Compare the2024 Lexus NXVS 2023 Toyota Rav4

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
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 NX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The NX has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Rav4’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the NX has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert to warn the driver of approaching traffic and automatically engage the brakes to help avoid a collision. Toyota charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Rav4.

Both the NX and the Rav4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Lexus NX is safer than the Rav4:

	NX	Rav4
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	.98 in	1.34 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	915 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	252	542
Head Peak Forces	65 G’s	104 G’s
Neck Compression	134 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.83 in	.94 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	290 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	669 lbs.	692 lbs.
Head Protection	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL

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 30 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Rav4 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

Warranty

The NX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Rav4’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the NX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Rav4. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Rav4 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The NX’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Rav4’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

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 Hybrid’s reliability 21 points higher than the Rav4.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

Engine

The NX 350h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 37 more horsepower (240 vs. 203) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The NX 350’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 72 more horsepower (275 vs. 203) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (317 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The NX 450h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 101 more horsepower (304 vs. 203) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the NX 350h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Toyota Rav4:

	NX	Rav4
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	89 MPH	83.8 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the NX 450h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Toyota Rav4 (base engine):

	NX	Rav4
Zero to 60 MPH	5.5 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.4 MPH	83.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the NX running on electricity gets better mileage than the Rav4:

			MPGe
NX
	AWD	450h Electric Motors	93 city/75 hwy
Rav4
			MPG
	FWD	XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		LE/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the NX running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Rav4:

			MPG
NX
	AWD	350h 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	41 city/37 hwy
		450h 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	38 city/33 hwy
Rav4
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy

The NX 450h can travel with zero emissions for 37 miles. The Rav4 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the NX 350h/450h’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Regardless of its engine, the NX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip (not available 350h/450h+). Toyota only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Rav4 LE AWD/XLE/XLE Premium.

Transmission

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the NX’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

	NX	Rav4
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.5 inches	11.1 inches

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 Rav4 are solid, not vented.

The NX stops much shorter than the Rav4:

	NX	Rav4
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	140 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the NX has larger tires than the Rav4 (235/60R18 vs. 225/65R17).

The NX’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 Rav4 LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The NX’s optional tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the NX has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Rav4 LE/XLE. The NX’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited.

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 Rav4 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

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 Rav4’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The NX 350 AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The NX 350 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The NX has 2 inches more front hip room and 4.8 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the NX’s optional rear seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Rav4 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Servicing Ease

The NX uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Rav4 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 Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 49% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

Ergonomics

The NX’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Rav4 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The NX’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 Rav4’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The NX’s standard variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

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 Rav4 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 Rav4 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 outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Rav4.

When the NX is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Rav4’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 Rav4 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The NX has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Rav4 XLE/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road.

The NX 350h/450h+’s optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Rav4 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

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

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