2024 Lexus NX Pricing Announced, Here's How It Compares to Its German Rivals

The most affordable version of the Japanese model is Lexus NX 250, with a starting price of $40,205 MSRP (€37,900). This is a little more than the most expensive Toyota RAV4, the Hybrid Limited version priced at $39,300 MSRP (€36,200). On the contrary, the most affordable RAV4 is priced at $12,230 (€11,500) less than NX 250.

The NX 250 features a naturally aspirated, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 203 hp (206 ps) and 184 lb. ft. (249 Nm) of torque. The basic trim gets a front-wheel drive, while the AWD will charge you $1,600 (€1,500) more. Don’t expect sportiness, as the 0-60 mph is a mere 8.2 seconds for the FWD version and 0.4 seconds more for the AWD version.

But at least you get a standard 9.8-inch touchscreen inside, with Human Machine Interface through sight, voice, and touch. So long the weird touchpad on the central console! Anyway, you’ll most likely go for the optional 14-inch touchscreen, with a three-year trial for Drive Connect services and Intelligent Assistant, a must for any AI aficionado out there. Of course, you start by “Hey Lexus.”

As for the German trio, the entry-level NX 250 at $40,205 (€37,900) is challenged by the costlier rear-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 at $43,850 (€41,300) and by the much more expensive rear-wheel-drive BMW X3 sDrive30i at $46,200 (€43,600). The Audi Q5 is sold only as an all-wheel drive.

So, the FWD NX 250 is more affordable than the two rivals from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, but they have much better performance. Both Germans have 2.0-liter turbo inline-4 engines developing 248 hp for the X3 and 255 hp for the GLC. Compare this to the 203 hp of the Lexus and you’ll not be surprised that the two Germans are quicker by almost 2 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint.

The AWD variant of NX 250 is challenged by the Audi Q5 40 TFSI quattro. The German’s 2.0-liter turbo inline-4 develops a mere 201 hp, on par with the NX’s 203 h, but thanks to the turbo, the torque is better: 236 lb. ft. for the Q5 compared to 184 lb. ft. for the NX. As a result, the Q5 is also quicker, with 6.8 seconds for 0-60 mph. It’s also $4,000 (€3,700) pricier than NX 250 AWD.

In terms of comfort and luxury features, opting for the Premium trim will require $43,255 (€40,700) for the FWD variant of NX 250 and $44,855 (€42,200) for the AWD variant. If you don’t mind your Lexus being slower than its German rivals, the 250 entry-level could be your thing. But I doubt you’ll settle with it.

The NX 350 is much more appropriate for a luxury compact crossover, and it’s also a direct competitor to the Germans. It starts from $43,965 (€41,400) and the AWD is standard. The engine is a 2.4L turbo developing 275 hp and 317 lb. ft., while the 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds is much better than the NX 250. So, how does it fare compared to its German rivals?

The entry-level trim is more affordable, that’s for sure. Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC starts from $45,850 (€43,200), Audi Q5 45 TFSI quattro starts from $46,700 (€44,000) and BMW X3 xDrive30i starts from $48,200 (€45,400). But then you can add three other trims to the NX.

The most expensive is the Luxury, with a starting price of $50,105 (€47,200), while the sportiest is the F SPORT, starting from $49,065 (€46,200) and luring customers with its Handling package consisting of the Active Variable Suspension (AVS), and front and rear performance dampers. You can easily pass the $60,000 (€56,500) mark by adding options from the list.

But it’s the same for the German rivals, so there’s no point in comparing prices at this level. It all comes to your taste, after all. Still, there’s a big difference in performance. The Q5 45 TFSI has a little less power (261 hp compared to 275 hp for the NX 350). But it’s quicker: the 0-60 time is 5.7 seconds, almost one second better than NX 350.

The BMW X3’s power is even lower (248 hp), but it still manages a 6-second time for 0-60 mph, which is 0.6 seconds better than NX 350. Mercedes-Benz GLC is also pretty quick, with 6.1 seconds, so half a second better than the Japanese. In real life, you’ll hardly notice these differences. But if you want the NX to be a nimble car, you definitely should choose the F SPORT.

How about the hybrid version, the NX 350h? The Germans are sorry, they don’t speak the “full-hybrid” language. So, we’re back to comparing the NX to its sibling, the RAV4. The NX 350h starts at $43,805 (€41,200), while the RAV4 Hybrid starts at $30,725 (€28,900). Lexus’ SUV costs you 40% more than Toyota’s because that’s the price you have to pay for premium design and features.

But there’s more to it. The NX hybrid powertrain, pairing a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with two electric motors in the front and one in the back, produces a combined 240 hp, compared to only 219 hp for the RAV4 Hybrid. Thus, you get a hardly impressive 7.2 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint, but a very good consumption of 39 MPG.

No F SPORT trim for this hybrid version, you can only go for the Premium and Luxury trims, the latter with a starting price of $49,945 (€47,000). Basically, you pay the same 50k as for the NX 350 Luxury, but you trade some performance for much better consumption. That’s a pretty good deal if you want my opinion, but it’s up to you to decide.

Finally, this NX has a plug-in hybrid version. The NX 450h+ is based on the full-hybrid powertrain of the NX 350h, but the combined power is higher, more than 300 hp, resulting in a quick 6 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint. It comes in two flavors: the Luxury trim, starting from $58,655 (€55,200), and the F SPORT trim, starting from $59,905 (€56,400).

You could say that staying under the 60k bar is an achievement, but you would be wrong. The Audi Q5 55 TFSI e quattro, which also sports a plug-in hybrid powertrain, starts from $57,400 (€54,100) and is one second quicker, thanks to its superior 362 hp and 369 lb. ft. The electric-only range is around 37 miles, the same as the NX plug-in hybrid.

The 60k is a tough club and the Germans are ruling it. For a starting price of $59,900 (€56,400), the same as the plug-in hybrid NX, Mercedes-Benz GLC is throwing the gauntlet with its fierce AMG variant. The AMG GLC 43 on sale today is more powerful than the Lexus and the Audi. The 385 hp and 384 lb. ft. make it possible for a 0-60 time of just 4.7 seconds.

But the BMW X3 M40i is even quicker with its 4.4 seconds, although it’s at the same level of power as the AMG GLC. The $61,000 (€57,500) starting price doesn’t make it too expensive for a prospective buyer of the NX. Of course, the X3 and the GLC are not plug-in hybrids, so they are almost gas guzzlers compared to the other two plug-in hybrids, especially to the NX 450h+.

In the end, the new Lexus NX will face tough competition in the luxury compact segment, that’s for sure. But don’t forget that we’re also talking about one of the most prominent brands in Consumer Reports owners’ satisfaction surveys. This is a huge advantage for the NX and a solid argument for the price tags, ranging from 40k to 60k.