Subaru Forester vs Lexus NX250
What's the difference?

Subaru Forester

$43,490 - $55,990

2026 price

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Lexus NX250

$42,990 - $58,888

2023 price

View pricing & specs

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mini Countryman

Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2026 Subaru Forester

2023 Lexus NX250

By Marcus Craft

By Byron Mathioudakis

Safety Rating

Engine Type

—

Inline 4, 2.5L

Fuel Type

—

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

—

6.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Nice interior
Refined on-road
Suitably capable off-road

Affordability and equipment
Elegant outside, luxurious inside
Hugely quieter and more refined than before

Dislikes

Sluggish acceleration
Needs all-terrain tyres
Intrusive driver alert system

Driver-assist tech could use some Aussie road tuning
Hard to tell apart from previous design
NX 250 engine needs the open road to truly shine

2026 Subaru Forester Summary

The sixth-generation of Subaru’s Forester has landed and while the new hybrid versions constitute the biggest news of this batch, the petrol-only variants should not be ignored.

The five-seat mid-size SUV has a 2.5-litre four-cylinder 'boxer' engine, Subaru’s well-regarded 'symmetrical all-wheel drive' system and some new changes inside and out.

So, does the top-spec Touring offer the best value-for-money in the petrol Forester line-up?

Read on.

View full pricing & specs

2023 Lexus NX250 Summary

As far as clichés go, attempting to make “a silk purse from a sow’s ear” couldn’t be more apt than when contemplating the original NX of 2014.

What was essentially the Lexus-fication of the vocal, fidgety and thirsty old Toyota RAV4 may have worked a treat sales-wise, but proved trickier when assessed against the lens of a BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60 rival.

The earliest NX just wasn’t refined enough.

This was especially true following the reborn RAV4 arrival in 2019, proving to be embarrassingly more competent – even compared to most luxury midsized SUV alternatives.

Now, finally, the NX redesign has followed suit, moving on to a variation of the Toyota’s stronger, quieter and more advanced TNGA architecture (dubbed GA-K) as a starting base.

Speaking of which, let’s dive straight into the least-expensive version, the NX 250 Luxury 2WD auto, to find out if the most popular Lexus model in Australia has finally found its mojo.

View full pricing & specs

Deep dive comparison

2026 Subaru Forester 2023 Lexus NX250

Verdict

The MY26 Subaru Forester packs plenty of punch in terms of standard features, a roomy and functional interior and overall driveability. Sure, it’s not the most exciting vehicle to drive on- or off-road but to get stuck on that is to miss the point entirely. This is a decent all-rounder with a solid background and an AWD system that long ago set the gold standard for vehicles of this type.

In a tough mid-size SUV market segment aimed more at those intent on driving through car parks rather than adventuring through national parks, the Forester offers greater versatility than most and should not be ignored.

Verdict

So, is the cheapest Lexus NX the grade you’d skip? Depends on where you live and drive.

If you’re urban based and bound, save up a bit more and go the petrol-electric hybrid; otherwise, out on country roads especially, the spirited and sporty NX 250 is more than up to the task.

Either way, though, the latest NX is finally fit to fight the other premium brands’ medium SUV efforts, head on and held up high. Welcome to big mid league, Lexus.

Ignore or underestimate at your own peril, everybody else.

Subaru Forester vs Lexus NX250 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Subaru Forester vs Lexus NX250
What's the difference?