Phil Catterall

Like Paulrnx I have also sold my 2020 Lexus NX. I didn't find the Hybrid side of the vehicle particulary economical so I've now gone plug in Hybrid by buying a year old Ford Kuga ST First Edition PHEV plug in hybrid in a similar metallic red colour as my Lexus. The Kuga will do 25-30 miles on a charge fully electric and has some advantages over the Lexus. However I know I will miss having 4X4, the reliability and the super luxury offered by Lexus. I would not have changed my car but I was tempted by getting more more for it from Cazoo than I paid for it in March from Lexus Cambridge. The used market was depressed then but it's red hot at the moment for several reasons, not least the waiting time for new cars to come out of the factory. I can't rule out returning to Lexus but if I do it will be a plug in or a full EV model, when I can afford to buy one used, so I intend remaining on the Forum. If anyone is interested I have a nice Lexus NX REZAW-PLAST boot liner listed on eBay with a start price of £15+£5 postage. Best wishes Phil

Worth checking if their is any additional Brexit duty / courier customs clearance costs for UK purchasers if anyone buys from this EU based company. The cost of the towbar is above the £135 import threshold. Regards Phil

Lexus won't foot the bill, I have to go through my insurance.

Thanks for the information Noddy. If I can't get an assurance that a Lexus branded screen is available within a week on Wednesday I'm going to request they fit an after-market equivalent such as Pilkington or St Gobain manufacture. Goodnight Phil

Thanks for you report on your windscreen problems Chris - I scrolled back to last year. My car does not have the HUD fitted however I am have stated a preference for a Lexus windscreen which the insure has agreed to pay for with the normal excess of £140 applied which I am hopeful will be met by the dealership from whom I bought the one year old car. Best wishes Phil

Dear All As avid readers of the Forum will be aware, last month I purchased a Lexus NX-300H Premium Sport from Lexus Cambridge. I used the click and collect facility to buy the car due to Covid restrictions, paid for the car in two days prior and then went down to Cambridge by train,collected the car and drove it back to Yorkshire. Under Covid regulations there was no chance of testing driving before purchase unfortunately. It's a brilliant car and I've now put around 700 miles on her over the space of a month, so mileage now approaching 7000 miles. On the day I collected the NX as I was driving out of Cambridge, I noticed there was some screen damage on the passenger side of the windscreen, right in the passengers eyeline. When I got home on closer inspection this was proved correct. After speaking to the sales executive at Lexus it was clear they were not aware of the damage to thewindscreen but would be happy to make a contribution to its repair or replacement whichever was required. I was told that he car had been on a PCP scheme before I bought it for one year and the former keeper had exchanged it for another brand new NX of the same spec but in a different colour. I contacted my insurer who put me through to Autoglass, their recommended windscreen repairer and after describing the damage Autoglass felt the damage could be repaired. The damage takes the form of a 1.5cm long internal crack with marks around it caused by the impact of whatever hit the windscreen. An appointment was made for the Autoglass technician to visit my home to repair the screen that week. I thought a repair was far better than replacement and this would cost just £20 excess. The cost of a replacement windscreen was £140 excess. When the technician arrived to inspect the damage he confirmed that a repair had already been effected (he could detect the resin around the damage with a small hand tool) and that another repair would not be possible. He could also see that the 1.5cm internal crack was stretching which was a sure sign he said that it would get worse. Therefore I will need a new windscreen and I asked that a Lexus original screen be fitted rather than an after market one. My insurer has agreed to the fitting of an original Lexus screen and I am now waiting for one that Autoglass have ordered. I've been waiting almost two weeks and will be chasing this up again on Tuesday with Autoglass to see if they are any nearing to getting one from Lexus. I am considering having an after market screen fitting if there is a protracted delay in obtaining a Lexus branded one as driving a car with a damaged windscreen which might open is worryingme somewhat, as I have a long drive down to Cardiff planned in the near future with the birth of our grandson there imminent. My question for anyone on the Forum who has had a new windscreen for their NX fitted, either Lexus branded or after market - would they like to recount their experiences. I know Autoglass, York will need to have my NX for a half day at least, for the camera and driving aids to be correctly set up and aligned to the manufacturers specification. Shame about this - as its taking the edge of the nicest car I've ever had, but it just shows that if you cannot test drive the car you buy you need to go over it with a fine tooth comb before you leave the dealership, so buyer beware! I'm sure Lexus Cambridge will ensure that I am not out of pocket as they have kindly asked me to forward them the invoice for the job when the windscreen has been replaced. Best wishes Phil

