2025 Lexus NX350h Sports Luxury AWD review

The Lexus NX is the sweet spot for a lot of luxury SUV customers.

WATCH: Paul’s video review of the 2024 Lexus NX250

In particular, those in the market for a mid-sized petrol-electric model with plenty of power and efficiency are treated to a broad range of choices – in fact, 350h variants account for two-thirds of the NX line-up.

But as good as it is, we question whether you need to spend up to a high-grade version like this Sports Luxury grade. 

As you’ll see from all the information about the specs and equipment listed below, along with all the other stuff you need to know, you don’t need to spend upwards of $80k for a fancier version of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

How much does the Lexus NX cost?

There are plenty of different takes on the Lexus NX theme, and most of them come with the popular-for-good-reason 350h hybrid powertrain.

And consider this: the $84K plus on-roads cost of the NX350h Sports Luxury AWD tested here is just the starting price. The vehicle tested here included the $6000 Enhancement Pack 2, which incorporates a digital camera mirror, heated second-row window seats, and automated parking. 

The glorious Sonic Titanium paint also added $1750 to the ask.

That means the vehicle tested here will cost $91,650 plus on-roads. Or close to $100k in your driveway. That’s a whole lot of money for a plush RAV4… okay, we’re being facetious there. But seriously!

To see how the Lexus NX compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool

What is the Lexus NX like on the inside?

Don’t go expecting BMW- or Mercedes-like levels of bling inside, as this is a sophisticated and somewhat understated interior design.

Sure, there are some standout elements like the 14.0-inch touchscreen media system, which incorporates wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as web-connected sat nav and online services as well. I had a few issues with CarPlay staying connected, and I wondered if it was my phone, or the system playing up.

That screen is the hub for some major controls and menus, but there are a few hidden elements that take some learning when it comes to the controls. It’s not difficult by modern standards, but it’s not the most intuitive in some ways, either.

There’s an array of controls below the screen that are simple to get to terms with, including dual-zone climate control dials. Between and above those there’s a home bar for other climate settings like fan, seat heating/cooling, and steering wheel heating for this model.

There are a couple of physical buttons just below, including demister controls for the front and rear glass, and the mirrors too, and there’s a central volume dial. The Mark Levinson sound system is a corker.

General comfort is excellent, with nice levels of adjustment for the seats, and those chairs are cosy enough for pain-free long-distance commutes. The materials used are of a very high standard, and while it might be a little low on personality compared to some of the more outlandish players in the segment, it has a level of sophistication to it.

Storage is well considered too, with cupholders between the seats, a wireless phone charging pad, decent centre console bin and door pockets big enough for bottles.

The door handles are maybe something that might take some getting used to, though. They caught out some of my passengers during the week.

The rear seat space is very good for this size of vehicle, with enough room for me (at 182cm/6’0”) to be seated behind my own driving position with inches of leg and toe room to spare. Headroom is also excellent.

And it’s a relatively broad cabin as well, with the three-seat bench offering up enough accommodation for a trio of adults to squish in if needed. If your rear-seat riders are more typically of the kiddo variety, then you’ll be happy to know there are ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the window seats and three top-tethers.

I can tell you from experience that you can fit a rearward-facing child capsule in the back, with enough passenger room for the front-seater to be comfy.

There are also plenty of amenities in the back, with adjustable air-con vents, a pair of USB-C ports, a 12V, map pockets, bottle holders and a flip-down armrest. 

The boot space is reasonably good, with 520 litres of cargo capacity. But annoyingly, there is no spare wheel under the boot floor – just an array of additional storage boxes.

To see how the Lexus NX compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Righto, there are plenty of choices on offer in the Lexus NX range. Here’s a rundown:

The NX250 uses a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine offering 152kW of power and 243Nm of torque. It has an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends drive to the front wheels only. 

The NX350 uses a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 205kW and 430Nm. Again, there’s an eight-speed automatic transmission, but this time with standard all-wheel drive.

The NX350h has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid powertrain with a system output of 179kW. Lexus lists maximum torque figures of 239Nm for the petrol engine, 270Nm for the 2WD model’s electric motor, and 391Nm for the AWD model’s electric motors.

The NX450h+ mates a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors and an 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery, for a total system output of 227kW. It has an electronic continuously variable transmission (eCVT), with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system. It’s also claimed to be capable of driving 87km on EV alone.

Now, the 350h is the most popular version, so let’s dive a little more into the fuel consumption stuff. It has an official combined cycle fuel use rating of 5.0L/100km whether you pick the front- or all-wheel drive version, and you’ll be happy if you can see that.

On test, across a mix of the sort of driving you might do – urban, stop-start, highway, commuting and errands – we saw a displayed average of 6.1L/100km.

The fuel tank capacity is 55 litres, and it needs 95RON premium unleaded petrol.

Unbraked towing caps out at 750kg, while the braked towing capacity is 1000kg for the NX250, 350 and 450h+. The NX 350h has a 1500kg braked towing capacity.

To see how the Lexus NX compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool

How does the Lexus NX drive?

