NX Automotive Reviews Thread
10-22-14, 04:06 PM
#316
Driver School Candidate
I don't think this has been posted before...
On iTunes, I found a Lexus US app that's specifically to promote the NX:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/2015...914120516?mt=8
Most of it contains the usual marketing brochure-type material, but they do have a neat section that shows a features comparison between the BMW X3 and the NX.
Take it for what it's worth, but I do find it somewhat useful to have the NX & X3 specific features/pics side-by-side to compare.
On iTunes, I found a Lexus US app that's specifically to promote the NX:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/2015...914120516?mt=8
Most of it contains the usual marketing brochure-type material, but they do have a neat section that shows a features comparison between the BMW X3 and the NX.
Take it for what it's worth, but I do find it somewhat useful to have the NX & X3 specific features/pics side-by-side to compare.
I found that app just yesterday. It it very well done! lots of great photos of the vehicle. Very easy app to navigate. Highly recommend.
10-22-14, 04:11 PM
#317
Driver School Candidate
10-22-14, 04:22 PM
#318
Driver School Candidate
I just found this, posted 2 days ago. A nice review on the F sport with pricing~
http://www.torquenews.com/1083/f-spo...ney-well-spent
http://www.torquenews.com/1083/f-spo...ney-well-spent
10-28-14, 04:43 PM
#319
The pursuit of F
Car&Driver NX300h FWD Review
2015 Lexus NX300h Hybrid FWD
Hybrid utility, now in personal size.
Lexus wades into the compact-luxury-utility waters just as the segment reaches flood stage. Its new offering—sized and priced below the mid-size RX crossover—is the dramatically styled NX, in NX200t (turbocharged four-cylinder–powered) and NX300h (hybridized) versions. Of the two, the NX300h is the least thrilling, but it’s also the sole hybrid among compact luxe-UVs, boasting EPA ratings of 35 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. As such, the NX300h is the only contender to specifically target ardent greeniacs.
So what exactly are those contenders? The NX scales in close to the Audi Q5, although its wheelbase, shared with the Toyota RAV4 platform, is much shorter. Lexus cites the Audi, the BMW X3, and the Mercedes-Benz GLK as direct bogeys, but a closer match is the Lincoln MKC. The real question is, beyond blowing the top off the segment fuel-economy curve, does this hybrid measure up as a Lexus?
HYBRID PERFORMANCE: A RELATIVE EXPRESSION
The NX300h’s Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine assisted by an electric motor is essentially the Lexus ES300h powertrain (unless you opt for all-wheel drive, which adds a second motor for the rear axle). Strapping our test gear to a front-wheel-drive NX300h, we received relatively good news at the track. It beat Lexus’s performance estimate by 0.8 second, hitting 60 mph in 8.3 ticks.
Even so, taking more than eight seconds to get to freeway speeds is demure for this class. Customers dropping more than 40 grand for an ostensibly luxurious vehicle expect better. Or maybe not: If Lexus added grunt, the NX300h probably wouldn’t see the aforementioned fuel-economy figures. It’s efficient in the real world, at least, with our leadfoot drivers averaging 30 mpg, not too far from the 33-mpg EPA combined rating. Bragging on your high fuel economy is the whole point of getting the hybrid over the more powerful NX200t, right?
It’s certainly not to have fun. Even with this example’s optional 18-inch wheels, handling feels limp. The shocks, springs, and tires conspire to deliver a comfortable ride over most surfaces—but at the expense of body control, turn-in sharpness, and grip. The NX300h achieved a modest 0.77 g on the skidpad, understeering heavily.
CONVINCING LUXURY IN FRENETIC DRESS
Hushed as a prep-school library, the NX300h lets a mere 71 decibels of noise into the cabin at wide-open throttle and only 68 when cruising at 70 mph (the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 measured 75 decibels wide open and 67 cruising). The interior is a snug, personal space with its high center console and central dash jutting out toward the occupants, creating a platform for the stand-up center screen. The new Remote Touch Interface touchpad-style controller with haptic feedback handled secondary controls in our test vehicle; it takes some getting used to but works better than the old Lexus toggle-mouse thing.
