2025 Lexus RX vs Lincoln Nautilus, Genesis GV80, Acura MDX- Finding the Best Luxury Midsize SUV

Luxury SUVs. Can't get enough of them. And in today's competitive market, it's not enough for a car to just bury us from place to place. But it also must make us feel like we're living in the lap of luxury. Welcome to this emergency comb. Chances are, if you're playing this session, you're in need of immediate stress relief. There are a few ways of pulling this off. There's upmarket cabin material, smooth ride quality, state-of-the-art technology, and that highly elusive and oftentimes indecipherable x-factor. It must feel luxurious. So what does that mean? Well, today we've assembled the best of the best midsize luxury SUVs from Lexus, Acura, Lincoln, and Genesis to compare and contrast so you can find out which one is best worth your attention. As a bit of a programming note, you'll see much, if not all, of this video filmed on the twisting mountain roads of Southern California. This was done purely for aesthetic purposes as the scenery is stunning. But you should know that we conducted this comparison across all types of roads so as to capture the most realistic impressions. So we're kicking off this day with the Lexus RX 500h. The Lexus RX is basically the gold standard of luxury midsize SUVs. You can argue this is the car that started the whole movement when it first came out in the late 90s. The 500h F Sport performance we have today is the sportiest version, with a 366 horsepower turbocharged hybrid four-cylinder. By itself, the 500h costs just under $65,000 minus freight and handling fees. But this particular car has options like the premium audio system and is the Black Line Special Edition, which gives it that gray exterior color, 21-inch black wheels, and orange brake calipers. After all that, the MSRP comes to $74,900. It's a strong contender for sure, and I'm checking it out with Aaron Gold. Thank you for being here, Aaron. Welcome to my office. Well, thank you for having me, Kristen. So as our first contender in this luxury comparison, I like the way it drives. It's very buttoned down. There's really good low-end power actually from the hybrid, so it gets off the line fairly quickly. And also in these curvy roads, pretty fun to drive. See, this is the thing that blows me away, because I don't know if the audience knows this, but I'm a little older than you, Kristen. What gave it away? I never thought I would ever lead off a Lexus review with, I enjoy driving this Lexus. I enjoy driving this Lexus. Yeah, I mean before they really were kind of glorified Toyotas in years past. This thing's really great. The platform's really good. It's maybe not what you buy a luxury car for, although I think sport and luxury have always been a little intertwined, but this thing is actually amazingly entertaining. You actually bring up a good point, because I feel like when Lexus really made a name for itself, which is the late 90s, early 2000s, really leaned into that luxury, comfort, executive, you know, direction. And recently there's been a switch, and Lexus decided it wants to pursue sportiness. So strangely, this RX feels a lot sportier to drive than its actual sports cars, like the IS500, which is kind of a funny thing. Yeah, I know. I think that goes back to when Toyota is like, no more boring cars out of Toyota or Lexus. But it's funny, because really where Lexus made their name is in solidity and perfect build quality. And that is what really struck me about the RX, because it hasn't given up on that. Of all the cars I drove for this comparison, Lexus feels so solid, so well put together, and that is an important aspect of luxury. Very true. And there are upmarket materials in here, like the leathers are soft. The screen is big, and it's easy to read. Even the touch points are very crisp. They're very responsive. I do like that they delegated the climate to the lower half of the screen. It's not like you're grasping for it blindly when you're on a road that you need to take your eyes off of it. That's not happening here. And it's a very comfortable car. You feel supported in the seats. They're nicely bolstered. The foam is good. It's comfortable, yeah. Well, with your driving, you definitely need these bolsters in these curves, that for sure. And an easy egress, which is important when you're driving, Kristen. Yeah, the materials are really nice, but see, this is the problem. Something missing, right? Do you feel like there's something missing? It's like I look around and go, whose idea of luxury is this? Kind of. And I'm not saying everything should be like an old Jaguar with leather and wood beams hewn from an old ship, you know, hanging from the ceiling. I like the materials, but the decor just, is this a young person's idea of luxury? It's very sporty and streamlined, bordering on aggressive, I think. And maybe it's because this particular trim, everything is just the same color, but it kind of makes it monochromatic and boring. And it's these, some of these shapes, I mean, part of what I look to in a luxury car is I want something that feels like an oasis. I want to relax. I want something that's going to set me