New NX Buyer

[Martynt74]

Hi All, 

I've finally narrowed my choice down to the Lexus NX from what feels like an encyclopedia sized "shortlist". Particularly in the F-Sport trim level.

From existing owners though i wanted to get a few opinions before deciding on a specific used car. 

The first one i saw was this, it's on 70k miles which is high, very high in fact for a 2018 model. However it was spotless inside and it's priced accordingly. My mileage is likely to only be 5-6k a year and so i figure by the time i move it on it'll have evened out.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105192832760?fromSavedAds=true&advertising-location=at_cars

The next is this one. It doesn't have the Pan roof. Mileage is better, but other than that it's similar to the above. The slight bonus here is that because it's Velvet black with no extras it's list is under £40k so no premium car tax for the next few years. That effectively saves ~£1k over the next few years. Not a huge factor but valid either way.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105182780660?fromSavedAds=true&advertising-location=at_cars

Finally this one, it has the pan roof, the protection pack and comes in the amazing Azure blue. It also benefits from being slightly newer.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105072342566?fromSavedAds=true&advertising-location=at_cars

 

I'm a little torn as to which way to go at the minute. My head suggests the first. I prefer the grey to the black, it has the sunroof and at a £3k saving i imagine it'll more than offset the reduced value in a few years. It's been serviced at Lexus in it's lifetime so i should be able to get it covered under Lexus Relax too so i can get the warranty. My mileage will only be ~6k a year and so it will be eligible for the duration of my ownership.

The blue one is lovely, however with being in Scotland they aren't offering the 4.9% APR that other dealers have available and so it adds quite a bit onto the total price. I'd have to use more savings than i'd intended to fund it, which whilst not being a deal breaker isn't ideal.

The middle one then becomes the car where it's in the middle ground. Given the tax saving it actually only works out ~£2k more than the first and also has the benefit of the 1yr warranty as part of the AUC scheme.

 

Just wondered what other peoples thoughts were and where their preferences would lie?

Cheers

[Spacewagon52]

Martyn, the links do not work. Not sure if the moderators have stopped adverts being posted? None of the three links work.

[Phil xxkr]

36 minutes ago, Martynt74 said:

Hi All, 

I've finally narrowed my choice down to the Lexus NX from what feels like an encyclopedia sized "shortlist". Particularly in the F-Sport trim level.

From existing owners though i wanted to get a few opinions before deciding on a specific used car. 

The first one i saw was this, it's on 70k miles which is high, very high in fact for a 2018 model. However it was spotless inside and it's priced accordingly. My mileage is likely to only be 5-6k a year and so i figure by the time i move it on it'll have evened out.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105192832760?fromSavedAds=true&advertising-location=at_cars

The next is this one. It doesn't have the Pan roof. Mileage is better, but other than that it's similar to the above. The slight bonus here is that because it's Velvet black with no extras it's list is under £40k so no premium car tax for the next few years. That effectively saves ~£1k over the next few years. Not a huge factor but valid either way.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105182780660?fromSavedAds=true&advertising-location=at_cars

Finally this one, it has the pan roof, the protection pack and comes in the amazing Azure blue. It also benefits from being slightly newer.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105072342566?fromSavedAds=true&advertising-location=at_cars

 

I'm a little torn as to which way to go at the minute. My head suggests the first. I prefer the grey to the black, it has the sunroof and at a £3k saving i imagine it'll more than offset the reduced value in a few years. It's been serviced at Lexus in it's lifetime so i should be able to get it covered under Lexus Relax too so i can get the warranty. My mileage will only be ~6k a year and so it will be eligible for the duration of my ownership.

The blue one is lovely, however with being in Scotland they aren't offering the 4.9% APR that other dealers have available and so it adds quite a bit onto the total price. I'd have to use more savings than i'd intended to fund it, which whilst not being a deal breaker isn't ideal.

The middle one then becomes the car where it's in the middle ground. Given the tax saving it actually only works out ~£2k more than the first and also has the benefit of the 1yr warranty as part of the AUC scheme.

 

Just wondered what other peoples thoughts were and where their preferences would lie?

