Quick Spin: 2015 Lexus NX 300h
07-25-14, 05:25 PM
#31
Lexus NX Review
+ New Lexus petrol turbo delivers on performance and refinement; good steering; better packaging than bigger RX; improved dash interface and well executed interiorShift quality of six-speed auto not perfect; firm ride; tyre noise; boot space small for the class; drone and brake pedal feel of hybrid model; design will divide opinion
- It’s almost a relief to see the Lexus NX in production form after the Japanese luxury brand scared us with a preview concept you wouldn’t want to meet down an alley, whether it was dark or not.
With its aggressive mix of sharp-edged lines and savage slashes all over a body that looked as though it’d cut you if you touched it, Lexus’s designers toned things down for the showroom version.
The Lexus NX is still the boldest yet of a new era of eye-catching designs aiming to shake-up the brand’s image globally, though it seems it’s better to polarise rather than completely alienate buyers.
This is especially true as the NX is both significant and crucial.
It’s significant because it’s the first model to emerge under the full guidance of Lexus International – the Californian division set up in 2012 to assume responsibility for global products instead of Japan.
And crucial because Toyota’s luxury brand needs more SUVs to fill gaping holes that don’t exist in the line-ups of its German rivals.
Ignoring the Prado-in-disguise GX sold in the US only and the LandCruiser-based LX, the RX has been Lexus’s sole road-focused SUV in recent years.
Where the RX’s size meant it essentially straddled the large and medium luxury SUV segments, the NX must battle the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Range Rover Evoque while also hoping to conquest buyers considering higher-spec versions of the smaller Q3 and X1.
The Lexus NX will start closer to the entry prices of the mid-sizers, though, with Lexus Australia suggesting a kick-off somewhere in the $55-60,000 bracket. The X3 starts at $60,900; the Q5 from $63,600.
NX is also much closer in size to the mid-sized Germans, with a 4.63 length identical in size to the Q5 and just 1.8cm short of the X3.
It achieves its size by being 6cm longer than the Toyota RAV4 on which it’s based – sharing the same wheelbase, though with Lexus keen to stress that 90 per cent of the NX is new or newly developed.
Borrowed, however, is the electronically controlled on-demand all-wheel-drive system, which will be an optional alternative to standard front-wheel drive on the base Luxury but standard on F Sport and Sport Luxury trim grades.
Lexus says the NX’s AWD system puts more emphasis on rear torque distribution, though it’s still limited to 50 per cent at the rear axle.
As with the RX, though, this is a high-riding Lexus designed more for tree-lined avenues than forest trails.
Our first experience of the Lexus NX was very much through the trees, and among lakes and mountains, with the international launch staged in Canada around Vancouver and the nearby Whistler ski resort.
As one of the most famous ski destinations in the world, and the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, it’s no surprise the quality of the bitumen covered was of a high standard generally.
There were also few taxing corners on the launch route, and the vehicles tested were pre-production, so we’ll have to wait for the NX’s October launch in Australia to truly discover the merits or otherwise of this Lexus’s road manners.
A touch of abruptness over larger bumps suggested the ride might not end up being perfect, though there’s also a feeling that major changes to the donor RAV4 platform could avoid the annoying choppiness of the Toyota. Road noise was noticeable on our test cars, both wearing 18-inch rubber that will be standard in Australia.
The electric steering is better – smooth, well weighted and losing the slight vacant patch that hinders the RAV4 when driven in a straight line.
Our closest encounters with dynamic assessment – some sharp corners and an airport slalom test – pointed to a sufficiently responsive and controlled SUV though not necessarily one that will entertain more than an X3.
The Lexus NX can certainly be competitive when it comes to engines, however, courtesy of a new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that is the brand’s first ever boosted petrol engine (and the first in the Toyota world since the Celica GT-Four of the 1990s).
This direct injection, twin-scroll turbo engine produces 175kW of power and 350Nm of torque and sits under the bonnet of the Lexus NX200t, which is expected to carry a slight premium over the alternative petrol-electric NX300h.
