NX 300h - 24 hour test drive

[DanD]

Had the opportunity to drive a NX300h Premier for the first time on Friday, whilst our RX was in for its scheduled service. We had booked the day off to go to the Chelsea Flower Show, so were able to test the car from Winchester to Battersea Park via the M3, dual carriageways and slow town traffic. All in all, I was very impressed with the car. In particular, I liked:

- The gadgets! and there are plenty to play with whilst stuck in traffic!!!
- the lane departure system that lets you know when you drift across the white line without indicating... and the gentle way the steering wheel tries to correct your course
- the head up display... very clear and easy to read... as long as you are tall enough (unless there is a way to reposition it for shorter drivers)
- the excellent sound system with DAB and its 15 speakers
- the adaptive cruise control: brilliant in nose to tail traffic on the Motorway
- the all-round cameras with side monitors
- the car feels much more nimble than the RX around corners and roundabouts, no doubt due to its smaller size and lighter weight
- the quietness under normal conditions
- the LED lights which I found far superior to the RX's HIDs
- the WiFi and phone setup
 

What I am not so sure about - but could live with:

- the seats: my bum felt numb after an hour or so
- the noise when putting your foot down: this is well documented and is inherent to the CVT transmission, however I felt it was far more intrusive in the NX than in the RX, possibly because the RX's V6 as a deeper engine note
- the satnav graphics... while the satnav is efficient, the interface is still cumbersome and the graphics look dated
- The remote touch pad. I think I prefer the RX's remote touch with the mouse. I find it a little less sensitive and therefore easier to use
 

To summarise, the NX will definitely replace my RX when we are ready to change, as we will no longer need the larger car. I previously had some reservation as to whether or not the 300h would be powerful enough (after the RX) and whether the 200T might be a better fit, but I could definitely live with the 300h. As for the gadgets - I love my gadgets! - there are certainly plenty and you travels are punctuated with dings, bongs, beeps and bells, but I would be keen to hear from other Premier drivers as to whether they are just gimmicks that you soon tire of and forget, or whether they are definitely worth the extra money.