2022 Lexus NX 350 F SPORT Review: Compact Crossover with Sports Car(ish) Flair
Looking for a little extra fun factor in your crossover? Check out this UltraSonic Blue 275 HP all-wheel-drive Lexus NX 350 F SPORT!
What do you get when you combine blacked-out grilles and wheels, performance suspension components, and bolstered bucket seats? A Lexus F SPORT, of course. (Or, here in 2022, it’s more accurate to say F SPORT Handling, but I digress.) In for the review this week, we have the compact Lexus NX 350 F SPORT Handling in the always-striking Ultra Sonic Blue 2.0. (Praise be!)
The NX slots in between the mid-sized RX and ultra-compact UX in the Lexus crossover SUV lineup. Built on the same GA-K platform as the Lexus ES and Toyota RAV 4, the NX is all-new for 2022. A little longer, a little wider. With four powertrains available here in the U.S.
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We explored the NX 350h Luxury last year in prototype form. That model takes the NX 250’s 203 HP 2.5L 4-cylinder engine and adds a hybrid electrical motor for 240 ponies. The top-trimmed NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid adds two electric motors to the 2.5L for 304 horses. But the NX 350 is a good old fashion 2.4L turbocharged 4-cylinder making 275 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 317 lb.-ft. @ 1,700-3,600 rpm.
Weighing in at 4,035 pounds, the NX 350 F Sport Handling requires 91 Octane premium fuel (or better), which helps it hit a 6.6-second 0-60 time and a 127mph top speed (4mph faster than the standard NX 350). The EPA estimates fuel economy at 25mpg combined, with about 22 around town. We observed around 20mpg around town with casual driving. But that number drops quickly with frequent pedal mashing (#Science).
NX FEATURES & PRICING
Lexus NX base pricing ranges from the sub-$40,000 no-option NX 250 to around $58 grand for the NX 450h+ F SPORT Handling AWD model. The NX 350 F Sport Handling starts in the middle, a little under $48,000. That’s about $5,000 more than the base NX 350 (also AWD), which gives buyers several performance and aesthetic upgrades:
- F SPORT steering wheel
- blacked-out grille, roof rails, & window trim
- adaptive variable suspension with front & rear performance dampers
- Head-Up Display
- Power Tilt/Telescopic steering column
- Color-keyed fenders
- Rain sensing wipers
- Aluminum door trim, pedals, scuff plates
Like I said, it essentially boils down to blacked-out grilles, bolstered seats, and performance suspension. A little sleeker. A little meaner. And fewer pieces of body plastic destined to fade and/or collect wax residue.
If you want even more F SPORT goodness, there’s a $2,200 F SPORT Luxury Handling Package for $2,200 that adds ventilated front seats, the larger 14-inch infotainment screen, ambient lighting, power rear door, and intelligent parking.
Our loaner also featured Triple Beam Headlamps ($850), a 17-speaker premium sound system ($1,020), a panoramic moon roof ($1,600), the SmartPhone Convenience Package ($450), premium paint ($595), and a 360-degree camera with front cross-traffic and lane changing assets ($1,070).
Total MSRP? $55,510.
Not exactly cheap, but it’s only about $2 grand more than the NX 350h Luxury we tested last year. Also, if new tech, luxury amenities, and sporty driving aren’t priorities, you could always snag a different powertrain and skip the F SPORT package.
PERFORMANCE & DRIVING
As a silly person who routinely flings 400-plus horsepower sports cars and sedans like the IS 500 into canyon corners — more science! — a 4,035-pound crossover with (only) 275 peak horsepower feels relatively muted.
But assuming you aren’t a spoiled auto journalist or sports car addict, HERE is a little context courtesy of zeroto60times.com. The 2022 NX 350 F SPORT hits 60 miles an hour faster than most 1960s muscle cars, many 1990s sports cars, and even a large chunk of 21st Century cars. It might not be flashy — and the naming structure and how it relates to powerplant sizes still confuses me — but the NX 350 F Sport is a compact hot rod with room for four adults.