It’s our pick of the drivetrains based on first impressions.
Although there’s some hesitation if you request instant power with a heavy push of the accelerator pedal, the engine is tractable at low speeds and feels more effortless than the hybrid at higher speeds due to its maximum torque being delivered between 1650 and 4000rpm.
As you would expect for a Lexus motor, it’s also refined with smooth performance and no unwelcome intrusion into the cabin even at higher revs – though the engine note, while capable of being throaty down low, doesn’t sound quite as good as BMW’s equivalent engine.
Lexus’s new six-speed automatic – supplied by Japanese gearbox company Aisin – can’t deliver gearchanges as fluent or decisive as the German eight-speed ZF transmission hooked up to most BMW engines these days, including the one in the NX200t’s direct rival, the X3 xDrive28i.
Choose the NX300h and theoretically the hybrid will save you about two litres of fuel every 100km according to Lexus’s pre-production info – 5.7L/100km versus somewhere under 8.0L/100km for the petrol – though the 2.5-litre four-cylinder can be heard working hard away whenever out of the city.
Modulating brake pedal pressure in the NX200t is also an easier task due to the typical interference associated with regenerative braking systems found in hybrids.
Battery storage costs the NX300h some boot space over the NX200t, though it’s only 25 litres. Even with its maximum 500L, the cargo space behind the petrol NX’s automatic tailgate is still 40 and 50 litres shy of the boots in the smaller German SUV.
Despite being 14cm shorter than the RX, the NX also boasts a bigger boot than its larger sibling (at 446L) despite losing out by 140mm in length. There’s also comparable rear seat legroom in Lexus’s smallest SUV – with the inclusion of power reclining/folding rear seats.
A new RX is due out at the end of 2015, so the NX inevitably feels fresher inside.
The interior design mirrors the exterior’s obsession with angles – notably the zig-zagging centre stack that houses the 7.0-inch colour display and heating/ventilation controls in the upper section and audio in the lower part.
It blends into a centre console that includes electric parking brake button and rotary dial for driving modes – which can also alter the suspension setting on F Sport models that will be standard with adaptive dampers.
A new-generation version of Lexus’s Remote Touch Interface makes its debut in the NX. It now aims to mimic the operation of smartphones and tablets rather than a computer mouse as before. Where the old point’n’click system was a nice-in-theory-but-flawed-in-practice idea due to the system’s oversensitivity, there’s now a more effective touchpad.
It allows the thumb-finger pinching in/out style for, say, zooming in and out of navigation maps, and the touchpad also vibrates to let the user know (without looking) when they have moved the selection from one feature to another.
The operation still feels as though it takes a greater conscious effort than BMW’s benchmark iDrive, though a bigger annoyance was the glare on the 7.0-inch display that made information difficult to read.
What no other vehicle in the world can match for now, though, is a wireless charging system that will replenish your smartphone’s battery life on the go simply by placing it on the tray in the console bin. Your phone just has to be Qi compatible – so an iPhone, for example, requires a special case.
Get an NX with the Mark Levinson audio and you’ll also benefit from a new technology called Clari-Fi that can raise the quality of compressed digital music tracks to a level similar to CDs (no luck yet for the vinyl purists).
While neither will be standard in an entry-level Lexus NX, expect the Japanese brand to bring its usual lengthy list of inclusions for the Luxury. These will include 18-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors, navigation via 7.0-inch display, 10-speaker audio, synthetic-leather seats, aluminium roof rails, LED low beam lamps, and possibly blind spot monitoring.
The German brands have worried about rival Lexus models since the LS made a noise in 1989 with its hushed refinement.
The Lexus NX isn’t going to upset the establishment in quite the same manner but it’s unquestionably competitive. How uncomfortable it makes life for its rivals, however, could also be determined by how buyers respond to that aggressive styling.
