2025 Lexus NX350h Sports Luxury FWD review

Among mid-sized premium SUVs in Australia, the Lexus NX is outsold only by the Tesla Model Y.

Launched in 2022, the second-generation NX has really resonated with Australian buyers, and outsells rivals from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

There’s a sprawling range of NXs on offer, with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive, four powertrains (two petrols, one hybrid and one plug-in hybrid) and four trim levels (base, Luxury, F Sport and Sports Luxury).

A hefty chunk of the NX range undercuts even the cheapest BMW X3 or Mercedes-Benz GLC, which along with the availability of a fuel-sipping hybrid goes some way to explaining the NX’s superior sales performance.

Our tester was an NX350h Sports Luxury. Think of the Sports Luxury as one of the forks in the road you can take above the regular Luxury, with less of a sporty look than the F Sport but the same price tag.

Eagle-eyed readers will note this is the exact same vehicle I reviewed late in 2022.

While it’s not typical for vehicles to remain on press fleets for this long, there have been no changes of note to the NX since then.

Besides, we’re always in low-mileage examples, while this one had been broken in a bit more, giving us a chance to see how it felt after a couple of years of use.

The NX hasn’t changed since 2022, but have our feelings towards it changed?

How much does the MAKE MODEL cost?

COMPARISON TOOL

What is the MAKE MODEL like on the inside?

The NX’s interior is thoroughly contemporary, which is both good (a substantial touchscreen) and not so good (smudge-prone gloss black trim slathered all over the centre stack and console).

There are also gimmicky elements like e-latch doors, though these feel good to operate – pointless, but good.

Material quality for the most part is excellent. The dash top, for example, is so soft and squidgy you could use it for a child’s playground.

There’s soft-touch trim on the sides of the centre console, with hard plastic reserved only for the lowest reaches of the dash and doors.

Unusually, for something that otherwise feels tight as a drum, the NX’s indicator stalk snaps into place and feels particularly cheap. In my previous review, I noted the stalks felt well-damped, so is this wear and tear?

There’s some lovely wood trim on the doors. We would have liked to have seen more of this and less of the gloss black stuff, particularly given this is the most luxurious NX.

The ambient lighting is also a classy touch, though don’t go expecting the multi-colour, Macau-at-night light shows of a Mercedes-Benz – Lexus keeps it simple.

The 14-inch touchscreen runs Lexus’ latest infotainment system, which is also the Toyota brand’s – there are no unique graphics for the luxury brand.

That means it’ll be familiar to those upgrading from a Toyota, and it’s still a huge step up from Lexus’ last-generation infotainment with crisp, clear graphics and quick response times.

There’s a surround-view camera with a transparent chassis view. The camera resolution isn’t as good as in, say, an X3 or GV70, but it’s still decent.

There’s a head-up display, while the instruments comprise a pair of analogue gauges plus an 8.0-inch screen in the middle. The central circle theme harkens back to Lexus models like the LFA, though the washed-out blue look is also giving “older Lexus” in a somewhat less desirable way.

On the steering wheel there are four arrow switches on each side, with pages buttons beneath them controlling what these do.

The idea, surely, is to reduce the number of switches needed on the steering wheel, and you do get used to them. But while there are fewer buttons, it does feel like there are more button pushes required.

Over on the right of the steering wheel you’ll find a little cubby, as well as buttons for the trip computer and instrument cluster brightness adjustment.

If you’re looking for the camera button, it’s sitting all alone next to the air-conditioning vents. Also, some functions like the heated seats can only be accessed via the touchscreen or through voice commands.

At least Lexus has kept tactile knobs for temperature adjustment, even if other climate functions are now (anchored) on the touchscreen.

Below the climate controls is a useless storage cubby, which sits above the wireless phone charger. This one doesn’t even have a cover, while under the wireless phone charger you’ll find another cubby which can be concealed.

There’s a fairly deep centre console bin, and the lid opens both ways. There are also bottle holders in the doors that fit 1L bottles.

The Mark Levinson sound system is disappointing for a name-brand sound system, and isn’t a patch on, say, a Bang & Olufsen system.

