This reliable Lexus SUV outperforms any Mercedes-Benz in its class

No one wants to buy a car or SUV knowing that it will ruin them financially in maintenance and repair costs. As such, buyers with discerning tastes often scour the internet for luxury cars with industry-leading reliability ratings. That’s when car buyers vote with their wallets, depriving dealers of their inventory.

When it comes to popular luxury SUVs with bragging reliability ratings, few fancy nameplates sell better than the Lax NI. In fact, Lexus’ popular subcompact luxury SUV outpaced all of its biggest competitors from Mercedes-Benz. That includes Stuttgart’s closest rival to the NX, the small Mercedes-Benz GLB.

The Lexus NX boasts serious sales in the luxury SUV segment

Granted, in the luxury SUV segment you won’t find the kind of sales numbers you would in more economical models. After all, Toyota managed to shift 475,193 RAV4s last year. Such figures made the RAV4 not only the best-selling compact SUV on the market, but also the best-selling SUV of the year. Let’s face it: nothing with a Lexus badge (and a Lexus price tag) comes close to those numbers. But Lexus still has bragging rights in the luxury SUV segment, and it’s not just the RX.

Last year, the Japanese brand sold 74,488 Lexus NXs, almost as many as the year before. And this year looks just as promising for the brand’s popular subcompact luxury SUV. According to Good carBad carLexus has sold 62,808 NXs to date. That puts the NX on course to maintain the healthy sales figures of 2023 and 2024. It also allows the NX to outpace all of its comparable Mercedes-Benz offerings.

Sales figures

Rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLB are miles behind

Sure, the 2025 Lexus NX has competition in this segment. But when it comes to sales, the subcompact Lexus SUV is sitting pretty. Mercedes-Benz sold approximately 7,296 units of its comparable GLB at the end of Q3 2025. That’s for the whole year. The NX, on the other hand, enjoyed almost three times as many sales in the second quarter of this year alone.

The news doesn’t get any better when you look at the year-over-year sales of the Mercedes-Benz GLB. In 2024, American buyers took home 14,860 Mercedes-Benz GLBs. That’s an 11 percent drop from Mercedes-Benz’s 16,710 units sold in 2023. In fact, sales of the GLB haven’t increased year over year since 2021, when figures rose from 23,185 to 26,676.

Sales figures per segment

It’s not the first time the NX has outpaced its rivals

This is not the first year that the Lexus NX has achieved impressive sales figures. Before Lexus sold 74,488 NXs in 2024, the brand shifted 74,526 units in 2023. It is notable that sales of the Lexus NX in 2023 represent an increase of 25,524 units compared to 2022. In short: the Lexus NX has been outperforming its competition in the subcompact luxury SUV segment for years.

The NX does not dethrone its more popular brother

Just because the Lexus NX outsells its nearest rivals with Mercedes-Benz badging doesn’t mean it’s the best-selling model in the Lexus range. No, that bragging rights belong to the Lexus RX, the equally reliable, if bigger, brother of the NX. Last year, Lexus sold 118,636 of its best-selling model.

This year appears to be going well for the Lexus RX, although it is also a bit behind the pace of 2024. Lexus sold 78,794 RXs in the first three quarters of 2025. That’s more than the total number of NXs the brand sold in 2024, and the year isn’t over yet. But since it outsold almost consistently month over month in 2024, it doesn’t seem like RX volume will be that high this year.

Built to last: the NX features industry-leading reliability

There is at least one reason for the popularity of the Lexus NX. As you would expect, this is the model’s reputation for reliability and dependability. Not only does the NX boast top ratings for overall reliability, but its expected reliability also puts it ahead of Mercedes-Benz’s biggest competition.

According to JD powerthe 2025 Lexus NX receives an 85 out of 100 for quality and reliability based on factors such as consumer-reported defects and malfunctions. That’s five more than the last evaluation of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLB. It’s also enough to give the NX an overall score of 83 JD powerwhich took first place in the compact premium SUV category together with the BMW X4 and the Porsche Macan.

A brand reputation for reliability

It’s not just the NX either. As a brand, Lexus consistently scores the highest reliability ratings. In JD Power’s rankings, Lexus ranks first among popular automakers in overall vehicle reliability for the third consecutive year. To achieve that bragging rights, the Japanese brand had a score of 140 problems per 100 vehicles in the Vehicle Dependability Study.

That may sound like a lot, but it’s much lower than the automaker’s biggest competitors. For example, Cadillac, the second-place brand, had a score of 169 problems per 100 vehicles. Porsche followed Cadillac with 186 problems per 100 vehicles and took third place.

The Lexus NX undercuts the price of the Mercedes-Benz GLB

In terms of price, the 2025 Lexus NX comes in just below its closest rivals at Mercedes-Benz. Well, barely. The base NX 250, with its 203-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, starts at $41,965, including the $1,150 delivery fee. However, if you go for a top-of-the-line NX 350 Luxury, the price tag will rise to $51,790 before any additional options are added.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLBon the other hand, starts at $45,800 for the entry-level GLB 250. Of course, the Lexus NX is also available as a hybrid, swapping the ICE four-cylinder duo for a standard hybrid or plug-in hybrid application. The hybrid lineup starts with a $46,275 NX 350h trim and goes up to $63,480 for the range-topping NX 450h+ F SPORT Handling.

Pricing information

*includes delivery, processing and handling fee of $1,150

Is the Lexus NX the best in the segment?

So the 2025 Lexus NX is a best-selling option for buyers in the segment looking for a reliable subcompact luxury SUV. However, that doesn’t mean the NX is the perfect solution for its closest competitors. The NX can pat itself on the back in terms of reliability, practicality and, at higher trims, luxury. But it is far from the sharpest competitor in its segment.

Buyers looking for a more thrilling ride may want to look elsewhere. The BMW X1, for example, is a much tighter package for spirited driving than the Lexus NX. Likewise, the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Stuttgart’s smallest SUV option for 2025, is a more athletic vehicle than the NX. Still, the sales figures don’t lie and Lexus’ reliable subcompact SUV continues to perform.

Sources: JD powerThe EPA, Good carBad car, NHTSA