And it’s also relatively rare to find an adjustable active suspension in a vehicle of this class. Usually, if you want adjustable suspensions, you need to buy a sports car. But here, Mom or Dad’s commuter tightens up, hugging the road, staying flatter in corners… all at the twist of a dial or push of a button.
Speaking of which, the NX offers several driving modes — ECO, Normal, Custom, Sport, and Sport+. Each mode refines the driving experience by adjusting parameters like suspension stiffness, steering feeling, throttle mapping, and even how the HVAC system is used. And, in Custom Mode, you can make your own; for example, sporty acceleration with the softer (Normal) suspension.
Driving position and sightlines are also quite good, with no massive blindspots. Outside of adding more power (I can’t help myself), the only real weak spot to the sporty driving experience is the 235/50R20 all-season tires. First, they’re run-flats, so a little noisy (although not too bad). More importantly, with this suspension and power level, it doesn’t take much to make these tires squeal in corners. They aren’t horrible tires; they’re just the weakest link in an otherwise sporty experience.
TECH & FEATURES
The NX’s splashiest new feature remains Lexus Interface. As equipped with our luxury package, this 14-inch display divides its real estate between entertainment and vehicle settings (upper half) and HVAC controls (lower half). As mentioned in my prototype review, this system generally works really well save for two wrinkles.
But let’s talk about the positives first. Overall, it’s intuitive to learn. Snappy in terms of navigating and feedback. And there are even two tactile knobs for temperature adjustments. The new Lexus assistant works reasonably well. Also, the screen resolution and layout are great. This is a big upgrade over the trackpad.
That being said, some of its features require a subscription (navigation) and the system seems to trip up and become sluggish when scrolling through All Stations in the radio. Lexus wants users to select Favorites to avoid looking through all the stations, but it’s an odd bug, for sure. Especially when trying to navigate hundreds of satellite radio channels. Hopefully, this can be improved.
Otherwise, the 17-speaker radio sounds very good. Not quite Lexus flagship amazing, but it’s a worthy upgrade for folks who like tunes. I’m also a massive fan of the heated and ventilated front bucket seats. With extra bolstering, they wrap around driver and passenger. And they offer above-average cooling ability. Impressive.
Safety features are numerous, so make sure to read through them all, but here are two quick reactions. First, the Cross Traffic Alerts are excellent. Earlier this week, they alerted me to a vehicle I couldn’t see from the front seat approaching behind a bush.
However, I was less impressed with the blind spot monitoring system. Though mostly accurate, one vehicle managed to stay in my blind spot and the side-mirror mounted warning light didn’t illuminate until the vehicle was reentering my peripheral vision. I’d already clocked it, so there wasn’t any danger, but still, it was a concern.
Last but not least, let’s talk about the NX steering wheel. The F SPORT wheel generally feels good in the hand. And the paddle shifters are surprisingly snappy (although the NX will not let you bang off redline in Manual shifting mode). But Lexus designed something new for this year. Blank buttons that do different things in different modes. Drivers select these modes by tapping other buttons to toggle between settings.
But, honestly, it’s a chore. First, you have to wake up the blank buttons to make them active. So if you want to skip forward on a music track, you have to press the button twice. And determining what buttons do what often requires looking at the Head Up Display, which polarized sunglasses make hard to see. I admire Lexus for trying to make something look clean and customizable, but I’d personally argue for a more simple approach.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The all-new for 2022 Lexus NX continues to impress in this NX 350 F SPORT Handling trim. Coupled with a luxury package and almost every option, it offers a fun blend of luxury, utility, and sporty driving. If you’re looking for a compact SUV with sleek looks, a terrific suspension, and awesome bucket seats, give this one a look.
If you don’t feel the need for speed or extra bolstering, I would recommend checking out the standard NX 350, 250 or 350h. The Lexus ES, built on the same platform, is also worth a look; it’s a touch roomier, but lower to the ground.
