2022 Lexus NX 350 AWD Fast Facts |
2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (275 horsepower @ 6,000 RPM, 317 lb-ft @ 1,700-3,600 RPM) Eight-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive 22 city / 29 highway / 25 combined (EPA Rating, MPG) 10.5 city / 8.3 highway / 9.5 combined. (NRCan Rating, L/100km) Base Price: $43,025 (U.S) / $54,850 (Canada) As Tested: N/A (U.S.) / N/A (Canada) Prices include $1,075 destination charge in the United States and $2,245 for freight, PDI, and A/C tax in Canada and, because of cross-border equipment differences, can’t be directly compared. |
Lexus addressed two of those criticisms with the current model and did so quite nicely.
The NX gains about an inch of length and half an inch of height, and it’s a bit wider. There are four new powertrains, including two hybrid setups, and I got my mitts on the 350, which has a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque and mates to an eight-speed automatic.
The increase in size is subtle, but I felt less cramped while tooling around town. That tooling wasn’t too boring, either – the NX is just sporty enough, at least for a small crossover, to entertain. The engine is stout enough for the cut and thrust of urban driving.
It’s a Lexus, so silence and a compliant yet not soft ride are part of the deal, even with some sport dialed in. The “sport” does make occasionally make the NX feel a bit stiff, but generally, the smooth ride that most Lexuses (Lexii?) have ended up being the dominant setting.
The updated infotainment system is vastly superior to what it replaces – it not only looks better but the user experience is much improved. Toyota and Lexus have taken a leap forward here. For those who still prefer their smartphone to factory systems – I am often among that crowd – wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.
It’s not perfect – there’s a mix of haptic touch and knobs, and we all know that haptic touch can be confounding, though it wasn’t too bad here. Still, it looks so much better, and again, the user experience is just so improved, even with haptic touch, that you’ll be mostly happy.
Lexus and/or my local fleet didn’t provide me with a Monroney – I believe my tester was a pre-production vehicle, so I can’t tell you exactly how it was equipped. I can tell you that Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 is standard across the board and it includes emergency steering assist, left-turn oncoming vehicle braking, curve-speed management, intersection support, dynamic radar cruise control, road-sign assist, pre-collision alert, and lane-departure alert with steering assist.
All-wheel drive is standard on 350 models, and the EPA lists fuel economy at 22/28/25.
Spending some time online building an NX similarly equipped to the one I drove put the sticker at around $52K, with a base of $43,025, including $1,075 for destination, which is somehow not listed on the Lexus consumer site. Standard features include keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, Bluetooth, and LED exterior lighting.
Options include the 14-inch touchscreen for infotainment, moonroof, cooled front seats, 20-inch wheels, rain-sensing windshield wipers, power rear liftgate, ambient lighting, and Mark Levinson audio.
Some change is subtle – the NX is a bit bigger but it will be hard for the naked eye to see that. Some change is obvious – new powertrains, bigger infotainment. Either way, the NX is better than what it replaced, and it no longer feels half-baked.
What’s New for 2022
The 2022 Lexus NX gains new powertrains, more size, and an improved infotainment setup.
Who Should Buy One
The moneyed yuppie who found the previous-gen to be cramped and who is impressed by new tech.
[Images © 2022 Tim Healey/TTAC]
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Too bad you didn’t have the 450h
Lexus has gone to brutally ugly front end designs.
That is likely the ugliest car I’ve ever seen. An Aztek would be embarrassed.
What a dumpy looking 3/4 view. I have a hard time believing that’s not cramped, what a waste of space.
The exterior looks better than the interior. At least the exterior looks like all of the parts are from the same company. The interior looks like lego blocks thrown together.
It’s funny to see the side by side of the pictures of the NX
The exterior looks better than the interior. At least the exterior looks like all of the parts are from the same company. The interior looks like lego blocks thrown together.
It’s funny to see the side by side of the pictures of the NX next to the video shots from AutoGuide of the interior of the Kia Niro in the ad to the right. The Niro looks cohesive, cool and upmarket. The Toyota looks cheap and thrown together.
Compared to my current road-trip vehicle, this car is smaller but weighs more, gets +1 mpg highway (3.6% better) but uses premium fuel (17.3% worse).
Toyota, what are you doing??
The turbo’s premium fuel requirement sours the deal. 91+ octane costs $0.75 more per gallon than regular gasoline in my neck of the woods.
The NX 350h hybrid is the trim to buy.
The reason to buy a NX is the interior. For whatever reason the Germans have been unable to resist cheaping out really badly in this segment. The NX has materials and assembly that are mostly consistent with products like the RX and ES, and that is good enough to make it a standout in segment.
$52k is what the GS 350 asked in 2020! Considering the size of this thing it seems sooo expensive.
No. The NX starts around $43K, not $52K.
(NX 250 starts around $39K.)
I wasn’t talking entry points.
“Spending some time online building an NX similarly equipped to the one I drove put the sticker at around $52K”
Front end still looks like the Terminator with his helmet off. And that’s not a good thing.
Cannot.
Unsee.
Front end.
“Stylists” must have gone to the “School of FUGLY fronts”, and while there were best friends with the BMW students.
How does this compare to a up trim Mazda CX-5?
Is that a damn cow catcher?
It’s stunning how ugly this car is. I saw one on the road, came up behind, and I was just repulsed. Coming and going it’s hideous.
Lexus would do well to remember how much customers liked the “conservative, kinda boring” end of their styling. This garish insanity has cost them not only sales but possibly the GS and the IS and LX might be next.
How I yearn for the handsome boxy business of the LS 400.
Automotive writers were dissatisfied with Toyota’s conservative styling. “Boring” they said. “Vanilla.” “No excitement.”
Toyota, wanting to be hip and young and with it, and like every insecure person everywhere wanting most of all to Avoid Criticism, went for more styling “reach” in their designs. Which can happen some on the rear, and more on the sides, but mostly on the ‘face’ of the vehicle, i.e., the grille. (Not “grill” — which reminds me of a boneheaded elaborate person tale relating to the crash of the ecomony, but we will stay on task.)
So now we see more “expressive” grille designs, and sexier low rooflines which harm entry/egress, and multitudinous other Incremental Changes which add up to Blech and we’ve just about killed the sedan, thank you auto writers.
Ask me sometime about how Brock Yates Ruined My Life. (Or are you too busy making observations I made three years ago in these same pages?)