2018 Lexus NX 300 Review

The NX 300's engine is smooth and has good low-end power, which is ideal for quick low-speed passes and accelerating from a stoplight. But outright acceleration is a little disappointing. In Edmunds testing, the NX 300 covered 0-60 mph in 7.3 seconds, which is marginally slower than rivals.

In Edmunds emergency braking tests from 60 mph, the NX 300 needed 137 feet to stop, which is a few feet longer than average. Nosedive is noticeable, as is a slight squirm from the rear tires. Still, the NX remains controllable.

The steering effort is appropriate and precise, but there's little feedback for the driver to get a sense of what the front wheels are doing. At parking-lot speeds, the effort lightens up for easy maneuvering. As speeds go up, the weighting also increases, providing confidence on the highway.

Even in F Sport guise, the NX 300 leans a lot when you drive around turns. Overall stability is respectable, however, and you can drive with a fair amount of confidence. The F Sport model features a stiffer suspension and slightly better response, but it still prioritizes cruising comfort.

The transmission's gear shifts are glass-smooth, and the engine virtually disappears from your conscience. The F Sport is a little more responsive, but overall throttle response for the NX is average. The transmission can be a bit slow to react.

While the NX 300 has a lockable center differential, which increases traction when one or two wheels are on slippery surfaces, its ride height and conservative traction control system are designed for your typical dirt road or unplowed driveway.

The front seats offer plenty of room and adequate support for a variety of body types. The optional front-seat ventilation further enhances long-distance comfort. The rear seats are also accommodating for adult passengers.

The NX 300's suspension smooths over road imperfections with ease. Where rivals feel busy and nervous, the Lexus seems to glide unaffected over ruts and bumps.

Even among luxury crossover SUVs, the Lexus NX 300 is impressively quiet. Wind, road and engine noise is pleasantly silenced to levels that we're used to hearing in flagship sedans. When in Sport or Sport Plus mode, the F Sport's piped-in engine note is unapologetically artificial and may be distracting to some.

The dual-zone automatic climate control system is controlled mainly through well-labeled buttons and rockers. The system works well and isn't too loud. We like the ease of operation and that even those with shorter arms can reach all the controls.

The optional Remote Touch trace pad interface is easily the worst in the industry. The controller is hard to operate, and there is a distinct lack of intuitive menus and buttons. This setup is unfortunately mandatory with the navigation option package. It's a pity because the rest of the cabin controls are well-conceived.

Thanks to a typical crossover SUV ride height and tall door openings, getting into the NX 300 is an easy, stoop-free affair. The doors are also short enough in length to allow access in tight parking spaces.

The seat and steering wheel positions can be saved into a memory position, and the range of adjustability is good. But taller drivers may feel slightly cramped since the steering column can impede into knee room.

The front seats are spacious for larger passengers, and the rear seats have enough head- and legroom for adults in the outboard seats. But the small rear windows do make those quarters feel a bit more confining than they are.

Forward visibility is typically decent, but the rear roof pillars and small rear window obscure the view out back. Fortunately, the standard rearview camera takes the guesswork out of backing into a space, but that doesn't help when changing lanes in traffic.

The standard simulated leather upholstery looks and feels like the genuine article. Common touch points are well-padded, and other interior materials are good quality and tightly fitted for a solid feel.

The door pockets are small, as is the glovebox and center console compartment. There's a unique makeup case-size compartment adjacent to the cupholders with a removable lid that features a mirror on its underside.

The NX 300's cargo space behind the rear seats is smaller than competitors' and is further hampered by the sloped rear window. With the rear seats folded down, the NX's expanded volume is reasonably competitive.

The two outboard car seat positions feature easy-to-access top and bottom anchors. The middle-seat car position is odd as the top anchor is located on the ceiling.

The all-wheel-drive version of the NX 300 features a tow rating of 2,000 pounds, but a receiver hitch is not standard.

The optional premium audio system produces excellent audio quality throughout the register but doesn't like to be pushed to the limits in volume. While we don't like the Remote Touch interface, the integrated navigation system is easy to use and has fairly accurate traffic information.

The NX 300 primarily uses Lexus' Enform app for smartphone integration. It requires downloading and logging into individual apps and needs to be running for it to work. We're not fans of this system due to its complicated setup process.

The NX's adaptive cruise control, front collision mitigation braking and optional rear cross-traffic alert systems all work well. The lane keeping assist and auto high-beam activation are less useful since their effectiveness varies too much based on terrain and surroundings.

The voice controls work well and allow for some degree of syntax flexibility. They operate navigation, phone, entertainment and climate control systems. iPhone users benefit from standard Siri Eyes Free capability.

Standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, LED foglights and running lights, keyless ignition and entry, automatic dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable front seats, simulated-leather upholstery (Lexus' NuLuxe), a 60/40-split folding and reclining back seat, a 8-inch infotainment display with a touchpad interface, and an eight-speaker sound system.

Also included are adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and mitigation, lane departure warning and intervention, and automatic high beams.

The NX 300 F Sport version adds 18-inch wheels, special exterior styling elements, a sport-tuned suspension, special interior trim and NuLuxe color schemes, more aggressively bolstered seats, different gauges and a sport steering wheel.

Other packages are also available, but their availability can vary by region, so you'll want to check with your local dealer. The Comfort package includes heated and ventilated front seats and blind-spot monitoring. To that package, the Premium package adds 18-inch wheels, a sunroof, driver-seat memory settings and a power-adjustable steering wheel.

The Luxury package bundles the above options with automatic wipers, a heated steering wheel and leather upholstery. There's also a Navigation package with a larger 10.3-inch screen and a premium sound system.

Additional options include front and rear parking sensors, a power liftgate, upgraded LED headlights and adaptive suspension dampers (F Sport only).