2021 RX vs 2018 NX

First_Lexus · November 30, 2021

I’ve now competed 250 miles in my new RX 450h Premium with Tech, Safety and Protection packs. Those miles have been across A-Roads, B-Roads and mostly motorway on the M4. Previously I’ve owned two NX 300h, the first a Sport from 2017 and the second a Luxury from 2018, competing 30k miles across the two. My initial comparisons are:

Comfort - a score draw. Both have exceptionally comfortable seats that suit me very well. The driving environment in the NX felt more compact, with some functions easier to get to - the heated seats and climate controls the most obvious. However, the RX counters with the automatic heating/ventilation for the seats which have meant I’ve simply left it all on ‘auto’ and let it do its thing. All very good.

Ride quality - a narrow win for the RX. I always found the NX ride to be good, despite some of the media reviews. Yes, bigger potholes tended to make things a bit ‘crashy’ but generally it was a refined experience. However, the RX copes better and is much smoother over a wider variety of road surfaces. Bigger imperfections have a similar ‘crashy’ quality to the NX, albeit much less obvious.

Refinement - a clear win for the RX. Don’t get me wrong, the NX is a very refined cruiser, but only when driven gently. That’s how I drive, but the difference in the RX is marked. At 70mph on the motorway, the RX is almost silent. At the end of a long day, facing a 70 mile drive in the dark and wet, I can’t think of a better car I’ve owned. There’s a sense of serenity that just made me very relaxed. I thought the NX was good - and it was - but the difference is much greater than I expected.

Quality - score draw. As you’d expect with Lexus, both are exceptional. I can’t see any difference in material quality, or paint finish or anything really. Superb.

Space - narrow win for the NX (but it’s relative!). Bear with me here. The RX is clearly larger, and has more space. However, given the size difference it doesn’t have as much space as you might think, especially in the boot with the seats up. The NX is actually a very practical car and is usefully smaller. Boot space seems to be about the same which has surprised me. I know the numbers say the RX has more capacity but my real world perception is that it isn’t noticeable.

Economy - win for the NX. Accepting that my RX hasn’t loosened up yet, but economy - using the onboard computer - mirrors my experience when having RX loan cars. On the journeys I’ve completed in the RX so far, I’d have achieved 40mpg I’m the NX. In the RX I’m getting 32mpg with the same driving style. That’s fine for me, but worth noting.

Equipment - not really able to compare, as the RX I have is a higher trim level and much more expensive. The NX had everything I thought I needed, but the RX takes things to a whole new level. The panoramic roof is lovely. The HUD and blind spot monitors are very useful. The heated steering wheel is real luxury! Is it all really necessary - obviously the answer is no. Do I like it? The answer is a definite yes! The only thing I’m unconvinced by is the steering assist, but I may get used to it over time.

Overall I loved my time with the NX. It’s a great car. To be fair, every Lexus I’ve driven - IS, GS, UX, NX, and RC - has been fantastic. They all have a feeling of superb quality, and a sense of occasion that I haven’t experienced in any other brand. The RX continues the theme. It’s a lovely thing, and I realise I’m privileged to be able to own it. It takes the strengths of the NX and builds on them, but at a financial cost. If you have an RX and are considering downsizing I personally don’t think an NX would feel like you are dropping down too much. If you have an NX and are considering an RX the differences are enough to notice, but the question is whether the extra expense is worth it. I think it is - after all, if we all simply had what we ‘needed’ then I’d be driving a Fiesta!

Richolf · November 30, 2021

Thanks for the comparison. My RX is my first Lexus and I love it however due to family moving on we are likely to downsize at some point and the NX will be on my list. NX will also be easier to drive down the narrow lanes in Devon when we go there. It was not fun having to reverse a quarter of a mile down a narrow lane with beeping from all sides. But having said that my RX is one of the few cars I appear to have become emotionally attached even after only 3,000 miles.

regarding the fuel consumption I am getting around the same as you but I have noticed 60mph seems to give much better fuel consumption that at 70 if you have the time.

olliesgrandad · December 1, 2021

2 hours ago, Richolf said:

Thanks for the comparison. My RX is my first Lexus and I love it however due to family moving on we are likely to downsize at some point and the NX will be on my list. NX will also be easier to drive down the narrow lanes in Devon when we go there. It was not fun having to reverse a quarter of a mile down a narrow lane with beeping from all sides. But having said that my RX is one of the few cars I appear to have become emotionally attached even after only 3,000 miles.

regarding the fuel consumption I am getting around the same as you but I have noticed 60mph seems to give much better fuel consumption that at 70 if you have the time.

Like you the RX I found to be a big lump of car in narrow spaces.

Previously I tried an NX but found it uncomfortable.

When Covid reduced my work mileage from 500 miles a week to zero I wanted to downsize so have jumped to another relative in the Toyota connected family namely a Subaru Xv.