Overall, the interior design seems interesting and fresh, though we wish Lexus would upgrade its cheap, metallic patina–colored plastic trim on the doors, dash, and even the “L” on the steering wheel to something more, well, metal. The front seats are excellent, the rears just shy of great. The high beltline and small windows give a bit of BMW X4–like intimacy back there. Also like the X4, the sloping roofline restricts the usable cargo space.
The C/D jury is still out on the NX’s styling. The hybrid model’s take on Lexus’s spindle grille features thick horizontal slats, while the lighting elements look busy. Similarly, the body mixes soft surfaces and Ginsu-sharp edges. Most agree that the sculpted body looks fresh and modern, if a bit frenetic.
BRING MORE MONEY: IT’S A LEXUS AND A HYBRID
At $40,645, the front-wheel-drive NX300h starts at a hefty $5240 more than the NX200t. Our car came with optional LED headlights ($1160), exterior mirrors with memory and reverse tilt, which also adds blind-spot information and cross-traffic alert ($660), parking assist ($500), a built-in wireless phone-charging pad ($220), and finally, the $2670 Premium package (heated and ventilated front seats, a sunroof, nicer 18-inch wheels, as well as power tilt/telescope steering and three-position driver’s-seat memory). All in, our NX300h registered at nearly $46,000.
As with its big brother, the RX450h, the NX300h is more about buffing up your carbon-footprint-related cocktail-party conversation than it is about making any real sacrifices. Lexus expects that less than 10 percent of NX customers will choose the hybrid. The other 90-plus percent will get both a better deal and a better crossover.
Hybrid utility, now in personal size.
Lexus wades into the compact-luxury-utility waters just as the segment reaches flood stage. Its new offering—sized and priced below the mid-size RX crossover—is the dramatically styled NX, in NX200t (turbocharged four-cylinder–powered) and NX300h (hybridized) versions. Of the two, the NX300h is the least thrilling, but it’s also the sole hybrid among compact luxe-UVs, boasting EPA ratings of 35 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway. As such, the NX300h is the only contender to specifically target ardent greeniacs.
So what exactly are those contenders? The NX scales in close to the Audi Q5, although its wheelbase, shared with the Toyota RAV4 platform, is much shorter. Lexus cites the Audi, the BMW X3, and the Mercedes-Benz GLK as direct bogeys, but a closer match is the Lincoln MKC. The real question is, beyond blowing the top off the segment fuel-economy curve, does this hybrid measure up as a Lexus?
HYBRID PERFORMANCE: A RELATIVE EXPRESSION
The NX300h’s Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine assisted by an electric motor is essentially the Lexus ES300h powertrain (unless you opt for all-wheel drive, which adds a second motor for the rear axle). Strapping our test gear to a front-wheel-drive NX300h, we received relatively good news at the track. It beat Lexus’s performance estimate by 0.8 second, hitting 60 mph in 8.3 ticks.
Even so, taking more than eight seconds to get to freeway speeds is demure for this class. Customers dropping more than 40 grand for an ostensibly luxurious vehicle expect better. Or maybe not: If Lexus added grunt, the NX300h probably wouldn’t see the aforementioned fuel-economy figures. It’s efficient in the real world, at least, with our leadfoot drivers averaging 30 mpg, not too far from the 33-mpg EPA combined rating. Bragging on your high fuel economy is the whole point of getting the hybrid over the more powerful NX200t, right?
It’s certainly not to have fun. Even with this example’s optional 18-inch wheels, handling feels limp. The shocks, springs, and tires conspire to deliver a comfortable ride over most surfaces—but at the expense of body control, turn-in sharpness, and grip. The NX300h achieved a modest 0.77 g on the skidpad, understeering heavily.
