The Lexus RX, which is one of the most popular SUVs from the brand, is doing great in sales. However, some of its sister vehicles aren’t doing so well. The NX, IS, and the UX, are struggling to keep up. What do each model’s sales numbers look like, what do each offer, and what could be holding the models back from making tons more sales? Let’s take a look.

Lexus sales numbers for the RX model

Lexus’ strongest sales numbers come from the RX. When you look at the year-to-date (YTD) sales, this model sold 83,491 vehicles, which is about 3,000 more than what the brand sold in 2022 for the same time period. Even the month of September this year, the RX sold 9,405, which is the most sales for any model listed for the brand. 

The 2023 Lexus RX offers a 2.4-liter Inline-four engine generating 275 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque. Paired with it is an eight-speed automatic and front-wheel drivetrain. With this combination, you can expect to get 22 mpg in the city, and 29 mpg on the highway. Acceleration time for the four-cylinder is 7.6 seconds on a 0 to 60 mph run. 

It also offers push-button start, multi-zone climate control, heated front seats, and a 9.8-inch display.  Other features include NuLuxe interior trim, wireless and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. It starts at around $49,950.

The Lexus NX, IS, and UX failed to match the sales numbers that the RX brought this year. 

1. Lexus NX

While the NX model fell short in the sales department, it did have the second-best number of sales for the brand. Its YTD sales for 2023 were 51,685, which is a little over thirty thousand less than the RX. For September sales, it sold 6,131. 

For $40,305, you get a 2.5-liter Inline-four cylinder engine producing 203 hp and 184 lb-ft. Paired with it is an eight-speed automatic and front-wheel drivetrain. This combination allows the model to get 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg when traveling on the highway. 

As for features, you get 18-inch wheels, a backup camera, a 9.8-inch touchscreen, heated front seats, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. Lexus also offers a 10-speaker sound system. 

With such good specs on the 2023 Lexus NX, you have to wonder why it’s not quite as popular as the RX. Well, there are a couple of reasons that could explain it.

One is the engine is rather weak compared to the RX. The NX version gets an 8.2-second time for a 0 to 60 mph run, which is about .6 slower than the RX. The other reason could be the cargo capacity behind the rear seats. The NX has only 22.7 cu-ft, while the RX offers 29.6 cu-ft of space. 

2. Lexus IS

According to GoodCarBadCar, the Lexus IS had 17,168 in YTD sales for 2023, which is almost a thousand more than last year. The increase in units sold is great, but it falls severely behind the RX by 66,000 vehicles. In the month of September of this year, the IS only sold 1,888, which is around 8,000 less than the RX model. 

For $41,235, this model runs on a 2.0-liter Inline-four engine producing 241 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Paired with it is an eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. You can upgrade to an AWD model, which will come with a six-speed. This combination allows the vehicle to get 21 mpg on city roads and 31 mpg on the highway. You’ll also get an acceleration time of 6.9 seconds for a 0 to 60-mph run, which is a little better than the RX. 

As for features, you get 18-inch wheels, Bi-LED headlights and tail lamps, an electric parking brake, dual-zone climate control, two USB ports, an eight-inch touchscreen, and black metallic interior trim. 

One of the biggest reasons why this model might not be as popular as the RX is the fact that it’s a car, while the RX is an SUV. Sedans aren’t quite as popular as SUVs these days. Perhaps if it were a hybrid or electric car, it would probably do better. Also, this version only offers 10.8 cu-ft of cargo space, which isn’t exactly appealing to families.

3. Lexus UX

The last Lexus model we’re comparing to the RX is the 2023 Lexus UX, which is a hybrid SUV. This version has the least YTD sales on this list with 9,374 units sold, which is about 74,000 vehicles fewer than the RX. September sales (2023) show only 826 models sold. 

With a price tag of $36,690 for the front-wheel drive version and $38,090 for the AWD model, it’s priced pretty comparable in its class. When it comes to features, you get a 2.0-liter Inline-four engine combined with a hybrid motor setup and an electric continuously variable transmission unit. This hybrid offers an impressive 43 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway for the standard model. 

It also offers 18-inch wheels, concealed exhaust, heated side mirrors, a six-speaker sound system, a seven-inch touchscreen, four USB-C ports, road sign assist, lane-tracing assist, and a folding tonneau cover. 

With it being a hybrid model, you would think the UX would be more popular, but it isn’t. One reason could be that it doesn’t offer as much power as other hybrid versions do. You get a total of 181 hp, which gives you an 8.4-second time, which is slower than the RX model. It also only gives you 17.1 cu-ft of cargo space, which falls short of what you get with the RX. 

Despite having two other SUVs on this list, the RX outshines each one with its YTD sales. The IS, NX, and UX clearly have far fewer sales than the RX, but with a few minor tweaks, each one could improve the sales numbers for its model.