Whilst Japanese premium brand Lexus made its name on arrival in the market in 1989 with a couple of impressive traditional saloons, which then iterated fairly quickly through new generations, it was not long before Lexus followed the shift in the market with the launch of their first crossover and SUV models. This was actually quite a lot easier for them to do that it was for most of their rivals, as the early Lexus models were all based on vehicles that were sold in Japan, with Toyota badging. The LandCruiser based GX and LX models proved relatively slow sellers, as the market for prestige top of the range SUVs had not yet really got going, but when the RX model, based on the Toyota Harrier, arrived in 2008, it was not long before it became Lexus’ best-selling model both in the US and in Europe. Expanding the SUV-style range further, with a slightly smaller offering was a logical next step and sure enough, having teased us with a slightly controversially styled concept, the NX joined the range in 2014. The NX was loosely based on the hugely successful Toyota RAV4. Not that you would necessarily guess so when looking at it. It was very clearly a Lexus, though with what had become the brand’s tell-tale spindle grille up front and a lot of sharp creasing in the body panels that prompted more than one wag to ask if we could have access to NX models that had not been used for crash-testing. Early reports suggested that this was very much what you would expect from a Lexus, with a high quality interior, generous levels of equipment, and an emphasis on hybrid technology even in markets where diesel was still the sine qua non (Europe!). A mid-cycle update in 2017 changed lots of details, though it would take a particularly well-trained eye to spot the different grille, front wings, front and rear taillights and tailgate. There was also a new dashboard and new equipment with the addition of more electronic safety systems. A second generation NX fully appeared in Japan in the middle of 2021, with overseas sales starting – in limited quantities thanks to the on-going chip supply problems – in 2022.

Traditionally, Lexus models, although popular in the US market, do not feature in the US rental fleets but the supply issues that the rental car companies have been facing in their post-Covid recovery mean that Hertz, at least, have taken on some, and indeed I’ve already been able to sample an IS300 saloon and the larger RX350. Whilst wandering around the Hertz LAX location, I spotted that there are also a number of NX models evidently on fleet, so put that on my lists of cars to try out, and sure enough, on the last day of the first part of my late 2022 trip, found one that was available for me to drive for the day. Like many cars in the US rental fleet at present, this one was clearly second-hand, as it had only recently been plated, yet bore a significant mileage. It also seemed to have a number of optional extras on it, which is something you rarely find with cars which are supplied as new to the rental fleets. Whilst Lexus sales in Europe remain a small fraction of the numbers achieved in the US, the NX is an important car for its maker, as it has consistently been the brand’s best-seller there. Americans, of course buy around three times as many of them as Europeans do, so it is important there, too. On both continents, the NX300 finds itself in a very congested class, with rivals from just about every premium-badged maker, so it has a lot to prove. So, how did I find the NX300?

Despite the 300 in the name, power for the NX300 actually comes from a 2.0 litre turbocharged four cylinder engine, and indeed there have been NX200t badged versions of the car with exactly the same engine. It generates 235 bhp, which sounds generous, but the reality is that this is a relatively large and heavy car so whilst performance can feel brisk, it is not what you would call fast. There is a standard six-speed automatic transmission, which shifts between the ratios very smoothly, so you probably won’t feel the need to use the paddles that are also there. Indeed, smoothness and refinement are the watchwords, here. Lexus, even with the somewhat ill-applied F-Sport badging, are not sporty in intent, and that’s fine, as it is exactly what most owners want. Whilst the engine here is quite effective, with decent low-end torque, it is utterly devoid of character, just getting on with propelling the car as you require. Engine noise is well suppressed, but sadly there was quite a lot of road noise on concrete sections of the freeway. I had the NX300 for a slightly shorter day than usual, as I was catching a flight in the early evening, but nonetheless managed to cover 146 miles. I put 6.4 gallons in the Lexus to fill it up, but it would not be fair to calculate the mpg off this, when I collected the car, the gauge was not reading full. The trip computer claimed that I achieved 22.4 mpg (US) during the day, and if this is accurate (and these things usually are, these days), that is really not very impressive.

If the engine feels like it had a character by-pass, then the rest of the car will really emphasise that this is not a car that is aimed at the enthusiast at all. The steering is utterly lifeless. It is super light, and lacks any feel whatsoever, so whilst it makes the NX300 a doddle to manoeuvre, it does mean that you really don’t have much of an idea what the steered wheels are going to do. Handling is safe and predictable, but again, there’s nothing here to encourage you to take the twisty road home. At least there is plenty of grip but there is also a certain amount of body-roll. The test NX300 comes on 225/65 R18 tyres, an inch up on the standard issue. Even so, coupled with the soft suspension they mean that the ride is generally quite pliant even on the often poor surfaces of the Greater LA area. Thankfully there were no issues with the brakes which did their job as you would want. Visibility is about as good as you get with modern cars, which means not as good it used to be, of course, and certainly the thick A pillars could get in the way. There are parking sensors and a rear-view camera which help when parking up. The Lexus has a full complement of electronic safety features, some of which are more welcome than others. The Blind Spot Assist feature is certainly valuable, the Lane Keep Assist rather less so, but at least it is quite easy to turn off.

