Is the NX a large SUV?

[Martin J]

This piece on the BBC news website surprised me

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56647128

It mentions the NX as the "large SUV" most likely to be owned by a city driver.  The context is a comment from Steve Gooding of the RAC in relation to a report from the New Weather Institute about the growth in popularity of "SUVs" and how "bad advertising" has contributed to it.  (Coincidentally, the Transport & Environment thinktank has a new report out laying into PHEVs, and SUVs in particular, branding them as a "con" designed to greenwash manufacturers' average CO2 emissions while delivering real word emissions not much better than regular hybrids).

The comments from Gooding on vehicle choice are actually quite sensible, but the BBC piece refers to "SUVs" and "large SUVs" without ever defining them, and the NWI's report is no better.

The coverage manages to conflate three different things - appropriate vehicle size, vehicle shape, and CO2 emissions. 

One of the reasons I bought an NX was its relatively low emissions (although the switch from NEDC to WLTP testing has revealed that the NX drivetrain isn't anything like as green as it appeared in 2015). 

SUVs have become popular (not with Linas, I know) because they're easy to get into and out of, have a good driving position, and actually provide more space in a shorter length than traditional saloons. Thinking about small and midsize "SUVs" like the Qashqai, or RAV4, or NX, for that matter, it's clear that this shape is what a versatile and comfortable family car now looks like. And, to be more provocative, they're the kind of height cars used to be until they got lower in the 1960s. Indeed, taking a long view, low cars (sports cars excepted) can be seen as a bit of an aberration from the latter half of the 20th century. 

At what point does an SUV become an outrage against society? Not the Yaris Cross or Puma, probably not the Qashqai or CHR/UX, but what about the RAV4 and NX? 

And is a Tesla Model 3 acceptable but not a Model Y?  Does the raised ride height of the Polestar 2 make it an SUV?

So, as Gooding observes (but the headlines don't reflect), the term "SUV" has become so broad as to be useless.

Perhaps manufacturers should stop using it?

 

[Alan305]

I thought Lexus described the NX as Large SUV and the RX as Luxury SUV. Not sure either qualifies as a Chelsea Tractor.

Chevy Suburban, that’s a proper sized SUV.

[ColinBarber]

29 minutes ago, Alan305 said:

I thought Lexus described the NX as Large SUV

Mid sized, in the UK at least.

[subria88]

Had always thought the true Lexus SUVs were the GX and LXs, the UX (Urban), NX (Nimble) and RX (Recreational) have always been crossovers.

The issue with SUVs is the mass of the vehicle requiring a larger engine to power than a vehicle with similar length/width. More mass to drag around is never going to do wonders for fuel economy. I imagine that the 200t would be offering worse fuel economy than the 300h.

An NX is roughly around 1.7-1.8 tonnes, 4.6 m length, 1.8m wide, 2 to 2.5l engines.

A current Ford Mondeo is around 1.5 tonnes, 4.9m length, 1.8 wide, 2l engines.

 

[Alan305]

Chevy Suburban 3500HD 

• Curb Weight: 6,585 pounds

That’s almost 3,000 Kg, gentle driving gets 14mpg US gallons. Size matters.

[Zotto]

Lexus NX is 4.63 long, RX 4.9.

[DanD]

12 hours ago, Alan305 said:

I thought Lexus described the NX as Large SUV and the RX as Luxury SUV. Not sure either qualifies as a Chelsea Tractor.

Chevy Suburban, that’s a proper sized SUV.

That is certainly what the NX and RX are referred to in the motoring press.

[dutchie01]

I guess its all about perception and where you live. Rural countryside versus inner city. Crowded Tokio versus empty Texas. Some cars are seen as civilized ( Lexus RX) and some less so ( BMW X6).  10 years ago there were cars and SUV's. In the states they invented " trucks" as well and those are  bought in huge numbers as apparently over there fuel consumption and vehicle safety are not on the forefront of buyers. This side of the world the entire automobile market is currently like a tumble dryer, everything is mixed and upside down. Cars, Cross overs, SUV, SRV or whatever the marketing dept comes up with. The EV development means taller cars anyhow to make room for the batteries. So a full EV like a VW ID4. Its heavy and big so is it an SUV?  A mini countryman is considerably smaller but sold as an SUV? I fully agree with you Martin the term has become obsolete as it is overtaken by time. It's all down to marketing now.

[Spacewagon52]

It is a compromise between size (inside), fuel consumption and comfort. I would find the UX, for example, too small. The difference in fuel consumption between the RX and NX does not appear to be that far apart. So my initial choice would be the RX ..... but I would never say never!

[Linas.P]

I call it British Lilliput Effect (no offense for Lilliputs) - British tends to consider everything to be far bigger than they are and it seems people here are still comparing everything with original Mini form 60's... Sure enough NX is large compared to that, but otherwise it is Medium Size SUV.

Globally, NX is considered small SUV. RX is considered mid-size SUV and then Lexus has "full" size SUVs as LX and GX, but we don't even get them in UK. In other Hand US are opposite to UK, where they consider LX/GX to be mid-size SUV. 

