You are down to the RX and the NX, and a photograph stops being useful at this point. Come in and sit in each, drive one after the other, and we can settle it in an afternoon.
Written by the Chatham Parkway Lexus team · Reviewed by Syed Madni, General Manager · Updated August 30, 2026
The extra size gives you more room around the same five people and more space behind them. Both matter, and neither adds seats. If seven seats is the requirement, the TX is the car to look at.
The two ranges have more in common than the model names suggest, and they differ in three ways: hybrid economy, plug-in range and whether there is a performance grade at all.
Both hold five, so the extra size gives room around the passengers instead of extra seats.
The same engine underneath
A 275 horsepower turbocharged four in the RX 350 and in the NX 350. The two ranges differ above that engine.
The smaller one is the efficient one
The NX hybrid is rated at 39 MPG with all-wheel drive and 40 with front-wheel drive.
What should you settle before you come in?
Step 1: The seat question comes first
Both are five seats, and the TX is the car to look at if you need seven.
Step 2: Decide whether economy or size matters more
The NX hybrid is the more economical at 39 or 40 MPG, and the RX has more room.
Step 3: Where the car is parked overnight
A plug-in suits a home with charging, and a regular hybrid is the better buy anywhere else.
Step 4: The bulkiest thing you carry
Cargo room is best judged with your own things in the back.
Step 5: Whoever sits in the back
Rear legroom is best judged from the seat, and a minute back there shows you how much knee room they have.
Step 6: Both cars, on the same afternoon
Back to back on roads you know, since a week apart blurs the difference.
Two things to bring
What is the bulkiest thing you carry, and who rides in back?
The way to answer the space question in either car is to measure it with your own things.
Bring the stroller, the clubs, the crate or the child seat, and bring the person who has to sit behind you. Ten minutes with both cars open tells you what a specification sheet leaves out.
Yes, the RX and the NX both seat five people, so the size difference shows up elsewhere.
Both cars seat five people across two rows.
Both stop at two rows of seating.
The RX has more space behind the second row.
The NX is easier to park and see out of.
What you are buying with the RX is space and quiet, not seats.
Which one should I drive first?
Start with the one you expect to buy, and we will have the other ready right after.
We will have both cars out before you arrive.
You will drive the same road in each, back to back.
You are welcome to park each one in a space the size of your own.
You can sit in the rear seat of both with the front seats set normally.
You feel the difference in ten minutes, and it is hard to see on a spec sheet. Drive both, same day, same road.
Is the hybrid worth it on either?
It depends more on where you drive your miles than on how many you drive.
Town driving is where the hybrid earns its cost back.
Highway driving is where the gap narrows.
We will tell you whether the plug-in RX suits where you park.
The battery carries a warranty term of its own.
A hybrid pays for itself in traffic. If your week is highway, the gas version may be the better buy.
Will my things fit in the back of the smaller one?
Your own things settle this in five minutes, and you are welcome to bring them.
The stroller, case or golf bag you carry is welcome here.
We will help you fit the child seats you use.
We will fold the seats flat for anything long you carry.
The dog is welcome too, if the dog travels with you.
Cargo figures describe an empty car. Loading your own things shows what fits in yours.
What do I need to bring on the day?
Your license and the things that normally travel with you are all we need.
Your license and insurance proof are the two we will need.
Both keys and the title help if you are trading.
A finance approval already in hand is useful to bring.
Whatever normally rides in the car is welcome along.
You are here to compare two cars, so bring the things you will compare them with. The paperwork can wait until you have chosen.
What can I decide before I drive over?
Once we know which grade of each you want, the right two cars will be waiting for you.
We will tell you which RX and NX grades are on the lot.
We will have one of each out and warmed up.
You can decide whether the hybrid is in the running for you.
We will book a time long enough for both drives.
Two cars ready at the door turns a long visit into a short one. Ask for them by name and grade.
Still deciding after all that?
We will have both cars ready on the same afternoon so you can drive them back to back on roads you already know. A week between drives blurs the difference.
The one most people buy, with the same engine as the NX 350.
RX hybrid and plug-in
246 hp, and the plug-in with 38 electric miles
Ask about home charging before the plug-in.