Having recently spent a week in Cornwall I can assure you I went places that would have left my RX stranded 😂

First_Lexus · December 1, 2021

8 hours ago, Richolf said:

NX will also be easier to drive down the narrow lanes in Devon when we go there. It was not fun having to reverse a quarter of a mile down a narrow lane with beeping from all sides.

No doubt that if I still lived in rural Wiltshire the RX would have been too large for the lanes to and from the village (and generally). However, now in Berkshire the issue has pretty much gone away - albeit I’d think twice about going down very narrow lanes anywhere.

rayaans · December 1, 2021

Interesting views. I agree.

It's worth noting ride quality is quite improved in the premier model due to the adaptive suspension which is only available on F sport grades and above.

I think the new NX currently has better ride quality than the RX according to reviews. Will wait until I get a drive.

I believe the new RX will be out late next year and this should improve further.

Goodplan53 · December 5, 2021

I welcome your report, Ed, comparing your recent experience with both NX and your new RX. Very informative. As I may have mentioned in a previous thread, I am concerned about the sheer size of the RX here in rural Wiltshire and would consider downsizing to an NX for my next car. However, I am still concerned to the point of being disillusioned by the RX's sat nav system. I wonder whether it would be better in a new NX model?

I will explain my most recent tale of woe in another thread, continuing the debate on the unintuitive infotainment system. Suffice it to say, my wife and I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the RX's navigation system (on my 66 model at least), cannot be relied upon when we really need it. This might be a game changer for me as I'm losing faith in the brand. 😟

First_Lexus · December 5, 2021

1 hour ago, Goodplan53 said:

I welcome your report, Ed, comparing your recent experience with both NX and your new RX. Very informative. As I may have mentioned in a previous thread, I am concerned about the sheer size of the RX here in rural Wiltshire and would consider downsizing to an NX for my next car. However, I am still concerned to the point of being disillusioned by the RX's sat nav system. I wonder whether it would be better in a new NX model?

I will explain my most recent tale of woe in another thread, continuing the debate on the unintuitive infotainment system. Suffice it to say, my wife and I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the RX's navigation system (on my 66 model at least), cannot be relied upon when we really need it. This might be a game changer for me as I'm losing faith in the brand. 😟

@Goodplan53the standard navigation certainly isn’t the best (slight understatement!). Actually I always found it fine - got used to the foibles over time - but then I started using Waze via apple Car Play and that is a game changer. All of a sudden the standard system becomes utterly irrelevant…

I believe most manufacturers are going down the same route, some even not bothering with an inbuilt system other than a screen with which to use Car Play or Android Auto.

Herbie · December 5, 2021

I don't wish to personally attack anyone or cause offence to anyone but come on, the RX isn't THAT big!

Do delivery vans, bin wagons, BT vans, milk tankers and suchlike manage on these narrow lanes? If the answer to that is yes then it's not the RX at fault is it?

And yes, I do live in a town but having holidayed (is that even a word?) in Devon and Cornwall many times I'm no stranger to those narrow lanes by any means.

Goodplan53 · December 5, 2021

None taken, Herbie!
And the size thing is not the game changer, but the infotainment system might be.

First_Lexus · December 5, 2021

44 minutes ago, Herbie said:

I don't wish to personally attack anyone or cause offence to anyone but come on, the RX isn't THAT big!

Do delivery vans, bin wagons, BT vans, milk tankers and suchlike manage on these narrow lanes? If the answer to that is yes then it's not the RX at fault is it?

And yes, I do live in a town but having holidayed (is that even a word?) in Devon and Cornwall many times I'm no stranger to those narrow lanes by any means.

It’s a fair point, and I’m finding that familiarity makes things less scary - I think a lot of the issue is in the mind, certainly in my case. The big difference between those Amazon/Ocado/Tractor/lorry drivers and driving an RX is that they are less concerned about the potential for minor damage. However, I found that even worse were other drivers of large SUVs…😂🙄…especially those who refused to drive anywhere other than down the middle of an already narrow(ish) lane (perhaps a car and a half wide).

Genuinely, there were lanes where I used to live where even the NX was a struggle so I tended to avoid them unless I was travelling very early or very late. I just didn’t want the drama or to scratch my lovely paintwork. As my first wife used to tell me frequently - and I’m sure she was talking about cars - a couple of extra inches makes a big difference…

Richolf · December 5, 2021

9 hours ago, Herbie said:

I don't wish to personally attack anyone or cause offence to anyone but come on, the RX isn't THAT big!

Do delivery vans, bin wagons, BT vans, milk tankers and suchlike manage on these narrow lanes? If the answer to that is yes then it's not the RX at fault is it?

And yes, I do live in a town but having holidayed (is that even a word?) in Devon and Cornwall many times I'm no stranger to those narrow lanes by any means.

Agree it’s smaller than tankers BT and delivery vans, but normally they aren’t the ones reversing due to size and lack of visibility for them. In some cases the RX was to long to fit into the passing places. Driving forward is no problem but meet something coming the other way and having to reverse 1/4 of a mile can be challenging.