- It’s almost a relief to see the Lexus NX in production form after the Japanese luxury brand scared us with a preview concept you wouldn’t want to meet down an alley, whether it was dark or not.
With its aggressive mix of sharp-edged lines and savage slashes all over a body that looked as though it’d cut you if you touched it, Lexus’s designers toned things down for the showroom version.
The Lexus NX is still the boldest yet of a new era of eye-catching designs aiming to shake-up the brand’s image globally, though it seems it’s better to polarise rather than completely alienate buyers.
This is especially true as the NX is both significant and crucial.
It’s significant because it’s the first model to emerge under the full guidance of Lexus International – the Californian division set up in 2012 to assume responsibility for global products instead of Japan.
And crucial because Toyota’s luxury brand needs more SUVs to fill gaping holes that don’t exist in the line-ups of its German rivals.
Ignoring the Prado-in-disguise GX sold in the US only and the LandCruiser-based LX, the RX has been Lexus’s sole road-focused SUV in recent years.
Where the RX’s size meant it essentially straddled the large and medium luxury SUV segments, the NX must battle the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Range Rover Evoque while also hoping to conquest buyers considering higher-spec versions of the smaller Q3 and X1.
The Lexus NX will start closer to the entry prices of the mid-sizers, though, with Lexus Australia suggesting a kick-off somewhere in the $55-60,000 bracket. The X3 starts at $60,900; the Q5 from $63,600.
NX is also much closer in size to the mid-sized Germans, with a 4.63 length identical in size to the Q5 and just 1.8cm short of the X3.
It achieves its size by being 6cm longer than the Toyota RAV4 on which it’s based – sharing the same wheelbase, though with Lexus keen to stress that 90 per cent of the NX is new or newly developed.
Borrowed, however, is the electronically controlled on-demand all-wheel-drive system, which will be an optional alternative to standard front-wheel drive on the base Luxury but standard on F Sport and Sport Luxury trim grades.
Lexus says the NX’s AWD system puts more emphasis on rear torque distribution, though it’s still limited to 50 per cent at the rear axle.
As with the RX, though, this is a high-riding Lexus designed more for tree-lined avenues than forest trails.
Our first experience of the Lexus NX was very much through the trees, and among lakes and mountains, with the international launch staged in Canada around Vancouver and the nearby Whistler ski resort.
As one of the most famous ski destinations in the world, and the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, it’s no surprise the quality of the bitumen covered was of a high standard generally.
There were also few taxing corners on the launch route, and the vehicles tested were pre-production, so we’ll have to wait for the NX’s October launch in Australia to truly discover the merits or otherwise of this Lexus’s road manners.
A touch of abruptness over larger bumps suggested the ride might not end up being perfect, though there’s also a feeling that major changes to the donor RAV4 platform could avoid the annoying choppiness of the Toyota. Road noise was noticeable on our test cars, both wearing 18-inch rubber that will be standard in Australia.
The electric steering is better – smooth, well weighted and losing the slight vacant patch that hinders the RAV4 when driven in a straight line.
Our closest encounters with dynamic assessment – some sharp corners and an airport slalom test – pointed to a sufficiently responsive and controlled SUV though not necessarily one that will entertain more than an X3.
The Lexus NX can certainly be competitive when it comes to engines, however, courtesy of a new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that is the brand’s first ever boosted petrol engine (and the first in the Toyota world since the Celica GT-Four of the 1990s).
This direct injection, twin-scroll turbo engine produces 175kW of power and 350Nm of torque and sits under the bonnet of the Lexus NX200t, which is expected to carry a slight premium over the alternative petrol-electric NX300h.
It’s our pick of the drivetrains based on first impressions.
Although there’s some hesitation if you request instant power with a heavy push of the accelerator pedal, the engine is tractable at low speeds and feels more effortless than the hybrid at higher speeds due to its maximum torque being delivered between 1650 and 4000rpm.
