2026 Lexus SUVs vs. the Competition with Specs, Price, & Photos

Luxury compact SUVs are big business these days, and so for our first comparison, we're going to see how the Mercedes-Benz GLA stacks up against the NX. Right from the start, a major advantage of choosing the NX is the wide selection of powertrain options. That means there's a hybrid version of the Lexus that we can compare to the GLA for a very similar price. You get a bit more power with the NX 350h, but drastically better fuel economy. That difference will erase the sticker price advantage of the Mercedes-Benz pretty quickly.

The Lexus gives you a real practicality advantage with wireless compatibility for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. Inside, you'll find that the NX has a bigger touchscreen, whether you're looking at the standard offerings or the optional ones. Similarly, whether looking at the standard or premium choices for stereo systems the Lexus has a notable advantage. Surprisingly, heated seats aren't standard on the GLA but the good news for those Ohio winters is that they are on the NX.

Midsize SUVs are usually where you expect to find a bit of off-road capability. In fact, the G in the Mercedes-Benz GLE stands for "Gelandewagen", German for cross-country vehicle. So we figured it would be perfect to match up against the Lexus GX. Despite the similar pricing, the Lexus has a huge advantage right from the start with its powerplant. Not just more powerful overall, the 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 will give you the kind of low-end power that is much more useful off-road than what you get from a turbocharged four-cylinder. Adaptive cruise control is an outstanding convenience feature included as standard on the GX. You’ll have to shell out hundreds more at Mercedes-Benz to get the same technology on the GLE.

The GX comes with noticeably more cargo space, always a good thing to have if you're going adventuring. An extra 3 inches of ground clearance and Crawl Control round things out for the GX. While the GLE does have an off-road mode, it just isn't built into the vehicle the way it is with the GX. And that's quite literal, the body-on-frame construction of the Lexus is far more rugged than that of the unibody GLE.

Acura's compact RDX comes in at almost exactly the same price as the Lexus NX 350h, which is part of what makes it so important to note that that price includes a highly advanced hybrid system on the Lexus, but not on the Acura. This is why you see such a huge difference in fuel economy, something that will add up to a much bigger price difference over time. The Acura does have a bit more horsepower although this somehow doesn't add up to a better towing capacity.

Some of the equipment found on the NX isn't available at all on the RDX, such as the parking assist or the digital rearview mirror, both of which are a huge help with parking in cramped spaces, something compact luxury SUV owners frequently have to do. The one infotainment screen option on the RDX is a good size, very slightly larger than the one found in the NX, but unlike the RDX, the NX has an option for a bigger one which is actually standard on several trims. At 14 inches, this screen makes navigation and accessing your vehicle's functions much easier.

Going up against the Lexus RX next is the Acura MDX. These are the most popular vehicles from each brand and the competition remains fierce. Pricing is close but the Lexus has an advantage here. The Acura has a bit more horsepower but the RX has quite a bit more torque, a good thing to have with a midsize SUV. The RX also has better fuel economy across all three categories, meaning that price advantage will just grow over time.

Another aspect of the price advantage is that the RX comes much better equipped than the MDX. This includes a nicer stereo, a larger cargo capacity, and rain-sensing wipers all as standard. And then there's the equipment that isn't offered at all on the MDX, like a digital rearview mirror. There is also Safe Exit Assist, which monitors the area around your car to help keep you from opening your door into another car or a passing cyclist.

The most popular INFINITI model is the three-row QX60, which goes up against the Lexus TX. The QX60 enjoys a slight price advantage, but it quickly becomes obvious what INFINITI has left out of the QX60 to achieve that advantage. And the first thing that you’ll notice INFINITI has left out is “space” - in particular cargo space, which is something that a slight price advantage can’t make up for. Additionally, the INFINITI left out horsepower. The bigger engine in the TX produces more horsepower and torque, which is important when talking about these kinds of larger vehicles.

The ability to remotely start your vehicle is normally a standard feature on a luxury vehicle, which is why the TX comes with it, but that isn’t the case with the QX60. Likewise, the 12.3-inch configurable digital gauge cluster in the TX is larger than average, but digital gauge clusters are rapidly becoming the norm, just not for INFINITI. The QX60 does have a decent-sized infotainment touchscreen, but it isn’t quite enough to compete with the bigger one in the TX, which makes it easier to see and operate. The standard adaptive cruise control on the TX makes it a standout in this segment, so it’s not such a surprise that the QX60 doesn’t come with it. More speakers and more cargo space round out some of the biggest advantages of the TX.

The fact that the Lexus NX is offered with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain gives it an advantage over a lot of the competition but Lincoln has a plug-in hybrid option for the Corsair so we are going to compare those trims here. While the Lincoln starts out a bit cheaper, it quickly becomes obvious why. The NX packs more horsepower, allowing for a 0-60 time that's a full second quicker. Not only that, but the Lexus also has a significantly better all-electric range and a better MPGe rating.

20-inch wheels come standard on the NX and while they are also available for the Corsair, it will cost you extra. You also get heated and ventilated front seats in the NX, covered in soft leather as standard. The leather seats in the Corsair only come with heating as ventilation will cost you extra. If you want a head up display, like is standard on the Lexus, you will also have to pay extra on the Lincoln. In fact, the option package that gives you just the features we've mentioned here puts the price of the Corsair plug-in up over $60,000, more than undoing that initial lower price.