In the end, a simple dilemma

[Bluesman]

I wont lock the thread as there are obviously members who would still like to leave a comment but I will keep my eye on it.

Come on people we are all here because we love Lexus.

[chris_fletcher]

I have an NX for 24 hours on Friday whilst mine is in for service but local dealer doesnt have either new vehicle model I am considering. Might ask them to loan me an RX for a drive on Saturday

 

[Linas.P]

41 minutes ago, Bluesman said:

I wont lock the thread as there are obviously members who would still like to leave a comment but I will keep my eye on it.

Come on people we are all here because we love Lexus.

Some of them more than others.... 

BTW @rayaans - it is very informative post (as always from you). It was just not in my capacity to read about something I am not really interested in (SUVs), hence I only picked-up on part where I was mentioned.

[dougie175]

Great informative post, probably one I will need to refer back to in about 6 years when I can afford any of the options and fancy a nice SUV!

Glad to see you made the correct choice in the end

[rayaans]

2 hours ago, chris_fletcher said:

So my dilema is....

2017 NX300 Premier or 2016 RX450 Luxury for £3k more. I have an is300 Premier and really like the ML sound system and the blind spot monitor and fear that the Luxury will leave me wanting.

Thoughts welcome

I would say the RX for sure. It feels a better quality product and compared to other Premium SUVs, comes across to me as somewhat of a bargain.

I did have an IS300h Premier as a loan vehicle and I can remember that the ML system was not much different to the standard fit panasonic system in the IS. With the 4RX, the standard fit sound system is very good, equivalent to my 3RX ML system so I doubt you would be disappointed. I think you would get used to not having the BSM but ultimately its your decision to make. 

The difference in ride between the NX and RX is evident from the beginning and you're guaranteed to be impressed by the 450h drivetrain. The RX is super plush and it shows that Lexus are onto their 4th generation with this one whereas the NX needs a lot more improvement to get to the same level. Does the RX feel £10-15k more? Almost certainly, without a doubt.

[chris_fletcher]

Returned the NX and drove the RX. Rayaans was quite right. Its significantly better. I am now waiting for an RX to appear that I can afford. It will have to be a Luxury though as sadly I cant quite stretch to a Premier

[rayaans]

2 hours ago, chris_fletcher said:

Returned the NX and drove the RX. Rayaans was quite right. Its significantly better. I am now waiting for an RX to appear that I can afford. It will have to be a Luxury though as sadly I cant quite stretch to a Premier

What colour combo are you looking for? and which dealer are you using?

[chris_fletcher]

I will consider any colour except brown and it must have black interior. I cant quite afford the F sport but would not mind the rose interior

Lexus Birmingham are due a silver RX Luxury 66 plate 12000 miles for £40995 that is just about affordable.

I am in no desperate hurry so might even wait for a Premier to drop to ~£40k

[rayaans]

1 hour ago, chris_fletcher said:

I will consider any colour except brown and it must have black interior. I cant quite afford the F sport but would not mind the rose interior

Lexus Birmingham are due a silver RX Luxury 66 plate 12000 miles for £40995 that is just about affordable.

I am in no desperate hurry so might even wait for a Premier to drop to ~£40k

Hmm, well if its of any use, I paid £41500 for my RX with 12k miles on it and that had the number plate fee included. Mine is a January 2016.

Of course, I also have the Pan roof and Heads up display as well.

Lexus Ipswich have had their white one/black for a while now. Might be worth getting in touch - its under £40k and they usually give between £500 and £1k off.

 

On a side note - my first experience of the PCS system telling me to BRAKE!

Was going at about 20mph and weaving through cars parked on both sides and it beeped and displayed it on the HUD.

[GSLV6]

I'm not surprised that you chose the RX.

 

Before buying ours, I looked at or tested a similar spread to yours.  The F-Pace was the one that disappointed me most.  All show and plenty of go from the 3 litre engine, but poorly screwed together and just lacked room making it less roomy even than my previous GS300!  It was a case of styling over substance.

I too found the XC90 pretty dull to drive and definitely it felt under powered and wallowy.  I looked at a few X5s too but huge running costs and known reliability issues (including the very well documented gearbox issues) eventually put me right off.

