Driven: Elevate Your Adventures With the 2023 Lexus NX 350
Let’s face it, not all cars and SUVs are road-trip worthy. However, not all vehicles are the 2023 Lexus NX 350. The Lexus NX is a luxurious compact sport utility vehicle that blends sophistication, performance, and advanced technology. Its spacious and refined interior offers a harmonious blend of premium materials and cutting-edge features, providing both comfort and convenience for the driver and passengers on any length of a drive. Check out how this compact luxury SUV performed during our time together and why it might be the perfect family road trip vehicle.
How comfortable is the 2023 Lexus NX 350?
After driving the 2023 Lexus NX 350 F SPORT around Florida for a while, the comfort of the SUV was not lost on us. Sure, the seats are comfortable in the traditional sense. Our test vehicle came with sportier seats in black and red, but these seats were heated and ventilated. Even in the hot summer sun, these ventilated seats kicked on immediately and worked surprisingly well. Not that heated seats were necessary, but they also worked quite well.
The driver’s seat is arguably the best position in the NX 350 F SPORT, thanks to the driver-focused design. With a large screen pointed in the driver’s direction and plenty of air vents throughout, the NX offers comfort from every angle. Apple CarPlay was also helpful for driving through the state.
Don’t worry; passengers will also stay cool (or warm) in the back seat. Lexus has dual-zone climate controls that help keep the back seat just as comfortable. Our test SUV had a panoramic moonroof with 37.1 inches of front headroom. In the rear, that went up to 37.4 inches. Those who need more space will probably appreciate the dimensions without a moonroof. Legroom in the front was 41.0 inches and 36.1 inches in the back.
The F SPORT package sets this 2023 Lexus NX 350 apart
For everyday driving, the 2023 Lexus NX 350 chugs along quite nicely. This version gets a 2.4L turbo engine with 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. With a zero to 60 mpg time of 6.6 seconds, the NX has plenty of power for an everyday vehicle. It had no trouble getting up to speed on the highway. Putting the Lexus SUV into Sport mode added some extra speed when in doubt. Beyond that, Eco mode was nice for some added fuel economy.
The F SPORT package on our test NX 350 added a 14-inch touchscreen in the interior and a Head-Up display for speed. One of the systems included with Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 is Road Sign Assist. This helped read speed signage and display that on the dashboard, Head-Up Display, and navigation screen. Such a feature was beneficial while driving through small towns with ever-changing speed limits.
Lexus offers a variety of colors for the NX, but Ultra White, Obsidian, and Ultrasonic Blue are F SPORT exclusives. The seats were also an exclusive color combination, Black and Circuit Red NuLuxe bolstered sport seats.
For compact luxury SUVs, the NX hits it out of the park
The NX 350 has 22.7 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up. That goes up to 46.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but it fits plenty of cargo without issues. Plus, there was space for a golf bag on top of everything else. This is a long way to say that the 2023 Lexus NX 350 was easy to live with. The SUV was comfortable on the road, straightforward to drive, and looked pretty good at the same time.
