When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Since buying an NX, I've been reading a lot of reviews. Possibly all reviews. I may have literally read every review on the planet, save for the ones in Chinese and Arabic.
Not being much of a Top Gear fan, I approached Clarkson's review of the NX 300h with a mix of trepidation, cynicism, and both hands ready for multiple facepalms. I was surprised to find that he didn't loathe the car for not coming with a free Labrador and a shotgun. But I did make a mental note of one particular rabbit dropping of wisdom...
"This is not a fast car. It’s not even on nodding terms with the concept of speed. Time and again I found myself driving along with a huge queue of cars in my wake, wondering why everyone was being so aggressive and sporty all of a sudden. But they weren’t. It was me. I’ve never driven so slowly in all my life. I actually had to speed up for the cameras." - Jeremy Clarkson
The NX Hybrid has a 0-60mph of 8.3 seconds according to Car and Driver. And you might add a couple of tenths to that for an accurate 0-62mph time.
Later, Jeremy reviewed the new Land Rover Discovery Sport, and said...
"The power it produces is fine — it’ll get the car from 0 to 62mph in 8.9 seconds, which is brisk" - Jeremy Clarkson
So the Disco is "brisk" at 8.9 seconds. While the NX 300h is "I’ve never driven so slowly in all my life" at about 8.5 seconds (give or take).
On the positive side, the NX ended up being recommended, while the Disco was not. Pure luck probably, depending on how many cats he ran over each day.
The whole Top Gear oeuvre is so built upon hyperbole, comedy, those mid-review U-turns (rave about a car for 5 minutes solid and then go "...but it's rubbish!"), and just plain bollocks that I always come away feeling empty.
So, is the 300h the slowest car you've ever driven?
I owned a CT. One of the best cars I ever owned and the 10sec run to 62mph is more than adequate to me, yet technically the slowest car I've owned in recent years. It's all about one's personal thresholds on what's acceptable and what isn't. The NX300h would not be slow for me.
BTW, I was not impressed with the cheap Ford-grade plastics in the interior dash, trim, and door panels of the new Discovery Sport I saw at the auto show. Fit and finish was also lacking in the class it competes.
I owned a CT. One of the best cars I ever owned and the 10sec run to 62mph is more than adequate to me, yet technically the slowest car I've owned in recent years. It's all about one's personal thresholds on what's acceptable and what isn't. The NX300h would not be slow for me.
BTW, I was not impressed with the cheap Ford-grade plastics in the interior dash, trim, and door panels of the new Discovery Sport I saw at the auto show. Fit and finish was also lacking in the class it competes.
Personally I felt like the NX300h was quite slow! Ive driven the CT200h, in town its fine and on the motorway, itll get their and hold its speed. The NX feels way too heavy for "only" 197hp. It needs to be revved quite hard IMO.
The Disco has a diesel engine in it, tonnes of torque so it feels much faster than it actually is, especially around town.
It is kind of a funny contradiction, but sometimes I guess there is more to the feeling of fast than just the stopwatch...a car might even feel faster than another simply b/c its louder and less well built. Evey drive a nice luxury car and look down and go holy crap...no idea I was going that fast!
Re: Top Gear I was never a die hard fan but enjoyed catching episodes over the years. I think of late they may be feeling the pressure to do more scripted ad lib shenanigans to try to seem exciting and relevant in the ever more competitive "reality" television...which is really what they are...or have turned into.
About 6 months ago we started watching again with the wife and kids who had never seen it...had fun with it for a while. Then it seemed like all of a sudden everyone lost interest...got kind of repetitive I guess....fake tension of who's going to arrive first in boat vs car races, etc.
I think I've gotten kind of jaded and skeptical of every every "situation" I see in "reality" TV from too many Survivor (is that still on?), Man vs Wild, Ultimate Survivor Alaska, etc. shows.
Personally I felt like the NX300h was quite slow! Ive driven the CT200h, in town its fine and on the motorway, itll get their and hold its speed. The NX feels way too heavy for "only" 197hp. It needs to be revved quite hard IMO.
The Disco has a diesel engine in it, tonnes of torque so it feels much faster than it actually is, especially around town.
Actually, the difference between the 300h and the 450h is not that different in real world driving (I have first hand experience since we have both vehicles at home).
What I did find was that the NX feels a lot different depending on the setting you have it in, much moreso than the 450h. Acceleration was discernibly better in Sport+ than normal on the 300h, whereas on our 450h, it didn't feel near as large a difference. The body control on the 300h though is much superior though.
