The Lexus NX 300h is powered by a hybrid 2.5L naturally-aspirated four-cylinder gasoline engine with three electric motors. The vehicle is decently spaced on the inside and is practically designed with a stylish front.
The 2019 Lexus NX 300h SUV is a smart choice among buyers for just $38,335. The Lexus NX 300h SUV is a hybrid engine powered SUV that returns measurably improved fuel efficiency figures compared to the Lexus NX 300. The NX 300h is however unliked for its jerky ride quality, slow acceleration from the hybrid engine and an outdated infotainment system which can be forgotten for many good reasons.
The 2019 NX 300H gets sharp and stylish looks and feels like an upmarket SUV for reasons that also include its ride comfort , it rivals some of the best Hybrid SUVs in the US for example, Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid, the Volkswagen Tiguan S and the Honda CR-V Hybrid. The comfortable and efficient NX 300H fairs truly well against its opponents in such a large number of good angles however there are few niggling bits to be managed.
The 2019 Lexus NX Hybrid comes with a single trim known as the NX300H and is priced decently at $38,335. The features on offer are great too. The features to price ratio is well calibrated here in this vehicle for sure. There are some exquisite luxury features that are only found on Lexus cars and the Hybrid NX300H gets a lot of it.
Trims |
NX 300h |
---|---|
MSRP |
$38,335 |
Features |
Smart Access |
Drive mode select |
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Dual-zone climate control |
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Nuluxe interior trim |
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Leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob |
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High-resolution color LCD multimedia display |
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Scout GPS link |
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Eight-speaker Lexus premium sound system |
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Backup camera with dynamic gridlines |
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Roof rails |
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Bluetooth technology |
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USB smartphone connectivity |
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Subscription-free traffic and weather |
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Siri eyes free |
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Eight-airbag system |
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Vehicle stability control |
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Lexus Enform safety connect |
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Lexus Enform service connect |
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Lexus Enform remote |
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Carpet floor mats |
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There's only one trim on offer with NX 300h. So you have just the colors to choose from.
The new NH300H and the Toyota Camry hybrid shares the same 2.5L 2AR-FXE Direct injection with D4ST turbocharger technology with valve timing intelligence (VVT-i) technology for an inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine paired to a 6 step E-CVT with paddle shifters.
The engine alone produces 153 HP and has a combined peak power output of 194 HP at 5700 RPM and 152 lb.-Ft of maximum torque. At the time of word go, only electric motors are powered to the front wheels with the help of Nickel hydride batteries and the engine is being shut off.
As the throttle input is increased, the engine picks up speed as well along with the electric motors and starts propelling the car forward. The throttle response is very good at low engine speeds and has a pretty good amount of thrust and it is more than sufficient. But once the 4000 RPM mark is crossed, it kind of struggles to pull the vehicle.
Models |
Lexus NX 300 Hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
Honda CR V-LX |
---|---|---|---|---|
MSRP |
$35,985 |
$24,235 |
$24,595 |
$24,150 |
Engine |
2.5L 4-Cylinder |
2.5L 4-Cylinder Atkinson Cycle |
2.0L inline 4- cylinder, 16V, Turbocharged,TSI |
2.4L Inline 4 |
Transmission |
CVT Automatic |
CVT Automatic |
8-Speed Automatic |
CVT Automatic |
Power |
194 hp |
194 hp |
184 hp |
184 hp |
Torque |
152lb-ft |
152 lb-ft |
221 lb-ft |
180 lb-ft |
The Lexus NX300H is the least affordable car in the given competition by a huge margin. Here both the Toyota RAV4 and the Lexus NX 300H shares the same engine with a unique Atkinson cycle, which is usually found in cars with inline 5-cylinder engines compared to a conventional Otto cycle. The German rival, the Tiguan stands tall at the torque department among the competition at 221 lb.-Ft. The on-paper figures and the real-world performance talks differently though. It is very evident among all the above-mentioned cars.
Although being the heaviest car in the competition, it comes out as the champ in terms of quarter mile drag race, completing the run in at 15.3 seconds and decently performs when it comes to 0 to 60 mph run.
Models |
Lexus NX 300 Hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
Honda CR V-LX |
---|---|---|---|---|
0-60 MPH |
8.4 sec |
8.3 sec |
8.5 sec |
7.5 sec |
Quarter mile |
15.3 sec |
17.0 sec |
16.2 sec |
15.8 sec |
The Honda CR V is indeed the quickest to 60 mph from stand still at 7.5 seconds (all thanks to its lightweight) and is 5th of a second shy to the NX when it comes to quarter mile drag race. The RAV4 is the slowest to complete the quarter mile run although it is the second quickest to 60 mph from 0.
