Motorways in an NX

[paulrnx]

Today I did a journey that shows the NX300h in its worst habitat I think. I did a 200 mile round trip predominantly on the M40. Mostly at an indicated 75-80. 33.4mpg on the way down and 32.9 on the way back up. With the engine droning away on steep inclines or when needing to accelerate into the outside lane. It was quite windy and there was a fair bit of traffic but it’s really quite surprising how poor the economy can be on a journey like this at those speeds. I used to regularly do the same journey in a 5 litre Jaguar XF when I’d see 32 mpg. It was much more refined and much more fun too with only a slight flex of the right foot required to merge into the outside lane instead of a foot the floor drone. Just as well I don’t do too many of these journeys nowadays.

[royoftherovers]

Good advice Paul, telling all current and future owners what not to do.

[First_Lexus]

12 hours ago, paulrnx said:

Today I did a journey that shows the NX300h in its worst habitat I think. I did a 200 mile round trip predominantly on the M40. Mostly at an indicated 75-80. 33.4mpg on the way down and 32.9 on the way back up. With the engine droning away on steep inclines or when needing to accelerate into the outside lane. It was quite windy and there was a fair bit of traffic but it’s really quite surprising how poor the economy can be on a journey like this at those speeds. I used to regularly do the same journey in a 5 litre Jaguar XF when I’d see 32 mpg. It was much more refined and much more fun too with only a slight flex of the right foot required to merge into the outside lane instead of a foot the floor drone. Just as well I don’t do too many of these journeys nowadays.

^^ Motorways in my NX:

1. Join motorway

2. Set radar cruise to 70mph

3. Listen to music and relax, while making sure I’m aware of what’s going on around me

4. Allow navigation to indicate when to leave the motorway, and leave as required.

It all seems pretty relaxed to me. Comfy too. And very little overtaking to worry about apart from the odd lorry. I tend to leave the outside lane to middle management photocopier salesman in their company Audi or BMW...😁

[Phil Catterall]

1 minute ago, First_Lexus said:

1. Join motorway

2. Set radar cruise to 70mph

3. Listen to music and relax, while making sure I’m aware of what’s going on around me

4. Allow navigation to indicate when to leave the motorway, and leave as required.

It all seems pretty relaxed to me. Comfy too. And very little overtaking to worry about apart from the odd lorry. I tend to leave the outside lane to middle management photocopier salesman in their company Audi or BMW...😁

And you will likely achieve 40 MPG Ed, as I did when I drove the same way on a 200 mile trip from Cambridge to North Yorkshire last week - headwinds allowing of course....

Phil 

[Alan305]

When did Lexus Sat Nav drop the motorway screen showing exits and services?

All my others had it, including the 2018 IS300h. Now our 2108 NX300h doesn’t. 

Am I missing a setting?

[First_Lexus]

40 minutes ago, Alan305 said:

When did Lexus Sat Nav drop the motorway screen showing exits and services?

All my others had it, including the 2018 IS300h. Now our 2108 NX300h doesn’t. 

Am I missing a setting?

^^ My 2018 NX certainly does, and always has. It brings up the picture of the ‘exit’ on the right of the screen, with arrows indicating in which lane you should depart. 

[Linas.P]

14 hours ago, paulrnx said:

Today I did a journey that shows the NX300h in its worst habitat I think. I did a 200 mile round trip predominantly on the M40. Mostly at an indicated 75-80. 33.4mpg on the way down and 32.9 on the way back up. With the engine droning away on steep inclines or when needing to accelerate into the outside lane. It was quite windy and there was a fair bit of traffic but it’s really quite surprising how poor the economy can be on a journey like this at those speeds. I used to regularly do the same journey in a 5 litre Jaguar XF when I’d see 32 mpg. It was much more refined and much more fun too with only a slight flex of the right foot required to merge into the outside lane instead of a foot the floor drone. Just as well I don’t do too many of these journeys nowadays.

I think this is just good indication on how hybrid system works, there are places where it is amazing, but motorway is not one of them. Very similar experience I always had from 300h, just RC/IS has little bit better fuel consumption (~36) because probably they are lighter/more aerodynamic.  

