Tesla Model Y vs Lexus NX

What's the difference?

Tesla promised wholesale improvements to the Model Y, and this Juniper update delivers where it counts. But with increased, and sometimes cheaper, competition arriving every day, the pressure remains on Tesla to keep the Model Y ahead of the pack.

The NX 450h+ Luxury combines high build quality and upmarket looks with plug-in hybrid convenience/performance/economy and numerous luxury appointments. It’s a competent all-rounder that's difficult to fault and clearly meets the needs of many prestige mid-size SUV buyers.

We’re not talking massive changes here – more a modernising of the Model Y offering that doesn’t really change the shape or dimensions. 

The most noticeable changes outside are the front and rear light bars, spanning the width of both the bonnet and the boot. They’re a nice touch, and seriously soften what many (including me) consider the worst angles of the Model Y. There are also new headlights, a refreshed front bumper and a new look for the alloy wheels.

Inside, it is the absolute definition of pared-back minimalism. In fact, some could argue it’s gone a little bit too far.

There are no physical buttons anywhere but on the steering wheel, and there's just the one stalk, which has the sole function of operating the indicators. Everything else - mirrors, windscreen wipers, headlights etc - are accessed either through the steering wheel, or through the central screen.

And that includes the gear selector, which is now a swipe-down-for-reverse, swipe-up-for-drive function on the central screen. You might love that, but I don't. I'm sure I'd get more used to it, but initially it did nothing but slow down how quickly I could get the car moving.

Helpfully, the central screen is big and very easy use, and logging into Spotify and Apple CarPlay does largely negate the missing phone mirroring – though if the function exists, I couldn't get it to read my incoming texts to me.

Our test car's cabin was black but highlighted with quality-feeling fabric panels in the doors and on the dash, which are then framed by a metallic-feeling mesh, helping the Model Y's cabin feel definitely elevated from the vehicles that came before it.

The exterior is a sculptured blend of sharp creases and flowing curves which create a sporty and sophisticated appearance that clearly appeals to many buyers.

The interior looks and feels about as spacious and airy as you could realistically expect in a mid-sized SUV, which is enhanced with the roof open and sunshine pouring in.

The boldly contrasting two-tone grey and camel interior trim in our test vehicle adds to its visual appeal although we suspect such a bold colour choice could also be a stain magnet in everyday use, particularly for young families with lots of sticky kids’ stuff onboard.

The new Model Y stretches 4792mm long, 1982mm wide and 1624mm tall, and the practicality perks of the outgoing model still shine strongly in this new version.

Climb into the backseat and you’ll find a seriously spacious area, and one that feels even bigger and lighter thanks to the completely flat floor and the glass roof.

Even sitting behind my own 175cm driving position, there was ample knee and headroom, and the addition of the 8.0-inch rear screen, which supports two headphone connections, is a clever touch. Gone are the mind-numbing days of staring out the window on long family road trips. Now, kids get access to YouTube, Netflix and a heap of games.

There are also two USB charge points, and a pull-down divider that separates the comfortable rear seats. The door pockets front and rear are sizeable, and cabin storage abounds, including a hugely deep storage bin that separates the front seats.

Open the boot, and remove the shade, and you'll find another fairly massive storage area, including a deep hidden area under the boot floor. But you won't find a spare tyre – instead Tesla offers a 24-hour call-out service for the life of the warranty, where someone will come and repair or replace your tyre, should you have an issue.

Tesla isn't good at detailing specifics about its vehicles, but says you can expect a total 2138 litres of storage space in the Model Y, presumably with the rear seats folded flat and measured to the ceiling.

Its compact dimensions of 4660mm length, 1865mm width and 1660mm height make the usual driving chores in congested urban settings, particularly tight inner-city streets and parking spaces, much easier than a full-size SUV.

With its 2050kg kerb weight and 2540kg GVM, it has a load capacity of 490kg of which up to 75kg can be carried on the roof rails using approved racks.

While almost half a tonne of load capacity may seem ample, keep in mind that the combined weight of five large adults could reach that limit before you could start loading their luggage.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1000kg of braked trailer, which would be ideal for hauling small trailers with a recreational focus like fold-out campers, jet-skis, trail bikes etc. However, Lexus does not publish a GCM figure, so for weekend escapees we don’t know how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time.

