Used Lexus NX review and buying guide (2014 to 2021): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Lexus NX should you buy?

No year of NX from 2014 to 2021 stands out as one to dodge, because there's no known fault logged against any of them. It's one generation throughout, so you're choosing on the car in front of you rather than on age. The one thing that rules a car out is a missing parking brake recall: both the NX200t petrol and NX300h hybrid needed their brake control software corrected.

Don't read the short fault list as proof the NX is bulletproof, and don't assume a 2021 car's better than a 2014 one, since nothing shows the later cars were changed. What'll decide it for most buyers is how it drives. F Sport models pipe in a fake exhaust note that gets tiresome quickly, so if that's the trim you're after, drive it long enough to know whether you can live with it.

Which NX engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

There's nothing on reliability to separate the NX200t petrol from the NX300h hybrid, since neither has a known fault against it. The gearbox is what you'll notice. The CVT holds the engine at high revs under hard acceleration, and it's noisy and unpleasant, so give it a full-throttle pull up a hill on the test drive before deciding you can put up with it every day.

One owner's 2021 NX300h was left undriveable at 3000 miles when a single spark plug failed. The misfire on that one cylinder threw the hybrid system so far out of step that the car wouldn't go, even with three good cylinders. That's one car rather than a pattern, but don't buy an NX300h that's running rough or showing a hybrid warning until the cause has been found.

What should you check when viewing a used NX?

Ask for paperwork showing the parking brake recall's been done. Without the fix, the brake sometimes didn't set itself when brake hold switched off, for instance when the driver undid their seat belt. With the engine running, check the airbag light goes out too: there was a 2015 to 2016 NX airbag wiring recall for an open circuit, though it was a North American one and nothing says UK cars were included.

Quiz the seller about the 12v battery. One owner's March 2018 NX went flat after standing for 5 weeks, then again after two weeks, and a dealer found nothing draining it. That's one car, so it isn't grounds to rule an NX out, but if this one's been parked up for a while, see that it starts cleanly and ask whether the battery's been replaced.

Get down with a torch and look behind the front bumper and grille. There's a report of stones getting through the front of an NX and damaging enough of the parts behind it to leave the car immobile, so check for chips, dents and anything cracked or hanging loose in there, and ask what's been repaired if the front end looks freshly painted.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used Lexus NX cost to run?

What do NX owners like about them?

Sit in an NX and it comes across as a properly high quality piece of work. The interior's the highlight, with a cabin design that's fresher and more modern than the ones in other Lexus models of the same years, and that's the thing that makes it feel special next to its older siblings every time you get in.

On Premier models and above, the odd mouse-style controller was swapped for a touchpad, which is easier to get along with. If the car you're viewing still has the mouse, spend a few minutes using it to change settings while you're parked, so you know before you buy whether it's going to annoy you on every drive.

• The Lexus NX provides a strong impression of being a high-quality, well-built product.
• The interior design of this model is impressive and more contemporary compared to other Lexus vehicles.
• The Lexus NX received a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, with strong scores for adult and child occupant protection.