Is the 2022 Lexus NX 450h+ Plug-in Hybrid a Good Car?
The 2022 Lexus NX 450h+ has extensive standard safety features and impressive performance specs, but this PHEV comes at a steep price. Click here for more.
Looking for a small luxury SUV that uses green energy and seats up to five in style? Check out the 2022
Lexus
NX 450h+. This all-new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) joined the NX lineup with two distinct trims of its own. The well-loved Lexus NX is back in 2022 freshly worked over with a total redesign that offers more rear passenger space, a longer wheelbase, better infotainment technology, and new hybrid options to spice up the model line. The NX 450h+ brings a 305-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine to the compact hybrid SUV market, along with all the trappings of a luxury line.
Find out more about the NX 450h+ with this guide from
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2022 Lexus NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid
The all-new NX 450h+ PHEV is, oddly, the most powerful powertrain out of the entire 2022 NX lineup, hybrid or not. Using the same enthralling PHEV powertrain as the
Toyota RAV4
, the NX 450h+ has more power and better acceleration than the non-hybrid and standard hybrid models. It also boasts a 0-60 mph time of just 6 seconds—again, beating out every other NX option.If there’s a downside to this PHEV, it’s the price. The NX 450h+ trim starts at almost $18,000 more than the 2022 NX 250.
Let’s look at what sets the NX 450h+ apart from other 2022 models, starting with specifics on the price.
Pricing
The 2022 Lexus NX 450h+ has a starting MSRP of $57,225. If you move up to the NX 450h+ F Sport Handling trim level, the MSRP is $58,475.
Compared to the base trim of the model, the non-hybrid NX 250 which starts at just $39,425, the amount offered by the federal
tax credits
for electric and hybrid vehicles—potentially as high as $7,500—seems a little less satisfying. If you haven’t been put off by the price, let’s keep looking at the NX 450h+ to see if it has the specs you want for your next vehicle.
Performance and fuel economy
The NX 450h+ has a moderate EV-only range of 36 miles. Its miles-per-gallon equivalent—that is, the average mileage you can travel per gallon of gas while using the EV component combined with combustion—is an even more modest 84 MPGe combined.
If you set out in hybrid mode, you can expect to get a range of 551 miles before you need to recharge or refuel.
If you use the optional 6.6-kW expedited onboard charger at a Level 2 charging station with 220V, you should reach a full charge in about 2.5 hours. If you use the standard 3.3-kW unit, it’ll take about 4.5 hours.
For most people, the 36-mile electric-only range is enough to get to work, and either the expedited or the standard charging unit should enable your car to get a full charge before the work day is over.
Exterior styling
For 2022, Lexus updated the NX model’s look with a wider-set track, a longer wheelbase, and new LED headlamps.
If you opt for the more expensive F Sport trim, you’ll also get gloss-black side view mirrors and window trim, along with F Sport branded badges, fascia and grille insert, and rear bumper.
Both NX 450h+ trims get 20-inch split-5-spoke alloy wheels, but on the 450h+ they’re dark gray metallic, while on the F Sport they’re gloss black. Similarly, both trims have roof rails, but the F Sport’s are gloss black.
The 450H+ offers eight exterior color options:
- Eminent White
- Atomic Silver
- Cloudburst Gray
- Caviar
- Redline
- Cadmium Orange
- Nori Green Pearl
- Grecian Water
The 450h+ F Sport Handling trim only comes in seven color options. The Eminent White was swapped out for Ultra White, there is no Caviar color option but there is Obsidian, the Nori Green color was omitted, and instead of Grecian Water, you can get the F Sport in Ultrasonic Blue Mica 2.0.
Interior and comfort
The NX 450h+ is plenty spacious for cargo and passengers alike. If you use the whole cabin space, you get 46.9 cubic feet of cargo area behind the front row. The cargo space behind the second-row seats amounts to a still-generous 22.7 cubic feet.