It always annoys me when you go to say hand wash and they have pricing e.g. Small car £6, Medium car £8 and Large car £10... they finish washing my IS250/RC200t and asks for £10... and I always have this conversation that it is not "LARGE" car. Usually the next point is - what about SUVs then... and then they point me to the direction where it says SUVs are £12... and then I say what about MB S-Class or BMW 7-Series and we usually settle for IS250 being "medium" car - despite entire world agreeing IS250 is small entry-level luxury car.

Same for insurance - when I say they are crazy for asking £9000 to insure RC200t they say .... "what do you want - young driver, and large powerful sports car"... sure  - I am over 30, car is 2l engine with just 240hp and call Lexus RC large is crime. I struggle to find another country where where 2L would be considered "powerful sports car" or 30 years old "young"!

@Martin J - I just don't like driving SUVs, I don't like high centre of gravity and how they handle, as well "how easy is to get in" is not criteria when it comes to my mind when choosing the car. Simply said the criteria I have for what is "good car" is different. When it comes to environment - indeed SUV is much worse for environment than saloon or coupe with same engine. However, that does not mean I don't understand SUVs - if one really has dogs, kids, large family etc and needs larger more practical car - sure why not! However, reality is that ~80-90% of time cars have single occupant...

Besides NX300h, is my favourite 300h... somehow it works best in NX... I absolutely hated this drivetrain in IS/RC300h... ES just overall bland car so the engine could not ruin it any further, but in NX it actually felt "right". Sure engine is still noisy under acceleration, but power delivery is far smoother and felt more instant than on other car with same powertrain. Maybe because of AWD system?

As well NX is very competitive, I would argue the only real highlight of Lexus range, where you get most value and best proposition compared to other competitors. If I would be looking for mid-size SUV - NX would be at the top of my list. 

[Martin J]

Thanks for the comment @Linas.P and agree with you: it's curious how British views of car size seem skewed compared with most of the rest of the world. And yes, if you compare any modern car with the 1959 Mini, it will look huge. Of course, people are bigger than they were in 1959, too...

[Linas.P]

25 minutes ago, Martin J said:

Thanks for the comment @Linas.P and agree with you: it's curious how British views of car size seem skewed compared with most of the rest of the world. And yes, if you compare any modern car with the 1959 Mini, it will look huge. Of course, people are bigger than they were in 1959, too...

I don't know why it is, but I think it is related to some psychological trauma, maybe WW2 and economic woes of 20th century - UK was very very poor after WW2. As well very "socialist" government which ruled UK for most of 20th century (both tory and labour) did not help... destroyed british car manufacturing, passion for car, car culture and made it so that people look at cars like unnecessary excess and almost crime. Meaning little car is little crime... and large car is large crime... which results in some internal sub-conscious bias - people just want to get small things not to feel "guilty".

Same for houses - real estate is expensive in UK, but what is amazing is how tiny the houses are. In US not only they have more rooms, but all their rooms are massive and airy, large gardens, swimming pools etc. In UK we get house for a £ million and it looks like doll house with tiny rooms, tiny windows, tiny toy garage and tiny front garden, where we put tiny pot plants 😁

As well all the infrastructure in UK, parking spaces, garages even some roads are tiny in comparison with other countries. I remember getting offer for council garage and when I went to look at it the entrance was literally narrower than IS250 itself. I even tried to fold mirrors, but there was no point - car just would not fit. Even worse, I thought maybe if I could get through the gate it may work, but then I realise the garage inside is exactly the width of the gate, so even if I somehow squeeze it in there was no way I would be able to get out (probably that is why brits likes convertibles so much).

Importantly UK wasn't always like that - look at posh Georgian houses, even Victorian worker "huts" are relatively nice and spacious compared to how people lived in 19th century around the world... we need to realise that what we nowadays consider "normal terraced house" and what costs in excess of £600k and is out of reach for majority of population used to be considered poor workers home, more "well off" people would have lived in detached houses which now houses 8 families or more!

I may be reading too much into it, but UK sizing is not normal and it is very very noticeable when compared to other countries, like wise US sizing is not normal, just in opposite way!

[Las Palmas]

Size is relative.

What do you compare it with?

BMW X6 is so large that it needs 2 parking spaces in the house where we live. NO PROBLEM! Owner has 2 spaces and the other is where his enormous big BMW motorbike is.

NX

·         Altura 1.645 mm

·         Longitud 4.630 mm

·         Anchura 1.845 mm

 

 

RX

·         Altura 1.685 mm

·         Longitud 4.890 mm

·         Anchura 1.895 mm

 

 

MB GLE

·         Altura 1.796 mm

·         Longitud 4.819 mm

·         Anchura 1.935 mm

 

 

BMW X6

·         Altura 1.690 mm

·         Longitud 4.877 mm

·         Anchura 1.983 mm

 

Audi Q8

·         Altura 1.694 mm

·         Longitud 5.012 mm

·         Anchura 1.998 mm

[Deathstar]

Just wait for the 'SUV' tax in a few years time 😉

[paulrnx]

Pretty sure an NX is deemed to be a mid-size SUV. Fairly sure that’s how I saw the motoring press describe it when it came out.