The suspension setup of the new Lexus 300H is a bit on the plushier side. Combined with that, the tall boy stance, low center of gravity and the weight of the car itself leads it to wobble a bit at high speeds (as expected). The ride quality is so supple and comfortable at low speeds though.
It gets independent front and rear suspension setup and is superior in terms of gliding over rough patches. The steering feel and feedback is terrific at high speeds and weighs up well. It also eases up as you slow down the car to maneuver at city speeds.
The braking performance of Lexus NX 300H is surprisingly good. In spite of its higher weight, it came up as the winner, stopping in at 118 Feet. It has decently sized discs on all 4 wheels, which sits at 11.7 inches in the front and 11.2 inches at front.
Model |
Lexus NX 300 Hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
Honda CR V-LX |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brake Front(in) |
11.7 |
11.6 |
13.4 |
11.1 |
Brake Rear (in) |
11.2 |
11.1 |
11.8 |
10.2 |
Curb weight(lbs) |
4180 |
3925 |
3777 |
3307 |
60-0 MPH (ft.) |
118 |
119 |
134 |
129 |
The Toyota RAV4 catches up right behind the NX at 119 feet. Strangely, the Volkswagen Tiguan S even though having the biggest disc diameter and weighing less than the two Japanese siblings, came in at the last place at 134 feet. Same story goes with Honda CR V LX as well and stops at 129 feet.
The 2019 Lexus NX300H of course has a hybrid powertrain and does decently well in the fuel economy side. Because of the fact that only the electric motors run the car at low speeds, the MPGs are higher at 33 MPG in city and as the vehicle needs more power on highways, the engine kicks in and the MPG number drops to 30.
Model |
Lexus NX 300 Hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
Honda CR V-LX |
---|---|---|---|---|
MPG (city) |
33 |
34 |
22 |
26 |
MPG (highway) |
30 |
30 |
27 |
32 |
MPG (combined) |
31 |
32 |
24 |
28 |
Both the RAV4 and NX300H are almost neck and neck. The Tiguan comes last in city MPG rating and doesn't shine at highway as well compared to the 2018 NX Hybrid. The CR V LX being the lightest, is the most efficient on highways.
The Lexus NX Hybrid is a 5-seater crossover with 71.6 cubic feet of passenger volume feet because of the fact that it is shorter. The front and rear head room is about 38.2 inches and 38.1 inches respectively and an impressive front leg room of 42.8 inches.
Model |
Lexus NX 300 Hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
Honda CR V-LX |
---|---|---|---|---|
Passenger capacity |
5 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
Passenger Volume (ft cube) |
71.6 |
100.7 |
123.9 |
105.9 |
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.) |
38.2/57.3/42.8 |
39.8/57.3/42.6 |
39.6/57.0/40.2 |
40.1/57.9/41.3 |
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.) |
38.1/55.3/36.1 |
38.9/55.4/37.2 |
39.1/55.9/36.5 |
39.2/55.6/40.6 |
Third (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.) |
N/A |
N/A |
33.8/47.8/27.9 |
N/A |
On paper at least, the LX 300H is the one with the least amount of overall usable passenger volume, which eats up the volume inside the cabin a bit. The legroom, headroom and shoulder room are comparable to the rivals when it comes to the real world though. Yet the cabin doesn't feel claustrophobic.
The Tiguan being a genuine 7-seater, offers the most amount of passenger volume at about 124 cubic feet. The legroom for second row seats is long at 40.6 inches for the CR V-LX, which is almost four inches more than the 2018 Lexus NX Hybrid.
The 2019 Lexus NX Hybrid is equipped with a 7-inch VGA screen and has some interesting infotainment features which actually can't be found on Toyota cars like the controls for Air conditioning system, Enhanced GPS system for better accuracy etc.,
The features include:
The cargo volume for the Lexus NX Hybrid is 17.7 cubic feet when the second-row seats are up It offers 54.6 cubic feet behind the first-row seats when the second-row seats are down.