at ease, especially, we live in Los Angeles, tons of luxury cars, tons of traffic. You need something that can kind of take you away from your, the, whatever the stresses of your daily life. That's part of why you get in a luxury car, right? It's just like a little miniature oasis, this nice comfy pod to take you home. And I find these angular shapes kind of jarring, you know, and a sporty car, good sporty decor does put you on edge a little bit. This is just not relaxing. But all the time I drove this, I kept thinking, you know, the real solid goodness of the foundation of this car, I would enjoy this so much more in a different model with a different trim, something oriented a little bit more towards traditional luxury. Yes. And this is not to say Lexus doesn't make this car individually, does, but we looked at it, we spec'd one out online, like it comes in a nice red, but in terms of the, that opulence, that over the topness, that seems to be lacking. And that doesn't take away from the fact that this is a spectacular daily driving SUV that adds a little spice of fun to your commutes. Not at all. We're just looking for that little something extra. We were looking for luxury cars that kind of give us that, that upscale feel. And I think the Lexus, like I said, it has the structure that feels like a good thing that you bought, the expensive thing, but I just don't quite get the nice, relaxing Oasis vibe that I got from some of the other vehicles in this, in this comparison. Yes, agree. Let's go see what else we got. Aaron makes a good point, which is that, at least in a luxury SUV, you want to feel like you're sitting in a relaxing Oasis. But Lexus, while great in other ways, didn't exactly deliver on that front. So we're moving on to one of the newest names in the luxury space. Okay, so we've just gotten out of the Lexus RX, and now we are getting into the Genesis GV80. With me is our special guest, Miguel. Hello. Genesis is a relatively late newcomer, an offshoot from the Hyundai Kia Corporation, and it's already hit the ground running with excellent cars like the GV80. A recent refresh gives us a sweeping 27-inch OLED screen, which joins the already stunning interior. Under the hood, you'll find a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that makes 375 horsepower. This GV80 is in the top-tier Prestige all-wheel drive trim, which means you get the 22-inch wheels, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, and Nappa leather seating surfaces throughout. Outside of the $1,500 matte green paint, this model didn't come with any other optional extras, so MSRP comes to $82,150, the most expensive car here today. So, I'm so excited to drive this car, to ride in this car, for you to drive me around in this car. Already, just like looking around, visually it hits, right? I know, right? There's so much to look at. It's very colorful. It's very, very colorful. In a good way. I know. So, let's get driving, and we'll talk a little more about what we're seeing here. So, just in terms of layout, it's a lot airier than the Lexus. You know, like the Lexus, it feels like you're sitting in a cockpit, which some people like. It matches with the sportiness of the car's nature, but we're not looking for sportiness, we're looking for luxury. Luxury. Luxury is a lot more relaxed, and this layout is definitely a lot more relaxed. I think this is a perfect interpretation of luxury, right? You know, you have the quilted leather seats, like we said, a lot of different color materials that match really well. You know, they're not just playing with colors to play with colors. They look premium. They look sophisticated. It adds a good vibe to the cabin, right? Yes, like, you know, you touch the leather, they're buttery, they're creamy, and it is true. This olive green leather, which it doesn't present immediately as olive until you really look at it a little more and the sun hits it, right? And then there's this beautiful saddle color that goes up the pillars and across the ceiling, and then this kind of art deco white material. I'm not really sure what it's called. It's also very nice. It's still plastic, but they could have gone with piano black, and then they didn't. They did something different. Different, and something that nobody is doing too. I mean, we haven't seen this white color in any other car that we have here or in any car in the industry. No, it almost looks like a like a wallpaper you'd have in a house or a backsplash in a kitchen. It's very attractive and unique. Yeah, so that and then we have the Alcantara headliner, right? That's also premium, like, just elevates the experience, right? And I think that's why Genesis is doing so well right now. It's because it's just elevating that experience in the luxury game. It's doing Bentley stuff, but at a fraction of the price. Exactly. It's close enough, I think, in vibe that it will suffice for the price point, which is, you know, like around $80,000. This is the most expensive car that we have here today, but I think it looks like it is worth $80,000. I mean, you don't need anything else. You have seat massages, you have all the technology, you have safety