To DB: Any English publication/show will always somehow add a miscellaneous amount of bonus points to any Jag, Mini, Range/Land Rover, Aston product. It could be a complete turd, and they'd still give it a good mark. I remember when the X Type came out, and they actually gave it positive reviews.
^^^That my friend is called BIASED. That show has been bias since its birth way back when. There priorities are focused on speed and handling. Give them an execellent overall drivers car but as long as its slow they will burn it in to the ground. For them every car needs a V8 or V12 or at least a Turbo to be excellent.
Personally I felt like the NX300h was quite slow! Ive driven the CT200h, in town its fine and on the motorway, itll get their and hold its speed. The NX feels way too heavy for "only" 197hp. It needs to be revved quite hard IMO.
The Disco has a diesel engine in it, tonnes of torque so it feels much faster than it actually is, especially around town.
Agree, I have the CT200h since 2012 and also have a IS 300h as a company car. The NX 300h feels painfully slow compared to both, I have never pushed a car so hard during normal driving as I did with NXh . CT 200h in sport mode feels pretty strong ( but not fast ) up to 60-70 mph and the IS 300h is accelerating pretty good up to at least 100 mph. NX 300h on the other hand only screams, but nothing happens. It makes it even worse that the sound of the NX 300h engine is really unpleasant, which is strange because the IS has the same engine and sounds really muted.
^^^That my friend is called BIASED. That show has been bias since its birth way back when. There priorities are focused on speed and handling. Give them an execellent overall drivers car but as long as its slow they will burn it in to the ground. For them every car needs a V8 or V12 or at least a Turbo to be excellent.
Of course, because thats entertaining. No one wants to watch a show where they say, this car is a great daily driver, with 3 cylinders, 120hp, and 65mpg! Literally, no one will watch...because thats boring to the average viewer.
Its not bias, true car people car respect the engineering behind the 300h, but no one is going to be overly interested in watching a tv segment about it.
And every car should have a V8 or V10 Cylinder deactivation works wonders.
Actually, the difference between the 300h and the 450h is not that different in real world driving (I have first hand experience since we have both vehicles at home).
What I did find was that the NX feels a lot different depending on the setting you have it in, much moreso than the 450h. Acceleration was discernibly better in Sport+ than normal on the 300h, whereas on our 450h, it didn't feel near as large a difference. The body control on the 300h though is much superior though.
To DB: Any English publication/show will always somehow add a miscellaneous amount of bonus points to any Jag, Mini, Range/Land Rover, Aston product. It could be a complete turd, and they'd still give it a good mark. I remember when the X Type came out, and they actually gave it positive reviews.
I completely disagree. If I pop my RX450H into Sport Mode and full throttle, it flies! The NX300H doesn't move at anywhere near the same pace.
As for body control, I'd expect it it to be better anyway as the regular NX rides like an RX F-Sport
F Top Gear! My son always watch them. They are always looking at power and speed.
Come on now... what do they expect on a mini SUV's...
Our NX is decent with 4cyl. I remember my IS300 with inline 6 came at 215hp. The NX has more HP!!! It's not a sports car period.
I love the comfort and features of my NX.
Funny as I was driving my NX couple times for 2 weeks now and dropping off my son to school. Drivers of X3, Q5, QX60, SRX and RDX are looking at the car and I just smile at them.
I love Top Gear. Great show, its actually funny, and what I love about Clarkson is how offensive he is to people on the Left. There are few people out there that can get Lefties panties in a bunch quicker than Clarkson. He should be a national treasure for this reason alone.
I love Top Gear. Great show, its actually funny, and what I love about Clarkson is how offensive he is to people on the Left. There are few people out there that can get Lefties panties in a bunch quicker than Clarkson. He should be a national treasure for this reason alone.
I love Top Gear. Great show, its actually funny, and what I love about Clarkson is how offensive he is to people on the Left. There are few people out there that can get Lefties panties in a bunch quicker than Clarkson. He should be a national treasure for this reason alone.
Has nothing to do with pointless political babble -- OP was quite clear where he stood and why he doesn't like Clarkson to begin with (e.g., his politics).
Coming back with a few jabs myself seemed like an appropriate thing to do.
Maybe I missed the mark somehow. Its entirely possible.
02-25-15, 03:19 PM
Jeremy Clarkson contradiction
