Combining power, efficiency and luxury into one vehicle
2024 Lexus NX350H is well suited for discerning consumers
I’m starting this review with a little pre-conceived notion about my tester. I knew the 2024 Lexus NX350H shared a lot of the same underpinnings as its Toyota-family relative the RAV4 Hybrid. For me that was a good thing as Toyota has mastered hybrid technology and the RAV4 Hybrid I drove really impressed me. So I came into this week’s test drive expecting to like the NX350H.
I want you to read the entire article, so I won’t say whether my expectations were met – yet.
For the 2024 model year, the NX350H is mostly a carry over. But this five-passenger hybridized SUV carries over many good qualities already including an ideal combination of power and fuel economy, a high-quality cabin, a much-improved infotainment system and family-friendly features.
I could imagine the NX350H being a “move up” vehicle for an executive who maybe already liked and enjoyed the RAV4. That’s the sweet spot from a consumer standpoint for this SUV. And in that role it is well suited.
On looks there is plenty of handsome styling for this SUV. The big Lexus grille is still prominent, although slightly toned down a bit. That’s a good thing. On profile it’s well designed with a stylized indentation on the passenger doors. It adds a lot of distinction to this vehicle, when so many SUVS have very little distinction on profile. The bulbous back end shortens the look of the NX and that’s also a good thing.
If you find the RAV4 to be a little too dull, the NX is the better option as it has more standout looks than the RAV4.
From a powertrain perspective, the NX350H is summed up well in Toyota’s press release: “The Lexus NX350H brings power and fuel economy improvements to the mainstay of the alt-fuel family.” That’s a little too much Pr-speak but what it means is the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine also has two high-torque electric drive motors. It translates to 240 combined horsepower. For an SUV that has a curb weight of 4,080 pounds that’s ample power.
Yes it has a continuously variable transmission which gets in the way sometimes and is a little quirky with shifts, but the upside is the fuel economy improvement.
As such, the EPA rating for the 2024 Lexus NX 350h is 41 mpg/city and 37 mpg/highway. That’s ideal fuel economy for a well-powered all-wheel drive SUV.
As for the interior, the NX350H gets the “nice enough” moniker, which isn’t necessarily a negative. While the interior
lacks a “wow factor” it has significantly better features and nicer cabin than the RAV4.
It earns the Lexus luxury badging with high-quality materials and comfortable seats. The back row has good legroom, but for three adults, I would not want to be the adult in the middle as the shoulder room would be limited.
One of the neatest elements is what Lexus calls Thematic Ambient Illumination. This is a series of lighting and sound that bathes the interior in a choice of 14 different themes including Rain Forest, Waterfall and Sunset.
As mentioned, the infotainment is much improved since Lexus phased out the confounding touchpad system in favor of a more intuitive touchscreen. This alone scores big points with me. The 14-inch touchscreen is easy to navigate and overall the system is intuitive.
The cargo area is impressive
for a crossover of this size. There’s 22.7 cubic feet of cargo room behind the seats with that area expanding to 46.9 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded flat.
There are three trims for the NX350H with each trim having all-wheel drive (AWD) standard. My tester was the topof-the-line Luxury trim with a base price of $49,600.
Lexus offers vehicles to compete with so many others on the road, including some in the Toyota family. And while the different alpha numeric names can confound, you can be assured that when it’s a Lexus nameplate it’s rarely going to disappoint. That’s the case with the 2024 Lexus NX350H, a wonderful combination of power, efficiency and luxury; just enough of each of those!