Compare the2023 Lexus NXVS 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus NX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Kia Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Lexus NX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the NX and the Sportage PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the NX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sportage PHEV last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

The NX’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Sportage PHEV’s (6/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Lexus NX’s reliability 12 points higher than the Sportage PHEV and the Lexus NX Hybrid is rated 34 points higher than the Sportage PHEV.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 9th.

The NX 350’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 14 more horsepower (275 vs. 261) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 258) than the Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The NX 450h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 41 more horsepower (302 vs. 261) than the Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the NX 350 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Kia Sportage PHEV:

Both the NX and Sportage PHEV have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The NX (except NX 350h/450h+) has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The NX has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sportage PHEV (14.5 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

An eight-speed automatic is available on the Lexus NX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sportage PHEV.

The NX offers an available continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The NX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sportage PHEV’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the NX offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Sportage PHEV’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the NX can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The NX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Sportage PHEV’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better maneuverability, the NX’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Sportage PHEV’s (38 feet vs. 38.6 feet).

The Lexus NX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 550 pounds less than the Kia Sportage PHEV.

The NX has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room and .5 inches more rear headroom than the Sportage PHEV.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the NX. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The NX uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sportage PHEV uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 63% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

The NX’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Sportage PHEV does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The NX 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 Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The NX’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sportage PHEV’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The NX’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Sportage PHEV’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The NX’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Sportage PHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The NX offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the NX offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer cornering lights. The NX also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The NX’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sportage PHEV offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the NX and the Sportage PHEV have standard heated front seats. The NX also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Sportage PHEV.

The NX is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Sportage PHEV doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the NX owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the NX will cost $250 to $2080 less than the Sportage PHEV over a five-year period.

The NX will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the NX will retain 49.01% to 51.34% of its original price after five years, while the Sportage PHEV only retains 45.04% to 45.21%.

Consumer Reports® chose the Lexus NX 350h as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.