Hello - Seriously considering the NX450h+

[AndyRC]

Hello. 
 

We currently have a Toyota C-HR 2.0 hybrid which is the CEOs company car and she does around 35k miles a year for business. Retirement is on the horizon and we are looking to buy a new , medium sized, premium SUV and the NX450h+ is currently sitting top of the list. Comfort, refinement, particularly the ride as I have neck issues and the CEO has back issues , comfortable electric seats, adequate performance, plenty of tech, good economy and long term reliability are on quite a long list. Other contenders are Volvo XC40/60 , Alfa Tonale (not exactly apples for apples on that one but it’s a nice looking car and drives ok). 
 

I’ve got a test drive booked next week in the NX450h+ Sport model so hoping to have a better idea then. We aren’t looking for a car until mid to end of 2023 so no rush and happy to wait for what may be our last “new car”. 
 

interested in owners thoughts on the latest generation and any foibles or issues they have (C-HR nearly all have dash rattles unless you get the dealer to fit something under the speaker grills) , OEM wiper blades squeak , rear discs rust badly if you only drive in town or low mileage. Etc. Saying that the C-HR is a great car but the seats are just not long enough in the base (we’re both tall) and we want fully electric adjustment on both seats. 
 

A plug in will do probably 50/60% of our journeys if we can get 30/35 miles so interested to hear what range owners get , and overall economy. The C-HR is doing 51/52 mpg with a lot of MWay (which doesn’t give the best economy) 

Looking forward to hearing what owners views are 

Andy 

[ColinBarber]

The NX sounds like a great fit for your requirements, provided it falls within budget.

The UX, which is the sister vehicle of the C-HR, doesn't have common rattle issues, so no reason to think the new NX will develop them either. But dealers would fix the issue under warranty anyway.

Rear disc corrosion is a common issue across all the Toyota/Lexus hybrids. Due to regenerative braking the mechanical brakes don't get much use, especially on the rear, so they can go weeks/months without the surface being properly cleaned. That combined with brakes that use a floating calliper design with sliding pins that seize up and you have the problem you have experienced. The only way to avoid this is to use the breaks every few weeks by performing a 'hard' stop from speed a couple of times and to get the brakes lubricated every couple of years.

[Ken R]

Hi Andy

I reckon that this would be a great choice for you. I had a NX300H, bought new in 2018 and changed it in March of this year for a NX450h+. Have now covered c5500 miles and am absolutely delighted with the car. I run it in EV mode when possible and have actually completed a 51 mile round trip which involved motorway as well as city driving without the ICE cutting in. The cooler weather of late is having a noticeable effect on batteries however whereby summer charges gave an indicated 52 miles of charge now showing 47 miles. Recent tariff hikes mean that the gap between electricity prices and fuel is closing and indeed once the price cap is lifted next April as predicted ai reckon that sales of EV's will be hit from a running cost perspective. Overall I am achieving c65 mpg once the cost of electricity is converted to petrol. This is 50% better than I got from the NX300H and I recently completed a longer series of journeys without EV recharge opportunities and recorded 62mpg. Fit and finish is as expected- superb. I went for a NX450h in Graphite with Hazel interior adding the premium plus pack, protection pack and sunroof (although I do miss the panoramic roof of my previous NX). My only other doubt is the run flat tyres - ride comfort and noise level is OK but I am monitoring their longevity as replacements are both expensive and limited in choice / availability. Seat comfort is great for me but do check front seat headroom if you are specifying the sunroof. All in all I rate the 450 as a fantastic car with the various award wins reinforcing this judgement. Any other queries then don't hesitate to get in touch but meantime hope this helps with your decision.

[AndyRC]

Thanks for the feedback 👍 The spec sounds fantastic, can’t wait for the test drive. Interesting comments about headroom and the sunroof. I’m 6 foot and would normally opt for sunroof over pan roof but will have a good look at that. 
 

The demo car is a 450h+ Sport with Takumi pack so should have just about everything. Will be interesting to see how the adaptive dampers feel. 👍

 

Dealer has a Takumi trim in stock to have a look at too 😎

[royoftherovers]

Some observations. I am not an NX owner but I observe what others remark.

F sport implies something which it is not.

Ride on 19 or20 inch wheels and low profile tyres might not suit 2 people withBack/Neck problems

Sunroof will restrict headroom for tall people

Try to borrow for a weekend to experience more than you will in a short number of daylight hours

Tahara Leather in Takumi is artificial

If an Alfa is on the shortlist, I wonder if you are ready for a Lexus notwithstanding your experience with the Toyota.