[Alan305]

8 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

^^ My 2018 NX certainly does, and always has. It brings up the picture of the ‘exit’ on the right of the screen, with arrows indicating in which lane you should depart. 

Now puzzled, is that with the new sat Nav design with green background like mine. Have I somehow turned off that feature?

[First_Lexus]

2 minutes ago, Alan305 said:

Now puzzled, is that with the new sat Nav design with green background like mine. Have I somehow turned off that feature?

Mine is a facelift NX with the bigger screen and touchpad if that helps? If your system is the same then it must be a setting...

...to the handbook!

[Alan305]

Same as mine, as you say, back to the handbook.

[paulrnx]

2 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

^^ Motorways in my NX:

1. Join motorway

2. Set radar cruise to 70mph

3. Listen to music and relax, while making sure I’m aware of what’s going on around me

4. Allow navigation to indicate when to leave the motorway, and leave as required.

It all seems pretty relaxed to me. Comfy too. And very little overtaking to worry about apart from the odd lorry. I tend to leave the outside lane to middle management photocopier salesman in their company Audi or BMW...😁

More than the odd lorry yesterday. Plenty of them in the second lane too.

[paulrnx]

As a motorway car I think the NX sucks. Absolutely fine around town and on normal A roads at speeds up to 50-60. Long motorway inclines, blasts of acceleration to smoothly integrate into the outside lane without causing a following car to brake, and dual carriageways really do show an NX300H in its worst possible light. Like I said, luckily I don’t have too many of these journeys nowadays. If I did it would have to go.

[First_Lexus]

40 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

As a motorway car I think the NX sucks. Absolutely fine around town and on normal A roads at speeds up to 50-60. Long motorway inclines, blasts of acceleration to smoothly integrate into the outside lane without causing a following car to brake, and dual carriageways really do show an NX300H in its worst possible light. Like I said, luckily I don’t have too many of these journeys nowadays. If I did it would have to go.

^^ To be fair, when I was doing a lot of motorway miles my diesel Accord was awesome. However, I don’t think the NX is that bad as long as you drive it smoothly and calmly and don’t race. It clearly isn’t suited to that, but then again neither was my Tiguan diesel. The benefit of the NX is the comfort and quietness which makes it - for me - a very relaxing place to be even on the motorway. 

The times you need to accelerate really quickly on a motorway ought to be few and far between. When I did the advanced driving course a few years ago, the ex-Police instructor told us that one of the most important attributes when driving on the motorway was...patience. 

[Deathstar]

16 hours ago, paulrnx said:

Today I did a journey that shows the NX300h in its worst habitat I think. I did a 200 mile round trip predominantly on the M40. Mostly at an indicated 75-80. 33.4mpg on the way down and 32.9 on the way back up. With the engine droning away on steep inclines or when needing to accelerate into the outside lane. It was quite windy and there was a fair bit of traffic but it’s really quite surprising how poor the economy can be on a journey like this at those speeds. I used to regularly do the same journey in a 5 litre Jaguar XF when I’d see 32 mpg. It was much more refined and much more fun too with only a slight flex of the right foot required to merge into the outside lane instead of a foot the floor drone. Just as well I don’t do too many of these journeys nowadays.

What does it do around town? I've heard that the RX is better on the motorway due to its 3.5v6. Not sure if it's better around town though. I'm looking at options at the moment so interested in what you have to say about the NX around town. My daily commute is 6 miles through 20/30MPH zones. 

[First_Lexus]

18 minutes ago, Dylanlewis2000 said:

What does it do around town? I've heard that the RX is better on the motorway due to its 3.5v6. Not sure if it's better around town though. I'm looking at options at the moment so interested in what you have to say about the NX around town. My daily commute is 6 miles through 20/30MPH zones. 

Generally speaking I think most people get 38-42 mpg in mixed driving. I had an RX for a few weeks between NX #1 and NX #2 and couldn’t get much above 28-30 mpg with the same use and driving style, but I know there are RX owners here who seem to get much more than that.

[Deathstar]

I know what you mean. With my IS250 I have managed to achieve 55mpg (trip computer indicated) with a trip back from Cardiff to Swansea ~50 miles. Additionally, we visited West Wales on the weekend travelling around 150 miles round trip. The trip indicator was showing 41mpg. I know the trip indicator is a little enthusiastic but I have been delighted with the performance and economy of my 2.5V6. 

