Compare the2024 Kia Sportage PHEVVS 2024 Lexus NX

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

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sportage PHEV has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the NX.

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

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 Kia Sportage PHEV is safer than the NX:

The Sportage PHEV comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The NX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage PHEV 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the NX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the NX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sportage PHEV’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

The Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 58 more horsepower (261 vs. 203) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 184) than the NX 250’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Sportage PHEV’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 21 more horsepower (261 vs. 240) than the NX 350h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sportage PHEV uses regular unleaded gasoline. The NX 350 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Sportage PHEV stops shorter than the NX:

The Sportage PHEV’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the NX’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sportage PHEV has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the NX.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage PHEV’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the NX (108.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the NX 350 AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Sportage PHEV has a greater minimum ground clearance than the NX (8.3 vs. 7.7 inches), allowing the Sportage PHEV to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Sportage PHEV 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 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Sportage PHEV has .4 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.4 inches more rear legroom, .9 inches more rear hip room and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the NX.

The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the NX with its rear seat up (34.5 vs. 22.7 cubic feet). The Sportage PHEV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the NX with its rear seat folded (65.4 vs. 46.9 cubic feet).

The Sportage PHEV’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the NX’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

The power windows standard on both the Sportage PHEV and the NX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sportage PHEV is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The NX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The NX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sportage PHEV has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the NX.

The Sportage PHEV X-Line Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The NX 350h/450h+’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The Kia Sportage outsold the Lexus NX by almost three to one during 2022.