Experts? What Experts!

LEXUS-MARQUE · November 16, 2015

Hello everyone I’m new here, first post.

I have to confess I'm not actually a Lexus NX300h owner yet but took a test drive at the weekend and really loved it.

Sluggish, poor ride, noisy CVT gearbox, over-priced posh RAV4 etc - I'd read all the "expert" reports on the car, watched all the videos out there too and very nearly didn't even bother considering it as a viable option for my next car – until I went for a test drive last weekend to make up my own mind and I’m so glad I did!

Whether my expectation of the car had been reduced after reading so many mediocre reviews of the car I will never know, but I was initially very impressed even surprised with the vehicle.

The general feeling was of a real quality interior with a surprising amount of space in the rear seat area and although the boot space was “not class leading” it was perfectly big enough for me and my needs.

I loved the look of the car actually in the metal and really got on well with the driving - the seats were so comfortable and the cars performance and handling were fine as far I am concerned, not sluggish at all as some reports had said.

I also noticed the attention the car caused on the road, just during my test drive there were a number of people looking at the car as I drove by. I’ve only seen two other NX's out and about so far so I know they are a rare sight at the moment. This is going to be a completely different experience to driving my BMW as they are such a common sight on our roads.

I should explain I am looking at the NX primarily as an option to get my company car benefit-in-kind tax down compared to the BMW that I currently drive due to the low CO2 emissions of the Lexus.

I'm going for another test drive this weekend and if I still feel the same afterwards I will "go for it" despite what most of the experts say!

This will be my first ever Lexus.

Sparks16 · November 16, 2015

Hi

That's exactly what I did (I used to drive an A5).

I've gone for the F sport (in blue) and yeah had two months now and am not disappointed in the slightest - it gets a lot of looks :-)

My issue is I have gone for the premium Nav system and Lexus had to get one of their customers to get it working for me, additionally I have a Samsung S5 and the phone connects but it will not download messages.

So my advice - go for the car but prepare yourself for possibly some software issues.

November 16, 2015

Even though we are changing to an RX450h there is no denying the quality build of this car,the seats and interior are top notch.I think we have been spoilt because even though i am a land rover fan and have got a freelander we always had an itch for a Range rover sport,but after sitting in a 2012 HSE last week i realised how comfortable the lexus was.I have driven my brothers new range rover vogue which is fantastic but alas way out of our price range.

They are very rare. in one year of ownweship we have only seen about six.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

DJP · November 16, 2015

Welcome Lexus-Marque, hopefully soon a second welcome as an owner, pics will be required!

You're not the first to be surprised at how different the car is compared to the so called experts opinions. Which one are you considering?

The nav, and indeed the whole infotainment system can be fiddly with lots of menus and intuitive it certainly isn't. That said, once you've had a good old play with it you'll find it does everything it's supposed to do. The phone integration mentioned above does depend on what you have, eg an Iphone will show messages but you can't reply. It's the limitations set by the phone manufacturer rather than the car coming up short.

You certainly won't see many around, and that goes for Lexus in general. A gem hidden amongst the Germans! (No offence).

Sent from my Iphone using Tapatalk

Bluesman · November 16, 2015

Hi Mark and welcome to the LOC, we are a
friendly bunch and some of us even know how to pull them to bits and
put them back together again, with of course the one bolt and washer
left over.

We recommend you spend a couple of mins
looking over the rules of the LOC, we will be asking questions later.

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/terms-conditions/

Regards Mike.

Bodmeister · November 16, 2015

Hi

My issue is I have gone for the premium Nav system and Lexus had to get one of their customers to get it working for me, additionally I have a Samsung S5 and the phone connects but it will not download messages.

Did you buy your NX from Leeds?

steve2006 · November 16, 2015

Even Will.i.am seemed impressed with the NX in the TV ad :)

rayaans · November 16, 2015

I agree - the "experts" are not experts at all and always seem to have some hidden agenda of which its either to make Lexus look bad or make the Germans look better!

However, having said that - there are a few points I agree with but then it depends on how you're using the car.

Town driving in the NX is great - no sluggishness. On the other hand, its a PITA on the motorway, it doesn't have the grunt for overtaking and takes too much planning for any sort of maneouvre at 70mph so be sure to take the car onto a motorway when test driving.

The boot space is something I dont understand - the "experts" are obsessed with it but how many people actually buy a mid size SUV that has 20L more capacity - really odd.

You might want to check the mpg, don't expect anything great - average seems to be anywhere from 30-40mpg. I achieve 30mpg in town and 35mpg on the motorway in my RX which has much more power and weight and never take it out of Sport mode as the instant torque gets addictive.

Ive never been too fussed with the ride as its softer than the Germans anyway but the thing that really gets me is the inability to go up hills. CVT boxes make car's lazy in general but with the NX its exaggerated as it doesn't really have enough power for a car that big. Id suggest taking it up a few steep hills to make sure its OK for you.

Living in Yorkshire the NX drove me nuts up the hills as I always needed to hit the kickdown switch to get it up some near where I live and it made a racket which got tiring really fast.

