2021 Lexus NX 300 Review

Name: 2021 Lexus NX 300
Brand: Lexus

Price Range: $23,998 - $35,590

Lexus NX 300 F SPORT 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

Below Average

7.0

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

When it comes to providing a quiet and comfortable ride, the 2021 Lexus NX 300 excels among luxury crossover SUVs. Performance places it midpack in the segment, and its smaller cargo capacity and high cost compared to more capable and spacious SUVs knock it down a few more pegs. But the biggest drawback is the frustrating infotainment interface, which might be the worst in the industry.

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Average price: $30,147

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Appraise My 2021 Lexus NX 300

Lexus NX 300 model years

Lexus NX 300 for Sale

Pros

Cabin is very quiet at highway speeds
Supremely comfortable ride and seats
Lots of standard high-tech safety features

Cons

Remote Touchpad interface is frustrating to use
Limited cargo volume
Not much fun to drive

What's new

A blind-spot monitor and auto-dimming exterior mirrors are now standard
Part of the first NX generation, originally introduced for 2015 as the NX 200t

Overview

Written by automotive expert Travis Langness

9/3/2020

Comfortable, quiet and packed with all sorts of standard safety features, the 2021 Lexus NX 300 has lots of appeal right out of the gate. Though it's a compact luxury SUV, the NX 300 has enough room for adults, yet it's small enough to easily maneuver around town. On the highway, the NX 300 makes a great road-trip vehicle thanks to its hushed cabin and supple suspension. And even at the base trim level, the NX comes with safety features such as forward collision mitigation, lane departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Ashburn, VA

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New Listing
Certified 2021 Lexus NX 300
F SPORT 4dr SUV
$32,497
great price
$4,010 below market
- 33,112 miles
- 5 Seats, 22 City / 27 Hwy MPG
- 18 mi away
- Home delivery*
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Upgraded Headlights
Close
Located in Rockville, MD
Certified. L/CERTIFIED, LOW MILES, F SPORT PKG, NAVIGATION, APPLE CAR PLAY/ANDROID AUTO, HEATED STEERING WHEEL, HEATED AND VENTILATED SEATS, MOONROOF,...
Features and Specs:
24 Combined MPG (22 City/27 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN:
JTJSARDZ5M2240591
Stock:
T240591
Certified Pre-Owned:
Yes
Listed since:
07-11-2026
2021 Lexus NX 300
F SPORT 4dr SUV
$25,995
fair price
$643 below market
- 81,177 miles
- 5 Seats, 22 City / 27 Hwy MPG
- 19 mi away
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Upgraded Headlights
Close
Located in Manassas, VA
BUYING A CAR HAS NEVER BEEN THIS EASY.We specialize in 100% GUARANTEED APPROVAL. BAD CREDIT, NO CREDIT, BANKRUPTCY, REPO, FORECLOSURE...NO PROBLEM. NO...
Features and Specs:
24 Combined MPG (22 City/27 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN:
JTJSARDZ6M2251003
Stock:
KMM16714
Certified Pre-Owned:
No

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Unfortunately, even with all its virtues, the NX 300 has a lot working against it. Cargo space is limited behind the rear seats, negating some of its long-haul readiness. Inside, we like the serenity the NX offers, but Lexus' touchpad user interface is one of the most difficult to use in any car on the road today. What's more, the driving experience isn't as engaging as we'd hope, even in an NX with the optional F Sport equipment. There's a lot to like about this little Lexus, but up against segment leaders from Mercedes and BMW, it's harder to recommend.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Below Average

7.0

out of 10

We drove the 2021 Lexus NX 300 on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7/10

How does the NX 300 drive? For performance and driver engagement, the NX 300 comes up as merely average among small luxury SUVs. The engine is smooth and has good low-end power, but its 0-60 mph time of 7 seconds flat is average among compact crossover rivals with turbocharged four-cylinders. In panic-braking tests from 60 mph, the NX 300 needed 136 feet to stop, which is a considerable 10 feet longer than average.

Steering effort is appropriate and precise, but there's little feedback for the driver. When cornering, there's a good amount of body roll, but the NX is reasonably predictable and poised. The transmission provides seamless shifts in typical driving conditions, and the smooth engine virtually disappears from your awareness.

Comfort

8.5/10

How comfortable is the NX 300? The NX 300's abundance of overall comfort is uncommon in the segment. The front seats offer plenty of room and adequate support for a variety of body types, and optional front-seat ventilation enhances long-distance comfort. The rear seats are also accommodating for adults.

