Item: Used Lexus NX 2014-present
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

If it’s a hybrid you’re after, there are actually very few alternatives. You can downgrade to the less upmarket <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/rav4/4x4/used-review/n844">Toyota RAV4</a> Hybrid or the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mitsubishi/outlander/4x4/used-review/n769">Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV</a> – both of which are a little underwhelming.

However, if you can live with a diesel, then we’d point you in the direction of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/used-review/n829">BMW X3</a>. It’s great value, excellent to drive, comfortable and economical – so while you’ll blend in a little more, you’ll save money and enjoy your driving more.

But if you don’t want a diesel, you could try the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mazda/cx-5/estate/used-review/n947">Mazda CX-5</a>. Sure, it doesn’t quite have Lexus’s premium cachet, but its smart interior feels surprisingly upmarket and it’s also more pleasing to drive. The petrol version is remarkably efficient, too – in some circumstances, more so than the Lexus hybrid.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Actually, there seems to be very few issues. NX owners are generally a happy bunch, and while they do report the odd problem, we haven’t come across any serious and repeated faults that are worth knowing about.

Incredibly so. In our most recent reliability survey, the NX finished in third place in the hybrid and electric car class with a score of 99.7%,&nbsp;with its hatchback sibling the Lexus CT finishing first overall with a perfect score of 100%, and its larger SUV sibling the RX finishing fourth with a score of 99.4%. The saloon IS finished eighth, with a score of 98.3%.

Lexus as a manufacturer performed exceptionally well, finishing top of the table of 31 brands with a score of 99.3%.

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Estate

In the same way that Infiniti acts as Nissan’s premium arm, Lexus has a similar tie-in with Toyota. And since most of Toyota’s models are offered as hybrids, it’s no surprise to see the same from Lexus, although there are some traditional petrol engines, too.

The brand focuses heavily on SUVs – namely the NX and RX – but also has the CT hatchback, ES executive saloon and LS luxury car among its portfolio. More small and large SUVs are expected in the future.

Like Toyota, Lexus has built a very strong reputation for reliability and regularly finishes very close to the top of our annual Reliability Survey.

LEXUS

The Lexus NX is not the best large SUV to drive but it is an immensely reliable used buy

Used Lexus NX 2014-present

Go for the petrol model and it’ll be quite costly. On paper, the NX 200t does 35.8mpg, under the old NEDC tests, which doesn’t compare too favourably with petrol-powered rivals.

The hybrid model is better. In official lab tests, it achieved an average 55.8mpg under the old NEDC tests, and 37.1mpg under the newer, more realistic WLTP tests,&nbsp;which is on a par with rivals. But keep in mind that, like many other hybrids, the NX is very economical in town but far less so on the motorway; so while it makes sense if most of your mileage is urban, a diesel-powered rival will likely cost you less to fuel if you do lots of long-distance trips.

If you’re buying an NX registered after 1 April 2017, when the tax laws changed, you’ll need to choose carefully, because if it cost over £40,000 when it was new, you’ll be stung for the new higher-rate tax of £475&nbsp;a year. If it cost less than that, though, you’ll pay a flat rate of £150, so it’ll behove you to choose a lower-spec model. Buy an NX registered before that date and you can expect to pay either £30 a year for the hybrid or £250 a year for the petrol.

Lexus dealers’ service pricing is clear and transparent, making it easy to budget for your car’s next service. However, Lexus doesn’t offer a special fixed-price service scheme for older cars like those offered by <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/audi">Audi</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw">BMW</a>; that’s particularly salient because the NX’s services tend to cost more as its mileage increases, so make sure you’re aware of the costs involved later in the car’s life so you don’t get a nasty shock down the line.

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The Lexus NX is not the best large SUV to drive but it is an immensely reliable used buy

There are quite a few high-mileage hybrid examples around, largely thanks to their appeal as a company car when new. These will now set you back at least £16,000 and are worth a look if you want a cheap option, as long as they’ve been well maintained. However, if you’re after an early NX 300h with average mileage and a full history, you’ll need to spend at least £18,000. If only a petrol-only model will do, that figure will be closer to £20,000. Spend between £20,000 and £24,000 on 2016 and 2017 models, and between £24,000 and £26,000 on 2018 cars. You'll need around £28,000 for 2019 and some 2020 models.&nbsp;

All of which makes the NX look rather expensive compared with its closest rivals; a more powerful diesel BMW X3 will cost you less to buy, while an Audi Q5 will cost you no more.

Finding an NX 200t is a job in itself, and it’s thirsty and costly to tax, so we’d avoid it in any case. The NX 300h is the only other option and, since it’s more efficient and much easier to find, it’s the one we’d choose.

Bearing in mind the impressive amount of equipment NXs get, we see no reason to go for one of the more expensive trims. SE should be all you need – and there’s less chance of incurring a big tax bill if you buy one registered after April 2017.

