The venerable Lexus NX has been through its fair share of ups and downs but ultimately, it always manages to come up with a good run of good fortune with the compact CUV meant to give Lexus a middle-rung player slotted between the smaller UX and the iconic RX. Some would say that the NX is starting to lose its edge and that it’s starting to get soft around the edges. But is that the case? We wanted to find out.
Lexus NX is still the sharpest member of the family
The Lexus NX was designed to be stylish and our 500h tester proved that it still has the looks to make it stand out in traffic. The front grille has an updated version of the spindle design but the headlights are sleek and actually work with the piece to help give the NX a more assertive look. The side profile is sporty too but like other Lexus utility models, the rear is the weakest element of the design though we will give Lexus props for making the taillights sharp and aggressive looking. Our tester managed to draw plenty of stares when we took it out and about but the sloping roofline does eat into rear visibility which is a common tradeoff when an automaker chooses to go for sportier styling.
The interior of the NX is luxurious with the front seats in our 500h tester offering an impressive balance of comfort and luxury. The infotainment system is sleek and composed with the screen offering slick software that’s fast and easy to use. One minor gripe is the way that Lexus does the door handles with the brand using small buttons on the inside of the door to operate the mechanism instead of a traditional latch. This setup takes a brief period of adjustment but we’re glad Lexus includes a backup lever to help provide an alternative means of exiting the NX in the event the buttons are inoperable or if they prefer to manually open the doors instead. Rear passengers have decent amounts of room in the second row but the cargo space offered by the NX is modest when compared to other rivals.
Triple electric motors make NX a solid performer
Performance for the Lexus NX 500h comes from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that’s mated to three electric motors to produce a combined system output of 240 hp. This setup is shared with the Toyota RAV4 Prime and like the Toyota, the Lexus’s hardware does not produce thrilling acceleration with our tester needing just under 8.0 seconds to make the sprint to 60 mph with the engine sounding rough and coarse when pushed hard.
Braking in our tester was strong but the hybrid regenerative braking system had moments when it was befuddled especially when going to stop at stop signs with the regen sometimes not applying enough force to formally stop at the stoplight. Adjusting your braking foot to this behavior helps solve the issue but we hope that the next generation NX will have a more composed regenerative braking setup. Handling behavior was confident and filled with poise but the NX will never be mistaken for a formal performance car with our tester’s occasional body wallow being a prominent reminder of that when navigating on-ramps and sharp corners.
The lack of raw power is balanced out by the exceptional fuel economy the 350h has with the EPA saying a model like our tester is capable of achieving 39/41/37 mpg in city/freeway/combined driving which is a similar feat achieved by the aforementioned Toyota. \
Value Quotient
Pricing for the 2024 Lexus NX starts at just over $42,000 with the 350h version starting at just over $46,000. Pricing only goes up from here with a Luxury model like our tester starting at $52,665. Our tester arrived with a small laundry list of optional extras that caused the price to push past $56,000. That’s not cheap, and it also pushes the NX 350h very close to the beefier and pricier 450h+ PHEV models which start at just over $60,000.
While the price tag and some of its quirks may cause some folks to stay away, the 2024 Lexus NX 350h is still a pretty compelling CUV. Buyers will have to learn to work with its quirks and give the CUV a chance to shine on the test drive because if they do both of those things, the NX morphs into a potent long-term value especially for buyers that don’t need the RX’s size but are ready for an upgrade over the UX.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.