equipment, you have... There is also in-car cologne. Yes. I noticed it when I was driving. It's so subtle. It just popped up, actually, as you just talked about it. I love how that's, you know, the experience is not just visual or, you know, sensory, like with how it drives, but also how it smells, right? Like they play with all of your senses. And that's part of luxury today. I mean, I do like it. I think it raises the bar again. It's just, it's something else that others don't have. And once you get in and your car smells nice, it just makes you happier in a way. It does. And also in terms of technology, this OLED screen, it is very, very bright today. We both have sunglasses on. I have no problem reading the screen and the motions are very quick. They're very fluid. The resolution is very high. The screen is very usable and it does match very intuitively with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, whatever phone mirroring software they usually use. But it also toggles back and forth between the Genesis apps and your Apple CarPlay pretty seamlessly. Yeah. I think it's that attention to detail that Genesis has been standing out for, right? And you can see it here in the GV80. It's the small things, and I will agree with you on that. It's very small things. It's obviously on all of the high touch, high visual points, but even in places that you always don't think to look. So like this door card right here, there's also leather down here that you don't always look at. The feel of the turn signals in the cradle is very muted and soft. And the way that these dials turn, the click, is also very refined. You know, there's these special little things, these little details that just add to the big picture of luxury. But also, how is it driving? It drives really well, honestly. It's very quiet, something that, you know, premium luxury buyers are looking for, right? But then it's also sporty. I mean, you have a three and a half liter twin turbo V6 with plenty of punch, right? Over 300 horsepower. It's quick. I don't want to say it's sporty, but it has everything you need and nothing you don't, right? It delivers without over delivering or without, you know, going like the extra mile. I think it does a good job for what it is, for what it was meant for. Yes, I agree with you, especially on the not sporty part. The Lexus is a sporty SUV. This is a more relaxed driving style. It'll pick up if you want it to. But there's a lot more languidness in the way the suspension is tuned. The roads here are not indicative of the roads that most people drive on. These are very curvy roads. But, you know, you can imagine driving on a big boulevard or a highway. The suspension will just pick up all of that, you know, nasty road chatter and then just get rid of it. So you don't really hear it in here. So it rides very nice. The GV80 is still a little, you know, it could just a little bit more work. I think this mid-cycle refresh that it went through a couple of years ago, it really did help into making it better. But I think it can still work a little more in just getting those vibrations out of the cabin and keeping the cabin a little bit more refined. But I think, you know, it's nitpicking because overall, from a driving perspective, this is an SUV that's going to deliver on basically every front. OK, so I think we've got a feel for the GV80 and, you know, let's head back and see what else this day brings us. All right. That Genesis is going to be a tough one to beat. Time to see if the Acura MDX stands a chance. Now we are in the Acura MDX and with me is Zach Gale at the wheel. The current fourth-gen MDX underwent a facelift earlier last year, with the biggest update being the removal of that infernal touchpad controller for the infotainment. The screen is also bigger now with built-in Google Apps. However, the 355-horsepower, three-liter twin-turbo engine in this Type S model remains unchanged. Weirdly, in our testing, the Type S wasn't actually any quicker than the standard model that's equipped with a lower power engine. Most mysterious. All that aside, though, this MDX Type S has $600 in urban gray paint to make for a total MSRP of $77,200. This Acura, upon first impression, is resplendent in piano black trim, which I think is pretty universally disliked for its smudginess and kind of makes the cabin dated. I mean, they updated this MDX recently with a nicer screen and they got rid of that very fiddly touch center thing. Right. And they've now since made it a charging pad, which is much better. But how do we feel about this interior as a luxury product? It feels luxurious in a very vaguely, just general way. There's not much in here except this knob right down here, the drive mode knob, that is, to me, uniquely accurate or different. You know, you get in that Genesis and you just feel like you've made it, you know, it makes you feel successful and like you've made an excellent choice. This car is fine. It's OK. It's just there's nothing that really stands out quite as much. Yes. And I have to agree with you. The cabin materials are nice. The seats are comfortable. They are supportive. I nothing really screams different or