performance for all everyday driving situations.

The 0-62mph sprint is completed in less than eight seconds, which is roughly on par with equivalent German rivals, but the NX's best side isn't shown during flat-out acceleration. Floor the throttle and you're greeted by a roar as the eCVT transmission spins the engine up to its most potent speed and holds the rpms there. This is technically the most effective way to get power from the engine to the road, but it feels a little unnatural compared to German rivals with their more conventional setups.

Where this hybrid setup absolutely shines is in normal driving. On a mixture of urban and suburban streets, you'll notice you have loads of power available immediately thanks to the hybrid electric motor, which means you can always jump into a gap in traffic without waiting for an auto gearbox to select a ratio. You'll also earn excellent fuel economy figures driving around town, where the hybrid system takes over more frequently, comfortably delivering more than 40mpg in stop-start traffic.

If you have the ability to charge at home, then consider the NX450h+. This is a plug-in hybrid that essentially borrows the same setup as the RAV4 PHEV. Power jumps north of 300hp with a healthy reduction in the 0-62mph time but the headline features are its 45-mile electric range and average economy figures hovering around 250mpg if you can recharge regularly.

The NX is based on a similar selection of parts as the Toyota RAV4. As a result, we were worried that it might have the same overly firm setup as its Toyota cousin, which would compromise its luxurious image. While we're happy to report that the NX doesn't have the stiff-knee sensation you have driving the RAV4, we're still not convinced by the setup.

On a typical UK country road, we found ourselves getting bounced around in our seats by the NX. Seemingly, in the pursuit of tuning out bumps from the road, Lexus instead opted for a slightly under-damped setup. This means that, while potholes and uneven surfaces don't make it to the base of your seat, they do tend to knock the NX's body around, which you feel as your head bobbing around and your body being thrown about the seat.

At lower speeds or on smooth roads, you don't really notice this issue, and the softness of the suspension remains welcome in those situations compared to some rivals with more bone-shaking setups. However, even with the car settled down, it's not especially fun to drive, with little sense that it wants to get thrown into corners like the best sporty SUVs. Turn the wheel vigorously through a quick direction change and you'll feel progressively more body lean, which further discourages you from driving too aggressively.

Between the soft setup and the relaxed-yet-responsive hybrid engine, the NX is a car that makes the most sense when just cruising around. You'll find it asks very little effort of the driver and rarely responds in an unpredictable way. Like all Toyota and Lexus hybrids, the pedal tuning is excellent with no noticeable swap-over point between electric and petrol power, or between the regenerative brakes and physical brakes.