Is it registered post October 2019 Steve? If so changes were made then to the parameters of the My Lexus system and connectivity. Last month I bought a March 2020 NX Premium Sport so no point me trying to explain what I have done with Lexus online myself in recent weeks unless I know you are going to be singing from the same hymn sheet. Phil

And the car tax payable for a Premier Sport edition registered in March 2020 is now £145 per year WEF 01/04/2021 as it falls below the £40,000 threshold and the Co2 is measured the old way - coming out at 137 G/KM (Band H). For the same car registered after 01 April 2020 using the WLTP figures the Co2 measurement becomes 174 G/KM Band J). Therefore the first years tax is £860 falling back to £145 from the 2nd year tax renewal as the car cost list price is below £40,000 new. BUYER BEWARE! Phil

The Lexus salesmen I spoke to at three different dealerships knew all about the luxury car tax and how it can affect the annual running costs for the different models in the NX range. It should be incumbent on them to advise you of the rate, but you may have to ask the question... However, I believe Parkers website is a reliable source of information. Its what I used in determining which model in the range to purchase: https://www.parkers.co.uk/lexus/nx/4x4-2014/car-tax/ Good Luck and choose wisely.... Phil

I agree the Premium Sport Edition is the best value model in the NX range, new or used. I think this is down to the added value in the extras you listed that make it more attractive and because it just falls into the under £40,000 DVLA luxury goods car tax bracket. From April 1st the tax is £145 per year for the Premium Sport. Phil

Not quite as bad, but my wife's 2017 Skoda Fabia has only done 6300 miles in just short of 4 years. Whoever has reserved this Lexus GS450H has probably bought a future classic to be proud of... I feel sorry for serbarry being unable to get it over the water to Ireland for a reasonable sum as he was in promptly showing interest... As an aside I got a call this morning from Lexus Tesside advising me that their showroom is now open for business under the revised Covid trading rules. I had to tell the saleman I got fixed up with an NX300H the week before last from Lexus Cambridge. Cheers Phil

And you will likely achieve 40 MPG Ed, as I did when I drove the same way on a 200 mile trip from Cambridge to North Yorkshire last week - headwinds allowing of course.... Phil

I noticed today when going through the menu to reset the TPMS (after lowering my tyre pressures), there was a menu item that allowed turning off the power to the tailgate. Mine is a March 2020 Premium Sport NX model. Cheers Phil

I didn't wait for the updated NX in 2022, and even if I did I couldn't have afforded to buy one until around 2024 as a used car - too long to wait that, which is why I bought a 2020 Premium Sport model last week. If it's over £40K when it is released the higher Luxury Goods motor tax will be levied for its first five years of life - making ownership very expensive indeed - completely unaffordable to many. Cheers Phil

Yes, in due course John! Just driving it home is not a sufficient journey on which to report in fully. Trouble is, the NX is now garaged until the V5C comes through - thankfully DVLA are pretty swift these days. I have a personal reg plate and last week when I insured the car I got the insurance company to send me a certificate for the personal reg starting from today when I assumed I would have it switched. It turns out that while I have a retention certificate I need the full V5 in my hand to do the online switch. So its a bit risky taking it out until I do the reg switch insurance wise. So we'll run about in the Skoda Fabia until I get the admin sorted. There are several things I need to check and change in the NX's menu this afternoon - one being the radar cruise control which is not to my liking as the 3rd step on the scale is too great a distance to the vehicle being followed. I think the 2nd step should be a more suitable distance gap. No, didn't back up or use the camera. I parked it myself like that purposely, to the left side of the parking bay - end of a row with a Mercedes on my offside, so allowing them Merc people plenty of room to open their doors not onto the side of my new motor! The car is a minter with no marks on the bodywork or wheels and with a perfect interior, however there is a 1 cm long scratch on the windscreen on the passenger side, from what appears to have been a flying stone or some such. Not serious. I'll get a windscreen specialist to look at it to get an opinion. Cheers Phil