Is NX300h the right choice for me, advice needed

ErikSvensson · December 13, 2020

Hi, we're looking to buy a used car in the £15-20k and need advice on what to pick. As the NX is at the top of the shortlist I thought I’d ask here after reading the quality advice others have received.

Our use case is a car for 2 people in central london. We drive 5 days a week 45 miles roundtrip about 50% in traffic/city and 50% on 50-70 mph roads (out from london, normally avoiding rush hour). additionally some weekly shopping and the occasional road trip

There is only 1-2 of us in the car hence it can be quite small but due to the state of the roads, an SUV would be great for comfort. We do care about emissions and fuel consumptions hence the hybrid! Decent depreciation would also be nice.

As for features, adaptive cruise control would be a game changer and keyless entry is nice but not too fussed as I’m trading up from a 2002 Nissan Cube and most cars will blow my mind.

A slightly contradictory but useful feature would be the ability to tow a single horse trailer (750kgish)

smallish car, 2 people
45 mile commute
- Central london
bad roads
care about emissions and consumption

Based on the hybrid and the price range, it looks like the NX and Rav4 are our only real choice, UX would be nice but quite pricy still with plenty depreciation to go. Electric cars doesn’t really come in this price range unless they have short ranges and are made for overnight charging in the driveway, something not possible in central london.

First_Lexus · December 13, 2020

Sounds like an NX would be a good choice. Worth trying out the standard suspension as well as the F-Sport as some people find the F-Sport a little firm. There are plenty of threads talking about the NX - positives and negatives.

If you can look for a facelift car (2017 on) as those had the bigger screen and can have apple CarPlay / Android Auto added by the dealer as a software upgrade. They also have a slightly better ride.

The earlier model can’t have the Apple/Android added, although having owned both I think you’d only be bothered if you’re into your tech, and coming from your 2002 Cube you will (as you say) see almost anything as an upgrade. I love the Cube btw, have it on my list to own one as an extra car some day (although that’s a long list!).

Fairly sure they all have adaptive cruise control, and it is very good indeed - superior to the Honda system I had previously although to be fair that was a 2012 Accord with the original design dating from 2008 so you’d expect progress.

Reliability for the Lexus IS impeccable, as is interior build and quality. I’m in my second NX (first was my first Lexus) and you really do appreciate them the longer you own them, unlike most cars!

Good luck. Plenty of people here to give advice as you need but ultimately you need a good long test drive.

Andy B · December 13, 2020

Hi Erik,

Welcome to the forum.

I would agree with everything that @First_Lexus has said. Sounds like an NX could be a good choice for you based on your requirements.

I do a similar commute to you (albeit only 3 days a week) - 50 mile round trip with a mix of motorway and A roads - and am getting an average of 40 MPG (slightly more in the warmer months and less in the colder months). There are videos online showing you how best to drive a hybrid to get the maximum fuel efficiency out of them so take a look at these.

The NX is very refined and comfortable and will easily accommodate 2 people in luxury. The boot, although not massive, is big enough for most every day tasks and there's plenty of room in the rear seats for other passengers. The car drives well with the enough ooomph when you need it. Obviously it's not sporty but what SUV really is? Being a Lexus, reliability should not be a problem.

I'm not sure if you will find a facelift version of the car (2018 onwards) within your budget but the pre-facelift version is still a very nice car (not much was added on the facelift). Although some motoring journalists complain that the NX is showing it's age, I still think it is a very nice-looking car both inside and out.

The only slight quibble I have with the NX is the infotainment system and the touchpad controller. You do get used to the touchpad (and it's nowhere near as bad as the reviews will have you believe) but it takes a while for it to grow on you. The upgrade to apple CarPlay and Android Auto makes a huge difference of course - but this might not be available on NXs in your price range.

I can't comment on towing anything but maybe others on here can.

As has been stated, take as long a test drive as the dealer\seller will allow.

Hope this helps and good luck.

paulrnx · December 13, 2020

Do a google search for “Lexus NX towcar” and you’ll find a good write up from 2019 of an NX as a caravan towcar. Seemed to fair better that I’d have expected. Then again I used to tow a caravan with a BMW X5 4.4 V8 so I was spoilt somewhat! 😀

in my experience the slightly poor secondary ride - jiggly feeling, poor over expansion joints, a bit of tyre bump thump, etc - is due to tyre choice. Neither the OE Bridgestone or Yokohamas appear to be good in this respect. Putting a different set of premium tyres on such as Goodyears or Michelins seem to make a huge experience. Matches what I’ve experienced myself and there are plenty of reviews from others to suggest the same.

An NX is brilliant when keeping to under 50 allowing the electric motors to do more of the work. Not so good at speeds of 50-70. You’ll still get drive from the motors but only in conjunction with the petrol engine. Over 70 and the consumption does take a fair hit because you’re lugging a fairly heavy car around.