Our favourite Lexus NX 300h SE

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all passengers</li> <li>Large boot with lots of clever storage solutions</li> <li>Good fuel economy and running costs</li> <li>All-round comfort</li> <li>High-quality interior finish</li></ul>

We define a large SUV as anything longer than 4.5 metres. These cars aren’t usually particularly cheap to buy or lease, so in return we expect a roomy cabin, a lengthy list of standard equipment and excellent cruising refinement. A few models in this class are two-wheel drive, but the vast majority have four-wheel drive for at least a modicum of off-road ability.

The Mazda CX-5 is firmly road-focused, but its 2.0-litre petrol engine is a strong, refined performer, making it looks good value for less than&nbsp;£25k. If you can stretch the budget a fair bit, the Audi Q5 provides a combination of comfort, driving prowess, quality and space that's hard to beat. Unlike some rivals, it can't be had with seven seats, though.

A more affordable, yet well-equipped alternative is the Peugeot 5008. It’s more than capable of coping with family life&nbsp;– and all versions have seven seats as standard.&nbsp;

Large SUV

The NX’s narrow body makes it easier to manoeuvre than most SUVs of this size, but its extremities can still be difficult to place, so take a look at the corners for scuffs and make sure there are no signs of kerbing on the wheels. And, as with any family-sized SUV, it’s worth checking the interior carefully to make sure it hasn’t been used and abused by young family members.

Survey the serried ranks of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/large-suv">large premium SUVs</a> in any car park and you’d be forgiven for thinking we’d all gone a bit conformist. In the UK, the big three premium manufacturers – <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/audi">Audi,</a> <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw">BMW</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a>&nbsp;– dominate the market, meaning it can be hard to find a smart used SUV that stands out from the crowd. But if that’s exactly what you’re after, the Lexus NX might just be your thing.

Not only is it not made by one of the big premium brands, but it’s also not your usual box-shaped off-roader, with eye-catching swoops and slashes from its prow to its tail. And, in contrast to most SUVs, there’s no diesel version available, with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/lexus">Lexus</a> electing instead to offer a hybrid model in the form of the NX 300h. In fact, there were only two engines options available, the other being the turbocharged, petrol-powered NX 200t, although even this was phased out in 2016 due to poor sales.

The short-lived S model, which was the cheapest in the range before it was axed at the same time as the NX 200t, gets dual-zone climate control and sat-nav, but it is only available with two-wheel drive; SE adds four-wheel drive and heated front seats. Luxury trim gives you leather seats and parking sensors, while F Sport features a more aggressive mesh grille and LED headlights. F Sport Premier offers a head-up display and an upgraded sound system, and the range tops out, slightly confusingly, with Premier, which gives you extra safety equipment, a heated steering wheel and ventilated front seats.

The petrol NX is certainly potent, but it's marred by a sluggish six-speed automatic gearbox. Mind you, the chances are you’ll be choosing the hybrid version, since it’s far easier to find. It, too, feels rapid away from the line, but any sort of aggressive accelerator use results in a scream from the engine, due to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/which-type-of-automatic-gearbox-should-i-buy/n17022">CVT gearbox</a>. In fairness, treated more gently, this does result in seamless acceleration with no gearchanges and, if you drive like a saint, the NX is pleasingly quiet because it spends some of its time in electric-only mode.

The NX's ride, too, can be smooth and usually feels relaxed when cruising along at high speed. Around town, though, it can be upset by smaller, sharper ruts, which send a shudder through the body. Expansion gaps on concrete sections of motorway have a similar effect.

Fancy a more spirited drive? Well, not only will you have to put up with that engine noise, you'll also have to live with the NX’s uninspiring handling. It feels very nose-heavy and tries to push on ahead if you corner too quickly. Then, when you can get it turned in, you’ll find the body leans over quite a bit, and if you’re trying to make sense of it all, you’ll get little help from the steering, which feels remote and uncommunicative. A <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/used-review/n829">BMW X3</a>, or even an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q5/4x4/used-review/n889">Audi Q5</a>, is much more enjoyable to drive.

Inside, there are problems, too. The infotainment screen‘s controls are a nightmare to use and the menu system is intricate and complex, so you’ll soon find yourself avoiding them unless you absolutely have to. Some of the buttons used to control the heating and ventilation are a little fiddly, too. At least the seats are comfy.

The NX’s narrowness means interior space isn’t as good as its best rivals. Up front, you don’t feel too cramped, but in the rear seats, squeezing three adults abreast is going to cause plenty of shoulder-rubbing. Mind you, if you only have to carry two in the back, the flat floor means they’ll each get plenty of leg room, while the reclining seats are a nice touch. In the boot, things are better, with a decent-sized space that’s sensibly shaped, and with a raised floor that means you can slide things in easily.

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Used Lexus NX 2014-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Lexus NX estate?