There’s more than adequate space for the driver and front passenger, along with storage that includes a bottle-holder and bin in each door, overhead glasses holder and a single glove box.

The centre console has two cupholders and a deep box with padded lid that doubles as a comfy elbow rest. You’ll also find a quartet of USB ports, a 12V socket and wireless phone charging pad.

The rear bench seat is surprisingly accommodating for tall people, given I’m 186cm and when seated behind the driver’s seat set in my position I still have sufficient knee clearance and headroom.

However, with three up, those in the centre must compete for shoulder space plus have their feet either side of the transmission tunnel and knees together between the front seat backrests. So, three adults is okay for short trips but should be capped at two for longer drives.

Rear passenger storage includes a bottle-holder and bin in each door, pockets on both front seat backrests and two cupholders with the centre seat backrest folded forward. The rear of the centre console has adjustable air vents, rear seat heating controls, another 12V socket and a pair of USB ports.

The power tailgate can open by waving your foot under the rear bumper (useful when hands are full) to gain access to the rear luggage area, which provides numerous internal hooks for securing cargo straps or nets plus underfloor storage for the charging cables and more.

This luggage area offers up to 520 litres (more than half a cubic metre) of load volume with the rear seat upright. It expands into what is effectively a small van when the rear seat is folded flat, which can carry everything from a mountain bike to flatpack furniture.

Our test vehicle is the NX 450h+ Luxury (launched late 2025) which sits one rung below the premium 450h+ F Sport on the model ladder. Even though they share the same PHEV all-wheel drive (AWD) underpinnings, the Luxury’s emphasis on providing more affordable luxury at the highest level is reflected in its list price of $84,500, before on-road costs, which is $11,500 less than its F-Sport sibling. Our example is finished in optional 'Graphite Black' prestige paint available at extra cost.

As you’d expect there are plenty of items on the standard equipment list including 18-inch alloy wheels with 235/60 R18 tyres and an inflator/repair kit (no spare), heated door mirrors, tilt-and-slide moonroof, a rear spoiler, roof rails and LED headlights/DRLs to name a few.

Step inside using the smart entry and start function and drivers are treated to luxuries like front seat heating/ventilation with 12-way power adjustment (eight-way passenger), a heated steering wheel with paddle shifters and power height/reach adjustment, digital multi-information display, an electric parking brake, traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitoring and active parking aids.

There’s also outer rear seat heating, dual-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, multiple USB ports, 10-speaker premium sound, a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen with multiple connectivity including wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and lots more.

Again, Tesla keeps its cards close to its chest on specific outputs, but data we've seen points to this Tesla's rear-mounted electric motor producing 255kW, a smallish increase from the 220kW of the outgoing model.

Tesla says that's enough to produce a sprint to 100km/h time of 5.9 seconds.

The sophisticated PHEV drivetrain with electronic AWD comprises a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 136kW of power and 227Nm of torque to the front wheels through a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

There’s also electric motors front and rear, fed by an 18.1kWh lithium-ion traction battery that can provide limited electric-only driving range.

The front electric motor, which assists with driving the front wheels through the CVT, produces 134kW/270Nm while a smaller one exclusively drives the rear wheels with 40kW/121Nm. Although the combined output from these three power sources is 310kW, Lexus claims a total system output of only 227kW to optimise efficiency and reliability.

The petrol engine and electric motor outputs are electronically synchronised and traction is continuously monitored to automatically vary the amount of power being sent to the front or rear wheels to optimise stability and traction in all conditions.

There’s also a choice of drive modes comprising 'Normal', 'Sport' and 'Eco' and paddles on the steering wheel allow manual shifting of the CVT 'ratios' for a more engaging drive, or to increase the regenerative braking effect (like using lower ratios on descents etc).

Several operational modes can also be selected including electric-only driving (we covered 60km on one full charge and 56km on another) and two modes of hybrid driving, plus battery charging while driving courtesy of the petrol engine which during our test charged the battery from near zero to 100 per cent in 56km.

