2025 Lexus NX

The NX SUV is a particularly sensible choice in a class that offers plenty of extravagant alternatives. It’s relatively affordable to buy and run, cossets its occupants but doesn’t over-indulge, and the well-respected Lexus name is virtually synonymous with reliability. Lexus dealers also have a reputation for making the whole ownership experience far more bearable than the norm.

Our owner reviews are full of compliments for the NX, and many of those remarks are from return customers. We’ll add one more compliment about Lexus as a whole: It’s a multiple winner of our Most Trusted Luxury Brand award. To anyone considering a luxury compact SUV, we advise giving the NX a long look — you might well become the next Lexus devotee.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of compact luxury SUVs, including the Lexus NX.

Standard equipment now includes parking sensors with automatic braking, along with a powered tailgate and rain-sensing wipers. The front center console gains a pair of USB-C ports, while wireless charging becomes available at every trim level. Copper Crest is a new exterior paint choice, and Macadamia is a new interior color for the Luxury trim.

There are many choices in this class. Looking at prices in the low-$40K region, there’s the Cadillac XT4, Lincoln Corsair, and Infiniti QX50. The Acura RDX, Audi Q5, and Genesis GV70 begin more in the mid-40s area. Anyone with a budget in the high 40s can look at the Volvo XC60, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Before buying a new Lexus NX luxury compact SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying.

Exceptional Resale Values

The Lexus NX has stronger resale values than any of those rivals mentioned above. This could turn into a substantial down payment on your next vehicle, for lower monthly terms. This is typical for Lexus, and the brand has won our Best Resale Value Award many times.

The Lexus NX is comfortable and refined, a bubble of calm in a sea of chaotic traffic. If we were seeking a luxury compact SUV for long journeys and soothing commutes, then an NX would be in the frame. We’d prefer some extra sound insulation, though.

Both the NX 350 and NX 350h are popular drivetrain choices. The small h denotes a hybrid setup, which is the less powerful of the two — 239 horsepower, as opposed to 275 (for comparison, the Genesis GV70 2.5T has 300 horsepower). This difference is reflected in the time taken to sprint from standstill to 60 mph. The NX 350 can do it in 6.6 seconds, the NX 350h in 7.2. Neither time is going to set pulses racing, but we’ve found that both models are quick enough in real-world situations.

If our budget allowed, we would probably pass on the NX 250’s lackluster 203-horsepower engine. Especially if we lived somewhere hilly. It would sound labored trying to get up those slopes. The NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid isn’t only capable of covering a day of errands on electricity alone; its 302 horsepower qualify it as the most powerful entry in the lineup.

Fuel Economy

The combustion-only NX 350 runs to 24 mpg in combined city/highway driving, more than acceptable for the class. The NX 350h hybrid achieves an impressive 39 mpg combined.

The NX 250 returns 28 mpg combined. The NX 450h+ is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) with a beefier battery and motor than a regular hybrid, enabling a useful distance covered in electric-only mode. In this case, 37 miles. Keep the battery topped up overnight, and/or at work during the day, and the NX 450h+ could function as an electric vehicle most of the time, with the onboard gasoline engine ready to contribute whenever necessary. When the battery is spent, the NX 450h+ operates like a traditional hybrid and returns a respectable 36 mpg.

It’s Lexus business as usual inside the 2025 NX. That means quality materials put together well, along with decent levels of standard equipment. Because it’s an SUV, the NX has a raised driving position and we’ve found the front seats particularly comfortable. There are plenty of places to stow things like phones, cups, and wallets. Passenger space in the back is adequate, despite 36.1 inches of rear legroom not being the class best. The Genesis GV70 has an extra inch.

One thing we really like about the NX’s cargo space (22.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats; 46.9 cubic feet when they’re folded) is that it’s not compromised by hybrid hardware, even with the NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid’s bigger battery. There are contenders with more room, though, such as the Genesis GV70 (again).

This generation of NX SUV has been around since the 2022 model year, and the famous (notorious?) big grille is a common feature on other Lexus vehicles as well. So no doubt we’ve all seen it and decided whether we like it or not. We’ll just add our observation that Lexus has kept things fairly conservative, but the NX does everything it needs to, even in this aesthetic respect. Copper Crest is a new color this year.

Infotainment system
We’ve found this system easy to use. It includes wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto phone integration as standard, plus Wi-Fi, Amazon Music compatibility, and a digital assistant that understands voice commands given in natural speech. A 9.8-inch touchscreen is standard, with a 14-inch version available.

Heated front seats
These are standard across the 2025 NX range. They’re so welcome on cold mornings.

All-wheel drive
Apart from the base NX 250, all-wheel drive is standard, providing extra reassurance in slippery conditions.

Advanced Park
This optional feature helps get the NX into (and out of) parallel and perpendicular parking spaces.

Mark Levinson audio
The 2025 NX offers the option of a 17-speaker/1,800-watt surround-sound system from Mark Levinson, a brand that has entertained and delighted many Lexus occupants (including us) over the years.

Digital rearview mirror
An option, but we think it’s a worthwhile one. It shows a clear, wide-angled view behind — unhindered by heads, cargo, or rear pillars.

The NX 250 employs a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine making 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. This is the least popular NX drivetrain.

In the “that’s more like it” department, the NX 350 has a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine developing 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. The NX 350h hybrid combines a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with an electric motor for 239 horsepower and outstanding fuel economy, and the NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid enjoys 302 horsepower and the ability to drive on electricity alone. Not all rival lineups offer hybrid versions, much less a plug-in hybrid.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

The Lexus new-vehicle warranty is like that of many other luxury manufacturers — four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered a little better than usual, though, with six years or 70,000 miles. Hybrid hardware and batteries have warranties of eight years or 100,000 miles. The first service is also free, up to one year or 10,000 miles.

Safety Ratings

The Lexus NX has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). One of the many positive aspects of Lexus vehicles is the high level of standard safety equipment. This array includes forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and intersection assistance, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert with active steering inputs, and lane-tracing assistance to keep the NX between the markings.