Lexus NX350h: How Does It Stack Up Against the BMW X1?

Fresh Faces

It's been roughly a year since the new Lexus NX debuted, giving the crossover a fresh face and some welcome tech updates to help it better compete in one of the fiercest segments in the automotive world today. One of its biggest rivals in that space is the BMW X1, which is also fairly new, a bit larger, and a bit more premium than before, meaning that it's worth taking a look at how these two rivals stack up.

Photos: Lexus

Toning It Down

Looks are clearly subjective, but we think both the NX and X1 are attractive vehicles from two brands that have a tendency to go a bit over-the-top with styling in some cases. Credit BMW for not giving the X1 massive kidney grilles like many of its other models, while the new NX offers a more subdued version of the brand's infamous spindle grille to boot.

Photos: BMW

Elegant Quality

The NX's cabin is adorned with a new and rather large infotainment screen, but it's surrounded by the sort of top-notch quality that we've come to expect from Lexus. It isn't quite as busy or perhaps visually unique as the BMW's cabin, but not all buyers are looking for that sort of thing, after all. However, even though it's larger on the outside, the NX offers a bit less space inside.

Photos: Lexus

More Space

Inside the cabin, the X1 features a heavy influence from the automaker's newer all-electric offerings, with some fancy tech, a wide variety of materials, and some interesting options like Active Seats. The X1 also has a longer wheelbase than the NX, giving it more passenger and cargo space, a direct byproduct of BMW's decision to make the new X1 larger than its predecessor.

Photos: BMW

Electrifying Combo

Under the hood, the NX350h comes equipped with a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter gas engine and hybrid system that churns out a combined 240 horsepower. It's mated to an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, sending power to all four wheels. Fuel economy is excellent as one might expect, coming in at 41/37/39 mpg city, highway, and combined. 

Photos: Lexus

Powerful and Efficient

The latest X1 is powered by an updated version of BMW's 2.0-liter turbo-four cylinder, which generates 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It's mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, with standard xDrive AWD for the U.S. Along with impressive performance, this powertrain also returns solid fuel economy figures of 25 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined.

Photos: BMW

Pros and Cons

Pricing for the X1 starts out at $40,095, though one can easily increase that by adding options. The NX350h, on the other hand, has an MSRP of $43,805 - a few grand more than the base version. That makes this comparison fairly interesting, as both of these crossovers offer up a lot of vehicle for the money. Ultimately, the X1 is a better performer with more interior space, while the NX350h is more efficient and is less likely to present problems down the road, given the track record of both brands - giving prospective buyers an interesting decision to make.

Photos: Lexus

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