As you would expect for a Lexus motor, it’s also refined with smooth performance and no unwelcome intrusion into the cabin even at higher revs – though the engine note, while capable of being throaty down low, doesn’t sound quite as good as BMW’s equivalent engine.
Lexus’s new six-speed automatic – supplied by Japanese gearbox company Aisin – can’t deliver gearchanges as fluent or decisive as the German eight-speed ZF transmission hooked up to most BMW engines these days, including the one in the NX200t’s direct rival, the X3 xDrive28i.
Choose the NX300h and theoretically the hybrid will save you about two litres of fuel every 100km according to Lexus’s pre-production info – 5.7L/100km versus somewhere under 8.0L/100km for the petrol – though the 2.5-litre four-cylinder can be heard working hard away whenever out of the city.
Modulating brake pedal pressure in the NX200t is also an easier task due to the typical interference associated with regenerative braking systems found in hybrids.
Battery storage costs the NX300h some boot space over the NX200t, though it’s only 25 litres. Even with its maximum 500L, the cargo space behind the petrol NX’s automatic tailgate is still 40 and 50 litres shy of the boots in the smaller German SUV.
Despite being 14cm shorter than the RX, the NX also boasts a bigger boot than its larger sibling (at 446L) despite losing out by 140mm in length. There’s also comparable rear seat legroom in Lexus’s smallest SUV – with the inclusion of power reclining/folding rear seats.
A new RX is due out at the end of 2015, so the NX inevitably feels fresher inside.
The interior design mirrors the exterior’s obsession with angles – notably the zig-zagging centre stack that houses the 7.0-inch colour display and heating/ventilation controls in the upper section and audio in the lower part.
It blends into a centre console that includes electric parking brake button and rotary dial for driving modes – which can also alter the suspension setting on F Sport models that will be standard with adaptive dampers.
A new-generation version of Lexus’s Remote Touch Interface makes its debut in the NX. It now aims to mimic the operation of smartphones and tablets rather than a computer mouse as before. Where the old point’n’click system was a nice-in-theory-but-flawed-in-practice idea due to the system’s oversensitivity, there’s now a more effective touchpad.
It allows the thumb-finger pinching in/out style for, say, zooming in and out of navigation maps, and the touchpad also vibrates to let the user know (without looking) when they have moved the selection from one feature to another.
The operation still feels as though it takes a greater conscious effort than BMW’s benchmark iDrive, though a bigger annoyance was the glare on the 7.0-inch display that made information difficult to read.
What no other vehicle in the world can match for now, though, is a wireless charging system that will replenish your smartphone’s battery life on the go simply by placing it on the tray in the console bin. Your phone just has to be Qi compatible – so an iPhone, for example, requires a special case.
Get an NX with the Mark Levinson audio and you’ll also benefit from a new technology called Clari-Fi that can raise the quality of compressed digital music tracks to a level similar to CDs (no luck yet for the vinyl purists).
While neither will be standard in an entry-level Lexus NX, expect the Japanese brand to bring its usual lengthy list of inclusions for the Luxury. These will include 18-inch alloy wheels, parking sensors, navigation via 7.0-inch display, 10-speaker audio, synthetic-leather seats, aluminium roof rails, LED low beam lamps, and possibly blind spot monitoring.
The German brands have worried about rival Lexus models since the LS made a noise in 1989 with its hushed refinement.
The Lexus NX isn’t going to upset the establishment in quite the same manner but it’s unquestionably competitive. How uncomfortable it makes life for its rivals, however, could also be determined by how buyers respond to that aggressive styling.
07-25-14, 05:31 PM
#32
Photo Gallery: Up Close with the Lexus NX
Lexus Europe released a rather artistic set of NX photos on their Facebook page:\\
Included in the photos is the best shot yet of the NX panoramic roof:
Disappointing that this option won’t be coming to North America, it looks great on the NX.
