Compare the2022 Toyota Highlander HybridVS 2021 Lexus NX Series

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Highlander Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The NX Series doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Highlander Hybrid has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The NX Series doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Compared to metal, the Highlander Hybrid’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Lexus NX Series has a metal gas tank.

Both the Highlander Hybrid and the NX Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is safer than the Lexus NX Series:

	Highlander Hybrid	NX Series
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	38.2%	46%
Neck Stress	347 lbs.	509 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	321/243 lbs.	480/609 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	328	355
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	42%
Neck Stress	179 lbs.	295 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is safer than the Lexus NX Series:

	Highlander Hybrid	NX Series
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	192
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	79 G’s	148 G’s
Hip Force	300 lbs.	352 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	317
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	303 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	15 inches
HIC	366	542
Hip Force	664 lbs.	828 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander Hybrid for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the NX Series (2/25000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 5 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander Hybrid third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The NX Series isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Lexus is ranked third.

Engine

The Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 49 more horsepower (243 vs. 194) than the NX 300h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 8 more horsepower (243 vs. 235) than the NX 300’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is faster than the NX 300h :

	Highlander Hybrid	NX Series
Zero to 30 MPH	2.9 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8 sec	8.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.2 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	84.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander Hybrid gets better mileage than the NX Series:

			MPG
Highlander Hybrid
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/35 hwy
		2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy
NX Series
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	33 city/30 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy
		F Sport 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The NX 300 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Highlander Hybrid has 2.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the NX Series Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (17.1 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Highlander Hybrid has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the NX Series’ standard fuel tank (17.1 vs. 15.9 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Highlander Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus NX Series (3 to 7). This means the Highlander Hybrid produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the NX Series every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Highlander Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the NX Series:

	Highlander Hybrid	NX Series
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.9 inches
Rear Rotors	13.3 inches	11.1 inches

The Highlander Hybrid’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the NX Series are solid, not vented.

The Highlander Hybrid stops shorter than the NX Series:

	Highlander Hybrid	NX Series
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Highlander Hybrid has larger tires than the NX Series (235/65R18 vs. 225/65R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Highlander Hybrid LE/XLE/Bronze has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the NX Series. The Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the NX Series.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Highlander Hybrid’s wheelbase is 7.5 inches longer than on the NX Series (112.2 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander Hybrid is 3.3 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the NX Series.

For greater off-road capability the Highlander Hybrid has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the NX 300h (8 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Highlander Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Highlander Hybrid’s minimum ground clearance is 1.1 inches higher than on the NX 300 (8 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Highlander Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The NX Series doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Highlander Hybrid has standard seating for 8 passengers; the NX Series can only carry 5.

The Highlander Hybrid has 69.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the NX Series (141.3 vs. 71.6).

The Highlander Hybrid has 3 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 4.9 inches more rear legroom, 3.1 inches more rear hip room and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX Series.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the NX Series.

	Highlander Hybrid	NX Series
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	17.7 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	54.6 cubic feet

The Highlander Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the NX Series’ in almost every dimension:

	Highlander Hybrid	NX Series
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	17.8”/48”/80.7”	n.a./36”/71.5”
Max Width	50”	53”
Min Width	45.8”	44.3”
Height	31”	27”

Payload and Towing

The Highlander Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the NX Series’ (3500 vs. 0 pounds).

The Highlander Hybrid has a much higher standard payload capacity than the NX Series (1495 vs. 895 lbs.).

The Highlander Hybrid has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the NX Series (1535 vs. 895 lbs.).

Ergonomics

The Highlander Hybrid Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The NX Series doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Highlander Hybrid’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The NX Series’ power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Highlander Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The NX Series doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the Highlander Hybrid and the NX Series offer available heated front seats. The Highlander Hybrid Platinum also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the NX Series.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE/Bronze/Limited/Platinum has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The NX Series doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Highlander Hybrid Bronze/Limited/Platinum has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The NX Series doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus NX Series, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Lexus NX Series by almost four to one during the 2021 model year.