Since buying our 3RX in January, I can say hand on heart that it is the best car we've ever owned, a real jack of all trades.  I don't know whether yours had an issue with the rear axle, but in spite of some spirited driving, I never find the rear "bouncy" or loose.  the car handles better than it has any right to although not as compliant as my old GS.  It isn;t the most roomy of all SUVs but it ha more than adequate room and this is one year where we won't be needing the roof box for the family holiday.

Fuel economy on mine has long-term averaged 32mpg, with the best seen having been about 44mpg on one cross country trip, and the worst being 26mpg after some heavy right foot work.

To be honest, I wouldn't change it for any other car and we definitely made the right choice.  If it stays reliable, I'll eventually (probably) trade it in for whatever the newer replacement to the RX is then, but it won;t be for another 9 years or so!

[rayaans]

41 minutes ago, GSLV6 said:

I'm not surprised that you chose the RX.

 

Before buying ours, I looked at or tested a similar spread to yours.  The F-Pace was the one that disappointed me most.  All show and plenty of go from the 3 litre engine, but poorly screwed together and just lacked room making it less roomy even than my previous GS300!  It was a case of styling over substance.

I too found the XC90 pretty dull to drive and definitely it felt under powered and wallowy.  I looked at a few X5s too but huge running costs and known reliability issues (including the very well documented gearbox issues) eventually put me right off.

Since buying our 3RX in January, I can say hand on heart that it is the best car we've ever owned, a real jack of all trades.  I don't know whether yours had an issue with the rear axle, but in spite of some spirited driving, I never find the rear "bouncy" or loose.  the car handles better than it has any right to although not as compliant as my old GS.  It isn;t the most roomy of all SUVs but it ha more than adequate room and this is one year where we won't be needing the roof box for the family holiday.

Fuel economy on mine has long-term averaged 32mpg, with the best seen having been about 44mpg on one cross country trip, and the worst being 26mpg after some heavy right foot work.

To be honest, I wouldn't change it for any other car and we definitely made the right choice.  If it stays reliable, I'll eventually (probably) trade it in for whatever the newer replacement to the RX is then, but it won;t be for another 9 years or so!

Ah yes, if you remember carefully I singlehandedly persuaded you into buying a 3RX ;) 

How you finding the performance? I'm sure you said initially that the 3RX felt slow! 

I've been doing some testing on the 4RX and it's stronger than the 3RX was and the handling is much improved even compared to my 3RX F Sport

[GSLV6]

TBH, I still find the performance less than my petrol GS, but it's adequate, especially bearing in mind it's a car weighing 2.2 tonnes.  One thing I do know, because I've tested it with a mate (using GPS), and that's the zero to 60 time is way under the official quoted figure, as is the 1/4 mile. We took and average of 4 or 5 timings and the 0-60 was close to 7 seconds.  No slouch, but mid range urge was less than the GS which weighed a heck of a lot less.

Handling wise, I can't fault it.  I've found tyre pressures to be critical though. I keep mine at 36psi (cold) all round and that really is the sweet spot between handling and economy.

Mine's the F-Sport and whatever the new version's handling, I find the 3RX F-Sport as good as anyone can expect in the handling stakes and better than most vehicles that I've tried of the same weight.   I certainly think that the F-Sport was the pick of the bunch.   I'm not worried if the newer one is better because I didn't buy it as a sports car, but  the new one being a great drive I guess is a real bonus for anyone buying one.  I'm just happy that the 3RX F Sport handles as well as it does....way better than the standard versions when pushed.   Economy is poorer than expected.  I was hoping for mid to high 30's and instead it's returned low 30's (32 to be precise) since I bought it.  Still, that's no worse than a mate's X3 diesel BMW.  Overall, it's a great car but not as cosseting, refined, fast or luxurious as my old GS 300 SE.

[rayaans]

3 hours ago, GSLV6 said:

TBH, I still find the performance less than my petrol GS, but it's adequate, especially bearing in mind it's a car weighing 2.2 tonnes.  One thing I do know, because I've tested it with a mate (using GPS), and that's the zero to 60 time is way under the official quoted figure, as is the 1/4 mile. We took and average of 4 or 5 timings and the 0-60 was close to 7 seconds.  No slouch, but mid range urge was less than the GS which weighed a heck of a lot less.

