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Most people don’t look to cars and SUVs to find good value, especially in the luxury segment. The Lexus brand isn’t just releasing quality vehicles; three of its SUVs have earned the title of some of the lowest five-year cost-to-own cars available. Those three Lexus SUVs are the NX, UX, and America’s favorite luxury SUV, the RX.

Are Lexus SUVs high quality?

This 2023 Lexus SUV is the 2023 Lexus RX 350
2023 Lexus RX | Lexus

As the luxury arm of Toyota, Lexus SUVs are high-quality luxury vehicles. Three Lexus SUVs took home the Kelley Blue Book Five-Year Cost-to-Own award. What does that mean exactly? It means that the 2023 Lexus UX, 2023 Lexus NX, and 2023 Lexus RX all have lower-than-average costs than the segment average. As luxury cars go, these vehicles tend to cost more for maintenance and upkeep.

There are a lot of different costs associated with owning a vehicle that should be factored into any car-buying decision. Costs like insurance, maintenance, gas, and depreciation are some of the bigger ones. Even though Lexus is a luxury brand, its vehicles have low maintenance costs that tend to run long without too much fuss.

Lexus took home the award for the best luxury brand. It has a reputation for building reliable, high-quality vehicles with low ownership costs.

Which Lexus SUVs have the lowest ownership costs?

This 2023 Lexus SUV is the NX
2023 Lexus NX | Amanda Cline, MotorBiscuit

The Lexus UX was a good value during the first five years of ownership in the subcompact luxury SUV category. The UX starts at $35,925 for 2023, while a fully loaded UX 250h F Sport Handling is $43,355. Calculations show that the 2023 UX has a five-year cost-to-own amount of $46,962. That includes whatever its initial cost was, ongoing ownership expenses, and what the sport utility vehicle will be worth at the end of five years. Compared to the segment, that’s about $2,605 cheaper.

Make & ModelSegmentFive-Year Cost-to-OwnSavings to Segment Average
2023 Lexus UXSubcompact Luxury SUV$46,962-$2,605
2023 Lexus NXCompact Luxury SUV$52,998-$7,041
2023 Lexus RXMidsize Luxury SUV$62,175-$10,420
Lexus SUVs

Moving up to the compact luxury SUV segment, the Lexus NX has a predicted five-year cost-to-own of $52,998. The 2023 Lexus NX starts at $38,605, while a fully loaded NX 450h+ costs $56,555. Compared to the segment average, that is $7,041 cheaper.

It is a similar story to the Lexus RX, which has a five-year cost-to-own estimation of $62,175. The 2023 RX 350 starts at $48,950, while a fully loaded RX 500h is $63,150. Compared to other midsize luxury vehicles, the average Lexus RX is $10,420 cheaper.

Are Lexus SUVs safe?

This Lexus SUV is the 2023 Lexus UX
2023 Lexus UX | Lexus

One of the reasons drivers like Lexus SUVs so much is also due to vehicle safety. All three Lexus models discussed here earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus award for 2023. The 2023 UX, NX, and RX achieved the highest score possible on the main crashworthiness tests, along with the new crash avoidance and mitigation segments.

Overall, these luxury SUVs make a pretty strong case. If you are looking for a reliable vehicle that holds its value well and has high safety scores, all signs point to these models.

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