But in true Lexus fashion the front seats are comfortable, finished in supple leather and featuring heating, ventilation and power adjustment, plus memory for the driver.

Step into the back and there’s a comfortable second-row, though it’s not a class leader when it comes to sheer size.

A small driveline hump eats into centre-seat legroom, but there are plenty of amenities: air vents, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, a 12V outlet, and two USB-C outlets, as well as bottle holders in the doors and map pockets on the seatbacks.

Child seats can be secured using one of three top-tether or two ISOFIX anchor points.

The rear bench splits and folds 60/40, increasing cargo space from 520L to 1141L.

Under the boot floor you won’t find a spare – just a tyre repair kit – but there’s a series of compartments to contain your odds and ends. There are also netted sections on either side of the boot floor that can help stop your groceries and such from flying around.

COMPARISON TOOL

What’s under the bonnet?

It’s a hybrid, so of course the big question here is: how’s the fuel economy?

Over a loop consisting of inner-city, suburban and highway driving, we averaged a thrifty 4.9 litres per 100km – 0.1L/100km better than the official combined claim.

Last time we had this car, we saw fuel economy of 5.8L/100km over the course of a week. This time, it averaged a mere 5.3L/100km.

If you want fuel economy this good in a mid-sized premium SUV, it’s this or an Audi Q5 diesel.

COMPARISON TOOL

How does the MAKE MODEL drive?

You might expect a Lexus to offer a plush ride, but the NX350h Sports Luxury doesn’t deliver in this respect.

Its ride quality is arguably let down by its use of larger (20-inch) alloy wheels than the Luxury, which features 18s, and the lack of adaptive dampers as seen in the F Sport.

The result is a ride that feels stiff and lumpy, and on rougher surfaces it feels a bit unsettled. It also crashes over some bumps, and you’ll feel a firm thwack on potholes.

Despite this, the NX350h Sports Luxury doesn’t feel all that sporty, which makes the way it rides harder to overlook.

It takes a moment to settle over some undulations, with a little bit of float felt. Mind you, the NX350h feels poised – if unexciting – when taken on a winding road.

The steering is nicely weighted, but there isn’t much in the way of feel.

The NX350h doesn’t sound all that sporty either, with a bit of a grumbly engine note as we’ve come to expect from four-cylinder Lexus models. At least it doesn’t intrude too much into the cabin, with noise suppression expectedly good for a Lexus. That includes suppression of wind and tyre noise.

The powertrain is the best part of the NX350h’s dynamic package, and not just because of the terrific fuel economy it can achieve.

There are smooth transitions between electric and petrol power, and the NX350h is able to run purely on electric power at low speeds with the petrol engine kicking in when you demand more. Tap the brakes and regenerative braking tops up the battery.

The NX350h’s driver assists work well. The lane-keep assist gently nudges you back into your lane without constantly feeling intrusive, while activating adaptive cruise control allows you to use Lane Tracing Assist.

This is effectively a lane-centring aid, and it managed to do just that even on more winding roads.

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What do you get?

The NX range is enormous, so let’s zero in on the NX350h lineup specifically including our Sports Luxury tester.

The NX350h Luxury comes standard with the following equipment:

• 18-inch alloy wheels

Over the Luxury, the Sports Luxury adds:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Digital rear-view mirror

Over the Luxury, the F Sport adds:

• 20-inch alloy wheels

Option packages – or Enhancement Packs, in Lexus parlance – are available for NX350h models.

Enhancement Pack 1 (

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COMPARISON TOOL

CarExpert’s Take

Among the sprawling Lexus NX range, the hybrid NX350h is the sweet spot in terms of performance, efficiency and price.

The NX350h Sports Luxury, however, isn’t the one to get. Those 20-inch wheels exact a toll on ride quality, and there’s no adaptive suspension like in the F Sport. It’s a shame as the ES sedan and larger RX SUV show how Lexus can take a shared Toyota platform and develop something that still has a plush ride.

If you can live without some of the Sports Luxury’s features, an NX350h Luxury is an appealing option that undercuts rivals while offering the solid feel and thrifty hybrid fuel economy expected of a Lexus.

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