2015 Lexus NX Is Good, but Could Be Better, Says Consumer Reports

You see, the NX's bigger brother, the RX is as softly sprung as a canal boat. It's designed to waft along with little to no engine noise making its way into the cabin. But these attributes mainly appeal to old customers. There's nothing wrong with that, since they older folks have a lot more money to spend, but now Lexus wants to be in with the hip crowd, something we caught a glimpse of when we drove the IS.

You can definitely see a lot more youthfulness in the 2015 NX 200t that Consumer Reports tested. It's got the F Sport body kit, black paint and red leather that wouldn't look out of place in a BMW convertible. In one of their talk show type videos, the reviewers were very critical of this and the spindle grille, which they say still isn't to their likingm even two years after the first one launched.

Two powertrains are available, a hybrid 2.5-liter and a new 2-liter turbo, which is another clue that young buyers are being targeted. However, the hybrid comes with a CVT while the 200t gets a 6-speed automatic, not as advanced as what you get with the BMW X3 or a Jeep Cherokee. Audi and BMW both offer powerful six-cyliner engines with forced induction as well, something that's currently lacking in the NX. Another area where the baby Lexus SUV might need revisions is the touchpad controller for the infotainment system, which is fiddly to operate.

Still, despite all these flaws, consumer reports believes the formula for the NX is perfect and will sell really well. So get used to that front fascia, because you're going to be seeing it on every street corner and in every mall's parking lot.