RX F SPORT Performance
366 hp
The grade the NX range does not have.
NX, gasoline
275 horsepower, 24 MPG combined
Same power as the RX 350 in a smaller car.
NX hybrid and plug-in
39 or 40 MPG combined, and an 84 MPGe plug-in
The most efficient of the four.
If you need seven seats
Neither range
Ask us about the TX instead.
In what order should you compare RX and NX?
1. Both seat five, so the size question is about room
Model
Seats
What that leaves you
RX
5
The larger car, and the same seat count.
NX
5
The smaller car, and the same seat count.
TX
6 or 7
The three-row Lexus, if five is not enough.
The extra size buys room around the same five people, not more of them, and it shows in rear legroom and cargo. Judge both in person: sit in the back of each, and it takes about ten minutes on our lot.
So if you are shopping because a growing family has outgrown something, the TX is the three-row Lexus and the one to look at. Five minutes at the start puts you in front of the right car.
If five is enough, then you are choosing on space, on the powertrain and on how the car feels down a road you drive often. Everything below is about those three.
2. Does the RX get a more powerful engine than the NX?
Grade
What it brings
What it means for you
RX 350
A 275-hp turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine
The volume RX.
NX 350
275 horsepower
The same figure, in the smaller car.
NX 350 economy
An EPA-estimated 24 MPG combined
The gasoline NX.
RX 350h hybrid
246 total system horsepower
More power than the NX hybrid.
NX 350h hybrid
240 combined system horsepower
Six less, in a lighter car.
RX F SPORT Performance
366 hp
The NX range has no equivalent grade.
Most buyers choose the 350 grades, and those share one engine. A 275 horsepower turbocharged four powers both the RX 350 and the NX 350, so anyone comparing those two is not choosing between fast and slow.
The hybrids are six horsepower apart, and the RX has the six. That is not a number you will feel. What you will feel is the weight it is moving, which is why the efficiency figures separate more than the power figures do.
The real difference is at the top of each range. The RX range has an F SPORT Performance grade making 366 horsepower, and the NX range stops at the 350. If a performance grade is on your list, the RX is your car.
On economy, the gasoline RX is rated at a combined 25 MPG with front-wheel drive and 24 with all-wheel drive, and the gasoline NX 350 at 24 combined. The hybrids are where the two ranges separate.
3. Where does the smaller NX win outright?
The car
What it brings
What it is for
NX 350h, front-wheel drive
A combined EPA estimated rating of 40 MPG
The most efficient of the four.
NX 350h, all-wheel drive
A combined EPA-estimated 39 MPG rating
One less, with drive to all four wheels.
NX 350h power
240 combined system horsepower
Enough for the way most people drive.
RX 350h power
246 total system horsepower
Six more, moving a larger car.
What you trade
Size against economy
The trade-off at the center of this decision.
Around here
Short runs favor the hybrid most
City traffic is where a hybrid saves the most.
A hybrid is at its best in the driving most weeks are made of: stop-start traffic, short runs, the school and the supermarket. That is when the electric motor runs most of the time and the gas engine runs least.
So if your week is mostly Savannah and the surrounding roads, the NX hybrid is doing exactly what it was built for. If your week involves regular runs to Brunswick or Jacksonville, more of your miles are the kind where the advantage narrows.
The front-wheel-drive NX hybrid is the most efficient of them and the all-wheel-drive version costs you one MPG for drive to all four wheels. That is a small price for grip if you want it, and no price at all if you do not.
The RX hybrid is the bigger car with six more horsepower, and it is the right answer for somebody who wants hybrid running costs without giving up the size.
4. How does the 38-mile electric range work on the plug-in versions?
The car
What it brings
What decides it
RX 450h+
A manufacturer-estimated combined 85 MPGe rating
One point above the NX.
NX 450h+
An EPA-estimated combined 84 MPGe rating
One point below the RX.
RX 450h+ electric range
An EPA-estimated 38-mile driving range on electric power only
This is the figure to hold on to.
Where you park
The real qualifier
A plug-in only makes sense with home charging.
Your daily distance
The miles you cover
Under the range, you rarely buy fuel.