Handling wise, I can't fault it.  I've found tyre pressures to be critical though. I keep mine at 36psi (cold) all round and that really is the sweet spot between handling and economy.

Mine's the F-Sport and whatever the new version's handling, I find the 3RX F-Sport as good as anyone can expect in the handling stakes and better than most vehicles that I've tried of the same weight.   I certainly think that the F-Sport was the pick of the bunch.   I'm not worried if the newer one is better because I didn't buy it as a sports car, but  the new one being a great drive I guess is a real bonus for anyone buying one.  I'm just happy that the 3RX F Sport handles as well as it does....way better than the standard versions when pushed.   Economy is poorer than expected.  I was hoping for mid to high 30's and instead it's returned low 30's (32 to be precise) since I bought it.  Still, that's no worse than a mate's X3 diesel BMW.  Overall, it's a great car but not as cosseting, refined, fast or luxurious as my old GS 300 SE.

I'm finding my new RX F sport great so far.

The bouncing I talked about earlier on the 3RX F Sport was over bumps. I don't think the car bounced physically but provided a sensation of it. This was the same on all 3RXs I've had as loaner over the past few years. 

The 4RX ride is certainly much smoother and cornering is very flat on the F Sport. It has the same ride in Sport S+ mode as the 3RX F Sport but still rounds off the edges.

I've found the throttle response to be better too. I kept my 3RX in Sport mode all the time, the 4RX is the same in normal mode. Sport and Sport s+ are too responsive for town driving IMO.

MPG wise, the same as I got in my 3RX over the past week atleast.

The engine is certainly smoother and the hybrid system seems more polished. The brakes are less noticeable when switching between regen and mechanical and the hybrid whine when coming to a stop has almost disappeared. 

Having said that, still getting used to the size.  Well it's not actually the size itself but the wheelbase has grown so the turning circle isn't as good. 

I'm loving the little details like the touch sensitive overhead lights and the sidelights which turn on when going around corners on the same side and both coming on when reversing. Work much better than on other cars as they are actually pointing outwards. I also think the LED strips in the handles are nice. 

Still can't get over the dynamic indicators too and should also mention they've finally made the rear windows go all the way down. That annoyed me so I'm glad they've sorted that.

Just a quick video walk around I took a few days ago. Since then, changed the odd number plate screws!

Oh and the DRLs aren't on because they only come on when the car is not in Park. 

[GSLV6]

Nice.  I'm warming to the 4RX, and the one I sat in at my dealership certainly felt comfortable.  I'm just not sure I'd wanted to have spent the £10K extra over the 3RX to get one, for really not a huge amount extra/better, but it looks as though it has moved on and improvements have been made.  Must admit, I'd have expected improved MPG from the revised hybrid system but maybe it's not that much different and the car not a lot different on weight. The ride over bumps can be a bit choppy but I find that only at low speed.  On the move at normal road speeds, it's seldom noticeable, although it is notable that the F-Sport is pretty firmly sprung. Whereas the GS have a magic carpet ride whilst keeping flat in the corners, I'd expect the heavier vehicle to thump a bit more on the bumps if firmer sprung.

The real 4RX advances seemed to me to be twofold:  1) the interiors have moved on and are top drawer now and 2) the tech seems to have jumped another decade.  Jury's out on the styling.  I like the front end but still not sold on the side profile as one in black reminded me of a hearse for some reason with that chrome strip accent along the rear!  You can;t go wrong with either model though, 3RX or 4RX.  Both exceptional motor cars.

[chris_fletcher]

Took a drive over to Lexus Stockport earlier to check out an 4RX F Sport, Rose interior but no other extras. I think the black hedliner with  the red works really well. Tried the sound system with my own music and to be fair I think Rayaans is right. The quality is pretty good. I think I could live with it. I best not listen to the ML in the 4RX though.

I will be trying to do a deal on the car during the week. Bradford Lexus is part of the same group so I am hoping they might be able to get it for me to test drive.