Included in the photos is the best shot yet of the NX panoramic roof:
Disappointing that this option won’t be coming to North America, it looks great on the NX.
http://lexusenthusiast.com/2014/07/1...lose-lexus-nx/
07-25-14, 05:33 PM
#33
Extensive Video Review of the 2015 Lexus NX
Just finished watching the extensive 23-minute Lexus NX video review from Alex on Autos and really enjoyed it — if you’re interested in the new Lexus compact crossover, I recommend you sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for a whole heap of detail:
http://lexusenthusiast.com/2014/07/0...2015-lexus-nx/
07-25-14, 05:36 PM
#34
2015 Lexus NX drive review
What is it?
That schnoz, it's all about that damn schnoz. On the Lexus NX200t and NX300h Hybrid, it's the first thing you see: this huge and leering mesh grille in full 3D, jutting out like a knife, dominating an entire front end otherwise made up of jagged edges, creases and lights that don't quite align. We've seen this grille before, even the CT200h now sports what Lexus calls the "spindle grille," but in the NX we'd feel more apropos calling that gigantic leering grille "rage incarnate." Like it could pass for HR Giger's fish tank. Like it could devour us alive.
There's a genuinely new product behind that child-scarring grille. This is Lexus's first entry into the compact luxury crossover segment, a segment populated by letters and numbers: Q5, X3, GLK, RDX, Porsche Macan. It is the car for young, trendy urbanites who aren't willing to surrender to suburban life with the RX, but need more room than the IS. This is a Lexus that's 90 percent new, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that will surely spread its wings across the rest of the Lexus lineup. This is "Premium Urban Sports Gear," as we were told before driving it. This is a Lexus engineered by a man who owns a 1992 Toyota MR2.
This is a car loaded with technology. There is Lexus's Remote Touch Interface, a touchpad-like interpretation of the mouse that used to control all interior functions. There's the ability to pinch and swipe on the map, like a smartphone, though it never worked terribly well. There's the modern complement of driver aids: lane departure alert, precollision alert, an adaptive cruise control system that can bring the car to a full stop. There is an optional wireless charging tray in the center console, which will top off your smartphone's battery without any pesky cables. Lexus Enform Remote resides on said smartphone with the ability to rein in valets, remote start your car, and locate it in any number of parking lots. There is a tonneau cover that fits in the spare tire well. There are "high-friction cupholders." There is a removable mirror -- guaranteed to be lost within six months of purchase -- that lifts up to access a bin to store sunglasses. (The mirror, of course, can also be used to signal passing airplanes from deep within the woods.)
And, of course, there is also that damn grille -- the most dramatic interpretation of Lexus's polarizing design theme: brave, sublime, ridiculous, but never neutral; like Marmite and the Bush administration, people will either adulate or despise it. But in today's world of car design, where legions of the same theme vie for your splintered attention, the fact that some people might fall for something this bold will surely translate to sales success. Perhaps the best part is that you can't see it from inside the car. As we drove the NX, we comforted ourselves with this fact.
What's it like to drive?
We get two NX variants in America, the Hybrid and the Turbo, with AWD available for both and the F-Sport package available on the latter. Despite all the fanfare of the 2.0-liter, direct-injection, 235-hp, 258-lb-ft torque, 17-psi of boost, 0-60 in seven seconds dead (in AWD form: 7.2 with the FWD drivetrain), twin-scroll-turbocharged engine in the NX200t…we'd go for the hybrid NX300h.
Here's why: it's far smoother. The NX is a supremely quiet car overall, but the 194-hp Hybrid enhances this quality -- Lexus rates it at far slower than the turbo engine, hitting 60 mph in nine seconds, but the Hybrid's great pickup feels much, much faster than this. Much more high strung than the turbo, in fact: proof that numbers aren't always the answer.
That turbo engine should really be livelier than this. It has decent power, but it shifts with a frustrating delay, and a rough downshift that belies the newness of its six-speed transmission. We will give it credit for the following: if you roll down the windows, you can hear that turbo spooling. Neat! And there is nary a hint of lag, which offers a smooth, even takeoff from a standstill.
