New NX Buyer

[Shahid NX300h]

20 hours ago, Martynt74 said:

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.

Trackpad can be adjusted to slow, as I did on my father’s NX, as I found it too quick/sensitive even on the medium setting.

[Martynt74]

Had a proper test drive of the NX today at Lexus Preston. Spent a good 40 minutes out and about and much preferred the drive to the CX5. Also got to try the non sport seats and enjoyed them but then realised the "luxury" trim level loses too much other stuff, mainly powered tailgate and lumbar adjustment so sticking with the F Sport.

The car we drove was black with red leather, it was actually an excellent combination and the red leather looked much nicer in person than it does in photos. I'm aware of a 2018 model F Sport in that same combination for ~£25k with 40k miles so i think that's the choice if i go for the NX.

However to throw a cat amongst the pigeons, i was speaking to another dealership who mentioned they'd just got a 2018 RX in at ~£30k. It's bigger which adresses my boot issues, and benefits from extra features like ventilated seats etc along with a bigger 3/5l V6 engine. I'm going to take a look and drive it tomorrow to compare the two. Only downsides to it, is that it's pre-facelift and so whilst it seems to have the larger 10" screen it can't be retrofitted for apple carplay.

[hockeyedwards]

On 6/3/2021 at 4:57 PM, talaipwros said:

new NX will come next week.

Think it is just official 'unveiling' so it'll confirm the leak we saw earlier in the year 😆 and confirm specs etc

@Martynt74 I wouldn't worry about high mileage, I specifically sort out a high mile NX but well spec'd for the Mrs, came with 1 year warranty from Lexus, will then be replaced with this 'Relax' once that is up. NX has reliability score of mid to high 90 percentile. The only downside we have found to the NX was the lack of 'punch' when you lead food the right pedal, but everything else has been fine. We get a German Shep, shopping and loads of kit in the boot for adventures 😛 

8 minutes ago, Martynt74 said:

they'd just got a 2018 RX

On this note, my dad has a 2016 RX F-sport and also purchased a higher mileage one as they just don't go wrong. Previous 2 RX's were on the brink of 200k and were only updated to have a more 'modern' car with creature comforts etc. The boot space is larger but enourmous, but I would concede the cabin space does feel a bit more spacious than the NX.

[Martynt74]

Good feedback. Cheers

[Martynt74]

Wow, well the RX drove brilliantly. The extra power was certainly welcome and well suited to a large vehicle. I was also a big fan of the ventilated seats given that i'm a fat sweaty mess!

Sadly, with it being a pre-facelift, whilst it had the larger 10" screen, the infotainment felt incredibly dated. The maps section looked ugly, the reversing camera was poor quality and the lack of being able to install apple Carplay meant it's not the car for us. Those features are a big feature in us looking to change cars so feels daft to then buy a car that feels dated even if the driving dynamics were better. If i could afford a facelifted version then i'd have been all over it, however £45k is just too much on a car in my head. I'm battling with myself to even spend £25k given how little we drive!

Perhaps in a few years when the 2021 model drops down to £30k, we'll trade the NX in and upgrade then. 

As it is, i've gone with a 2018 F Sport NX on 40k miles from a Toyota dealer in Mansfield. Black with red leather and with it being Toyota, the 12mths warranty etc is all spot on and comparable to buying direct from Lexus themselves.

[paulrnx]

21 hours ago, Martynt74 said:

Wow, well the RX drove brilliantly. The extra power was certainly welcome and well suited to a large vehicle. I was also a big fan of the ventilated seats given that i'm a fat sweaty mess!

Sadly, with it being a pre-facelift, whilst it had the larger 10" screen, the infotainment felt incredibly dated. The maps section looked ugly, the reversing camera was poor quality and the lack of being able to install Apple Carplay meant it's not the car for us. Those features are a big feature in us looking to change cars so feels daft to then buy a car that feels dated even if the driving dynamics were better. If i could afford a facelifted version then i'd have been all over it, however £45k is just too much on a car in my head. I'm battling with myself to even spend £25k given how little we drive!

Perhaps in a few years when the 2021 model drops down to £30k, we'll trade the NX in and upgrade then. 

As it is, i've gone with a 2018 F Sport NX on 40k miles from a Toyota dealer in Mansfield. Black with red leather and with it being Toyota, the 12mths warranty etc is all spot on and comparable to buying direct from Lexus themselves.

Good result. Hope you enjoy the new car 👍