Cheers

Why 4.9% Apr? Scandalous rate considering base rate is practically 0 assuming your credit score to be good lots of places offering low cost finance. Also with new NX being announced next week who knows effect on used cars prices? If its design is significantly different maybe a lot. 

[ColinBarber]

49 minutes ago, Martynt74 said:

It's been serviced at Lexus in it's lifetime so i should be able to get it covered under Lexus Relax too so i can get the warranty. My mileage will only be ~6k a year and so it will be eligible for the duration of my ownership.

I'd have no issues with the mileage. To do that many miles in 3 years means they are mainly going to be easy motorway miles. The only thing to consider is the next owner - if it's close to 100k miles when you want to sell it then they won't get the Relax warranty for long and therefore it would have an effect on the valuation at time of sale. But if it will be close to 10 years old then it doesn't matter anyway.

 

[rayaans]

I also wouldn't worry about mileage on Lexus vehicles. Itll have just sat on the motorway so obviously may have stone chips all over and road rash., Just needs a proper look before buying. 

You're better off getting a loan than financing at the moment.

[Martynt74]

Thanks all. Annoying that the links don't seem to work. Depending on how much you want to search.

The first one is £22,999 at HPL Motors in Preston (Silver)

The Second is £26,250 at Lexus in Gatwick (Black)

The Third is £28,000 at Lexus in Glasgow (Azure Blue)

 

Good to hear about the mileage not being an issue, the interior of the car was spotless so definitely matches a car that's just been up and down a motorway. The rear and boot looked barely used too. There were some small chips on the rear tailgate presumably from things being loaded in/out but they were happy to fix those.

 

As mentioned i know the higher miles may put people off in the future, but i figure that by then it'll be ~7yrs old and close to 100k miles and so that's then closer to average. I imagine by then the difference between that and a 70k car will be smaller than the £3k saving i'm making up front.

 

Finance wise, i'm pretty certain to go with a loan on the cheaper one. It's sufficient that with that and savings i'm good and then there's no balloon payment at the end to think about. The benefit of using the PCP was that i get to keep a lot more of my savings which are currently doing much better than 4.9%. A loan outright at the higher figure puts it into the point where the monthlies are a bit beyond what i'd be happy with, whilst not being unaffordable.

[PCM]

2nd or 3rd for me, WITH a Lexus warranty!

[Martynt74]

3 minutes ago, PCM said:

2nd or 3rd for me, WITH a Lexus warranty!

The first would have a Lexus warranty with the Lexus Relax service pack though? 

[PCM]

3 minutes ago, Martynt74 said:

The first would have a Lexus warranty with the Lexus Relax service pack though? 

Something to check, perhaps?

https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/warranty/lexus-relax/?lexReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fduckduckgo.com%2F#rewarding-loyalty 

[subria88]

I'm not sure what the impact will be - but if you don't need it immediately, the launch of the next generation NX is a few weeks away. There's the potential there to depress pricing on the older models.

I'd think the first one with the higher mileage will depend how long you intend to keep it and pass on. If you're intending to keep for a while, then you will probably get away with it, but if selling in a few years might be more difficult. The Relax warranty assuming you service with Lexus will cover you up to 100k miles and then you're adrift.

 

 

There was another F-Sport with the blue down in Tunbridge- slightly more but does come with the Premier Pack (adding AVS, HUD, panoramic camera). I do like the blue

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

 

[DanD]

The links don't work? - Just copy and paste them in your browser...

Looks like the black Gatwick NX is this one:
https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/used-lexus/Lexus/Nx-Estate/300h-25-F-Sport-5dr-Auto-Premium-Nav-mqck934

It does not have the panoramic roof, which would suggest that it has a sunroof. For that model year, it was either one or the other. There are no pictures, so you may want to enquire as to the colour of the inside. It could be black or red (I don't think the cream interior was available on 2018 F-Sports).

If this is of interest to you, you may want to check whether the cars have had apple Play / Android Auto retrofitted. So long as the cars have the 10.5 in display, the compatibility is there, but 2018 didn't come with AP/AA fitted as standard. Having said this, it costs around £90 to get this retrofitted so you should be able to get this thrown in.