CONVINCING LUXURY IN FRENETIC DRESS
Hushed as a prep-school library, the NX300h lets a mere 71 decibels of noise into the cabin at wide-open throttle and only 68 when cruising at 70 mph (the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S550 measured 75 decibels wide open and 67 cruising). The interior is a snug, personal space with its high center console and central dash jutting out toward the occupants, creating a platform for the stand-up center screen. The new Remote Touch Interface touchpad-style controller with haptic feedback handled secondary controls in our test vehicle; it takes some getting used to but works better than the old Lexus toggle-mouse thing.
Overall, the interior design seems interesting and fresh, though we wish Lexus would upgrade its cheap, metallic patina–colored plastic trim on the doors, dash, and even the “L” on the steering wheel to something more, well, metal. The front seats are excellent, the rears just shy of great. The high beltline and small windows give a bit of BMW X4–like intimacy back there. Also like the X4, the sloping roofline restricts the usable cargo space.
The C/D jury is still out on the NX’s styling. The hybrid model’s take on Lexus’s spindle grille features thick horizontal slats, while the lighting elements look busy. Similarly, the body mixes soft surfaces and Ginsu-sharp edges. Most agree that the sculpted body looks fresh and modern, if a bit frenetic.
BRING MORE MONEY: IT’S A LEXUS AND A HYBRID
At $40,645, the front-wheel-drive NX300h starts at a hefty $5240 more than the NX200t. Our car came with optional LED headlights ($1160), exterior mirrors with memory and reverse tilt, which also adds blind-spot information and cross-traffic alert ($660), parking assist ($500), a built-in wireless phone-charging pad ($220), and finally, the $2670 Premium package (heated and ventilated front seats, a sunroof, nicer 18-inch wheels, as well as power tilt/telescope steering and three-position driver’s-seat memory). All in, our NX300h registered at nearly $46,000.
As with its big brother, the RX450h, the NX300h is more about buffing up your carbon-footprint-related cocktail-party conversation than it is about making any real sacrifices. Lexus expects that less than 10 percent of NX customers will choose the hybrid. The other 90-plus percent will get both a better deal and a better crossover.
Last edited by corradoMR2; 10-28-14 at 04:45 PM. Reason: Car&Driver NX300h FWD Review
11-04-14, 07:04 AM
#320
Driver School Candidate
The Motor Report Australia
11-04-14, 01:40 PM
#321
Driver School Candidate
Autos.ca
http://www.autos.ca/general-news/201...-priced-40950/
Article posted today, November 4, 2014
Good read
Article posted today, November 4, 2014
Good read
11-04-14, 01:49 PM
#322
Driver School Candidate
http://www.autos.ca/general-news/201...-priced-40950/
Article posted today, November 4, 2014
Good read
Article posted today, November 4, 2014
Good read
The NX 200t F SPORT Series 1 (MSRP starting at $50,350) introduces unique Lexus F SPORT performance and styling features. It builds on the Premium Package, adding: a sport-tuned suspension; steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters; a G-force meter; and aluminum sport pedals with rubber inserts. It also adds several F SPORT signature details – including seats, LED fog lamps, 18” alloy wheels, front grille, shift ****, scuff plates, and badging. Other features in this package include: a 10-speaker audio system; the Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert systems; clearance and back-up sensors; a voice-activated navigation system with the Lexus Remote Touch interface; rain-sensing wipers; LED high beams; and the auto-levelling headlamp system.
The NX 200t F SPORT Series 2 (MSRP starting at $53,050) combines performance and technology. Building on the F SPORT Series 1 package, this model is enhanced with the Lexus Adaptive Variable Suspension system. It also features: Wireless Charging Tray for personal electronics; Head-up Display; Lane Keeping Assist; Pre-Collision System; Dynamic Radar Cruise Control; and Automatic High Beams.