As someone who has a bad lower back from time to time as a result of 16 years of playing rugby, I find the seats in an NX to be among the most comfortable of any car I’ve ever owned. As others have said, comfort and quality are top drawer.

The sweet spot in the range for what you want to pay would probably be a Luxury. The adaptive cruise control is standard on a Luxury (others too mind).

Useful options are the convenience pack - electric tailgate and inductive phone charger in the central cubbyhole under the armrest. Tailgate is quite slow mind and the charging panel restricts access underneath. It does lift up out of the way but I found it fiddly. Other useful options are the panoramic roof which provides a lot more natural light into the cabin. It does reduce headroom in the back though. You might find the odd car with a traditional sunroof which tilts up or slides back.

If going for an F-Sport make sure you test a non F-Sport and an F-Sport over the same roads back to back. Some like the slightly harder ride of the F-Sport some don’t. An F-Sport with AVS - Adaptive Variable Suspension - is brilliant because you can have comfort or sport settings at the touch of a switch and there appears to be a genuine difference between each mode. Like hen’s teeth though.

Colour is a personal choice I think.

I’m always surprised nowadays at how well these cars handle for what is an SUV. They’ll never be as good as a sports saloon or sports hatchback but they aren’t bad at all.

Interior trim appears to be well made and well screwed together. I have a 5 year old car with no rattles or creaks at all.

Try to buy from a Lexus dealer if you can but equally I saw some decent private cars for sale when I looked for mine. Check service history - they should be serviced every 10k miles or every year whichever comes first. There were, in my experience, a number of cars being advertised as having full service history but were missing one or more services. If annual mileage is low in the past I think it’s not too bad if it’s missed one service but if it’s gone say 20k+ miles between two services this would worry me a bit more.

I think these cars are fairly bulletproof and they appear to go to higher mileages without too many problems as long as they have been correctly serviced.

Hope this helps. Look forward to hearing about your search.

royoftherovers · December 13, 2020

That`s a great post Paul.Highly informative and based upon personal experience,certainly not anecdotal,as some members are prone to quote.

Much for Erik to take on board.

ErikSvensson · December 13, 2020

Thanks for all the replies, really insightful! Happy to hear NX seems to be the right choice and it narrows down the model.

I've read about the F-Sport being less comfortable which is a shame as I do like the grill.

Based on my price preference. I'm probably looking for a 15-16 low milage rather than a facelifted version as it seems better value for money. On the lexus site they seem to be just under £20k for a car that has done 50k milesish (with variations for trim level). Although android auto is very nice, i normally just use my phone (in auto mode ofc) with the aux plugged in.

Do I dare to go autotrader and take one for 80-90k and pay £2-3k or is it not worth it? I wold hire AA or something similar to do a test drive and inspection for me.

There is one currently listed similar to what you have paulrnx, which I'm hoping to test drive

spacenase · December 13, 2020

Based on your requirements, I'd take a look at the Toyota C-HR too.

talaipwros · December 13, 2020

low mileage bmw i3 rex

First_Lexus · December 13, 2020

2 hours ago, ErikSvensson said:

Thanks for all the replies, really insightful! Happy to hear NX seems to be the right choice and it narrows down the model.

I've read about the F-Sport being less comfortable which is a shame as I do like the grill.

Based on my price preference. I'm probably looking for a 15-16 low milage rather than a facelifted version as it seems better value for money. On the lexus site they seem to be just under £20k for a car that has done 50k milesish (with variations for trim level). Although android auto is very nice, i normally just use my phone (in auto mode ofc) with the aux plugged in.

Do I dare to go autotrader and take one for 80-90k and pay £2-3k or is it not worth it? I wold hire AA or something similar to do a test drive and inspection for me.

There is one currently listed similar to what you have paulrnx, which I'm hoping to test drive

^^ Personally I’d stick with an approved car from Lexus. You may also want to look at the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V, both of which would be good as benchmarks, albeit neither hybrid at this price point.

There are 21 vehicles on the Lexus site below £21k (which allows for some negotiation). This one looks a good option although you would need to travel for it.

https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/used-lexus/Lexus/NX-300h/25-Luxury-5dr-CVT-hkcfh9k

There is also a Premier, which is the very top of the range, conveniently located at Lexus Reading...

https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/used-lexus/Lexus/Nx-Estate/300h-25-Premier-5dr-CVT-r1cetmb

Also worth noting there was a model called the Sport (not F-Sport) available in 2017. Essentially this was a special edition before the facelift. My first NX was a Sport, and they came with a black grille, wing mirrors and wheels. The didn’t have leather, instead having an artificial option called Tahara which - personally - I really liked. Also worth knowing they only had parking sensors as an option, and where fitted they were audible only without any display on the screen. The Sport also has standard suspension.

paulrnx · December 13, 2020

5 hours ago, ErikSvensson said:

Thanks for all the replies, really insightful! Happy to hear NX seems to be the right choice and it narrows down the model.

