Compare the2022 Toyota VenzaVS 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
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 Venza 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 Venza 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Venza. But it costs extra on the NX Series.

Both the Venza 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 and available 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 Venza is safer than the Lexus NX Series:

	Venza	NX Series
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	152	209
Neck Injury Risk	29.3%	46%
Neck Stress	306 lbs.	509 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	400/388 lbs.	480/609 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	284	355
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37.4%	42%
Neck Stress	258 lbs.	295 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	340/190 lbs.	442/307 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 post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Venza is safer than the Lexus NX Series:

	Venza	NX Series
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars

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

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Venza 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 Venza’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Venza is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Venza’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The NX Series’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

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 Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 25 more horsepower (219 vs. 194) than the NX 300h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

	Venza	NX Series
Zero to 30 MPH	2.9 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.8 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	84.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Venza
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	40 city/37 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 Venza uses regular unleaded gasoline. The NX 300 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Brakes and Stopping

The Venza stops shorter than the NX Series:

	Venza	NX Series
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Venza LE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the NX Series’ standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Venza LE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the NX Series. The Venza XLE/Limited’s 19-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 Venza’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the NX Series (105.9 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Venza is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the NX Series.

The Venza Limited handles at .79 G’s, while the NX 300 F Sport AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Venza LE’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the NX Series’ (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Venza has a greater minimum ground clearance than the NX 300h (7.68 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Venza to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Venza’s minimum ground clearance is .78 inch higher than on the NX 300 (7.68 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Venza 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 Venza has 26.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the NX Series (98.3 vs. 71.6).

The Venza has .4 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX Series.

Cargo Capacity

The Venza has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the NX Series with its rear seat up (28.8 vs. 17.7 cubic feet). The Venza has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the NX Series with its rear seat folded (55.1 vs. 54.6 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Venza’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the NX Series.

The Venza Limited offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, 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.

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

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Venza as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.