It’s such a delight to spend time in a car like the Lexus NX350h.

The powertrain never leaves you feeling short of pulling power, and it’s smooth and predictable in the way it behaves, too. 

So much of that comes down to the hybrid powertrain logic, which will change things up depending on the situation. If the battery is adequately juiced, it will run in full EV mode quite regularly, while in other situations you will notice the system jumping between using the petrol engine in conjunction with the electric motors, or just as a generator to feed the battery pack.

The on-demand all-wheel drive system plays its part, too, offering a strong amount of shove when things get slippery, and there are multiple modes to play with if you wish. You can even ask the car to drive in EV mode, if you want.

It is a clever but complex powertrain, and it never ceases to amaze me how it knows just what to do in each instance. You can watch the status in real time using the info screen.

The e-CVT means it doesn’t have gear-shifts, and that might take some getting used to. And so might the soundtrack from the powertrain, which in some instances reminded me of a Mitsubishi Mirage with a pod filter. Comment below if you know that exact sound.

It also drives beautifully. Though not the keenest vehicle in terms of dynamism, I really appreciate the way the NX drives, with honest and predictable steering making it simple to park and fun to push.

The ride is also confident and comfortable, dealing well with bumps and lumps in the surface, and the body control is tight, too. 

It is mostly very refined as well, though some road noise intrusion is evident on rougher surfaces.

To see how the Lexus NX compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool

What do you get?

Let’s start at the bottom of the range and work our way up.

2025 Lexus NX250 and NX350h Luxury equipment highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Power tailgate
• Automatic LED headlights with auto-levelling
• Automatic high-beam
• 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• 9.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wired Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• 10-speaker sound system
• Dual-zone climate control
• Heated front seats
• Heated door mirrors
• Rear spoiler
• Roof rails
• Keyless entry and start
• 8-way power front seats incl. 2-way driver lumbar
• Interior ambient lighting
• Rain sensing wipers
• 10-way power driver seat adjustment
• 8-way power passenger seat adjustment

Enhancement Pack ($3000) adds:

• Sunroof (tilt and slide)
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Wireless phone charger

NX 350 F Sport and NX 350h F Sport add:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Tri-beam LED headlights incl. adaptive high-beam
• Adaptive suspension
• F Sport performance dampers
• 14.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• ‘High-grade’ 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• Wireless phone charger
• Colour head-up display
• Surround-view camera
• F Sport pedals, scuff plates, steering wheel and shifter
• F Sport seats
• Power driver’s seat with memory
• Hadori aluminium trim
• Multi-colour ambient lighting
• Handsfree tailgate
• Ventilated front seats
• F Sport leather accented seats
• Privacy glass
• 10-way power driver seat adjustment with memory
• 8-way power passenger seat adjustment
• Cornering LED lights

Enhancement Pack 1 ($3000) adds:

Enhancement Pack 2 ($6000) adds:

• Panoramic sunroof
• Heated steering wheel
• Digital rear-view mirror
• 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system
• Semi-autonomous parking assist (NX350h F Sport AWD)

NX350h Sports Luxury adds – over Luxury:

• 14.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• ‘High-grade’ 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• Tri-beam LED headlights with adaptive high-beam
• Cornering LED lights
• Colour head-up display
• Surround-view camera
• Wireless phone charging
• Digital rear-view mirror
• Mark Levinson 17-speaker sound system
• Sumi black walnut trim
• Leather-accented interior trim
• Ventilated front seats
• Tri-beam LED headlights with adaptive high-beam
• 12-way power driver seat adjustment with memory
• 8-way power passenger seat adjustment

Enhancement Pack 1 ($3000) adds:

Enhancement Pack 2 ($6000) adds:

• Panoramic sunroof
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated rear seats
• 60/40 power-folding rear seats
• Semi-autonomous parking assist (NX350h only)

To see how the Lexus NX compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool

Is the Lexus NX safe?

The current-generation Lexus NX achieved the maximum ANCAP five-star rating in 2022.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Daytime cyclist detection
  • Junction assist
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Safe exit assist
• Lane departure alert
• Lane Tracing Assist (lane centring)
• Emergency Steering Assist
• Adaptive cruise control
• Traffic sign recognition
• Reversing camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Choose the F Sport or Sports Luxury trim and you also get a surround-view camera system as standard.

Every new NX also comes with a three-year complimentary subscription to Lexus Connected Services.

To see how the Lexus NX compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool

How much does the Lexus NX cost to run?

The Lexus NX is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

The brand has a terrific reputation for aftersales ownership enticements, with Lexus Encore offering the luxury treatment including complimentary loan cars and the possibility of car collection and return for servicing, plus exclusive customer events and experiences, too.

To see how the Lexus NX compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Lexus NX

The Lexus NX is a consummate luxury vehicle that is easy to live with, charming to drive, and has a sumptuous level of standard kit, even if you’re spending this much.

However, I think there is better value in the Luxury grade if you’re looking to save a bit of cash. It’s the one I’d buy if I was in the market for one of these. And yes, it’d be the 350h.

Interested in buying a Lexus NX? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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