Model |
Lexus NX 300 Hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
Honda CR V-LX |
---|---|---|---|---|
Behind 3nd Row(ft.cube) |
N/A |
N/A |
12.0 |
N/A |
Behind 2nd row (ft.cube) |
17.7 |
35.6 |
33.0 |
39.0 |
Behind 1st Row(ft.cube) |
54.6 |
70.6 |
65.7 |
76.0 |
As it can be seen from the table, the 2018 Lexus NX 300H has the lowest cargo volume of 17.7 cubic feet when the second-row seats are not folded and will increase to 54.6 cubic feet when it is lowered. The Honda CRV-LX has the highest cargo space at 39 cubic feet and increases to 76 cubic feet, which is the highest among the rivals.
The 2019 Lexus NX Hybrid has the towing capacity of 1500 lbs., which is not too much but sufficient to pull some decent weight of about three superbikes with a trolley to their home, i.e., the race track. Although the 2018 Lexus NX 300H being a hybrid AWD crossover, sadly the towing capacity is on the lesser side of the spectrum, thanks to the lesser torque on offer.
Model |
Lexus NX 300 Hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
Honda CR V-LX |
---|---|---|---|---|
Capacity (lbs) |
1500 |
1700 |
2200 |
1500 |
Drive Train |
AWD |
AWD |
FWD |
AWD |
Power Train |
2.5L |
2.5L |
2.0L |
2.4L |
The Volkswagen Tiguan has the highest towing capacity of 2200 lbs, again thanks to its higher torque output. The CR V-LX and the 2018 Lexus NX Hybrid shares the same capacity of 1500 lbs. The RAV4 however has a bit more torque going to the wheels to tow 200 lbs. more than the Lexus NX Hybrid.
The Lexus Hybrid is the widest at 73.6 inches and the shortest has the lowest ground clearance (Helps it to handle well).
The headroom on paper might seem less but the roof is scooped out for better headroom. The wheelbase is proportionate to the other dimensions and stands at about 105 inches.
Model |
Lexus NX 300 Hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 LE Hybrid |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
Honda CR V-LX |
---|---|---|---|---|
curb weight(lbs) |
4180 |
3925 |
3777 |
3307 |
Length(in) |
182.6 |
183.5 |
185.1 |
180.6 |
Width(in) |
73.6 |
72.6 |
72.4 |
73.0 |
Height(in) |
64.8 |
67.1 |
66.3 |
66.1 |
Ground clearance(in) |
6.7 |
7.0 |
7.9 |
8.2 |
Wheel base(in) |
104.7 |
104.7 |
109.8 |
104.7 |
Track width(in) F/R |
62.2/62.2 |
61.8/61.8 |
62.2/61.8 |
63.0/63.7 |
The NX300H is the widest among the competition and that translates directly in to the wider cabin space inside. It is also the car with lowest height and least ground clearance of 64.8 and 6.7 inches respectively. It might be cumbersome for off road duties but it offers better stability than its rivals at high speeds but the Tiguan is on a different level though.
The 2019 Lexus NX 300H is packed with all sorts of safety goodies like Lexus Enform w/Safety system, which is exclusive to premium Lexus cars only which includes stolen car locater, Emergency assistance button (SOS), 24 Hour road side assistance and automatic pre-collision notification. Other safety features include:
This Japanese car shares the same internals as that of the Lexus NX300H and comes with less features and lower price tag. The design is quite different though. Nonetheless it's a solid performer overall and almost everything you need is present.
The Volkswagen Tiguan S is the only German competitor here in this group and is the bigger sibling of a regular Tiguan. The highlight though is its 2.0L TSI motor from the house of Volkswagen and to be honest it's a gem.
Very responsive to throttle inputs and great tractability but suffers from less fuel economy figures among the lot here.
The Honda brand is another giant when it comes to Automobile industry I.C Engine production capacity of the world. With its CR V-LX, they are just able to tick most of the right boxes when it comes to this car. It is indeed feature loaded and engine very refined. The looks could have been better to few but it's a personal choice.
The Tiguan S is of course the most spacious and is the only 7-seater and the FWD vehicle over here and shines in its engine department The RAV4 is like a twin brother for the Lexus NX300H with lower price tag and the Honda CR V-LX is a bit different and unique in the segment.
The Lexus NX 300H is a very luxurious, safe and feature loaded car. Anyone getting this car wouldn't be disappointed for the price what they pay. The engine however is tuned to deliver good drivability and great fuel economy in a city and it's not a bad thing either. The engine is decently powerful. But if you are someone looking for a crossover with a very powerful engine, you need to look away. However, this "Nimble Crossover" is for the bold people who want to show the society that had a bit of success in their life and are nature cautious.