In keeping with Lexus' greater emphasis on comfort, the NX's suspension smooths over road imperfections with ease. Neither busy nor nervous, the NX 300 seems to glide unaffected over ruts and bumps. The dual-zone automatic climate control system is controlled mainly through well-labeled buttons and rocker switches. The system works well and isn't too loud. Among luxury crossover SUVs, the Lexus NX 300 is one of the quietest.

Interior

6.5/10

How’s the interior? The front seats are spacious, and the rear seats have enough — but not abundant — head- and legroom for adults in the outboard seats. The small rear windows, however, make those quarters feel a bit more confining than they are. A memory function saves your seat and steering wheel position, and the range of adjustability will allow most drivers to find a decent setup. The Easy Entry feature, combined with below-average legroom, might make it difficult for passengers to get in or out of the vehicle behind a tall driver.

The optional touchpad interface is easily the worst in the industry. The controller is hard to manage, and there's a distinct lack of intuitive menus and buttons. Luckily, most other cabin controls are logical and well conceived.

Technology

7/10

How’s the tech? Although the technology in the NX is modern and effective, its clunky interface may turn off tech-savvy buyers. Thankfully Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now available. The optional navigation system, however, is easy to use, with fairly accurate traffic information. The voice controls work well and allow for some degree of natural language. In-car 4G LTE Wi-Fi is included for the first year.

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 automatic high-beam activation are less useful since their effectiveness varies too much depending on terrain and surroundings.

Storage

6/10

How’s the storage? The NX sits just below average within the segment for interior cargo space or nooks and cubbies for your gear. It trails competitors with its 17.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. Cargo room is further hampered by the sloped rear window that limits the vehicle's ability to take on bulky items with the seats folded. The door pockets are small, as are the glovebox and center console compartment.

The rear seats are a bit cramped, so installing a large rear-facing child seat will be a challenge. It is easy to find and access the car seat points that serve the outboard seating positions, but the center position uses belts attached to the roof.

Fuel Economy

7/10

How’s the fuel economy? The all-wheel-drive NX 300 is rated at 24 mpg combined (22 city/27 highway), an estimate that is competitive with other vehicles in the class. We averaged 25.7 mpg on our highway-heavy evaluation loop, which is in line with what we'd expect with such a rating.

Value

7/10

Is the NX 300 a good value? A base NX 300 provides good value, especially if interior volume isn't the highest priority. The NuLuxe simulated leather upholstery looks and feels like the genuine article. Common touch points are well padded, and other interior materials are nice quality and tightly fitted for a solid feel. But add a bunch of options and the appeal of the NX lessens because the price gets harder to justify and its shortcomings become harder to overlook. Warranty coverage is a bit better than average for a luxury make.

Wildcard

7/10

Styling, both inside and out, may present a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. The many high-tech features should appeal to early adopters, but the heavily flawed touchpad interface will temper their enthusiasm. While the NX 300 lags behind others in its class in driver engagement and performance, it will prove more than adequate for most drivers. It's not particularly entertaining or stimulating, but it is predictable and controllable. It's easy to drive in nearly all conditions and places few demands on the driver.

2021 Lexus NX 300 trim level differences

The 2021 Lexus NX 300 is a five-passenger compact SUV available in three trim levels: the standard NX 300, the NX 300 F Sport and the NX 300 Luxury. The hybrid NX, the NX 300h, is reviewed separately. All three trim levels come standard with: Compare the 2021 Lexus NX 300 trim levels in-depth.

Which NX 300 trim does Edmunds recommend?

We recommend the base NX 300 since it comes standard with an abundance of safety features and offers plenty of stand-alone or package options to choose from. The F Sport and Luxury trims add some nice creature comforts, but most of their desirable features can be selected à la carte at the base level.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$235/mo

$215/mo

Avg. Midsize SUV

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Reliability

The 2021 Lexus NX 300 has a 4 years / 50,000 miles basic warranty and no recalls. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.

Recalls

There are no recalls for the 2021 Lexus NX 300

Warranty

4 years / 50,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 6 years / 70,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 6 years / unlimited miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 4 years / unlimited miles
Free maintenance Warranty: 1 years / 10,000 miles

Lexus NX 300 Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.4

34 reviews

5(59%)

4(26%)

3(9%)

2(2%)

1(4%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

2021 NX 300 Features & Specs

Trim:

Base

MSRP (New) Excludes Destination Fee	$37,610
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	25 MPG
Cost to Drive	$235/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	17.7 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the NX 300 models:

Lexus Safety System+ 2.0: Helps mitigate accidents by alerting you when a front collision is imminent or when you deviate from your lane.
Blind-Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: Alerts you if a vehicle is in your blind spot and warns about approaching cross-traffic when you're backing up.
Lexus Enform Safety Connect: Lets you connect with roadside assistance and can contact the authorities in case of a collision or vehicle theft.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover16.1%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good