Lexus NX 250 2022 Review

At $60,800 plus on-road costs, the front-drive-only 2022 Lexus NX 250 belongs to a group which includes stellar performers such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo XC60, yet easily undercuts them all on price.

Considering the fact that the NX has genealogical links with the Toyota RAV4 – they’re both built on the TNGA-K platform architecture, for example, albeit with significant structural and other engineering changes wrought on the Lexus – some might suggest there’s a hint of credibility stretch here.

But the fact is the entry-level Lexus NX makes a good fist of competing in the luxury mid-size SUV environment.

It begins with leather-look trim on the heated, eight-way power-adjustable front seats – including two-way lumbar support for the driver – and extends to ‘Hey Lexus’ speech recognition, self-dipping LED headlights, sub-woofer-boosted 10-speaker audio with DAB+ digital radio, USB-A and USB-C inputs, dual-zone climate control, imbedded sat-nav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality and a power-operated tailgate.

In NX 250 form, the mid-size Lexus gets a 9.8-inch touch-screen which is smaller than the more panoramic 14.0-inch version seen on F Sport and Sports Luxury models yet doesn’t detract from the premium feel.

Specify the $3000 Enhancement Pack available for the Lexus NX 250, as had been done in the case of our review vehicle, and you pick up niceties such as a moonroof, wireless smartphone charging and the ability to open the power tailgate with the wave of a foot.

With those additions, there’s really no feeling of being short-changed.

The 2022 Lexus NX has received a maximum five-star safety rating under ANCAP’s latest testing regime, and its solid list of safety technology includes all the expected pre- and post-crash engineering.

Yet the new 2022 Lexus NX 250 doesn’t stand out in the crowd.

In fact, it misses out on a few things such as reverse autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and driver attention detection, and only comes with a single reversing camera.

It does offer 10 airbags though, including the increasingly prevalent front centre airbag to keep passengers apart in a collision.

New things appearing in the Lexus NX include Safe Exit Assist – which prevents the rear doors from being opened if there’s an un-noted vehicle approaching from behind – and intersection turn assist.

The existing Pre-Collision Safety System (PCS), which prepares the car to protect occupants from harm in a potential collision, continues.

Elsewhere, the main bases are well covered via high- and low-speed AEB, radar/camera adaptive cruise control, pedestrian avoidance, lane keep assist (with semi-autonomous lane trace assist), front and rear cross traffic alert and a brace of electro-chromatic rear-view mirrors – including heating for those on the doors.

There’s no auto parking or bird’s-eye-view cameras, but at least the NX 250 gets a set of front and rear parking sensors.

The naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in the 2022 Lexus NX 250 is new for this generation, but it’s a familiar powerplant, already seen in the top-spec (non-hybrid) Toyota RAV4 Edge.

It produces a solid 152kW at 6600rpm along with 243Nm of torque between 4000rpm and 5000rpm, driving through an eight-speed torque-converter transmission.

The big difference lies in the base Lexus NX being front-drive only, unlike the Toyota RAV4 which has an on-demand all-wheel drive system.

The NX accelerates similarly to the Toyota though, and at 6.9L/100km and 158g/km it generally comes close in terms of official fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures. We suspect our NX 250’s 8.8L/100km economy on test, probably due to an urban bias across the loan period, was slightly aberrant.

The Lexus NX 250 also feels brisker than the specs suggest. Accompanied by notably rapid-fire upshifts through the eight-speed auto gearbox and a not-especially-pleasant intake rasp, the NX 250 tries for something of a sporting persona.

It must be admitted that it’s more engaging than the CVT-driven variants seen elsewhere in the Lexus NX line-up.

That said, the NX 250 is notably slower off the mark than the bulk of its peers, which tend to see eight seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint as a minimum target. At a quoted 8.7sec to 100km/h, the base NX is more a trier than a doer.

The 2022 Lexus NX 250 might be the entry model, but there’s nothing to scoff at in terms of its passenger comfort.

Its luxury credentials are sound.

The power-adjustable front seats uphold the Lexus tradition with their cleverly calculated support, there’s leg, head and shoulder space aplenty throughout the cabin and the 520-litre boot (which opens up to 1141 litres with the rear seats folded) is entirely competitive in this segment.

Extra boot space is made available by the company’s choice to run the Lexus NX 250 on run-flat tyres that are common in the prestige mid-size SUV class and enable doing away with a spare wheel.

At this level, the Lexus NX misses out on the bigger 20-inch wheels and adaptive suspension that appear on F Sport versions. This shows up with slightly dumbed-down responses to the steering and a less-authoritative overall feel.

Although the steering is relatively quick at just 2.2 turns from lock to lock, the smaller 18-inch wheels and 235/60 tyres contribute to a lack of on-road assuredness that’s found higher up in the Lexus NX model walk.

With the new-generation 2022 Lexus NX, the Japanese premium brand has worked on covering a reasonable representation of all the important bases in the $60,000-plus mid-size luxury SUV class.

Though easily identified as a progression from the first-gen model, the latest Lexus NX continues to sit comfortably among its peers with a price advantage across the range that’s difficult to ignore.

Despite its RAV4 roots, there’s little to argue that it’s not a legitimate contender among some of its highly credentialled peers.

It may be more expensive than it was previously, but the Lexus NX, particularly at NX 250 level, is still the most cost-effective, legitimate means of gaining entry into this segment.

How much does the 2022 Lexus NX 250 cost?
Price: $60,800 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Output: 152kW/243Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 158g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)