[AndyRC]

We’re not really interested in a “sport” model , we don’t drive particularly fast, largely due to the amount of traffic virtually everywhere, and not prepared to risk an accident to get 1/2 cars in front. The comfort level will be a main deciding factor, plus the quality/refinement of the cabin. 

[Ken R]

The Takumi has genuine leather seats as does the Premium Plus pack which I have. Lesser grades have the Tahara material which certainly looks like the genuine article.

[AndyRC]

Does any have the tan leather or red leather Takumi trim? I like the look but wear jeans a lot and have reservations about it staining ? I’d prefer something lighter than black leather but I know that’s the most practical option. 

[Ken R]

The Hazel (Tan) leather isn't too bad for staining and a monthly wipe with leather cleaner removes any "jean" marks. The Hazel trim also comes with a matching headlining which keeps the interior lighter overall which was a consideration for me. I had the ochre    (cream) leather interior on my last NX and after 4 years and over 30k miles the garage described it to be like new!

[AndyRC]

42 minutes ago, Ken R said:

The Hazel (Tan) leather isn't too bad for staining and a monthly wipe with leather cleaner removes any "jean" marks. The Hazel trim also comes with a matching headlining which keeps the interior lighter overall which was a consideration for me. I had the ochre    (cream) leather interior on my last NX and after 4 years and over 30k miles the garage described it to be like new!

I’d seen the Hazel had a matching headlining, I’m thinking that could be a classy looking interior 😎 Role on next Wednesday when I get the test drive. Local Toyota / Lexus dealership , JRT Hull, are great with test drives and never hassle for a sale , feel they genuinely want you to be happy with your purchase. 👍

[Harrier Man]

I love my NX 450h+. Had it since the first September and its now covered around 2,300 miles, the first 1,800 of which was on holiday through Scotland, England and Wales so a good mix of driving. Over that time my mpg worked out to around 60mpg but that doesn't reflect the cost of the electricity that I put in. I miss the better turning circle of all my previous cars but the quality of the Lexus (except the App software) makes up for that. Most trips since getting home have been my commute to work (usually a 28 mile round trip) that is all on electric. Easily achievable even with the heated seats and steering wheel on. Range is regularly given at around 45 miles when I leave home on a full charge and that seems pretty accurate. Range when I got home this evening was given as 14 miles.

As an engineer, I really appreciate the quality of the design, engineering and build. Software directly associated with the mechanicals (engine, traction control, ICE/EV integration, etc) seems pretty well spot on. I struggle to read the detail in the dash layout and would like more options for the dash displays and in other areas. I don't find the SatNav as bad as some owners proffer but, having said that, Waze is much better! I'm eagerly awaiting updates to the App that will allow me to change units, send a journey planned from my sofa to the car, wireless Android, etc. Hopefully coming soon.

[Ken R]

Andy

I find the same with Lexus Edinburgh where the customer care is outstanding. Ì switched to Lexus following an offer of a 24 hour test drive in 2017. Wasn't looking to change at that point but was suitably impressed by the NX that I returned to the dealer in 2018 and surprisingly they had the exact model and colour combo that I was looking for in stock. These days have gone! Reliability servicing and after sales simply superb. Enjoy the test drive!

Ken

[AndyRC]

Question? Does anyone know why the Levinson 17 Speaker system is not available on the 450h+ but is available on the non plug in? I’m guessing the Battery pack takes up space that may have been used for possibly another amp or hardware required. Seams a pity that the most expensive models don’t get the best sound system ? 

[Ken R]

I think it's to do with overall weight. That's what I was told and also why the 450h+ cannot be specified with a panoramic roof. 

[Vira]

1 minute ago, Ken R said:

I think it's to do with overall weight. That's what I was told and also why the 450h+ cannot be specified with a panoramic roof. 

I had the same answer from my dealer which I still struggle to accept - however ended up ordering one anyways since the rest of the car felt that good.

[AndyRC]

I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the specs but hadn’t picked up on the fact you couldn’t get a panoramic roof I thought it was either or on the 450h+. We are very happy with the C-HR hybrid technology (different gearbox) and economy but really fancy having the ability to just use Battery power on short journeys which account for a lot of day to day use. Whilst we’re not eco warriors we do see the benefit of no tailpipe emissions  or engine noise in town where there can be a lot of standing , stop/go traffic. Role on Wednesday 😎

[RXtoNX]

2 hours ago, AndyRC said:

Question? Does anyone know why the Levinson 17 Speaker system is not available on the 450h+ but is available on the non plug in? I’m guessing the battery pack takes up space that may have been used for possibly another amp or hardware required. Seams a pity that the most expensive models don’t get the best sound system ? 

