Wagnerian

I decided to visit Lexus dealer yesterday hoping most folks will be at malls for Black Friday. Boy I was wrong and several people already waiting to test drive NX. In any case my SC still squeezed me in to test drive F-Sport. It was raining. It might as well since it rains a lot in Pacific North West. Here is my brief impressions. I am new to Lexus, never considered one till I saw NX.

NX looked handsome in photos but I think it looks much better in person. It looked bigger than RAV4. I am OK with fit and finish of the car. I think it is better than 45K price tag. I had reservation about Nuluxe, not any more. Love the seat and cockpit in F-Sport. Makes me feel I am driving in nice enclosed environment. I am 6 feet tall and have no problem with head room either front or back. Cargo space is ample enough for Costco run. Though I am not a golfer it is nice to have wide cargo area than competition. Definitely an upgrade from Prius cargo space.

Once on the road it felt like I was driving a sedan not a SUV. Center of the gravity felt low. I did not take it too hard because of the road condition but in that circumstance I did not feel turbo lag. Acceleration was decent, not fast. But it is more than enough for daily drive. If I am looking for a car to track, I won't choose NX. Overall it was still fun driving. Car felt quite confident on the road.

It is sunny today so I am going back to the dealer again for another test drive so I can drive a little harder hopefully more winding road this time. But I am sold on NX. Only thing I am afraid is dealer will not negotiate on the price because apparently there are lots of interest in NX. As a matter of fact the floor model F-Sport (not the one I test drove) was sold before we left.

I can always wait till initial interest level dies down. I was torn between NX and BMW 435 Gran Coupe. No more. Gran Coupe is a beautiful car but I have hard time shelling out 60K for 3/4 series. (When did BMW 3/4 series become so expensive?). Sooner or later I hope to be a proud owner of Lexus NX F-Sport. The sooner the better.

clexusking

Great review!

Hope you get your ride soon!

oldcajun

I drove an NX200T at the Phoenix auto show today and was very disappointed. The ride is so stiff even on relatively smooth pavement, I can't imagine how bad it would be on rough surfaces with pot-holes. The car is much to heavy for the 2 litre turbo engine - it is a slug in traffic. The interior is very nice and the passenger room is OK for a small CUV, but the cargo space is very small.

I drove a MKC for a long weekend a couple of months ago and for me it was superior to the NX in every area except rear seat passenger room.

The Lexus marketing person at the test drive area commented that many people had commented on the rough ride and that the NX300h was much better.

I had high hopes that a combination of the NX and RC would be my next cars, but now I think not. I'm not ready yet to give up on Lexus, so I hope the new RX (or whatever it is called) will meet my needs and desires.
Steve

corradoMR2

It's too bad you're left disappointed. It seems to be hit or miss on ride comfort. It is extremely subjective and relative, but what matters is how YOU feel. What vehicle(s) do you currently own for some perspective ?

oldcajun

I had a 2010 RX350 for my last SUV and a 2009 LS460 for the sedan. I have traded the RX for a 2014 ES350 and have begun looking for a small SUV for when I need to move "stuff" Long term I would like something sporty like an RC and a luxury CUV. That is why I was so disappointed in the NX.
Steve

corradoMR2

Thanks for your perspective. It makes total sense what your comfort standard and expectations are coming from the epitome of comfort in each of their class, the LS, ES, and RX. I remember when I traded my '07 RX400h for the '13 RX F-Sport, ride comfort went from pillowy soft to firm, but I got used to the ride as I have come to appreciate the better control and handling.

Perhaps you should try the 300h or take any NX for an extended test drive. Also, check the tire pressure is not too high as dealers often over-inflate. Good luck!

Wagnerian

I appreciate to hear different perspectives. I liked the ride quality but I prefer stiff ride in general. Maybe in my case not knowing the smooth ride quality Lexus is known for worked in my favor. If anything I prefer a little more road noise. Each person has different needs and desires.