Beyond the range
It behaves as a hybrid
A good position to be in.
One MPGe between two cars is not a reason to choose either. Put those figures aside and the plug-in question becomes simple: can you charge where you park, and does your normal day fit inside the electric range?
The RX 450h+ carries an EPA-estimated 38 miles on electric power alone. If your commute and errands sit inside that, and you can plug in at home, most of your driving stops involving a fuel station at all.
If you cannot charge where you park, a regular hybrid is the better car for you. A plug-in does its best work when it can charge overnight.
Beyond the electric range it drives as a hybrid. When the battery runs down, the car keeps going as a hybrid.
5. Which measurement should you take yourself?
The question
Bring this
How we settle it
Cargo room, RX and NX
The bulkiest thing you carry regularly
We put it in the back of both. A stroller, clubs, a crate, a cello.
Rear legroom
Whoever sits in the back
A minute in that seat tells you more than a number.
Child seats
The seats you use
Installed behind your own driving position, in both cars.
What we do
Both cars open, side by side
A tape measure and ten minutes.
Measuring the actual car answers the space question. Bring the thing that has to fit and we will put it in the back of both, because the question is about your things and not about an average.
Do the same for the rear seat. Put the person who sits there into both cars and watch their knees. If it is a child seat, bring the child seat, because the way it fits behind your own driving position is not something a specification can tell you.
It takes about ten minutes and it answers the question the whole comparison depends on. Those ten minutes do more for the decision than an afternoon of reading.
6. How do you decide between the two cars in front of you?
The question
If the answer is
Then
Do you need more than five seats?
Yes
Neither of these. Look at the TX instead.
Do you want a performance grade?
Yes
The RX, at 366 hp. The NX range has none.
Is economy the reason for a hybrid?
Yes
The NX 350h, at 39 or 40 MPG combined.
Can you charge where you park?
Yes, and your day is short
A plug-in, and the RX carries 38 electric miles.
Is it about rear space?
Probably the RX
Come and sit in both and see how it feels.
Still not sure?
Drive both back to back
Same afternoon, same roads, in that order.
Four of those five have a clear answer. The fifth, space, needs the cars in front of you.
The seat count is the first thing to settle. It is identical, so if capacity is the problem, the TX is where to start, and five minutes at the door will get you there.
Drive them back to back on the same afternoon, not a week apart. Ride quality is felt, not remembered.
We will set both up and go with you. Bring the people and the things that have to fit, and tell us the roads you drive most, and you usually know the answer before we get back to the lot.
What was it like for people who bought here?
You are moving up from the smaller one
Plenty of people arrive in an NX wondering whether the RX is worth the step. We will answer it differently depending on whether space or power prompted the question.
I just traded my 2020 NX300 hybrid for a 2021 RX350. I had a minor misunderstanding and was disappointed as a result when I went to pick up my new one. I was amazed at how management sprang into action to not only resolve the issue, but went overboard to make me feel like a valued customer.
Read more
This superior customer service makes me NEVER want to go to any other dealership than Chatham Parkway Lexus. From sales to service, everyone treated me with respect and made me feel special.
The two hybrids are six horsepower apart and several MPG apart. We will explain which one suits the miles you drive.
Great experience, no hassle, friendly staff. I live in north Georgia and bought one NX350h. The service was so great, my mom bought one as well. Huge thank you to Tim Perdue for being and amazing salesman.
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Thank you to Mike for helping get us both good financing options. And thank you to Lydia for driving both vehicles to us in north Georgia and taking time to explain all of the features on the car and helping us customize our options. This is the best car buying experience we have had.
You know what you are looking for, so we will bring both cars around and give you room to look them over.
Sayad and his team, lead by Michael Armani, sold us a beautiful 2017 RX last month. Every extra care I requested was granted, and then the car was beautifully buffed, gassed up for me, and delivered to my home in Bluffton when it was ready. They are a generous and gracious Sales Team, and I look forward to working with the people in service who have this new-to-me Lexus in peak condition- inside and out.
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This is our 11th Lexus! We have bought from five other locations, and only one of them rivaled this honest and special experience. We came South Carolina to buy from them and we hope to do it again.
