The field of luxury crossover compacts is crowded, led by offerings from German automakers—BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Porsche. Yet, the 2016 Lexus NX is a compelling alternative to drivers wanting a compelling mix of style, comfort, and practicality.
Lexus offers three versions of the NX: the NX 200t, with a turbocharged 255- horsepower four-cylinder engine; the NX 300h, a fuel-sipping 194 horsepower hybrid; and the NX turbo F Sport. All provide the bold styling that makes the NX stand out from the crowd—and they are available as either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive.
The four-door NX combines practical utility with smooth riding luxury in a right-sized platform. Its 104.7-inch wheelbase combined with an overall length of 182 inches provides ample interior room, while making it easy to maneuver in and out of urban traffic and tight parking spaces. The NX offers generous ground clearance of almost seven inches, which is tall for a CUV—making it a great weekend runner for trips to the mountains or beach. At the same time, Lexus knows that most NX drives will spend 95 percent of their time on the road, so it’s tuned for the easy-going road comfort that is Lexus’s trademark.
The NX’s tall profile not only provides good ground clearance but has occupants sitting high—with plenty of headroom, even for tall adults. Cargo space, while not the best in the class, is competitive with 16.8 cubic feet with the 60/40 split seats up, and 53.7 cubes with the seats folded down. The rear seats can be folded up and down with the push of a button on the rear hatch, and they recline for passenger comfort.
Our road test was behind the wheel of the NX 300h, the gas-electric hybrid variant. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is mated to a CVT transmission driving the front wheels. The hybrid system features two electric motor-generators on the front axle, with a third motor-generator added to the rear wheels for all-wheel-drive. The NX hybrid’s system is primarily an engine assist, but has the ability to power the NX in full electric mode for brief periods at city speeds.
The Lexus NX luxury hybrid does not exactly provide an exhilarating ride, but the experience behind the wheel is consistent and enjoyable—and the hybrid version boosts the EPA miles from 22 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway, all the way to 35 mpg city and 31 highway.
Slipping behind the wheel, we were immediately impressed by the comfort of the seats—available with both heating and cooling—and the excellent ergonomics for the driver. A seven-inch center stack multimedia screen provides infotainment, navigation, safety and communications information that are easily managed by steering wheel controls, a remote touch pad on the center console, or voice recognition. Bluetooth integration for smartphone streaming is also easy to use.
In terms of safety, the NX receiving top ratings in standard tests—partly because all NX models come standard with eight airbags, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, stability control, traction control, backup camera, LED headlights and running lights. This additional safety and assisted-driving features are available: adaptive cruise control, pre-collision sensors, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic monitoring, and parking assist are also available.
The Lexus NX has a wide variety of accessories available from trim protectors to rooftop carriers.
If you’re shopping for compact luxury ute—one that allows a night out in a style or the right level of practicality for rugged road trips—the Lexus NX deserves to be judged against the tough European competition or the Acura RDX .
See Lexus NX Cars & Trucks for sale on eBay.