Better spring for the F-Sport then, which adds a harsher suspension, some much-improved bodywork, and a rotary switch that increases the engine noise ever so slightly, like the sound of a television being turned on next door. It is embarrassingly clustered by the driver's right knee, conveniently out of sight, lest the illusion falls apart to whomever you're trying to impress in the passenger seat.
Otherwise, the NX excels at quietness, with just a hint of road noise overpowering the muted engines in both drivetrains. Its comfortable ride is reminiscent of large Lexuses new and old -- provided one forgoes the F-Sport, that is. And on open roads and sharp corners, it never feels any bigger or smaller than it is. For some, it's just the right size.
2015 Lexus NX200t price and specifications
Do I want it?
What we have here is a car whose styling fails to match its intrinsic qualities. Unlike its Predator grille, the NX is not aggressive at all: where it's strongest is in its quietness, smooth ride, and all that tech stuffed in its soft-touch dash.
Lexus expects to sell just 10 percent of its NX allocation in hybrid guise. To us, that's a shame. The NX is not an exciting car by any stretch of the imagination, which gives the hybrid that much more raison d'être: the millennials and thirty-somethings that Lexus wants to buy the NX have already confessed to lusting after hybrids, if not electric vehicles. The NX300h deserves to be a strong contender in the compact luxury crossover segment.
Just don't expect its performance to match its looks.
On Sale: Fall 2014
Base Price: TBD
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter, 235-hp, 258 lb-ft inline four; six-speed automatic transmission
Curb Weight: 3,940 lbs. (FWD), 4,050 lbs. (AWD)
0-60 MPH: 7.2 sec (FWD), 7 sec (AWD)
Fuel Economy (EPA city/hwy/combined): 22/28/24 (FWD), 21/28/24 (AWD)
2015 Lexus NX300h price and specifications
On Sale: Fall 2014
Base Price: TBD
Drivetrain: 2.5-liter I4 hybrid, 194-hp total system output, continuously variable transmission
Curb Weight: 4,055 lbs. (FWD), 4,180 lbs. (AWD)
0-60 MPH: 9.1 sec
Fuel Economy (EPA city/hwy/combined): 35/31/33 (FWD), 33/30/32 (AWD)
That schnoz, it's all about that damn schnoz. On the Lexus NX200t and NX300h Hybrid, it's the first thing you see: this huge and leering mesh grille in full 3D, jutting out like a knife, dominating an entire front end otherwise made up of jagged edges, creases and lights that don't quite align. We've seen this grille before, even the CT200h now sports what Lexus calls the "spindle grille," but in the NX we'd feel more apropos calling that gigantic leering grille "rage incarnate." Like it could pass for HR Giger's fish tank. Like it could devour us alive.
There's a genuinely new product behind that child-scarring grille. This is Lexus's first entry into the compact luxury crossover segment, a segment populated by letters and numbers: Q5, X3, GLK, RDX, Porsche Macan. It is the car for young, trendy urbanites who aren't willing to surrender to suburban life with the RX, but need more room than the IS. This is a Lexus that's 90 percent new, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that will surely spread its wings across the rest of the Lexus lineup. This is "Premium Urban Sports Gear," as we were told before driving it. This is a Lexus engineered by a man who owns a 1992 Toyota MR2.
This is a car loaded with technology. There is Lexus's Remote Touch Interface, a touchpad-like interpretation of the mouse that used to control all interior functions. There's the ability to pinch and swipe on the map, like a smartphone, though it never worked terribly well. There's the modern complement of driver aids: lane departure alert, precollision alert, an adaptive cruise control system that can bring the car to a full stop. There is an optional wireless charging tray in the center console, which will top off your smartphone's battery without any pesky cables. Lexus Enform Remote resides on said smartphone with the ability to rein in valets, remote start your car, and locate it in any number of parking lots. There is a tonneau cover that fits in the spare tire well. There are "high-friction cupholders." There is a removable mirror -- guaranteed to be lost within six months of purchase -- that lifts up to access a bin to store sunglasses. (The mirror, of course, can also be used to signal passing airplanes from deep within the woods.)