Lexus generally scores highly for the perceived quality of their interiors and the NX300 does nothing to change that. There is a mix of what looks like leather and what looks like carbon-fibre though neither actually is, which lift the quality of the dash and the door casings. There is a leather-wrapped steering wheel which on my test car was so polished that it looked horrid and was not pleasant to the touch. The instrument cluster contains electronic dials with two large ones for the speedometer and rev counter with smaller ones outboard for fuel level and water temperature and a trip display area in the middle of the cluster. There are lots of menus for this, which you can cycle through using buttons the right hand steering wheel spoke. There are two main stalks for indicators, lights and wipers, with a separate stalk for the cruise control. There is an auto function for the lights but not the wipers. The centre of the dash contains the 8” colour infotainment screen, perched up high where it is easy to see. There are no buttons associated with the screen, as Lexus persist with their touchpad in the central console, and this remains much more awkward to use than the control wheel and buttons favoured by their German rivals. There is no navigation here without linking through to your phone (and using phone bandwidth) but you do get XM satellite radio and Lexus added Android Auto and Apple Car Play support somewhat belatedly to the NX. Beneath the unit are the rather fiddly but well-labelled buttons and some turn-wheel switches for the dual-zone automated climate control, with the characteristic Lexus clock set between the display functions for the temperature settings.

Seat upholstery is in a simulated leather which Lexus calls NuLuxe, which won’t win many prizes for feeling like a particularly high quality item, but that’s not uncommon even at this market price point. There is all-round electric adjustment for both driver and passenger seats and there is lumbar support adjustment for the driver. The seats featured the heating and cooling that is part of the Luxury trim. There is sufficient adjustment in the seats and a telescoping steering wheel that most people should be able to get the driving position they want. Thanks, partly, to the standard sunroof, headroom is a bit on the tight side, with not much clearance for my head. A memory function saves your seat and steering wheel position. The Easy Entry feature might make it difficult for passengers to get in or out of the vehicle behind a tall driver.

Space in the rear seats should prove adequate for most people, with enough legroom even if the front seats are set well, though the central console comes well back, as is so often the case these days, so a middle seat occupant would need to splay their legs. You can vary the rear seat backrest angle. Occupants here benefit from a drop-down central armrest which has cupholders in the upper surface, map pockets on the back of the front seats and door pockets. The high waistline and rather small side windows mean that this is not perhaps the lightest place to be. There is electric assistance for opening and closing the boot. Although a bit smaller than most rivals, the load capacity is decent enough, though it is a bit on the shallow side and the steeply sloped rear window will limit the ability to get tall items in there. More space can be created by dropping the asymmetrically split rear seat backrests and this does create a completely flat and much longer load platform. Getting items in is easy as the boot floor is flush with the base of the tailgate. Inside the cabin, again, there is reasonable provision for odds and ends with a modestly-sized glovebox, pockets on the doors and a central armrest cubby.

In the US market, the 2020 Lexus NX 300 is available in three trim levels: the standard NX 300, NX Luxury and the NX 300 F Sport. All come as standard with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine (235 bhp, 258 lb/ft of torque) and a six-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional. There is also an NX 300h hybrid model. Standard equipment highlights on the base Lexus NX include 17-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and mitigation, lane departure warning and intervention, keyless ignition and entry, power-adjustable front seats and simulated-leather upholstery (Lexus’ NuLuxe). You also get an 8-inch infotainment display with a touchpad interface (Remote Touchpad); Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa compatibility; and an eight-speaker sound system. The NX 300 Luxury comes with a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and a moonroof. The F Sport adds 18-inch wheels, special exterior styling elements, a sport-tuned suspension, more aggressively bolstered seats, and a sport steering wheel. Availability of other packages varies by region.  Notable ones include the Comfort, Premium and Navigation packages. Other options for the Lexus NX include a 14-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system, a power liftgate, a panoramic view monitor, upgraded LED headlights, and adaptive suspension dampers (F Sport only).

The NX300 struck me as something of a mixed bag. I accept that looks are subjective, as even though we’ve had time to get used to the excess of creases in the body-styling, it still looks over-wrought to me. Whilst the interior quality is generally good, the usability of the touchscreen is a big demerit, and the fact that space inside this car is not particularly generous does not help its cause and that’s before you get to the fact that this is utterly soul-less to drive. If you are looking for a reliable and comfortable mid-sized crossover with some luxury features that places few demands on the driver, the NX300 might be worth a look, but if you actually want to enjoy being behind the wheel, there are plenty of alternatives which you will find more to your liking.