takes a risk. For me, I when I look at this interior, even after they've refreshed it and improved it, I like that the green is now a touchscreen and it almost feels like they design the entire interior out in all directions from that silver drive mode. And I think that's cool. But beyond that, there's just nothing here that if you were, you know, if you didn't know this was an Acura, you would say, OK, yeah, this is this is fantastic. I love this. I think if you love Acuras, you'll love this car because objectively there's nothing wrong with it. It does all the things correctly. It looks good. It's functional. The thing I don't particularly love is the transmission selection set up here in the middle that, you know, it kind of lines it all up in a row, almost like a spine. And then you interact with it that way. That was kind of reinventing the wheel. But the other thing I do want to talk about is this is the Type S MDX. And so for those of us who, you know, have knowledge in the tuner culture, like Type S meant like this hot it up Acura. Do we feel like this is Type S from behind the wheel where you are right now? A little bit. It's kind of Type S ish for me, like Type S light. Yeah, exactly. And I I have to mention how much I love the design of this car and not so much in this trendy color that everyone's been doing this like cement gray. I'm kind of over that. But the design itself, I feel like it looks lean and premium and a little bit luxurious and very, very sporty. I love that. I love the four different exhaust outlets that it has on the back when everyone else is going the opposite direction and hiding theirs under the bumper. Here's Acura coming on and saying, hey, you know, we're unapologetically showing four outlets on the back. But from behind the wheel, it kind of under delivers. It is definitely sporty, but it's just sort of sporty to me. I was driving up here earlier and I was hitting a lot of highway miles. The suspension is certainly performance oriented, but at the same time, it is choppy over rough pavement. So there's a lot of jounce that enters the cabin, which is not very luxurious. And like you said, it's it's sporty, but not very sporty. But then it's sort of luxurious, but not that luxurious. So it makes me wonder, like, what's the focus? What is the focus? Yeah. And I'll say something else about the sportiness. There's a lot to sportiness beyond straight line acceleration. Having said that, I want more acceleration. I want a little bit better acceleration than what we've tested from this car. It needs to be a little bit more of a difference than the standard MDX. Yes, I think I'll agree with that. And on top of that, I do think this car is probably the oldest that we're comparing today, if not the oldest, close to the oldest. And it kind of does feel that way. It feels like a car that did debut a few years ago and everything else has just gotten more modern around it. Yeah. And, you know, the technology in some senses has moved on. They've done a great job updating it. But there are some things that I think would be improved by maybe even a new platform or perhaps even a new engine. I mean, this thing gets 90 miles per gallon and we've talked about how that's not super important in this segment. But how about 352 miles to a tank of fuel? Like that's that's by far the worst in this test. And what that translates to is you spending more time at a gas station. And I feel like that's not very luxurious. The good thing about the Acura is it is extremely spacious. So technically, this is a three row. The third row itself is, I would say, more vestigial than a useful third row. But it's there. It's there for emergency purposes. But with it down, the trunk is cavernous. It's so nice. And underneath the floor, there's this absolutely enormous and super useful compartment where you can put even more stuff. So Acura really has that part down. And I guess there are some things where, you know, its age doesn't get in the way and cargo space is definitely one of them. Exactly. Well, I think we have given the MDX Type S the shakedown that it needs. And we're going to head to the last aspect of this comparison, which is the Lincoln Nautilus. Before we get to driving the Nautilus, some quick This particular model is the top tier black label trim. So you get upgraded LED headlights, 24 way adjustable massaging front seats, a 28 speaker surround system, 22 inch wheels, a three cent air freshener system, and the rejuvenate in car spa feature. Total MSRP comes to $79,295. This is a car that is very familiar to and very beloved by Motor Trend because not only was it the 2025 SUV of the year, it also won our best tech award for infotainment. I mean, it had to, right? Because you get into this car, you look at it. And the first thing that hits you in the face, that big wow factor is this giant pillar to pillar screen that is set far back into the dash. And it's customizable. It's nice. Even in this very, very harsh daylight. It's very easy to read. It is a very cool, radical idea of screens. We, as I think an entire species of humans reject screen heavy layouts, but it turns out we only reject bad screen heavy