1 Year on; is the love still there?

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11-04-16, 09:06 PM

#31

Hawk789

Driver School Candidate

Join Date: Nov 2016

Location: ON

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Quote:

Originally Posted by computerwi

Thoughts at the 16 months and 20,000 km mark:

Pros:

Heads-up display: Must have feature on my vehicles going forward. At first, I was annoyed and looking down at it even made me carsick, but I adapted somehow and it's turned into my favourite feature. Subtle but always on (just like BSM). Great aid for night-time driving.
Handling: For a crossover, this is one of the most agile I've driven. Definitely better than the RX (although I haven't driven the 4th gen RX yet). Steering is nicely weighted and fairly responsive. Body roll is minimal during spirited city driving.
Triple Beam LED headlights: The brightest, cleanest lights I've ever had. Cut-off is amazingly sharp and has a very wide angle of view.
Seats (excluding the headrests, non F-Sport): Virtually no pressure points. No discomfort on a 16 hour road trip. The headrest is another questions (see below).
Fit and finish: As expected for Lexus, interior and exterior fit and finish are perfect. No panel gaps, good attention to detail and I find the interior design simply and easy to use (except the trackpad controller, see below).
Fellow Canadians: We actually get more features than our American friends for once! Thank you Lexus Canada. Now just add Mark-Levinson audio, panoramic roof, 360 degree camera, power folding mirrors, and bring the international style front bumper here.

Cons:

Noise and rattles: I am very particular when it comes to noises and rattles. A few noises bother me:
- The amount of engine noise on cold start-up is too much for a Lexus. I've complained to my dealer about a metal rattling sound during the first 30 seconds (and there's a post in the forum about it too), which was deemed normal compared to new NXs on the lot.
- There is an annoying rattle in the back seat area that is reduced when the armrest is down (also noted by @coradomr2). That's a poor and unacceptable solution. I blame the excessive use of plastic parts in the rear of the vehicle.
- Compared to previous RXs I’ve owned and my current IS, the cabin noise is a bit louder than what I expected for Lexus, but still overall acceptable.
Headrest: There is a thread on this forum where a few owners have commented on the headrest being too far forward. Day-to-day, I don’t notice but during the 16 hour road trip, it became apparent. Tilting the seat back a bit helps. It would have been nice if the headrests would adjust fore and aft.
Lower door seals collect debris: A design oversight by Lexus. In other vehicles where Toyota/Lexus has incorporated the rocker panel into the door, this problem does not exist. The self-fix @corradoMR2 proposes in the link should not be necessary.
Trackpad: Many reviewers have complained about this system but it’s definitely not the worst interface I’ve used. I do think the joystick design was better though. With gloves, the trackpad is impossible to use and going over bumps makes your gestures jerk all over.
Windshield distortion: Never started a thread about this problem, but I’ve always noticed a double vision effect at night. I’m not sure if this is because of the need for special glass for the HUD (not sure if special glass is even needed?). I didn’t want to change the windshield for this and never bothered to bring it up with the dealer because it would have to be during the night or early-morning.
Power liftgate: The world’s slowest liftgate. It takes literally 7 full seconds to open and close the liftgate. Don’t try turning the power feature off because the resistance of the struts makes it near impossible to operate manually.
Lack of manual disengagement for electric parking brake: Unlike the GS, there is no way for the owner to disengage the parking brake manually. If you NX ever gets stranded, the tow truck driver will have a fun time loading your vehicle.
Audio system: Even the “premium” 10-speaker audio system in the top “Executive Package” in Canada isn’t that impressive. Base audio systems I’ve had in the RX were much clearer with significant bass. Putting the woofer in the tailgate was a bad idea. Sounds with even a moderate amount of bass make rattle things everywhere.