Decisions, decisions. You have a substantial amount of money to spend on a new vehicle. You’re tired of sedans, but you don’t need the amount of cargo space (or want the fuel bill) a big truck or large SUV provides. You want to get a crossover and see what your neighbor is always bragging about. You also want to shut him up by bringing home one that’s fancier than his, so you’re either going to buy a 2015 Lexus NX200t F Sport or a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. Luckily, Autoguide.com drove them both and posted their findings online.
The bad news is that presenters Sami Haj-Assaad and Mike Schlee spend a good chunk of the video below telling you how alike the two CUVs are. They both have turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder engines that develop 258 lb.-ft. of torque, as-tested prices slightly north of $45,000, and the potential to hit 60 mph in about seven seconds. They also let similar amounts of outside noise into their cabins.
However, our warmly dressed hosts eventually point out the differences between the two crossovers. For instance, the Benz’s observed fuel economy of 29.4 mpg puts the Lexus’ 24.3 to shame. (Credit the German offering’s lower weight and its transmission’s one-gear edge over the gearbox in the Japanese model.) On the other hand, the NX has a greater amount of horsepower (235 vs. 208), a more comfortable back seat, a superior amount of maximum cargo space, and better build quality. Those pros are offset by the con of an imprecise and hard-to-use touchpad interface for the NX’s infotainment system.
To which manufacturer’s crossover do Haj-Assaad and Schlee give the nod? Just think about it this way: They said the password that allows them entry into our virtual club here.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