layouts. And this one is very nice. I will say the center screen could be cantered upwards a little bit to make it a little easier to read if you have a slightly higher driving position. But that's, a pretty small complaint. Other luxury features like how the inside is upholstered. There's really nice leather in here. It's soft, it's opulent, it's supple. The seats are very comfortable and it's also very quiet. So just like the GV80, the Nautilus also has a scent factor to it. It has a digital scent and there's three scents that you can choose from. And there are three settings, three strengths, I will say. They're all a bit on the sweeter side, but you know, as Miguel and I discussed, it's kind of nice to get into a space and have a, have a signature smell to it. Like we all know that person with a signature scent. Well, now your car can have a signature scent. And another thing that the Nautilus does that I've actually not really seen in any other car before is it has that rejuvenate, almost like in-car spa function. Basically you put the car in park and you turn it on and this waterfall graphic comes on on the screen and the seat reclines a little and it starts to massage you. And a very smooth talking lady comes on and she talks down your anxieties and your nervousness. She does nothing for general existential dread. Maybe that's in the software update, but it's a good thing to have at the end of the day where you can just kind of like pull into your driveway instead of going right into the house and dealing with the chaos in there. Take a few moments for yourself, hold space and enjoy. From behind the wheel though, I like the way it drives. This kind of oblong steering wheel takes a little bit to get used to, but while you're doing it, the ride is nice. It's supple, it's pliant. The acceleration is also not bad. It is very quiet in here. The Genesis had a, had a decent amount of body roll and you really felt like it was leaning in the corners. This Lincoln is a lot tidier. So yeah, you drive it a little with a little more confidence. It's nowhere near as sporty as the RX or the MDX, but it does walk a fine line in the middle. So without a doubt, things are quite quality in here. You kind of see the forwardness a little, if you look a little harder, like this door panel down here out of sight, that's made of some thinner plastic. And in the back seat, there are climate controls for those passengers, just vents. And if you look at this key, kind of looks just like a key from, I don't know, like a Ford F-150. You know, you want to spend $80,000 on a Lincoln. You kind of want it to look, it's stuff, it's associated stuff to look a little different than all the Ford stuff. You know, you're going to pay all that much money for it. So here we have them, luxury midsize SUVs in all their various forms. Of course, there needs to be one winner. And so without further ado in fourth place, the Acura MDX. This is a good car and no one would fault you for buying it. But among everything that we've gathered here today, it finds itself outclassed and a little outdated. It doesn't seem like it can make up its mind between being either a luxury or sporty SUV. In third place is the Lexus RX. As much as we enjoy driving this car, as much fun we have in it, and as much as we love its powertrain and all that low end power it provides, it doesn't really elevate that luxury experience. It doesn't go beyond that X factor that we talked about. So that's what keeps it in third place. And in second place, this one was a big debate, but we decided to give second place to the Genesis GV80. Don't get us wrong, this thing hits on all the right notes. The cabin materials and design are exceptional. It drives quietly and its advanced adaptive driver assistance system is among the best. This side of the hands-free setups you can get on other cars. The only reason it's not in first is because of tough competition from the Nautilus. So yes, in first place of this luxury midsize SUV competition is the Lincoln Nautilus. Right off the bat, the wow factor of that pillar-to-pillar screen hits you right in the face. And it has fun features like the digital scent and the rejuvenation spot. Although we do wonder how frequently people are going to use those things over the course of ownership. That remains to be seen. Yet having worked in the service industry before, I think that entitles me to the opinion that luxury is like good service. You have to anticipate someone's needs before they even have them. You need to elevate the experience without being gimmicky. And you have to be thoughtful without being pushy. So the Nautilus does all this stuff. It's also a fantastic place to sit. The hybrid powertrain makes it a great car to drive and it's awesome to look at. It's got the works. Furthermore, we think it offers features an owner would enjoy everywhere from the first year of ownership all the way to the 15th. It's something that you'll want to hang on to for the long term. And truly, isn't that the point of a luxury product? For the full comparison article, head on over to MotorTrend.com. Thank you so much for watching and we will catch you on the next one.