In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Lexus NX achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Buick Envision has not been tested.
To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Lexus NX’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system is only offered on some models of the Buick Envision.
The NX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Envision doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the NX and the Envision have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus NX is safer than the Buick Envision:
|
|
NX |
Envision |
|
|
Front Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
43 |
128 |
| Chest Movement |
.5 inches |
.7 inches |
| Abdominal Force |
96 lbs. |
139 lbs. |
| Hip Force |
238 lbs. |
261 lbs. |
|
|
Rear Seat |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| HIC |
134 |
311 |
| Spine Acceleration |
47 G’s |
52 G’s |
|
|
Into Pole |
|
| STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
| Max Damage Depth |
13 inches |
15 inches |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Lexus NX achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Envision has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

