Is it worth buying the lower version of the 350H?

[Gontareek]

Hello everyone! I was determined to buy a Lexus UX250H - but after a test drive, I found that it was too small, so I decided to add some money to the NX350H model. Unfortunately, due to the limited budget, I could only buy the basic version, I would like to ask a few questions to the owners.

1) Do 18" tires and rims look good for the weight of this car? Don't they look ridiculously small?

2)  What do you think about the 10-inch display, a big difference compared to 14 inches? Will the features be the same?

3) This version has halogen turn signals at the front - can they be cheaply replaced with LED ones?

Adding larger rims, a screen and a few additional options unfortunately costs $8,000 and the waiting time is significantly longer. It seems to me that the less equipped NX will be a better choice than the fancy UX.

I

[Harrier Man]

2 hours ago, Gontareek said:

Hello everyone! I was determined to buy a Lexus UX250H - but after a test drive, I found that it was too small, so I decided to add some money to the NX350H model. Unfortunately, due to the limited budget, I could only buy the basic version, I would like to ask a few questions to the owners.

1) Do 18" tires and rims look good for the weight of this car? Don't they look ridiculously small?

2)  What do you think about the 10-inch display, a big difference compared to 14 inches? Will the features be the same?

3) This version has halogen turn signals at the front - can they be cheaply replaced with LED ones?

Adding larger rims, a screen and a few additional options unfortunately costs $8,000 and the waiting time is significantly longer. It seems to me that the less equipped NX will be a better choice than the fancy UX.

I

I have a basic 2022 450h that is fitted with 18" wheels and 10" display and I'm totally happy. I believe the larger 20" wheels are fitted with lower profile tyres so the overall diameter is very similar so they don't look 'ridiculously small'. I actually prefer the look, seems more balanced to my eye. I don't get to see the location of speed cameras on my 10" display and there is a small difference in layout but 10 inches is still a decent size and I think you can go too big but, then again, I was happy with a 32" TV until I got a 42" one, which I was very happy with but now I prefere my 55" monster! A lot comes down to personal taste. Can't help with 3).

[Serguei]

Why not buy the top version of RAV4 instead? That what I would do if I could not afford a top version of Lexus…

I personally don’t understand buying basic version of luxury cars as you don’t really get the “luxury” bits. Except for impressing your neighbours… 

[ColinBarber]

1 - that is just a personal opinion that only you can make. Certainly I'd prefer the comfort offered by the 18" wheels and non-runflat tyres over the 20" ones.

2 - mostly the same functionality. I believe the larger screen and pro nav system holds more map data locally so if you have mobile black spots it continues working - not that I've heard of people with issues of the base system

3 - All UK vehicles have LED indicators so I doubt people here would be able to comment. The indicators certainly wouldn't be halogen, I guess you mean standard incandescent bulbs? Is that an issue, unless you are wanting sequential indicators - in which case it might be more complicated than just changing the light unit.

[hintonwood]

We had the UX and changed to the NX simply because of needing to accommodate luggage for our grandson. On picking my daughter up from hospital we couldn’t get the whole pushchair in the boot! NX all the way!

[BonzoSPB]

I bought the base 450h and am more than happy with the smaller wheels and the 10 inch screen.

I too considered the RAV4 but couldn't get over the fact that they look absolutely dreadful.

[Andy B]

20 hours ago, Gontareek said:

Hello everyone! I was determined to buy a Lexus UX250H - but after a test drive, I found that it was too small, so I decided to add some money to the NX350H model. Unfortunately, due to the limited budget, I could only buy the basic version, I would like to ask a few questions to the owners.

1) Do 18" tires and rims look good for the weight of this car? Don't they look ridiculously small?

2)  What do you think about the 10-inch display, a big difference compared to 14 inches? Will the features be the same?

3) This version has halogen turn signals at the front - can they be cheaply replaced with LED ones?