I've read about the F-Sport being less comfortable which is a shame as I do like the grill.

Based on my price preference. I'm probably looking for a 15-16 low milage rather than a facelifted version as it seems better value for money. On the lexus site they seem to be just under £20k for a car that has done 50k milesish (with variations for trim level). Although android auto is very nice, i normally just use my phone (in auto mode ofc) with the aux plugged in.

Do I dare to go autotrader and take one for 80-90k and pay £2-3k or is it not worth it? I wold hire AA or something similar to do a test drive and inspection for me.

There is one currently listed similar to what you have paulrnx, which I'm hoping to test drive

Maybe test drive one with 40-50k and another with say 80-90k and see if they feel any different to you. If they feel the same then maybe a 2-3k saving is worthwhile.

ErikSvensson · January 8, 2021

I just placed an order for a 64 plate NX Premium in white from Cazoo. It's done 34.5k Miles and they wanted £20300 for it. I got everything I wanted, including full Lexus service history, except for the panoramic roof which I would have loved. Lexus was asking 24k for identical cars and none was willing to budge more than 1k on the price. I couldn't justify (and they couldn't either) why spending 3-4k more with the only benefit being 12 months warranty instead of 3 (although I can extend it).

Taking delivery on Wednesday, a bit weird buying a car I've never seen or driven but they do offer 7 days full refund!

Thanks for all the help on this thread

paulrnx · January 8, 2021

9 minutes ago, ErikSvensson said:

I just placed an order for a 64 plate NX Premium in white from Cazoo. It's done 34.5k Miles and they wanted £20300 for it. I got everything I wanted, including full Lexus service history, except for the panoramic roof which I would have loved. Lexus was asking 24k for identical cars and none was willing to budge more than 1k on the price. I couldn't justify (and they couldn't either) why spending 3-4k more with the only benefit being 12 months warranty instead of 3 (although I can extend it).

Taking delivery on Wednesday, a bit weird buying a car I've never seen or driven but they do offer 7 days full refund!

Thanks for all the help on this thread

Nice one! Look forward to hearing about your car when you have it 😀

JeffL · January 9, 2021

16 hours ago, ErikSvensson said:

I just placed an order for a 64 plate NX Premium in white from Cazoo. It's done 34.5k Miles and they wanted £20300 for it. I got everything I wanted, including full Lexus service history, except for the panoramic roof which I would have loved. Lexus was asking 24k for identical cars and none was willing to budge more than 1k on the price. I couldn't justify (and they couldn't either) why spending 3-4k more with the only benefit being 12 months warranty instead of 3 (although I can extend it).

Taking delivery on Wednesday, a bit weird buying a car I've never seen or driven but they do offer 7 days full refund!

Thanks for all the help on this thread

Where do Cazoo get their cars from? Main dealers who have too much stock?

royoftherovers · January 9, 2021

1 minute ago, JeffL said:

Where do Cazoo get their cars from? Main dealers who have too much stock?

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/what-is-cazoo-and-why-should-you-use-it/#:~:text=We rate Cazoo highly.,bit like Amazon for cars.

JeffL · January 9, 2021

16 hours ago, ErikSvensson said:

I just placed an order for a 64 plate NX Premium in white from Cazoo. It's done 34.5k Miles and they wanted £20300 for it. I got everything I wanted, including full Lexus service history, except for the panoramic roof which I would have loved. Lexus was asking 24k for identical cars and none was willing to budge more than 1k on the price. I couldn't justify (and they couldn't either) why spending 3-4k more with the only benefit being 12 months warranty instead of 3 (although I can extend it).

Taking delivery on Wednesday, a bit weird buying a car I've never seen or driven but they do offer 7 days full refund!

Thanks for all the help on this thread

Erik, is it A 'Premier' you have bought or a 'Luxury with Premium NAV'. There is no 'NX Premium' as such. Link attached for a Premier for sale https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/used-lexus/Lexus/Nx-Estate-Premier/300h-25-Premier-5dr-CVT-pbcgqag

Either way, please let us know how delivery goes and if you are completely happy (or not) after the 7day period. Thank you.

ErikSvensson · January 9, 2021

2 hours ago, JeffL said:

Erik, is it A 'Premier' you have bought or a 'Luxury with Premium NAV'. There is no 'NX Premium' as such. Link attached for a Premier for sale https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/used-lexus/Lexus/Nx-Estate-Premier/300h-25-Premier-5dr-CVT-pbcgqag

Either way, please let us know how delivery goes and if you are completely happy (or not) after the 7day period. Thank you.

