Even though I struggle to climb inside because I am more man than my endocrinologist wants me to be, I still love the compact luxury of the NX. And the 2026 Lexus NX is no exception.
This is a small car, plain and simple, even though it is classified as an SUV.
The boot pops up to offer 22 ½ cubic feet of cargo space when the backseats are up, and offers almost 50 cubic feet of space when those seats are folded down.
You can get this year’s NX, the second-smallest SUV in the Lexus lineup (the UX is the smallest), as either a gas-only (NX 350), a hybrid (350h) or a plug-in hybrid (350h+, 450h+). I always advise that if you get a plug-in hybrid, or PHEV, treat it as though you own an electric vehicle and charge it as necessary: that means make sure you have a dedicated safe space to charge it overnight.
All-Wheel Drive, heated front seats and synthetic leather upholstery (which honestly is more comfortable than real leather, plus it lasts longer and harms no animals directly) are standard.
Also standard is the Lexus Safety System 3.0, which is truly one of the best in the industry. It includes pedestrian detection with pre-collision braking, lane-tracing assistance, safe-exit assist and blind-spot monitoring, to name a few.
I tested the 350h F-Sport trim ( seen here) and it was truly a joy to drive.
This is this ‘fast and furious’ version with all the bells and whistles to make you feel ‘racy’: sport tuned suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels and enhanced driving modes. You will also get all the cool-looking badging inside and outside the car to make you feel like the car is as hot as you are.
The F-Sport trim is meant to compete directly with the BMW X3, which is also a very sporty small car. These cars are not designed for the racetrack, but for those who need to feel like they can be a part of Talladega Nights, well, here ya go.
The NX is perfect for your urban queer life. And assuming you have the money – and aren’t terribly big-boned like me – you should be just fine.
Remember, this is compact SUV, which means the backseats are, shall we say, conservative – but in a good way. If you do have a family that is more than a partner and a chihuahua or a Siamese, you may want to go up the food chain, perhaps to a Lexus RX.
And in other news:
As of late, I am having to dig deeper and do more research on even the most basic of new stories.
Whereas I used to be able to go to one or two websites and get all the information I needed to know that a story was accurate (or at least true), now, before I repeat anything, I need to do a lot more research.
True, we should always be cautious, and we should always do as much research as possible. And we should all have our trusted sources. But that is now becoming more and more challenging. And time consuming.
When I say Keep the Faith, I am saying Keep the Faith in Yourself. Trust yourself. As LGBT2SQIA+++, look around at any Pride event and know that we are highly-educated, smart people. We know a lot because we have lived a lot. We did not get here by going along just to get along.
Stay vigilant as best you can. Don’t give up.
But take a break when you need to do so. Don’t beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself. Use your own best judgement.
No one will take care of you like you do. Trust me on this one, I know from experience.
Decades of experiences.
Let us know how we here at gaywheels.com can help. I mean that.
The waters are about to get rougher. A lot rougher.
All these years, we have been called ‘flamboyant’ and the key part of that word is buoyant.
Together, we will not drown. From sea to shining sea. We Will Survive, without Gloria Gaynor.
And we will do it and still look fabulous.