There’s also external plug-in charging of course. At home we used the three-pin domestic wall socket compatible 10A charger/AC Type 2 cable supplied with the vehicle, which took about six hours (at a tiny 2.3kW) to charge from 35-100 per cent.

Again, more cloak and dagger from Tesla here, but most reporting suggests a 75kWh battery is housed beneath the new Model Y.

We do know that our rear-drive Model Y will deliver a claimed 466km driving range on the WLTP cycle.

Charging is capped at a reported 220kW, with the brand suggesting 238km in driving range can be added in 15 minutes when using a 175kW Supercharger. Home AC charging is capped at 11kW.

Lexus claims average combined consumption of only 1.3L/100km, achieved in ideal lab conditions which is largely irrelevant. When we stopped to refuel after 424km of real-world testing, which included our usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving and switching between the different modes (including 116km of electric-only driving), the dash display was showing 5.7L/100km.

That was close to our own figure of 5.4 calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, so based on our test consumption and depending on the mix of drive modes used, you could expect a realistic driving range of up to 1000km from its 55-litre tank which prefers 95RON premium petrol.

Reviewing a Tesla Model Y at the moment is no mean feat. The company's very public figurehead is fighting for a front-row grid position in the battle for world's most unlikeable human at the moment.

But anyway, journalist hat on, personal views aside, Tesla has done a good job with the new Model Y. I actually didn't much like the outgoing model – the ride was too harsh, the steering too darty and the cabin too austere – but Tesla has comprehensively overhauled each of those drawbacks to create a car that is genuinely much better than it has ever been before.

Let's start with the cabin. It's still austere, but the quality feels higher and more premium, and while I'll die on a hill of the screen-controlled drive selector being a bad idea, it is otherwise now a nice place to spend time. The screen and the software powering it largely replace the perks of Apple CarPlay, and the addition of the rear screen is a very good one, too.

But the biggest improvements are in the way the Model Y drives. It's far more compliant on Sydney roads, while the steering sensitivity has been dialled back so it doesn't feel as though you're constantly making corrections.

I also like the power delivery in the RWD. It's not lightning fast, but the grunt is constant and feels really instantaneous and usable.

It's no sports car, though. Our test car took in some of the windiest roads in greater Sydney and beyond, and while the body roll and composure feels on point, the Model Y does struggle with really sharp cornering. The aggressive traction control was a constant passenger on the really challenging stuff.

Overall, the improvements are good, and very noticeable.

The cabin is what you might call ‘cosy’ for tall people like me (186cm) but there’s still adequate room to find a comfortable driving position.

The ride quality is noticeably firm, which contributes to its sporty feel. The steering is nicely weighted with good response and braking is reassuringly strong.

Acceleration in full-electric and hybrid modes is brisk but not exceptional and about what you’d expect from this powertrain, which engages the rear electric motor for standing starts and other situations to ensure all-wheel drive traction is being deployed when you need it most.

We sampled the different drive modes, with 'Sport' providing a more engaging feel (particularly when manual shifting using the paddle shifters), 'Eco' producing a more subdued response to optimise range and the default 'Normal' providing a pleasant compromise.

Even so, despite its technical wizardry and generous choice of driver preferences, we reckon most daily driving owners would simply plug-in and charge each night, start off in electric-only mode and if needed continue in ‘Normal’ hybrid mode.

The NX has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating (awarded 2022), eight airbags and a suite of active safety features including AEB with pedestrian and daytime cyclist/motorcycle detection, steering assist, lane-keeping, safe exit assist, rear cross traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, LED DRLs, tyre pressure warning and lots more. The rear seat is equipped with two ISOFIX child seat anchorages and three top tethers.

Underwhelming, I'm afraid. A four-year/80,000km warranty might be the worst offered by any mainstream brand in the country. For the record, five-year/unlimited km is now the minimum standard, with many brands far exceeding that.

Servicing intervals are a bit scattered, with the brand instead listing when things need to be done, rather than a traditional schedule.

Comes standard with a five years/unlimited km warranty. Same applies to the lithium-ion traction battery, which is eligible for additional warranty coverage of up to five years (so 10 years in total) based on annual inspections.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km, whichever occurs first. Capped pricing, which applies to the first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km, totals $3225 or an average of $645 per service.