My daily journey to work is roughly 6 miles through 30-20mph zones with the indicator showing between 27-31MPG. Economy isn't everything, but it's something you notice day to day when running the car. 

[DanD]

18 hours ago, paulrnx said:

Today I did a journey that shows the NX300h in its worst habitat I think. I did a 200 mile round trip predominantly on the M40. Mostly at an indicated 75-80. 33.4mpg on the way down and 32.9 on the way back up. With the engine droning away on steep inclines or when needing to accelerate into the outside lane. It was quite windy and there was a fair bit of traffic but it’s really quite surprising how poor the economy can be on a journey like this at those speeds. I used to regularly do the same journey in a 5 litre Jaguar XF when I’d see 32 mpg. It was much more refined and much more fun too with only a slight flex of the right foot required to merge into the outside lane instead of a foot the floor drone. Just as well I don’t do too many of these journeys nowadays.

It is my experience also. But I have found that dropping from an indicated 75-80 mph to 70-75 does make a significant difference.

[Steve Oliver]

5 hours ago, Alan305 said:

Same as mine, as you say, back to the handbook.

That is a setting, I remember seeing it....

[mikey2001]

36 minutes ago, Steve Oliver said:

That is a setting, I remember seeing it....

I had a similar problem in my RX. I'm not sure if it's different on the NX, but there should be an automatic zoom setting in the navigation options. If the setting is set to 'On', then the motorway junctions aren't displayed.

[Martin J]

21 hours ago, paulrnx said:

Today I did a journey that shows the NX300h in its worst habitat I think. I did a 200 mile round trip predominantly on the M40. Mostly at an indicated 75-80. 33.4mpg on the way down and 32.9 on the way back up. With the engine droning away on steep inclines or when needing to accelerate into the outside lane. It was quite windy and there was a fair bit of traffic but it’s really quite surprising how poor the economy can be on a journey like this at those speeds. I used to regularly do the same journey in a 5 litre Jaguar XF when I’d see 32 mpg. It was much more refined and much more fun too with only a slight flex of the right foot required to merge into the outside lane instead of a foot the floor drone. Just as well I don’t do too many of these journeys nowadays.

A little surprised at these consumption figures. I do a fairly frequent 500 mile round trip between northern England and southern Wales which is 80% motorway, driving at a similar speed, and usually manage 38 to 40 mpg. An alternative route that's 60% A and B road, when I'm in less of a hurry, yields 42 - 46 mpg.  In general, I agree that steady motorway cruising doesn't show this drivetrain at its best, although the NX is pretty quiet during the 95% of the time the foot isn't to the floor. Wonder what new RAV4 owners are getting, as that should be a pointer to what we can expect from the 2022 NX.

[paulrnx]

5 hours ago, Dylanlewis2000 said:

What does it do around town? I've heard that the RX is better on the motorway due to its 3.5v6. Not sure if it's better around town though. I'm looking at options at the moment so interested in what you have to say about the NX around town. My daily commute is 6 miles through 20/30MPH zones. 

I get 38-40 each tankful in the winter and 42-44 in the summer. I’ve never done a 6 mile commute so can’t comment really. I’d guess at mid 30’s mpg.

[paulrnx]

3 hours ago, DanD said:

It is my experience also. But I have found that dropping from an indicated 75-80 mph to 70-75 does make a significant difference.

Yes I’ve noticed that too. Then again, I’ve seen this in most  cars I’ve had to be honest.

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, paulrnx said:

Yes I’ve noticed that too. Then again, I’ve seen this in most  cars I’ve had to be honest.

And if one is able to travel at 56mph, the results are outstanding, but that is neither easy nor desirable these days.

[paulrnx]

13 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

And if one is able to travel at 56mph, the results are outstanding, but that is neither easy nor desirable these days.

Must be an age thing but I am much happier to drive around at 50-60 than I ever was, even 5 years ago.

[Deathstar]

6 hours ago, paulrnx said:

Must be an age thing but I am much happier to drive around at 50-60 than I ever was, even 5 years ago.

How does that effect your MPG?