Adding larger rims, a screen and a few additional options unfortunately costs $8,000 and the waiting time is significantly longer. It seems to me that the less equipped NX will be a better choice than the fancy UX.

I

My NX350h is in the UK Premium Plus specification (so 20" wheels and the 14" screen). I must say that personally I am pleased that I chose a higher level of specification over the base option (and that I could afford it of course). Most of my reasons for saying this are from a "I prefer the way it looks" perspective rather than from a usability or comfort preference.

In my humble opinion I think the NX looks better with the 20" alloys however, as has been said already, you will "pay" for this with a less comfortable ride compared with 18" plus they are run flat tyres which are more expensive to replace.

With regards to the size of the infotainment display, again just my opinion but I think that the 14" display utilises the screen housing much better than the smaller 10" display. With the latter there is (IMHO) far more piano black plastic on the surrounds. I'm not sure about any differences in the functionality offered but if you ditch the in-built navigation and audio controls for either apple CarPlay or Android Auto you can probably live without anything that might be missing with the 10" version.

I know that had I gone for the "lesser" options with regards to the alloys and the screen I would have lived to regret it once I saw a NX in a higher spec. Also there are other "nice to haves" that come with the higher spec.

Obviously these things are subjective choices and personal preference and no doubt other owners would disagree. At the end of the day, it basically comes down to what you can reasonably afford to pay. Last word of advice from me - don't act on impulse and overstretch yourself with regards to spending money on a car - you'll only regret it later on when the novelty wears off.

With regards to the turn signals, as @ColinBarber quite rightly states - all UK NXs come with LED indicators so we may not be able to help you with that question. I believe, however, that some lower spec NXs in the US and Canada have the standard incandescent bulbs. So you may want to ask that particular question on the US "Club Lexus" owners forum as I think that some owners on there have attempted a conversion to LED.

[imgo]

I always go for the top spec when buying a car, I had an IS300h Premier, now have a NX350h Takumi, as I don't want to regret not getting the full spec if I had a lower model. I also keep my cars for eight to ten years so I want to have all the luxury features for the duration.

Obviously a personal preference and I am lucky to have the funds to do it, although my wife still says why don't you get a Toyota Yaris as that gets you from A to B.

[hintonwood]

2 hours ago, imgo said:

I always go for the top spec when buying a car, I had an IS300h Premier, now have a NX350h Takumi, as I don't want to regret not getting the full spec if I had a lower model. I also keep my cars for eight to ten years so I want to have all the luxury features for the duration.

Obviously a personal preference and I am lucky to have the funds to do it, although my wife still says why don't you get a Toyota Yaris as that gets you from A to B.

My reasoning also. 👍

[ColinBarber]

5 hours ago, Andy B said:

So you may want to ask that particular question on the US "Club Lexus" owners forum as I think that some owners on there have attempted a conversion to LED.

Or the much better US LOC 🙂

https://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/

 

[MartinH]

On 10/16/2023 at 1:29 PM, hintonwood said:

my wife still says why don't you get a Toyota Yaris as that gets you from A to B

Err yes that does make sense

[ArneT]

On 10/16/2023 at 7:22 AM, hintonwood said:

We had the UX and changed to the NX simply because of needing to accommodate luggage for our grandson. On picking my daughter up from hospital we couldn’t get the whole pushchair in the boot! NX all the way!

Very helpful comparison. This must be the Lexus equivalent of the which IKEA furniture fits in the boot that Volvo are doing now?!

[Richolf]

I believe the RAV 4 has a larger boot than the NX and would be cheaper but they are prone to the canbus theft.

Personally I have always preferred ride quality over wheel size and you can’t see the wheels from inside the car.  Replacement tires likely to be cheaper as well.

if you do decide to go for the NX at least pick one up from bottom of the range if you can afford to although personally I have always since a young child picked the most expensive version of anything Inhave purchase.  For those old enough in the UK that was immediately looking at the bottom right of any catalogue where the most expensive items always were