And, of course, there is also that damn grille -- the most dramatic interpretation of Lexus's polarizing design theme: brave, sublime, ridiculous, but never neutral; like Marmite and the Bush administration, people will either adulate or despise it. But in today's world of car design, where legions of the same theme vie for your splintered attention, the fact that some people might fall for something this bold will surely translate to sales success. Perhaps the best part is that you can't see it from inside the car. As we drove the NX, we comforted ourselves with this fact.
What's it like to drive?
We get two NX variants in America, the Hybrid and the Turbo, with AWD available for both and the F-Sport package available on the latter. Despite all the fanfare of the 2.0-liter, direct-injection, 235-hp, 258-lb-ft torque, 17-psi of boost, 0-60 in seven seconds dead (in AWD form: 7.2 with the FWD drivetrain), twin-scroll-turbocharged engine in the NX200t…we'd go for the hybrid NX300h.
Here's why: it's far smoother. The NX is a supremely quiet car overall, but the 194-hp Hybrid enhances this quality -- Lexus rates it at far slower than the turbo engine, hitting 60 mph in nine seconds, but the Hybrid's great pickup feels much, much faster than this. Much more high strung than the turbo, in fact: proof that numbers aren't always the answer.
That turbo engine should really be livelier than this. It has decent power, but it shifts with a frustrating delay, and a rough downshift that belies the newness of its six-speed transmission. We will give it credit for the following: if you roll down the windows, you can hear that turbo spooling. Neat! And there is nary a hint of lag, which offers a smooth, even takeoff from a standstill.
Better spring for the F-Sport then, which adds a harsher suspension, some much-improved bodywork, and a rotary switch that increases the engine noise ever so slightly, like the sound of a television being turned on next door. It is embarrassingly clustered by the driver's right knee, conveniently out of sight, lest the illusion falls apart to whomever you're trying to impress in the passenger seat.
Otherwise, the NX excels at quietness, with just a hint of road noise overpowering the muted engines in both drivetrains. Its comfortable ride is reminiscent of large Lexuses new and old -- provided one forgoes the F-Sport, that is. And on open roads and sharp corners, it never feels any bigger or smaller than it is. For some, it's just the right size.
2015 Lexus NX200t price and specifications
Do I want it?
What we have here is a car whose styling fails to match its intrinsic qualities. Unlike its Predator grille, the NX is not aggressive at all: where it's strongest is in its quietness, smooth ride, and all that tech stuffed in its soft-touch dash.
Lexus expects to sell just 10 percent of its NX allocation in hybrid guise. To us, that's a shame. The NX is not an exciting car by any stretch of the imagination, which gives the hybrid that much more raison d'être: the millennials and thirty-somethings that Lexus wants to buy the NX have already confessed to lusting after hybrids, if not electric vehicles. The NX300h deserves to be a strong contender in the compact luxury crossover segment.
Just don't expect its performance to match its looks.
On Sale: Fall 2014
Base Price: TBD
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter, 235-hp, 258 lb-ft inline four; six-speed automatic transmission
Curb Weight: 3,940 lbs. (FWD), 4,050 lbs. (AWD)
0-60 MPH: 7.2 sec (FWD), 7 sec (AWD)
Fuel Economy (EPA city/hwy/combined): 22/28/24 (FWD), 21/28/24 (AWD)
2015 Lexus NX300h price and specifications
On Sale: Fall 2014
Base Price: TBD
Drivetrain: 2.5-liter I4 hybrid, 194-hp total system output, continuously variable transmission
Curb Weight: 4,055 lbs. (FWD), 4,180 lbs. (AWD)
0-60 MPH: 9.1 sec
Fuel Economy (EPA city/hwy/combined): 35/31/33 (FWD), 33/30/32 (AWD)
Last edited by bitkahuna; 07-27-14 at 10:17 PM.