Take an extended test drive - atleast 24 hours so you know what its like before buying

Sparks16 · November 16, 2015

Yeah Bod' bought from Leeds

DJP · November 16, 2015

I agree with Rayaans that an extended test drive is important, and if you are looking at the F Sport make sure the drive is in that, the suspension is a bit firmer than on the others.

I live in a hilly area and have never struggled with the gradients, but do agree you can hear the CVT box more then than at any other time.

Areas like ride comfort, acceleration and noise are subjective and the important thing is that you've given it a good test under the conditions that matter to you.

We look forward to the next instalment!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

November 17, 2015

I think Rayaans comments are very fair the car is fantastic in towns and traffic jams etc and

most of the time is a pleasure to drive on motorways but it can drive you mad at times with the power issue.

rayaans · November 17, 2015

I think Rayaans comments are very fair the car is fantastic in towns and traffic jams etc and

most of the time is a pleasure to drive on motorways but it can drive you mad at times with the power issue.

I think its a relatively simple fix - get the 2.0 turbo, detune to 200hp and stick the hybrid onto it. Best of both worlds! Or, just drop a detuned 450h setup into the NX at around 250-280hp

I dont think itd make a huge impact on economy tbh and if they added the memory seats and HUD as an option on the F-Sport I would buy it instantly as I think its a good overall size.

The new RX is looking quite large but oh well, Ill get used to it.

ColinBarber · November 17, 2015

The old (current) RX set up would probably result in too high CO2 and BIK brackets compared to what Lexus are aiming for however the new RX however almost matches the NX economy and emission figures which proves that Lexus really could have done a lot better with the NX if they had tried.

Martin J · November 17, 2015

Mark, just to add another viewpoint, I'm still delighted with my NX300h Luxury after 5 months; it's also my first Lexus. In my view most of the motoring journalists' observations can be discounted, not least as many of them don't take the trouble to find out how the hybrid drivetrain works. Obviously a lot depends on driving style, but I have no problems with power or hill climbing, though I agree with Rayaans that a detuned RX drivetrain would be an interesting proposition - an NX400h - especially if it was a plug-in. I'm getting fuel economy in the low forties which I think is at least as much as diesel X3/Q5/Evoque drivers are getting. But nothing else comes close in my view in terms of design - inside and out - and build quality.

LEXUS-MARQUE · November 17, 2015

Thanks everyone for all your comments and advice. I will take it all onboard.

As I said I'm going for a second test drive this weekend and will make my decision afterwards but looking forward to driving the NX again.

I'm glad most of the comments are good - no car is perfect I know that - but to my way of thinking the NX ticks most boxes for me at the moment.

Roll on the weekend!

Cheers,

Mark

Goggy · November 18, 2015

I've had my Luxury for two months now and it's been a dream to own so far. Early days of course and I will do a report when I get the time, but it is all I hoped it would be and more. My wife also loves it and she is very hard to please. :)

The expert reports on the car appear to be way off the mark, although as they test many cars maybe they feel a hybrid is not quite up to what normal engines provide. Maybe they are right to a degree, but for normal driving I have not found it wanting. Of course if you want 'greased lightening' acceleration you don't buy a hybrid in the first place, it's simply not what it is about. As for the ride, it is well balanced, with little to complain about other than the odd pothole which would test most cars.

Only slight negative for me is the MPG. The 54 claimed is just not achievable. I am currently getting about 34 MPG average, as most of my journeys are of short duration (28-30 MPG) when the car has hardly warmed up, on longer journeys (38-40 MPG) it is much better. I knew this before I bought the car so it is not a issue as such, but would have liked an average in the high 30's. But this is something you need to be aware of.

Other than that it is perfect. :)

LEXUS-MARQUE · November 18, 2015

To be honest I am really looking forward to another go in the NX, thanks again for all your comments, I really appreciate you all taking the time and interest.

Goggy · November 19, 2015

I have been told that most car magaizines are owned by German group companies. Not sure if that is true or not, but could explain a lot. :)

LEXUS-MARQUE · November 19, 2015

Yes I've heard that too, which was I wanted to see and drive the car and make my own mind up about it.

As I said before if I had believed all the test reports on the NX I would never have even looked at the car.

Just looking at colours at the moment......decisions, decisions!

LEXUS-MARQUE · November 23, 2015

Hi everyone

Just a quick update. I had another test drive at the weekend and all went well so I ordered the NX Premier in Sonic Titanium with the Ivory interior.

Delivery is next month, so Xmas will be coming early this year! :)

Counting down the days.....

Goggy · November 23, 2015

Great choice. I have a Luxury in Sonic too, it looks great. I wish I could have gone for the Premier, lot's more toys, but it was just outside my budget, well in fact so was the Luxury but what the hell.

LEXUS-MARQUE · November 23, 2015

Hi Alec,

Well as you say "What the hell" you only live once!

This will be my first petrol car in many years so I'm really looking forward to it.

Bluesman · November 23, 2015

Yes I've heard that too, which was I wanted to see and drive the car and make my own mind up about it.

As I said before if I had believed all the test reports on the NX I would never have even looked at the car.

Just looking at colours at the moment......decisions, decisions!

I think its more likely to come down to what sort of goodie bag they get from the manufacturer which of course can mean they loan you free of charge cars for quite long periods of time, your gonna find it hard to them a bad write-up on a car you've had for a year FOC. Mike.