The NX is Lexus’ luxury crossover that competes with BMW 3 series, Acura’s RDX, and the Mercedes GLA. The NX comes in 3 major styles – Turbo, F Sport, and 300h. The NX Turbo starts at $35,285 and comes with 235 horsepower, 28 MPG highway, and 0-60 in just over 7 seconds. The F Sport starts off at $37,385 and is nearly identical to the Turbo but comes with sports suspension, seating, and a turbo boost focused display. The 300h is a hybrid that starts off $39,720 but uses the 300h’s 245 V nickel-metal hydride battery to get 40 MPG Highway.
The interior is sharply designed and works well in the long drives. We took the NX on a 4 drive hour to Key West but the car didn’t leave us fatigued with poor positioning and cramped legroom. The 42.8 inches of driver legroom meant we were comfortable the whole way down. Both the driver and passenger have power seats and reclining seating with heated and cooled seating. Add the moonroof and you are in for a great road trip with amazing views of the sky and the ocean. The rear passengers with 36.1 inches of legroom felt great the whole way down. Foldable rear seats means the NS has up to 54.6 cubic inches of cargo space – that’s about 4 golf bags worth of space.
Now I’m 6 foot 200lbs and that meant our legs bump against the surprisingly wide center stack that contains the gear shifter, cd player, radio, and climate controls. Lexus noticed this early on and put a leather pad between the right knee and the console. You won’t notice it until you do and will end up appreciating the forethought.
The console also carries three power modes – eco, normal, and turbo – and the displays change color depending on the mode. There’s also active sound control which makes the car sound more throttly in sport mode. Manual shift mode and wheel paddles means you can get feisty when want to. There’s also an automatic electric parking brake. No big deal in Miami with our flat roads and non existent incline but head north and you’ll appreciate it.
The Lexus NX200t comes with parking assist which meant the sensors beep when you get too close and the camera shows guidelines as you reverse into spots. Its super useful inside Publix, Costco, and parking garages and will help you avoid dings, squeeze into spots, and become more confident with the dimensions of the vehicle.
Packages include Navigation ($1,875) brings in the navigation system, remote touch pad, Lexus Enform, and a 10 speaker premium sound system. Luxury ($4,725) which brings in wood interior trim, leather seats, rain sensing wipers, moonroof, heated and ventilated front seats, and turning indicated integrated into the rear view mirrors. Premium ($2,930) brings outer sliding moonroof, 18 inch five spoke alloy wheels, and heated front seats
The Lexus NX200t is available now starting at $35,285.