Herbie · December 5, 2021

1 hour ago, Richolf said:

Driving forward is no problem but meet something coming the other way and having to reverse 1/4 of a mile can be challenging.

Agreed - but not impossible. We've all passed the driving test, or at least I hope we have :thumbsup:

First_Lexus · December 12, 2021

On 12/5/2021 at 11:26 PM, Herbie said:

Agreed - but not impossible. We've all passed the driving test, or at least I hope we have

Took the RX into a multi-storey car park for the first time since owning her today, and not one I’m familiar with. Although quite tight - and ducking when entering 😆 was a reflex - it wasn’t as scary as I feared it might be. Having now competed about 600 miles the extra size is less and less obvious which is exactly what I hoped and expected.

@Herbiemy late Father - like many of his generation - actually never did pass a driving test. Instead, he was given a licence while in the Army (in Egypt of all places!) with the only requirement that he could drive in a straight line for a few yards. Once he had his licence, he simply converted to a civilian licence when he left the Army, and continued driving for another sixty years…and in all that time, I was never convinced he really understood roundabouts!

royoftherovers · December 12, 2021

55 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

Took the RX into a multi-storey car park for the first time since owning her today, and not one I’m familiar with. Although quite tight - and ducking when entering 😆 was a reflex - it wasn’t as scary as I feared it might be. Having now competed about 600 miles the extra size is less and less obvious which is exactly what I hoped and expected.

@Herbiemy late Father - like many of his generation - actually never did pass a driving test. Instead, he was given a licence while in the Army (in Egypt of all places!) with the only requirement that he could drive in a straight line for a few yards. Once he had his licence, he simply converted to a civilian licence when he left the Army, and continued driving for another sixty years…and in all that time, I was never convinced he really understood roundabouts!

My Dad obtained his Licence in the same way too Ed.

Enjoy the RX.

stepheneric · December 12, 2021

58 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

Once he had his licence, he simply converted to a civilian licence when he left the Army,

Civilians could and did obtain licences during WWii without taking a test - they just had to apply for them

stepheneric · December 12, 2021

22 minutes ago, stepheneric said:

Civilians could and did obtain licences during WWii without taking a test - they just had to apply for them

The lady on the next farm who had not and never did drive, applied for a licence during the war. This enabled her to accompany her son with his L plates and legally comply with the Law.

First_Lexus · January 16, 2022

Having now completed almost 1000 miles in the RX, I thought it would be a good time to review my initial impressions.

In terms of what I really like:

- the screen is excellent, and having touchscreen capability as well as the mousepad is a game changer for me;

- the general sense of peace and quiet is exceptional, even on poor road surfaces;

- build quality seems a step up from my NX, and I didn’t think that would be possible;

- the available power and smooth delivery of that power is fantastic, albeit I had to be a little careful at the amount of speed I carried into bends initially!

What I don’t like:

- the size, often debated on these pages, can be a drawback in specific circumstances. My local Sainsbury car park simply doesn’t have spaces that are wide enough to park AND open the doors! Easy enough to park in a quiet corner, as I usually did anyway, and easier still to shop elsewhere…

- the heater controls and the parking brake are a bit low down on the dashboard, meaning I have to momentarily take my eyes off the road to adjust them (not that they need adjusting often when on the move) I preferred the higher position of the NX controls. I would use the voice control, but…

- in common with my NX, the voice control refuses to co-operate with me. Asking for temperature 20 degrees usually results in BBC RADIO WALES being played on DAB! Not a huge issue as I don’t really use it anyway, and Siri via apple Car Play allows access to Spotify and Waze which is all I really need;

- it really isn’t as practical as you might think given the size. With the seats folded there is a big gap, even with the rear seats in their forward position, between the load space and the front seats. In addition, the sloping rear screen steals a lot of space. Not an issue for me (I don’t even carry passengers very often) but worth noting.

I’m still very happy with my choice, especially as the price offered to change was very strong. It’s a great car, and others who have seen it are impressed and surprised by it. I still think I’ll keep this for about three years, and then switch to a smaller EV as I enter the retirement phase of my life…but very glad to have the opportunity to own a vehicle like this at least once!

Barry14UK · January 16, 2022

This year the Lexus RZ 450e BEV is due to come onto the market based on the underpinnings of the Toyota BZ4x and Subaru Solterra. It is postulated that the RZ will have a larger Battery and better acceleration, as well as a more upmarket feel. This may well take some of the sales away from the RX.

First_Lexus · January 26, 2022

A quick update on fuel economy. I’ve read a few times on these pages that RX 450h economy is ‘…not much worse’ than economy in the NX 300h.

Having owned an NX for almost four years, I would regularly achieve 38-40mpg, almost regardless of whether it was Winter or Summer. I’ve now completed 1200 miles in my RX - driven in exactly the same way, on the same journeys and by the same driver. The best I’ve managed is 34mpg. Seems like I’m achieving 30-32mpg typically.

Should add that in both cases I’ve simply used the on-board computer figures. I’m aware they may not be completely accurate, but at least I’ve used both so should be closer to a fair comparison.