tin369

I was at the dealership to service my bmws 3series on my way back I pass the Lexus dealer and i was hoping that they would have the NX by now and as i approached the dealership i saw a white nx outside and i immediatley took a turn and went into the dealership.

The showroom has a 200t and it looked good in person. when i see the pictures i ma not sure but in person it looked good.
I was eager to sit and test drive, I sat in the showroom model and immediatley felt lexus comfort from the seats. I was expecting IS tight space, but was surprised that although it felt like a cockpit tight space, it did not feel claustrophobic.

The fit and finish were nice, but the middle console will need some getting used to, felt to busy and did not know where things were especially when i test drove..more on that later.

I then went back and sat behind my seat position, i am 6 feet tall. I was surprised that i was able to sit comfortably and due to the flat floor, it gave a perception of more space, the headline though made the backseat space overall feel smaller, i am comparing it to my current rav4 which is more square and feel airy in the back seat. Also i think seating 3 adults in the back would be tight.

Then the cargo area, it is small specially because its raised, it won't have much utility, folding the back seat does expand the cargo area, but with a kid I need more space, this is where I am stuck and can't get over the small cargo area for my needs.

Now the drive, I am comparing it to the RX350 which to me felt heavy and driving it was no fun. The NX is very different, it is quite and plush like lexus but it gees when you want to, especially in sport mode. The leather steering felt good and you have a more sense of the road than the RX. The headlight were bright and overall felt good driving it for the short test drive.

while driving it was difficult to get a sense of where things were in the center console, i am sure that will overcome as you gets used to the car, but i though i was looking at too many things to find the one thing that i needed to change etc.

Overall lexus did a great job on this car and people will be happy with this car....but like i said the cargo area is something i need to evaluate more closely. going from the RAV4 although its a upgrade feels more of a downgrade in terms of giving up cargo volume, will be looking at X3.

corradoMR2

Nice review. Having had a few Lexus vehicles, I found the console to be quite familiar in the NX - something that you will get used to.

X3 will be similar in overall volume (it is a little taller, but narrower and shallower than NX). RAV4 cargo at 38 cu ft is HUGE for a compact CUV - largest in class. In fact it's less than 2 cu ft than the large RX's cargo. Typically in the compact luxury CUV class you're looking at 25-32 cu ft with the NX somewhere in the middle of that range.

For more details, see: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-...ml#post8759666
and
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-...ml#post8760757

spwolf

Probably due to hybrid batteries? Did not check NX300h pics to see where are they located.

It could be also just different suspension too.

adamsmith

Beware of The cargo area. There is a hidden storage room that is pretty useful (half of Christmas gifts are already in there, and the cargo area seems to be empty. I'll try to get some photos.

tin369

Thanks for posting the pics with the measurement.

I am still considering and i need some advice here.

My wife drives a 328i and will be replacing that with an X3 as now we have child and need more space. I drive a Rav4 V6 sport and was hoping to get the X3 and get the wife the NX, but she likes the X3 more.

So now if I get the NX and the X3 then we have 2 SUVs similar in size but not very functional. I want atleast one of the vehicles to be a larger 5 seater.

So the choices are the RX350 (maybe f-sport) the Ml350 or the X5. or something non luxury but don't want to go that route if i can.

the RX350 is the best value and there are deals to be had now, but the new 2016 is coming out maybe in April/May next year from what i have read and I like to get newer things...haha don't we all.

The ML350 is also going to get a refresh next year and although good deal are there but starts at a higher price so even after discount is expensive than the RX350. The X5 i love out of the bunch but very expensive and very little discount is there.


Then the non luxury that we may consider, the JGC, the 4 runner. I can't think of anything else that we like.

So if we want 2 suv and want to be sensible $ wise, then the X3 and NX makes sense, but the size of two smaller SUV in my mind does not make sense. I think the X3 and the RX would be a better choice.

arrrgggg.....this is frustrating...

What do you guys think?

ALE81

iTrader: (1)

Is the hidden storage under the floor board where the tonneau cover goes? In photos it looks like you could get some small bags under there.

corradoMR2

Coming from an RX F-Sport, it's an excellent reliable Midsize vehicle you can get for just a few k more than the NX at this time.

The N.A NXs have the spare with a Styrofoam insert between the spare and the floor panel. There's room for the rigid tonneau cover and a large purse at best.

vietboy1st

Bad news.. My mom and step dad didn't end up like the lexus Due to smaller size than the RX and the engine is not strong enough for them.. lol.. They are going for BMW X4 now which cost almost twice as NX with fully loaded .. I am still trying to get them to get the NX .. i know BMW X4 sure does look nice and more horse power than the NX. BMW X4 35i has 300 horsepower twin turbo .. The NX 200t is 230 horsepower but it is faster than the IS 250 and CT models.. But i always thinking down the road, the repair is cheaper than the BMW X4 ... But since they have money so i am not going to stop them, until they are complaining about the cost to maintain the BMW X4 ... They didn't buy it yet but will soon..
Myself i have a lexus Is 250 2010 .

corradoMR2

The X4 interior room/cargo is even smaller than the NX...

Husker4the

What about a 2015 Acura MDX? We have a 2014 and aside from the glitchy and non-intuitive Nav interface we love everything else about it. Just a thought ... Lots of nice tech features ... Great combo of quiet, plush, and sporty (for an SUV) ... Decent fuel economy. We find it drives smaller than its size too. I have had a lot of different cars as well as several luxury vehicles and it's my favorite overall road trip car so far.

Wagnerian

I am just speculating but I do not think new RX whenever it comes out will not be financially sensible. Probably base MSRP will increase to keep gap with NX. Also given the popularity of RX and being new body style it might be harder to get good discounts compared to current version. But I understand you want newer thing as I happen to get my last two vehicle and NX in the first model year.

adamsmith

You can put a mid-size trolley inside. It's a quite decent space IMHO

ALE81

iTrader: (1)

Adamsmith, Thanks for the phot!! That looks to be a decent size even with the batteries.

corradoMR2

^^^ALE81, adamsmith's is a 300h and in Spain. Note there is less space for the 200t in N.A. where at most you can fit a large purse and a handful of hand-held items. This is due to the spare tire.

Adamsmith: Do you have a spare tire under the subfloor or a can of fix-a-flat?

offroad200

Just FYI, the hybrid batteries are under the rear seat. You will also notice an exhaust vent on each side of the rear seats.