Passengers in the back seats will enjoy 38.5 inches of headroom and 36 inches of legroom.
The dual-zone climate control system includes an interior air filter and smog detector, and both trims have a power tilt-and-telescopic steering column.
The interior trim for the 450h+ is perforated leather with chevron seat fabric, and the 450h+ F Sport Handling has NuLuxe trim.
Technology
Whether you’re looking for navigation, driver assistance, or infotainment connectivity, the NX 450h+ has an impressive array of tech for each of those categories. Here are some of the standout navigation and infotainment features you can find in both trims:
- 14-inch multimedia touchscreen display equipped with Lexus Interface
- Bluetooth and USB connectivity
- WiFi with AT&T WiFi Hotspot
- Streaming music connectivity
- Cloud-based navigation
- Lexus Remote Connect app, allowing remote start and other settings
- 10-inch Head-Up Display
- 10-speaker Lexus Premium Soundsystem
And while there are far too many safety specs to list them all, here are some notable safety features included with the 450h+:
- All-speed dynamic radar cruise control with curve speed management
- Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and intersection support
- Road sign assist
- Lane tracing assist
- Intelligent high beams
The performance-oriented F Sport Handling trim also comes with a G-force and energy monitor display.
Warranty coverage
When you purchase a new Lexus NX 450h+, you’ll get a warranty package that includes:
- Complimentary Maintenance Services: One year or 10,000 miles
- Limited Basic Warranty: Four years or 50,000 miles
- Powertrain Warranty: Six years or 70,000 miles
- Hybrid Component Warranty: Eight years or 100,000 miles
Trim levels and options
While both NX 450h+ trim levels feature largely the same performance specs, there are some aesthetic and handling differences.
The NX 450h+ F Sport Handling has all the exterior badging of a sports-tuned model, as well as a sport-tuned suspension and F Sport Handling aluminum pedals, bolstered front seats, and a black headliner. The F Sport Handling trim is $1,250 more expensive than the 450h+.
2022 Lexus NX 450h+ vs. 2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge
To see how the Lexus NX 450h+ stacks up to the competition, we looked first at the
Volvo XC60
Recharge, a sporty, Swedish compact luxury crossover PHEV.Model | Starting price | Fuel economy (gas only) | Fuel economy (gas + electric) | Driving range | Charging time (Level 2) | Hybrid battery warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 Lexus NX 450h+ | $57,225 | 36 mpg | 84 MPGe | 550 miles miles | 2.5 hours | 8 years or 100,000 miles |
2022 Volvo XC60 Recharge | $55,845 | 28 mpg | 63 MPGe | 560 miles | 5 hours | 8 years or 100,0000 miles |
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2022 Lexus NX 450h+ vs. 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE
Because the 450h+ is so similar to the Toyota RAV4 Prime, we thought it would be nice to compare Toyota’s main brand crossover PHEV to their luxury line PHEV equivalent. However, to narrow the gap between the models a little, we’re comparing the Lexus to Toyota’s higher trim PHEV, the XSE.
Model | Starting price | Fuel economy (gas only) | Fuel economy (gas + electric) | Driving range | Charging time (Level 2) | Hybrid battery warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 Lexus NX 450h+ | $57,225 | 36 mpg | 84 MPGe | 550 miles miles | 2.5 hours | 8 years or 100,000 miles |
2022 Toyota RAV4 Prim XSE | $43,625 | 38 mpg | 44 MPGe | 600 miles | 4.5 hours | 10 years or 150,000 miles |
How to save money on car insurance
Getting a PHEV, whether it’s a luxury brand or not, is a considerable upfront expense. While you will save money over time on gas costs and you’ll benefit from federal and possibly state-level tax credits, you’ll have to shell out more initial money than you would for a traditional gas-powered vehicle.
With the added expense—which we think is totally worth it, by the way—you may be looking for other areas to save. And that’s where
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