You own it at the end, with no mileage limit.
The longer you keep it, the less it costs per year.
Finance
Pay for the car monthly over a term you choose. We show you the rate, the term and the total before you sign.
Lease
Lower monthly payment on the same car, with a mileage allowance and rules about the condition you return it in.
Trade in
We appraise your current car and put its value in writing, as its own figure beside the price of the new one.
What else you may be wondering
Size and seats
Does the Lexus RX seat more people than the NX?
No. Both seat five. The larger RX gives you more room around the same five people and more space behind them, not a higher capacity. The three-row Lexus is the TX.
Is the RX bigger than the NX?
Yes, the RX is the larger of the two, and the extra size gives you space instead of seats. The way to settle how much bigger is to put your own things and your own passengers in both.
Which Lexus SUV has three rows?
The TX. Neither the RX nor the NX offers a third row, so if seven seats is the requirement, neither of these two is the answer.
Engines
Is the Lexus RX more powerful than the NX?
Not in the versions most people buy. The RX 350 uses a 275-hp turbocharged four-cylinder and the NX 350 produces 275 horsepower. The RX range goes further at the top with an F SPORT Performance grade making 366 hp, and the 2026 NX range has no equivalent.
What is the most powerful Lexus RX?
The F SPORT Performance, at 366 hp.
Hybrids
Which is more fuel efficient, the RX or the NX hybrid?
The NX. The NX 350h is rated at a combined 39 MPG with all-wheel drive and 40 MPG with front-wheel drive. The RX 350h makes 246 total system horsepower against the NX's 240, so it trades some economy for size and a little power.
How many miles does the Lexus RX plug-in do on electric?
The RX 450h+ carries an EPA-estimated 38-mile driving range on electric power only, alongside a manufacturer-estimated combined 85 MPGe rating.
Is the RX plug-in more efficient than the NX plug-in?
By one point. The RX 450h+ is rated at a combined 85 MPGe and the NX 450h+ at 84 MPGe. That gap is too small to choose on, so the useful question is whether you can charge where you park and whether your normal day fits inside the electric range.
Space
What is the cargo capacity of the Lexus RX and NX?
The most useful measure is your own things in the back of each car. We will put the things you carry into the back of both cars and let you decide.
How much rear legroom does the RX have?
Bring whoever sits in the back and put them in both, with the front seats where you keep them. A minute in that seat tells you more than a figure would.
Deciding
Should I buy the Lexus RX or the NX?
If you need more than five seats, the TX. If you want a performance grade, the RX. If economy is why you want a hybrid, the NX. If you can charge at home and your day is short, a plug-in.
And if it comes down to space, drive both on the same afternoon and bring the things that have to fit.
What is the fuel economy of the Lexus RX?
The gasoline RX is rated at a combined 25 MPG with front-wheel drive and 24 MPG with all-wheel drive.
The RX 350h hybrid trades some of the RX 350's power for economy; ask us for the figures on the grades you are comparing.
People also ask
Is the Lexus NX or RX better?
They suit different things, so neither ranks above the other. Both seat five and share a 275-horsepower turbocharged four at the base of the range. The NX hybrid is more efficient at 39 or 40 MPG combined; the RX is larger and offers a 366-hp performance grade the NX range does not have.
Does the Lexus NX have a third row?
No. Neither the NX nor the RX offers a third row. Both seat five, and the three-row model is the TX.
What is the difference between the Lexus RX and NX?
Size and the top of the range. Both seat five and both use a 275-horsepower turbocharged four in their base gasoline grade.
The RX is the larger car and adds an F SPORT Performance grade at 366 hp; the NX is smaller and its hybrid is the more efficient of the two at up to 40 MPG combined.
Which Lexus SUV gets the best gas mileage?
Of these two, the front-wheel-drive NX 350h at a combined EPA estimated 40 MPG, with the all-wheel-drive version at 39 MPG. The plug-in versions are rated 85 MPGe for the RX 450h+ and 84 MPGe for the NX 450h+.
How big is the Lexus NX compared to the RX?
The RX is the larger car, and the difference is best judged in person, with your own things in the back and your own passengers in the seats. Both seat five, so the extra size is room for those five.