07-25-14, 07:42 PM
#35
Lexus Test Driver
Yet another heavier AWD model producing faster 0-60 times than it's lighter 2WD counterpart. Most interesting trend emerging lately with AWD cars despite the added weight. Must be the efficiency of all four wheels propelling the vehicle and not having to activate the traction control as much. All that makes sense except for why this hasn't always been the case, but only until more recently (Audi and Lexus).
07-26-14, 07:50 AM
#39
Lexus Fanatic
Wrong? 
Its drive train is more or less typical of smaller hybrids.....an Akinson-cycle four, CVT, and one or more electric motors.
The biggest problem for me is just looking at that eyesore grille, but even then, others will probably find no problem with it.
I haven't physically seen or reviewed the rear cargo area, but just from the images, it looks like Lexus made the same space-efficiency error on the NX that Infiniti did with the EX35 (now Q50)...the droop-down roofline and D-pillars look like it will severely cut into the rear headroom and cargo space.
Its drive train is more or less typical of smaller hybrids.....an Akinson-cycle four, CVT, and one or more electric motors.The biggest problem for me is just looking at that eyesore grille, but even then, others will probably find no problem with it.
I haven't physically seen or reviewed the rear cargo area, but just from the images, it looks like Lexus made the same space-efficiency error on the NX that Infiniti did with the EX35 (now Q50)...the droop-down roofline and D-pillars look like it will severely cut into the rear headroom and cargo space.
Last edited by mmarshall; 07-26-14 at 07:58 AM.
07-29-14, 07:05 PM
#40
2015 Lexus NX Gets More Aggressive With TRD Body Bits
The 2015 Lexus NX has only been hitting the streets for a short time. That doesn't mean it can't start seeing some upgrades heading its way. It helps that these accessories come way of Toyota's in-house performance team. Yes, Toyota Racing Development, or TRD, is ready to offer up some added aggression for the already in-your-face NX. It's the F Sport variant that has the biggest visual impact of the NX family. You're either going to love it or hate it, and now you can add to that. TRD is releasing a complete body kit for the new NX.
Up front, a chin spoiler sets off the extra dash of aggression while a rear diffuser rounds out the changes in the back. Quad exhaust outlets of the sport exhaust poke out cleanly from the rear diffuser. There's also a set of 19-inch forged aluminum wheels to help complete the look. Our favorite part of the whole upgrade is easily the wheels. The multi-spoke spinners look good, and help fill out the wheel wells quite nicely.
This kit comes from TRD Japan, so there's no word yet if it's available in U.S. dealerships. If it does find its way here, we hope it comes in at a little less than the asking price in Japan. Lexus fans over there will need to shell out $3,360 for the front lip, rear diffuser, and quad exhaust. And they'll have to add in another $4,280 if they want the wheels as well.
Up front, a chin spoiler sets off the extra dash of aggression while a rear diffuser rounds out the changes in the back. Quad exhaust outlets of the sport exhaust poke out cleanly from the rear diffuser. There's also a set of 19-inch forged aluminum wheels to help complete the look. Our favorite part of the whole upgrade is easily the wheels. The multi-spoke spinners look good, and help fill out the wheel wells quite nicely.
This kit comes from TRD Japan, so there's no word yet if it's available in U.S. dealerships. If it does find its way here, we hope it comes in at a little less than the asking price in Japan. Lexus fans over there will need to shell out $3,360 for the front lip, rear diffuser, and quad exhaust. And they'll have to add in another $4,280 if they want the wheels as well.
07-30-14, 08:40 AM
#42
Lexus and Toyota have never really hurried up or pushed to get something to market. They're already way late to the compact premium crossover segment, another month isn't going to crush its marketability, people already largely know what to expect from it. And they're absent from a 3-row unibody crossover which has been successful since like 2001 with the MDX.
