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2025 Subaru Impreza Review2022 Lexus NX: Options Galore
The 2022 Lexus NX is a luxury SUV full of style and options. We look at powertrain, interior options, trim levels and more. Find out our thoughts here.
What’s New for the 2022 Lexus NX?
The 2022 Lexus NX is all-new this year, bigger than before, and now with four powertrains to choose from. It shares a chassis with the Toyota RAV4, an SUV we review here, but is otherwise all Lexus. That includes being the first vehicle in the brands’ lineup to offer a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, a significant selling point over the long-running RX, which we compare to the NX here. There are a host of new features like a giant 14-inch touchscreen display, athletic F Sport models, and more power across the board.
2022 Lexus NX – pressroom.lexus.com | Shop 2022 Lexus NX on Carsforsale.com
The Breakdown
Very ritzy cabin
Lots of powertrain choices
Redesign is cleaner
Options ratchet up cost
Plug-in model is expensive
Sporty models drink 91-octane
A solid second generation
2022 NX Specs
- 203 horsepower from base engine
- 184 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 6 available trims
- 22.7 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 46.9 cu-ft of cargo capacity with seats down
- 17-speaker Mark Levinson stereo
- IIHS Top Safety Pick+
- 100,000-mile hybrid coverage
2022 Lexus NX Powertrain
The Lexus NX powertrain cup overflow-eth with choices. First up is the base 2.5L inline-4 found in the NX250. A naturally aspirated affair, it produces 203-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Next up is the NX350 that sports a turbocharged 2.4L four-pot making a healthy 275 horses and 317 torques. Like the base motor, it pairs with an 8-speed automatic to spin the front or all four wheels in the NX250. From the NX350 on up, AWD is standard.
Pairing the 2.5L gas-powered engine with a lithium-ion battery pack that provides juice for two permanent-magnet electric motors – one for each end – the NX350h generates 239 combined horsepower. Atop the trim pyramid is the NX450h+, which features the plug-in powertrain found in Toyota’s RAV4 Prime – an SUV we look at here. It makes 302 horsepower and will zip to 60 mph in six seconds flat. Both hybrid models work with a CVT.
Across the board, the 2022 Lexus NX features fully independent suspension and paddle shifters for a dose of sport. F Sport models – available on the NX350 and NX450h+ – add actual performance in the form of an adaptive suspension and the ability to customize your drive mode. You can even monitor G-force and turbo pressure on the 350 model. Lexus is not known for delivering eye-popping handling, even in F Sport configuration, but the NX is sure to feel competent and planted when driven hard.
2022 Lexus NX Fuel Economy & MPG
Along with achieving 26 mpg in city driving and 33 on the highway, the FWD NX250 runs on 87-octane. AWD versions see those figures drop by one mpg in both categories. The rest of the lineup requires high test and in the case of the NX350, fuel economy suffers. It is rated at 22/29 mpg in city/highway driving. An NX350h is estimated to hit 41 mpg around town and 37 on the highway. Plug-in 450h+ models can run on electricity for 37 miles and are rated for 38 mpg in the city and 33 on the open road.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
Thanks to being longer, wider, and taller than the outgoing model, the new NX boasts a 14% increase in cargo space. That translates to 46.9 cubic feet of volume behind the first row and 22.7 behind the back seat. High-spec models can be fitted with a power-folding rear bench. This five-seat compact SUV offers 36-inches of legroom to back seat passengers and in classic Lexus fashion, coddles those occupants quite nicely.
Comfort-focused features include available heated rear seats, climate-controlled front seats with 4-way lumbar support, and automatic climate control. Depending on model, you can upgrade the eye candy factor with racy Circuit Red seats, open-pore wood trim, and “thematic ambient lighting” that really does make it seem that you’re sitting in a movie theater. Upholstery ranges from NuLuxe, a synthetic leather material that is said to be more environmentally friendly than real animal hides, to quilted and perforated actual leather with contrast stitching.
Entertainment & Technology
Stretching nearly 10 inches, the standard Lexus NX touchscreen infotainment interface is quite a nice piece. However, there is a mammoth 14-inch version available that integrates into the dashboard with physical knobs in place for HVAC control. It requires shelling out for higher-spec models, but every 2022 NX comes with wireless connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Other standard tech features include a subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot, remote vehicle control via the Lexus smartphone app, and a 7-inch multi-information display screen in the gauge cluster. Touches like a turbo boost pressure gauge on the NX350 and G-force meter on the F Sport models are perhaps unlikely to see much use with the target NX customer but are fun nonetheless.
Safety Features
Lexus Safety System, the automakers’ suite of advanced safety nets, offers a robust level of standard equipment. It includes Forward Collision Warning with Automated Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control with Curve Speed Management, and Lane Keeping Assist. Optional systems include a 360° Monitor and automatic parking. Between this, eight airbags, and a deep roster of background systems like stability control and brake force distribution, the 2022 Lexus NX earns a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS.
2022 Lexus NX Trims & Pricing
NX250 – $39,500
The entry-level NX250 comes with 18-inch wheels, LED lighting, and NuLuxe upholstery in black, black and tan, or Palomino shades. It also features dual-zone automatic climate control, 9.8-inch touchscreen, and a 10-speaker stereo system. For $3,050, the Premium package adds climatized front seats, Black Prism cabin ornamentation, a moonroof, Intuitive Parking Assist, and more.
NX350 – $43,100
Along with the more potent turbocharged motor, NX350 models feature Active Sound Control to tamp down outside noise and the option for pretty Rioja Red seat upholstery. The Luxury package, at a whopping $7,450, includes all Premium package content plus 20-inch rims, quilted leather seats, a head-up display, real wood cabin trim, and then some.
NX350 F Sport – $48,200
Lexus goes wild with the F Sport-specific baubles like front and rear fascia, exclusive paint colors, special bolstered front seats, aluminum pedals, dark headliner, and the like.
NX350h – $42,700
The NX350h effectively has all the same features you would find in the NX350 but with the fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain. That includes side mirrors with auto-dimming, reverse tilt-down, and heating capability, SiriusXM radio, and a voice-activated infotainment system.
NX450h+ – $57,300
Pricing jumps way up to access the NX450h+ with its plug-in hybrid powertrain. That being said, these high-end models come standard with a hands-free liftgate, heated steering wheel, and the 14-inch infotainment display.
NX450h+ F Sport – $58,550
Spend another thousand bucks and you get the NX450h+ F Sport with special F Sport steering wheel and free alphabet soup-style name. With stand alone options like a 360° monitor and triple-beam LED head lamps, you can quickly top 60 large so be sure to check our latest car incentives run down before heading to the dealership.
Warranties
The basic Lexus warranty runs for four years or 50,000 miles and the powertrain is covered for six years or 70,000 miles. Those going the hybrid route will appreciate an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty on the specialty components. Though Lexus includes the first year of maintenance on the house, competitors like Volvo and BMW include three years of complimentary service.
What we think
2022 Lexus NX – pressroom.lexus.com | Shop 2022 Lexus NX on Carsforsale.com
The 2022 Lexus NX is a solid compact luxury crossover with clean uncluttered design, ample luxury amenities, and a huge array of powertrains to choose from. Adding new features like the 14-inch infotainment screen, sharp F Sport trims, and movie theater-like cabin lighting is just icing on the cake.
Lexus tends to lead the luxury pack in the value-for-your-money equation so the high-cost standalone options – like $1,050 for a heated and power-folding rear bench – strikes me as a miss. But it’s hard to find many negatives here. Personally, I’d be looking at the NX350h with its strong fuel economy and plenty potent powertrain.