The NX 200t F SPORT Series 2 (MSRP starting at $53,050) combines performance and technology. Building on the F SPORT Series 1 package, this model is enhanced with the Lexus Adaptive Variable Suspension system. It also features: Wireless Charging Tray for personal electronics; Head-up Display; Lane Keeping Assist; Pre-Collision System; Dynamic Radar Cruise Control; and Automatic High Beams.
11-04-14, 02:21 PM
#323
Lead Lap
as I thought it was USA pricing!"Expect to pay a fair bit more for the 300h, with prices starting at $58,850 before optional extras".
Good lord! What does a Hyrbid RX run in Canada? $80K?
11-04-14, 03:42 PM
#324
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: BC
Posts: 3
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and the hybrid pricing is already including Executive package
11-04-14, 04:38 PM
#325
The pursuit of F
LOL, not quite that high, but about 70K for a decked-out RXh.
As kenzo543 eluded to, the NXh is fully loaded - no options and this model also includes HUD which is not available in the US. Similar fully loaded NXh AWD model in the US should go for about $50K is my guess.
11-04-14, 04:46 PM
#326
The pursuit of F
http://www.autos.ca/general-news/201...-priced-40950/
Article posted today, November 4, 2014
Good read
Article posted today, November 4, 2014
Good read
11-08-14, 06:11 PM
#327
Driver School Candidate
Chicago Tribune~2015 Lexus NX 300h cuts sporty edge in hybrid crossovers
The author of this article really likes the NX~
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#sectio.../p2p-81898506/
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#sectio.../p2p-81898506/
11-08-14, 06:24 PM
#328
The pursuit of F
The author of this article really likes the NX~
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#sectio.../p2p-81898506/
http://my.chicagotribune.com/#sectio.../p2p-81898506/
11-08-14, 06:26 PM
#329
Driver School Candidate
By Robert Duffer, Chicago Tribune
10:44 am, November 7, 2014
How does an automaker capitalize on a best-selling SUV? If you're Lexus, you launch a smaller, sportier one.
The all-new 2015 NX compact crossover comes in two models: the NX200t is a 2.0-liter with a twin-scroll turbocharger, which is a first for Lexus; or the NX300h hybrid, which is much more familiar ground for the world's leading luxury hybrid seller.
The NX represents Lexus' aggressive strategy to lure in a new generation of upscale car buyers with sportier designs and sexier advertising. For 25 years, Lexus has built its reputation on approachable refinement and incomparable reliability. Will its youth-minded focus turn off its core baby boomer demographic? Will the NX cannibalize sales of the RX sport utility vehicle, which is not only the best-selling Lexus but also the best-selling luxury SUV in an increasingly crowded field?
Lexus is expecting the NX to turn more people onto the brand and for good reason.
Compared with the ubiquitous suburban bubble butt known as the RX350 (or 450h for the hybrid), the NX is a knife carving sportiness out of the rounded crossover cookie cutter. The spindle grille centers a shark-nosed fascia with an overbite that is notable but not off-putting. Checkmark LED daytime running lights underscore a predator's headlights that evoke the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The NX flows back into a raked windshield that is complemented on the other end with a more angled tailgate. The shark-fin antennae over the integrated spoiler leads to wraparound taillights that taper into the lift gate. The design is supposed to suggest it was carved out of a single piece of steel.
We're not sure about that, but the NX looks good and elicited plenty of impressed remarks from passers-by.
Closer in size to the Lincoln MKC and BMW X3, the NX is nearly half a foot less in length than the RX but loses less than an inch in width, which enables Lexus PR folk to write that you can fit four sets of golf clubs side by side, not diagonally, in the cargo area.
The cargo area is less than half of what comes in the RX. Folding down the 60/40 seats nets 53.7 cubic feet compared with 80 cubic feet in the RX. That's expected. What is surprising is that, despite the lowered roof line, there is still plenty of head and leg room in the rear seats.
