Affordable Japanese luxury SUV outsells every Mercedes rival

No one wants a luxury SUV that drains their wallet from maintenance and repairs. Savvy buyers often spend hours online looking for vehicles that combine top-notch quality with rock-solid reliability.

When they find a product that meets both criteria, they vote with their wallets—and dealers feel it.

Few luxury SUVs can sell in such high numbers while earning top reliability scores, with one Japanese small SUV outselling all of its German rivals, including the Mercedes-Benz GLB.

In order to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to prepare this article was obtained from the Lexus website and other authoritative sources, including the EPA, GoodCarBadCar, JD Power, NHTSA and TopSpeed.

Lexus NX dominates luxury SUV sales

Of course, luxury SUVs don’t sell as well as their more affordable counterparts. Last year, Toyota RAV4 sold 475,193 units, enough to make it the best-selling SUV.

The pricier Lexus cannot achieve such sales.

But in the luxury SUV segment, Lexus still has a lot to brag about, and it’s not just the RX that leads the way.

Last year, the Japanese brand sold 74,488 NX units, almost the same as the previous year.

For a subcompact luxury SUV, this year’s performance is equally good. According to the latest data, Lexus has sold 62,808 NX units so far this year.

This has allowed the NX to maintain strong sales momentum and enable it to outsell all similar models from Mercedes-Benz.

Lexus NX sales figures for 2025

Mercedes’ rivals are falling behind

Of course, the 2025 NX has plenty of competitors in its segment.

But in terms of sales, the subcompact Lexus SUV is doing pretty well. By the end of the third quarter of 2025, Mercedes-Benz had sold approximately 7,296 GLB units (full year total).

By comparison, the NX nearly tripled its sales in the second quarter alone.

From a year-on-year sales perspective, the performance of the Mercedes-Benz GLB is not much better.

U.S. buyers purchased 14,860 GLBs in 2024, down 11% from the 16,710 units sold in 2023.

In fact, the GLB hasn’t seen year-over-year growth since sales increased from 23,185 to 26,676 units in 2021.

Segment sales data

NX continues to outperform the competition

Lexus NX sales are nothing new.

In 2024, Lexus sold 74,488 NX units, almost the same as 2023’s sales of 74,526 units.

Sales in 2023 are 25,524 units higher than in 2022, indicating that the NX has been outselling its rivals in the subcompact luxury SUV segment for several years.

NX doesn’t outdo its big brother

Just because the NX outsells its closest Mercedes-Benz rival doesn’t mean it’s the best-selling model in the Lexus lineup.

That honor belongs to the larger, equally reliable RX.

Last year, Lexus RX sales reached 118,636 units, firmly ranking as the brand’s best-selling model.

The Lexus RX looks strong this year, albeit a bit off last year’s pace.

As of the first three quarters of 2025, Lexus RX sales are 78,794 units, which has exceeded the total sales of NX in 2024.

But since the RX almost always posts higher monthly sales in 2024, it doesn’t seem like it will hit the same high sales totals in 2025.

NX delivers best-in-class reliability

There’s an obvious reason why the Lexus NX is so popular.

It’s all about dependability and dependability. The NX received top marks for overall reliability and is expected to outperform its nearest Mercedes-Benz rival.

Taking into account Consumer Reports’ flaws and failures, JD Power gave the 2025 NX a score of 85 out of 100 for quality and reliability.

That’s five points better than the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLB’s score.

It also earned the NX an overall score of 83 points, tying it with the BMW X4 and Porsche Macan for first place in the compact premium SUV category.

Lexus’ reputation for reliability speaks for itself

It’s not just the NX that’s leading the way. Lexus, as a brand, consistently gets top marks for reliability.

For the third consecutive year, Lexus ranks No. 1 among popular automakers for overall vehicle reliability in J.D. Power’s rankings.

Earn them bragging points, right? In the vehicle reliability study, only 140 problems occurred per 100 vehicles.

It may sound high at first, but it’s still much better than many of its competitors.

Cadillac, in second place, reported 169 problems per 100 vehicles.

Porsche followed in third place with 186 problems per 100 vehicles.

The price of the NX is lower than that of the Mercedes GLB

In terms of price, the 2025 NX slightly outperforms its Mercedes-Benz rivals.

The base NX 250, powered by a 203-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, starts at $41,965, including $1,150 destination charge.

Step up to the range-topping NX 350 Luxury, and the price climbs to $51,790 before adding any options.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLB starts at $45,800 for the base GLB 250.

The Lexus NX also offers a hybrid option, replacing the standard four-cylinder engine with a hybrid or plug-in hybrid unit.

The hybrid range starts at $46,275 for the NX 350h and tops out at $63,480 for the NX 450h+ F SPORT Handling.

Lexus NX Pricing Information

*Includes $1,150 shipping, processing and handling fee

Can the NX be the best car in the segment?

The 2025 Lexus NX is a top choice for shoppers looking for a reliable subcompact luxury SUV.

That doesn’t mean it’s perfect among its closest competitors.

The NX earns points for its reliability, practicality and increased trim luxury, but it’s not the best player in the segment.

Shoppers looking for a more exciting driving experience may want to look elsewhere.

Compared to the NX, the BMW X1 offers a tighter, more dynamic ride, while the Mercedes-Benz GLA’s handling is more agile.

Even so, the numbers don’t lie—Lexus’ reliable small SUV continues to sell well.