Rayaans. Why did you go F Sport again vs Luxury

[rayaans]

10 hours ago, GSLV6 said:

Nice.  I'm warming to the 4RX, and the one I sat in at my dealership certainly felt comfortable.  I'm just not sure I'd wanted to have spent the £10K extra over the 3RX to get one, for really not a huge amount extra/better, but it looks as though it has moved on and improvements have been made.  Must admit, I'd have expected improved MPG from the revised hybrid system but maybe it's not that much different and the car not a lot different on weight. The ride over bumps can be a bit choppy but I find that only at low speed.  On the move at normal road speeds, it's seldom noticeable, although it is notable that the F-Sport is pretty firmly sprung. Whereas the GS have a magic carpet ride whilst keeping flat in the corners, I'd expect the heavier vehicle to thump a bit more on the bumps if firmer sprung.

The real 4RX advances seemed to me to be twofold:  1) the interiors have moved on and are top drawer now and 2) the tech seems to have jumped another decade.  Jury's out on the styling.  I like the front end but still not sold on the side profile as one in black reminded me of a hearse for some reason with that chrome strip accent along the rear!  You can;t go wrong with either model though, 3RX or 4RX.  Both exceptional motor cars.

Of course, it depends on how  much you end up spending but I think I got a good deal with it being the cheapest 4th gen F-Sport (still is) as it has the pan roof and HUD (both optional extras).

To be fair with the MPG, Ive only had the car since 29th June and have not filled up yet but it managed to do 180 miles on that day with only 1/4 tank being used.

Yes I agree with you regarding the interior - there seems to be soft touch materials everywhere and the dashboard is lined in leather. Leather itself seems a little bit softer but I don't know how this will lead to in terms of wear.

Additionally, I did try the auto high beam yesterday. For the most part it works well but there is the odd occasion where they dont turn off when a car comes around the bend. Therefore, I just left it off at the moment - I usually drive in town and on well lit streets so its unneeded I guess.

1 hour ago, chris_fletcher said:

Took a drive over to Lexus Stockport earlier to check out an 4RX F Sport, Rose interior but no other extras. I think the black hedliner with  the red works really well. Tried the sound system with my own music and to be fair I think Rayaans is right. The quality is pretty good. I think I could live with it. I best not listen to the ML in the 4RX though.

I will be trying to do a deal on the car during the week. Bradford Lexus is part of the same group so I am hoping they might be able to get it for me to test drive.

Rayaans. Why did you go F Sport again vs Luxury

Yes, Bradford Lexus will get it. You should be able to get the car for £41500 (they give about £500-800) off used cars.

Ask for Mo or Lee and they will get the car over to Bradford for you to test drive and take a look around. If at Stockport, talk to Jason Ozanne - I bought my 3RX from him, he's very good!

In terms of the Stereo, I can guarantee the equaliser is probably all set to the middle as default. It sounds much better when you tweak it so be sure to do that once you get the vehicle.

I went for the F-Sport due to looks and handling. Prefer the more aggressive front end and of course the Rose interior is nice. I also didn't want to lose the Head up display that I had on the 3RX and because of that, I had to step up to F-Sport atleast. Didn't really care for the surround camera and extra gadgets on the Premier and found it a bit too wallowy in terms of handling.

[chris_fletcher]

Rayaans

 

Thanks for your reply. I did tweak the EQ a bit. 1 extra bass, +3 mid and centre for treble, also moved balance and fade 2 notches to rear, 1 to left and it sounded pretty good.

AS I am getting old (lol) and want a quiet soft riding car I am a little worried the F Sport will be a bit stiff but definitely want to drive it as I love the interior. The two things I wanted were comparable sound system, which I think it is and blind spot monitor which I will have to live without. Shame it doesnt have the HUD. I like it dark inside the cabin so dont care for pan roof.

 

[rayaans]

16 hours ago, chris_fletcher said:

Rayaans

 

Thanks for your reply. I did tweak the EQ a bit. 1 extra bass, +3 mid and centre for treble, also moved balance and fade 2 notches to rear, 1 to left and it sounded pretty good.