Have you looked at the Lexus website, rather than Auto Trader? - The prices on there are not as bad as you'd think and you get a good warranty.

[talaipwros]

I am told that the new NX will come next week.

Perhaps you should wait?

[Martynt74]

2 hours ago, DanD said:

The links don't work? - Just copy and paste them in your browser...

Looks like the black Gatwick NX is this one:
https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/used-lexus/Lexus/Nx-Estate/300h-25-F-Sport-5dr-Auto-Premium-Nav-mqck934

It does not have the panoramic roof, which would suggest that it has a sunroof. For that model year, it was either one or the other. There are no pictures, so you may want to enquire as to the colour of the inside. It could be black or red (I don't think the cream interior was available on 2018 F-Sports).

If this is of interest to you, you may want to check whether the cars have had Apple Play / Android Auto retrofitted. So long as the cars have the 10.5 in display, the compatibility is there, but 2018 didn't come with AP/AA fitted as standard. Having said this, it costs around £90 to get this retrofitted so you should be able to get this thrown in.

Have you looked at the Lexus website, rather than Auto Trader? - The prices on there are not as bad as you'd think and you get a good warranty.

 

Yes, the Gatwick one was the one. Interesting on the sunroof side, i had just assumed it was pano roof or no sunroof.

Yes, i've been doing reading on the Carplay side, i was quoted £80 to retrofit it which i'm more than happy with. Yes, been looking at the Lexus site too, along with speaking to a few dealers to see if they have anything coming in. Sadly everything seems miles away from me location wise!

[ColinBarber]

4 hours ago, DanD said:

It does not have the panoramic roof, which would suggest that it has a sunroof. For that model year, it was either one or the other.

Sunroof, pano or none. In this case it doesn't have any according to the build spec:

Sun roof & moon roof

Without

 

It doesn't have the Premium Pack either.

[Martynt74]

13 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

Sunroof, pano or none. In this case it doesn't have any according to the build spec:

Sun roof & moon roof

Without

 

It doesn't have the Premium Pack either.

 

I was of the belief that the Premium Pack was basically included on the F Sport from 2018 onwards as it includes the larger 10.25" screen and Nav, powered tailgate etc and other features.

[ColinBarber]

33 minutes ago, Martynt74 said:

 

I was of the belief that the Premium Pack was basically included on the F Sport from 2018 onwards as it includes the larger 10.25" screen and Nav, powered tailgate etc and other features.

Unfortunately not. The F Sport essentially comes with the convenience pack as standard which is the powered tailgate and wireless charger but the Premier Pack is a £4k addition which gives you heated steering wheel, drivers seat memory, Mark Levinson audio, 360° camera, Head Up Display, Adaptive Variable Suspension and the Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The 10" screen is just a standard upgrade as part of the facelift model.

[DanD]

14 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

Sunroof, pano or none. In this case it doesn't have any according to the build spec:

Sun roof & moon roof

Without

 

It doesn't have the Premium Pack either.

Fair enough. I thought it was either pan roof or sun/moon roof on this spec/model year, and that 'neither' was not an option. 

 

27 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Unfortunately not. The F Sport essentially comes with the convenience pack as standard which is the powered tailgate and wireless charger but the Premier Pack is a £4k addition which gives you heated steering wheel, drivers seat memory, Mark Levinson audio, 360° camera, Head Up Display, Adaptive Variable Suspension and the Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The 10" screen is just a standard upgrade as part of the facelift model.

Unfortunately, the various packs seem to change all the time, which makes it difficult to keep track. Mine has the Premier/Takumi pack and has all that you have listed, except the drivers seat memory.

[subria88]

The easiest way to tell on the listings if a facelifted F-Sport has a Premier/Takumi pack is to:

1. Check if there's a HUD listed
2. Mode select dial has Sport +
3. 360 panoramic camera is shown.
4. Usually the alloy wheels are changed as well from the standard F-Sport, though this isn't always the case.