Wagnerian

I had another test drive today. I took NX little hard on corner of freeway on ramp and off ramp. Car felt confident enough.

As I replied on another post I like rough/stiff ride quality. It did not feel rough to me but on the other hand I do not know the ride quality Lexus owners normally expect. I actually wish NX is less isolated from road but I figure I am minority on this one.

Definitely felt lack of the kick in when I pressed the gas but that was issue only when driving in Eco mode. Not a problem in Sports mode.

I did mention I could always wait till the hype dies down. Well, curse my lack of will power. I placed a deposit for F-Sport. While I know I want Roja Red interior, I cannot decide between Obsidian and Atomic Silver. I need to look at both color in NX in person before finalizing my order. I was also considering Nebula Grey and expected to see one today on the floor as my CA told me it was going to be available. But the car was sold after being on the show space for a couple of hours. Also someone bought the demo non F-Sport while I was at the dealer.

The car will be pretty much loaded. Only features missing are Power Folding rear sheet, Lane departure alert and Pre-collision system.

corradoMR2

Hard to resist the allure of the NX. Congrats on your pre-order. I decided on Obsidian/RRed simply because I find this color compliments the sporty and aggressive styling the most on the F-Sport. For instance, the spindle outline, the triple-L LED headlights, and the lower silver front spoiler all pop on this color (which I like and want to see whereas they get washed out in the other lighter colors). But as much as it has the high visual reward when CLEAN, it also shows the most dirt and swirls. Atomic Silver is likely the best color for hiding dirt and scratches while Nebula Gray is in between (my NG RX is holding up nicely). In case you missed it, see this thread on real-world pics from this page onwards and this one.

You're feedback on your test drive of NX speaks to expectations. The NX was not designed to ride like the RX or any Lexus sedans with the exception of the IS for which it was heavily benchmarked against. In short, one should expect the ride quality, near handling, and noise isolation of the IS sports sedan.

JDR76

Awesome, congrats! Which dealer are you working with?

spwolf

you will definitely get better price in 12 months... but, real question is it worth it? Probably best time to own NX is right now when it is so fresh, new and nobody knows what it is.

Wagnerian

Thank you for the link. After viewing photos on the forum, various YouTube videos and photos on Japanese NX blog, I am learning toward Obsidian/RRed like yours for reasons you mentioned. You really took words out of my mouth. The trade off is like you mentioned the challenge of maintaining it clean especially in Seattle area where it rains a lot . The dealer I am buying from offers free car wash so I plan to take full advantage of it.

Lexus of Bellevue

No, it is not worth waiting a year for a better price. It so happens I always tell my friends not to buy a new model when it first comes out and wait for a year to get bugs out and better price. But this is the third car I get right when it came out.

m1964

We have a 5 y. o. Q5 w/ worn out tires - I decided to wait and just ordered new tires. I figure out that in 1-1.5 years the hype will subside and potential kinks will be worked out as well, and then we can get the NX ( if the missus likes it). The 5 y.o. Q5 will not lose much value in one year anyway...

stlgrym3

iTrader: (4)

unless you picking NX for its cargo space, otherwise your rant on the BMW is way off base. a 2015 435 Grand Coupe with m sport package, technology and premium packages can be had for a little bit over $50k after discounts in socal area. you said you don't want to pay $60k for a 3/4 series BMW, but you will pay $45k for a Toyota Rav 4 with a new motor? that's $20k difference there. like i said if you need cargo space then NX is a better buy than 435 GC, but overall 435 GC isn't that terrible of a choice.

Wagnerian

NX is more than Rav4 with a new motor and I think 435 GC is a great car. But GC with comparable option as NX is well over 60K, probably still at least mid 50s even after discount. Cargo space on GC is ample enough for me and I probably would have chosen GC if this were the only car because of its driving dynamics. Whether GC or any other car is better buy than NX, that is up to each individual.