The rear seats flip down with a handle on the seat bottom, which felt a little lower class than the rest of the interior. The test model was topped with the Premium package ($2,670), which had heated/ventilated leather trim seats in a beautiful "NuLuxe" tone. We'll call it coffee with cream. Rear visibility isn't great, but optional sunroof and moonroof open up the inside and the rear view camera and all the safety sensors ensure blind spot awareness, cross-traffic alert and a parking helper ($2,060).
The most notable difference on the interior is the infotainment system. In generations past, Lexus had always done a nice job everywhere except the infotainment, which made for such a clunky contrast that it devalued the entire driving experience. Fortunately the oddball mouse controller is a thing of the past.
Voice commands on the Entune system returned a remarkably high percentage of requests. There is still the call and response set up, but it can be bypassed with shortcuts that any Lexus owner will quickly learn. The redundant steering wheel controls are complemented by a three-inch touch pad between the gear stick and the cup holders. Move your finger over the pad and the arrow moves on the seven-inch screen in the dash. Even at highway speeds the touchpad finds its intended spots on the screen, though you might accidentally push down on the pad and open a new submenu on the screen. It's not perfect, none are, but it's simpler than Mercedes' system in the ML crossover, and puts Lexus firmly where it should be in the vanguard of upscale models.
To let you know that Lexus has taken thoughtful and overdue consideration of in-car technology, a wireless charging tray comes available in the armrest console. It charges Android devices, says Lexus, but iOS devices are restricted by Apple as of this writing. There is a USB port as well.
Driving the NX hybrid around town for a week reveals some pleasant surprises. Despite all the sporty design elements, the quiet, comfy ride is punctuated by fuel economy that is so stunning it makes us think the trip meter is broken. We took several 25-mile trips in varying degrees of traffic. The best rate came at 29 miles per hour under normal driving circumstances, where the NX 300h returned 46.9 mpg. That is near Prius levels. On another trip averaging 24 mph, we got 40.3 mpg. The mid to upper 20s must be the sweet spot because speeds over 50 mph returned 33 mpg, which is in line with EPA readings.
The hybrid has four modes — EV, Eco, Normal, and Sport — but you are only choosing between Eco or Sport. EV kicks on automatically with regenerative braking or low acceleration under 20 mph, and Normal mode is the default. Sport mode doesn't add all that much to acceleration unless you override it with the quasi-manual known as Shiftronic, which lets you control the shifts on the electronic continuously variable transmission (eCVT). Without it, the eCVT is odd to comprehend. Flooring it in Sport mode resulted in a spike in the RPM gauge but not the corresponding acceleration, almost like a muted turbo lag. Instead of a turbo, the hybrid has a kickdown feature, which means the transmission shifts into the lowest gear possible under hard acceleration, which might explain the lag as the eCVT finds that low "gear." The vast majority of hybrid buyers shouldn't notice it or else they should buy the 200t. Otherwise the eCVT is smooth, linear and unnoticeable, even when the 2.5-liter in-line four cylinder engine kicks on.
The NX 300h builds on the refinement and quality Lexus is known for and adds sharp edges that should please Lexus lovers and appeal to the coveted luxury newcomers.
2015 Lexus NX 300h at a glance
Type: Luxury compact crossover
Engine: 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine paired to a series/parallel hybrid system with 3 motors
Transmission: ECVT with all-wheel drive
MPG: 33 mpg city, 30 mpg highway (AWD)
Base price: $40,695 (including shipping)
As tested: $48,945
Parting shot: The NX 300h builds on the refinement and quality Lexus is known for and adds sharp edges that should please Lexus lovers and appeal to the coveted luxury newcomers.
Email: rduffer@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @DufferRobert
11-08-14, 07:58 PM
#330
Instructor
I loved reading this piece. He never mentioned the RAV-4, which is a good thing. Robert Duffer should get a Pulitzer Prize for creative literature. When I see "ubiquitous suburban bubble butt" (the RX), "knife carving sportiness" and "the vanguard of upscale models", I'm a happy reader. Thanks KarmaNina