These are the most visible of the items
 

[Martynt74]

1 hour ago, DanD said:

various packs seem to change all the time, which makes it difficult to keep track. Mine has the Premier/Takumi pack and has all that you have listed, except the drivers seat memory.

That's what i seem to have found. I spoke to one Lexus dealer who told me in the 2018/2019 range, the F Sport basically included the Premium pack. As per the 2019 article below, you can't actually add the Premium Pack to a 2019 F Sport

Quote

GRADE	CORE EQUIPMENT FEATURES
NX	Lexus Safety System+, speed-sensitive power steering, all-wheel drive, electronic parking brake, Drive Mode Select – four modes, Lexus Media with ten-speaker audio, eight-inch Lexus Navigation, twin USB sockets, aux socket, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, adjustable turn indicator flash sequence, LED interior lighting, power-adjustable leather steering wheel, analogue clock, two 12v accessory sockets, Tahara upholstery, heated front seats, silver trim inlays, leather shift lever, auto-folding and heated door mirrors, LED exterior lights, integrated roof rails, 18-inch alloy wheels
F Sport	Additional features to base NX: Sports suspension with lateral performance dampers, Active Sound Control, smart entry, parking assist sensors, wireless smartphone charger, power-adjustable and heated F Sport leather steering wheel, F Sport leather upholstery, driver’s seat lumbar adjustment, carbon fibre effect inlays, F Sport leather shift lever, aluminium sport pedals, rear privacy glass, power tailgate, illuminated door handles with puddle lights, F Sport black spindle grille, F Sport sills and bumpers, black door mirror covers, 18-inch F Sport alloy wheels

https://mag.lexus.co.uk/2019-lexus-nx-revised-grades-and-specifications/

[subria88]

The Premium Pack does not equal the Takumi (or previously called Premier) pack.

The Takumi pack effectively gets the F-Sport close (but not exactly matching) the top spec Takumi (previously Premier)

[paulrnx]

Nothing wrong with a higher mileage car. Especially if you only do 6k miles per year and plan on keeping for a while. A worthwhile saving I’d say.

[Martynt74]

Hmm well test drove a new CX-5 at lunch. The guy gave me plenty of time and had a route in mind with various twisty roads and dual carriageways along with some town centre driving.

Difficult choice between the two. There certainly isn't a right/wrong option. Just going to stick my thoughts here, it may help some people in a similar position, but also it's good to just get things down.

Lexus NX
Pros
Slightly older model so done the main bit of depreciating.
Lower overall price (works out ~£5k cheaper)
Extended warranty is a great price
Loads of features built in
Hybrid which works well for shorter journeys
Panoramic sunroof
Premium feeling interior

Cons
Trackpad to control infotainment can feel a little sensitive
Boot isn't the biggest due to sloping rear
Incurs the £340 tax premium for another 3 years
Needs retrofit for apple carplay
Didn't get a brilliant test drive. Wouldn't want to mess other dealers around too much though by just trying a similar car locally

Mazda CX-5
Pros
Some great features such as HUD
Great sized boot and well thought out
Premium feeling interior
Well laid out infotainment system
Brand new car so choice of colour/spec/warranty etc

Cons
Auto box felt a little delayed. A few times i put my foot down and there was a delay, then a shove.
No wireless phone charger - Not a huge issue, but it'd be nice
Initial cost + depreciation cost
Thin steering wheel wasn't as comfy

As mentioned, i don't think i could go wrong with either car. I've certainly ruled out the Hyundai Tucson i think and not seen anything else within budget which feels as good as either the above.

[ColinBarber]

These are the MY18 NX options:

[Grumps]

My son bought a brand new Mazda CX-5 sport late last year. This was the petrol manual version and he loves it. I would generally agree with your summary between the two vehicles, but as my son got nearly 5k off for cash it was a great deal. I also read somewhere that the CX5 was great at holding its value.

You won't go wrong in either car, but as Lexus have now put in place the 10 year warranty and if the car is a keeper, this may just swing it for me.

 

[paulrnx]

I’ve always thought the CX5 to be a lovely looking vehicle. The reviews say they are a great drive too.