AS I am getting old (lol) and want a quiet soft riding car I am a little worried the F Sport will be a bit stiff but definitely want to drive it as I love the interior. The two things I wanted were comparable sound system, which I think it is and blind spot monitor which I will have to live without. Shame it doesnt have the HUD. I like it dark inside the cabin so dont care for pan roof.

 

Best approach is to drive it - TBH I don't think its stiff at all

Its firm but comfortable IMO. Also should mention that although the seats in the luxury and premier are comfortable - I find the F-Sport seats perfect especially with the deeper bolsters - they feel tailor made to my body and like im sitting in them rather than on top of them

[chris_fletcher]

Lexus Sidcup have offered me a good deal on a black/red combination with HUD and panorama roof and I am seriously thinking of driving down there. Its over 200 miles each way though so not that easy.

Bradford Lexus cant deal on the price of the the one at Stockport and theirs is £450 more without the HUD and roof option, 6000 miles less on the clock so a bit swings and roundabouts I think.

Its all your faut that I am now going for an F Sport LOL

[rayaans]

2 hours ago, chris_fletcher said:

Lexus Sidcup have offered me a good deal on a black/red combination with HUD and panorama roof and I am seriously thinking of driving down there. Its over 200 miles each way though so not that easy.

Bradford Lexus cant deal on the price of the the one at Stockport and theirs is £450 more without the HUD and roof option, 6000 miles less on the clock so a bit swings and roundabouts I think.

Its all your faut that I am now going for an F Sport LOL

All depends on whether you think the Black goes well on the F-Sport.

Personally I didn't like the black as everything blended in including the pan roof and felt it was just a bit too dark - I thought the contrast of the white on the black wheels and grill looked better with the pan roof too.

Just be aware that the Sidcup one needs a service in 4k miles - think its about £495 worth.

I'm sure you can speak to Lexus Stockport directly and then just collect at Bradford - thats what I did, spoke to Cheltenham directly and then picked up from Lincoln

[chris_fletcher]

Thanks for the advice, appreciated. the Sidcup deal was good but the breaker was the panoramic roof is not compatible with roof bars and I need to transport 3 mountain bikes on existing carriers (that were ~£120 each) so I am almost certainly going to buy the one from Birmingham who have given me an excellent px price plus some extras. I have given them a refundable holding deposit and am going down on Thursday to see it. Its white with red interior 27/11/2015 65 plate with 10550 miles so hopefully newly serviced.

Stockport (via Bradford) would not deal on their F Sport at all which is a shame. I would have bought it if they deal was the same as Birmingham as its closer to home.

Birmingham is Vantage group, the same as Leeds so perhaps I will be able to pick it up from them if I do the deal

[billgatesisaconman]

Good informative reviews Rayaans .... thanks for taking the time to share this,

[rayaans]

2 hours ago, chris_fletcher said:

Thanks for the advice, appreciated. the Sidcup deal was good but the breaker was the panoramic roof is not compatible with roof bars and I need to transport 3 mountain bikes on existing carriers (that were ~£120 each) so I am almost certainly going to buy the one from Birmingham who have given me an excellent px price plus some extras. I have given them a refundable holding deposit and am going down on Thursday to see it. Its white with red interior 27/11/2015 65 plate with 10550 miles so hopefully newly serviced.

Stockport (via Bradford) would not deal on their F Sport at all which is a shame. I would have bought it if they deal was the same as Birmingham as its closer to home.

Birmingham is Vantage group, the same as Leeds so perhaps I will be able to pick it up from them if I do the deal

Wait a minute, why is it not compatible with the pan roof? Both are running on the same roof rails?

What kind of deal did you get?  PM me if you want.

[paulrnx]

I was surprised to find there isn't much in it between the NX and RX for width. The RX is a bit longer though of course. I still go weak at the knees every time a see the detail behind the rear window on a new RX. It looks amazing. I want more performance than my NX300h is capable of providing so I'm widening the search to an RX, also a GS450h. Going to drive an NX200t F-Sport too although they are as rare as hen's teeth. Size puts me off because my wife likes a slightly smaller car. She wouldn't drive any of my Jag XF cars. Likes the NX albeit on motorways and other wide roads only. Would like an RX450h though.

[chris_fletcher]

Just bought an RX450H F Sport today and drove it away. Briliant but it is HUGE