WASHINGTON — Compact luxury crossovers seem to be all the rage lately, with more hitting the street every day and more manufactures rushing new products to the market. Lexus introduced its small crossover in the past two years, and decided to take a bold and unique approach.
Lexus was the conservative brand until recently. Now. the NX200t small crossover is one of its first standout designs. Its bold front end styling and distinctive grill juts out and announces to the world, “this is a Lexus.” The side styling is eye-catching, with its flared fenders. The lower door panels have interesting shapes and flare out toward the bottom.
Even the rear-end styling holds your interest. The bold taillights, dual exhaust tips and a rear spoiler give the NX200t a sporty look for a crossover that really helps it stand out in the crowd. I don’t think the bold (a few other people call it odd-looking) crossover is hurting sales. I’ve seen many on the streets in just the first few years since it hit the market.
The sporty looks seem to carry over into the driving experience as well. Maybe it’s not the sportiest crossover on the market, but it’s pretty impressive for a Lexus. The engine is a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder unit, good for 235 horsepower, and it helps move this small Lexus smartly in most situations.
The handling is pretty good for a taller crossover, and it doesn’t disappoint when the road turns twisty. The ride can be a bit firm on certain rougher surfaces, but, in most situations, it works nicely without beating you up. The turbo engine has a bit of turbo lag when starting, but once it’s going it moves the NX200t well.
The automatic transmission is very smooth and will shift quickly when called upon making for spirited driving. Fuel economy is decent for the class: I managed 24 mpg of premium gas — slightly under the 25 mpg the sticker says — in nearly 500 miles of mixed driving.
One thing didn’t change — the top-notch interior. For a base price of around $35,000, the NX200t comes nicely equipped. Add the premium package and you get heated and ventilated leather front seats, a power moon roof and a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel. The interior is a nice two-tone color scheme with a black dash and tan leather seats. It’s topped off with a bit of black trim, giving it a luxury look. The center stack does jut out from the rest of the dash, and that’s about as bold as it gets.
The optional NAV system works well — the screen is large and graphics are good. I’m not a huge fan of the touch interface, because it’s very sensitive and can be distracting as you’re trying to manage the menus. Luckily, the radio uses regular knobs for the volume and tuning. Rear seats are great for two, but would be tight for a third person. The rear cargo area isn’t very large when compared with some of the competition.
The Lexus NX200t is a solid contender for the small luxury crossover class with a bold look and good performance for the price. The luxurious interior is a nice place to spend long commutes in quiet comfort.
Mike Parris is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association. The vehicles are provided by STI, FMI or Event Solutions for the purpose of this review.
