Only the inclusion of adaptive headlights, lane-centering steering and 360-degree cameras gave one competitor, the Volvo, superiority.įront-seat comfort: Front comfort wasn’t a great point of distinction in the test, but and consumer judges praised the Lexus because sport seats are often done poorly. Standard safety features: Forward automatic emergency braking, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, front parking sensors and automatic high beams were all included. Some of its shortcomings are due to its small size, which our consumer judge Bodhanwala crystalized when he said, “It feels more like a hatchback than an SUV.” The Good The Lexus NX brought up the rear, leading the points totals in no respects and placing last in seven (category rankings are based on point totals and not judges’ averages). Powertrain: 235-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder six-speed automatic all-wheel driveĮstimated city/highway/combined mpg (gas grade): 22/27/24 (premium) Zero-to-60 mph (seconds): 7.33, slowest of sevenīraking distance (60-to-zero mph, feet): 136.3, longest of seven So you won’t see much mention of fuel issues, but read on to see how the vehicles ranked - and why.ħ 2018 Lexus NX 300 F Sport, 574 out of 1,000 points The verdict: The NX 300 has numerous improbable strengths, but it doesn’t seem to have taken the “utility” part of “SUV” very seriously with its cramped backseat and cargo area.Ģ018 Lexus NX 300 | photo by Christian Lantry Our Test Vehicle The difference between the thirstiest models and the most miserly was only $125 per year.
Two categories in particular showed near parity: convenience features and fuel costs, the latter designed to account for the Cadillac’s regular-gasoline requirement rather than focusing on mpg.
Willing contestants included several new or freshly redesigned models: the 2019 Infiniti QX Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo XC60 the popular 2018 Cadillac XT5 and Lexus NX 300 also participated.
#LUXURY CROSSOVER SUV PLUS#
We set a price target of $50,000 as equipped, plus or minus $3,000, and requested volume-selling engines. Results | Track Testing | How We Tested | Video But the luxury SUV action right now is in a smaller size class, so has staged its first Luxury Compact SUV Challenge, pitting seven models from around the world against one another in more than a week of testing in the city, suburbs and on a drag strip. When you think of a luxury SUV, a Cadillac Escalade or Land Rover Range Rover might come to mind.