My bad, it is a "Premier". Good shout as quite a few ads gave the impression of being Premier while actually being Luxury with premium nav, something to watch out for.

This is the exact car in question:

https://www.cazoo.co.uk/used-car/f48827b8-0a97-5648-aa6f-0d6bed9958fa/

CT200h-TL · January 9, 2021

Congratulations on the purchase. Please let us know your experience with Cazoo when you have the car delivered.

Were you able to further negotiate the price with Cazoo when they have already applied the Special Offer £500 off?

JeffL · January 10, 2021

On 1/9/2021 at 3:28 PM, ErikSvensson said:

My bad, it is a "Premier". Good shout as quite a few ads gave the impression of being Premier while actually being Luxury with premium nav, something to watch out for.

This is the exact car in question:

https://www.cazoo.co.uk/used-car/f48827b8-0a97-5648-aa6f-0d6bed9958fa/

Looks very nice, great price and you'll have memory seats!!!!!

ErikSvensson · February 2, 2021

Update:

I made this post describing purchasing Cazoo for anyone interested. Started a new thread to make it easier to find.

I'm very, very happy with my new NX. It looks new (except for the resolution on the display and lack of android auto) and I'm pleased with the choice of premier as I got the heated steering wheel and the 360 cam (very handy when going through width restrictions)

It's a tad firmer and noisier than I expected, I thought it would be like an american suv that floats rather than drives but it's a million times better than my old car. And the steering wheel moves when you're getting out of the car! All the features really makes it feel a lot newer than it is, just a shame about the resolution on the display. But beyond playing with all the functions, I really only use it for the camera.

I already have the mud flaps and the boot liner but I've goten rubber mats (from lexuspartsdirect.co.uk) and just took delivery of a boot Hatchbag fitted boot liner. Then I need a tow bar fitted (read up on it here). It will be complete and hopefully keep as fresh as it is. Although the mud flaps help, I'm not sure I would recommend a white car during winter in the UK, especially when you drive on mud roads...

Thanks again for all the help!

paulrnx · February 3, 2021

18 hours ago, ErikSvensson said:

Update:

I made this post describing purchasing Cazoo for anyone interested. Started a new thread to make it easier to find.

I'm very, very happy with my new NX. It looks new (except for the resolution on the display and lack of android auto) and I'm pleased with the choice of premier as I got the heated steering wheel and the 360 cam (very handy when going through width restrictions)

It's a tad firmer and noisier than I expected, I thought it would be like an american suv that floats rather than drives but it's a million times better than my old car. And the steering wheel moves when you're getting out of the car! All the features really makes it feel a lot newer than it is, just a shame about the resolution on the display. But beyond playing with all the functions, I really only use it for the camera.

I already have the mud flaps and the boot liner but I've goten rubber mats (from lexuspartsdirect.co.uk) and just took delivery of a boot Hatchbag fitted boot liner. Then I need a tow bar fitted (read up on it here). It will be complete and hopefully keep as fresh as it is. Although the mud flaps help, I'm not sure I would recommend a white car during winter in the UK, especially when you drive on mud roads...

Thanks again for all the help!

Tyre choice plays a big part in the secondary ride comfort of an NX. It’s a curious car sometimes. You feel the suspension working and it’s not too firm - primary ride comfort - and yet you feel every cat’s eye and tarmac ripple - secondary ride comfort. My experience with a previous NX was swapping to Goodyear Efficient Grip tyres eliminated this. Both the OE Yokohama’s and Bridgestones give this feeling. Plenty are saying that Michelin Cross Climates feel much better too. When you need to get round to it, changing to different tyres will help you I think 👍

First_Lexus · February 3, 2021

30 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

Tyre choice plays a big part in the secondary ride comfort of an NX. It’s a curious car sometimes. You feel the suspension working and it’s not too firm - primary ride comfort - and yet you feel every cat’s eye and tarmac ripple - secondary ride comfort. My experience with a previous NX was swapping to Goodyear Efficient Grip tyres eliminated this. Both the OE Yokohama’s and Bridgestones give this feeling. Plenty are saying that Michelin Cross Climates feel much better too. When you need to get round to it, changing to different tyres will help you I think 👍

^^ Totally agree @paulrnx. I’m running Winter wheels and tyres (Bridgestone Blizzak) currently, and the ride quality / road noise is significantly improved over the standard fit Summer Yokohamas. I’ll replace the Yokos next year with Falken, hopefully to get the superior refinement all year round.

ErikSvensson · February 8, 2021

Just checked and I'm on Yokohama Bluearth E51. Reviews give pretty low score for comfort! Too much thread left to switch them out now but will definitely do my research when/if I need to change them.