Don’t be too concerned about it.

The ML system was fitted to my RX & TBH it wasn’t anything special. In fact the standard system fitted to my NX450 sounds just the same to me & I’m usually to busy concentrating on the road than trying to establish whether that bit of mid range should have sounded a little higher or not. 
Yes the std system lacks a couple of speakers but you can also adjust bass, treble & mid by quite a margin in the settings.

[Andy B]

21 hours ago, AndyRC said:

Does any have the tan leather or red leather Takumi trim? I like the look but wear jeans a lot and have reservations about it staining ? I’d prefer something lighter than black leather but I know that’s the most practical option. 

You might want to consider the black and rich cream option. I have this in my 350h and find that it is a good compromise between having something in a lighter shade and durability\staying clean. With regards to wearing jeans - you're mainly sitting on the black portion of the seat so that should help with staining. 

[AndyRC]

I’ve never had a car with run flat tyres but they have a bit of a reputation for making the ride harsher in comparison to non run flats , guessing due to stiffer sidewalls. How do owners find them in relation to ride quality, noise levels etc? We’re looking for a very comfortable , refined and quite car and hoping the NX fulfils that ?

[Vira]

Coming from a 5 series BMW, the NX with the run flats provided an enhanced degree of quietness and refinement - in pure EV as well as in hybrid mode. Will the same NX be even better with non run flats; this I can not say. Run flats do give me a certain degree of peace of mind and personally I can not be bothered to invest extra bucks on the stock tyre replacement.

[Harrier Man]

7 hours ago, AndyRC said:

Question? Does anyone know why the Levinson 17 Speaker system is not available on the 450h+ but is available on the non plug in? I’m guessing the battery pack takes up space that may have been used for possibly another amp or hardware required. Seams a pity that the most expensive models don’t get the best sound system ? 

I posted this on 9th June in a thread on this topic. As I mentioned in that post, not definitive but seems plausible.

 

[Harrier Man]

3 hours ago, AndyRC said:

I’ve never had a car with run flat tyres but they have a bit of a reputation for making the ride harsher in comparison to non run flats , guessing due to stiffer sidewalls. How do owners find them in relation to ride quality, noise levels etc? We’re looking for a very comfortable , refined and quite car and hoping the NX fulfils that ?

Run-flats do have stiffer side walls and, as these are found on the 20" wheels, the height of the sidewall is also reduced in comparison to the 18" 'normal' tyres fitted to my NX. Both factors would indicate a theoretically harsher ride but other factors are in play; suspension design and the make (construction) of the tyre. Others have commented that Michelin Cross Climates have given them a quieter, more comfortable ride when they have switched to them. Tyres are always a compromise, just take a look at Blackcircles website (other websites are available!) where they clearly show a tyre's rating for fuel efficiency, road noise and wet weather performance.

I am very happy with the ride comfort on my car; however, the only real opinion that matters will be your impressions when you test drive the car with the spec' you're considering.

[Ken R]

4 hours ago, AndyRC said:

I’ve never had a car with run flat tyres but they have a bit of a reputation for making the ride harsher in comparison to non run flats , guessing due to stiffer sidewalls. How do owners find them in relation to ride quality, noise levels etc? We’re looking for a very comfortable , refined and quite car and hoping the NX fulfils that ?

No issues with the run flats regarding ride comfort, road noise etc. I wouldn't have specified them given the choice however they are part of the Premium Plus pack and therfore no choice. My concern is as said before - availability, cost and longevity.

[AndyRC]

2 hours ago, Harrier Man said:

I posted this on 9th June in a thread on this topic. As I mentioned in that post, not definitive but seems plausible.

 

I can see how the sub woofer can be an issue with the Battery pack taking up space ,  on a lot of cars it goes in the spare wheel space and prevents a spare wheel being specified. Is the panoramic roof fixed on the 350 or does part of it open 🤔

[Pm4]

Hi Andy,

I had a 450h+ gray with tan leather premium plus,since March and very happy with quietness, comfort, performance and economy as most comments above.

No problem with the sound system, is very good (expectations may vary) the Hazel leather is light but not delicate, tyres are very acceptable. 

One warning on the seats, we had a test on a sport model and were very uncomfortable for us mainly due to bolsters at shoulder level, if you are tall it may effect your neck problem, the premium plus seats are one of the most comfortable we ever had.

General quality is very, very good, if I had a negative it would be the digital technology is a bit too much (for my capabilities).