Newbie - Help Required

[Stegabyte]

I have just taken a 3yr lease out on a NX300 petrol hybrid. The reason was the price per month and the fuel economy, (47.9 combined). I have a couple of issues with it:

 

1.  I have now driven 1500 miles in it and have just about managed to get it to 36mpg, (mainly driving like an old lady in eco mode). Is this just Lexus lying about the stats, is it that my car has a fault, or should I have expected this??

2. The 'Premium Nav'. I hate it. I just want to know how to turn it off permanently? Can this be done?

 

Apart from the above and the awful media control pad thingy, I like the car. The above issues are driving me to distraction though...

 

Any help and guidence would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

S.

 

[Guest]

I had an NX for a year and to be honest never got much more than the same MPG figures as that,i changed to the RX450H and the MPG is not much different really.

[Herbie]

Never, ever, ever, will you get anywhere near the figures that any manufacturer quotes because they go to stupid lengths such as taking out seats and carpets and other crazy stuff to get their figures and it's all done in a laboratory, not the real world.

I'd say the figures you're getting are reasonable but if you've never driven a hybrid before, there is an art to it.

Accelerate quickly to the speed you want then just back your foot off slightly, just enough to maintain that momentum, and that's when you get best efficiency. The best I've ever managed in our RX450h is 41.8 on a 50 mile journey but I've never been able to replicate that - my average sits at about 33mpg.

As for the integrated navigation - I hate ours and never use it, preferring to use my TomTom. However, I recently thought I'd try Waze on my Android phone and it's brilliant, so I think even the TomTom is going to be used far less now.

Even better is an app called What3Words. A postcode can cover quite a wide geographical area, especially in rural areas, but with What3Words you can get directions down to a parking space accuracy.

They've divided the entire world into 3 metre x 3 metre squares and given each one a three-word name, such as 'Tin.Mouse.Fork' or 'Speaker.Paper.Bell'

You use the What3Words app to search for an address and the app then gives you its specific three words. You can then 'Share' that into Waze, Google Maps or whatever your favourite navigation software is and get your directions as normal. It's so accurate that the front door of your house has a different three words to your back door. It's brilliant!

[Stegabyte]

Herbie,

Thanks for the response. I have navigation, (TomTom, Waze et al), but the blooming car nav wont shut up unless I go into it and pause it every time I start the car up. I just want to know if its possible to shut it up or ideally turn it off.

Ref the MPG, I appreciate what you say, however, I am obviously somewhat niave as I thought the new NEDC tests would at least be close to what we should achieve. I am sorely wrong.

 

S

[Stegabyte]

Eame64, 

Thanks for the reply. I am seriously annoyed about this.I would have stuck with a diesel if I thought it was this bad and sod the environmental consequences!

 

S

[Herbie]

2 hours ago, Stegabyte said:

Thanks for the response. I have navigation, (TomTom, Waze et al), but the blooming car nav wont shut up unless I go into it and pause it every time I start the car up. I just want to know if its possible to shut it up or ideally turn it off.

Sounds like the NX is different to the RX. I usually have the display screen set to show the trip economy or energy and whatever it's showing when I switch the car off, is what it shows next time.

[Sherra]

try going into general settings (not nav settings) and turn the voice volume to off. I have done this as i don't mind having navigation on but also use my TomTom for routing.

[olliesgrandad]

Now on my third Lexus in 2 years and 60000 miles I first wonder if you have watched the Lexus video on YouTube on how to drive a Hybrid. That being said I've heard that consumption is not too clever with the NX. I used to get 44mpg all day long with my 2015 GS 300h. That said I've averaged a genuine 34mpg in 10000 miles with my 2015 RX450h. 

One last hint don't drive in eco mode except for congested roads where you are constantly accelerating and braking. I quickly learnt that you get better economy in normal mode. 

[Stegabyte]

Sherra,

I have tried this, but then voice control is nearly silent. Its not possible to turn it off, just quiet - but it appears that its the cars voice and sound that is quietened, not just the Nav. 

 

Very annoying!

[Stegabyte]

Ollies Grandad,

 

Thanks for that. I have a 3hour 20 minute drive (there AND back) today - I will try that.

 

S

[Stegabyte]

All, 

I am still in the same situation with the satnav. I pretty much start my journeys now telling the satnav to do inexcusable things to itself, to which it generally replies to me that I should take the third turning.....!!!

 

ANy other ideas?

[DanD]

With regards to the discrepancy between claimed and real consumption, this is common to all manufacturers and will documented.

With regards to your satnav, it sounds like you may have an uncompleted route that needs cancelling. From the satnav screen, select menu, route, then delete, and finally yes.

The system is not that intuitive but it's reliable enough once you get used to it.

Sent from my LG-H930 using Tapatalk

[GrahmC]

I average mid to high 40s with my RC300 - as has been pointed out above a lot depends on how you drive it. Person who owned the car before me had averaged low 30s, a heavy right foot makes a lot of difference. Think that's the case with every car really (it does make you realise how un-economically people drive a lot of the time, accelerating flat out towards a queue or red light etc.) but think it's more pronounced with a hybrid due to the way the Battery power comes on or off