it may be more the padding used than the NuLuxe itself

 

Mine has been soft from the day I got it. Mind you I'm talking about the material itself, not the seat padding.

 

Now that you mention it, it probably is the padding. Hadn't really thought of it that way...nevertheless, the seats seem pretty stiff. Just wondering if they'll soften up over time.

 

there's another thread about the bolsters on the F-Sports being a little tight/firm

someone mentioned the bolsters soften up a little over time - it was the main reason I didn't go with the F-Sport as it dug in as I got in/out of the car

I don't know if they're firmer than the regular NX.

 

I can confirm on the regular NX non- f-sport, that the bolstering is not nearly as stiff.

The foam used in the seat bolsters of the NX are extremely stiff, and made the seat bottom narrower than I would have liked.
Coming from previous German cars, their Sport seats may have been firm, and supportive, but they also were slightly wider, and some had adjustable bolsters much like those found on the Lexus GS & LS (12, 14, 16, 18 way adjustable seats etc etc etc)

But otherwise the NX f-sport seats were comfortable, and could serve well on road trips.

However the best way to see if you are comfortable is to just sit & drive each vehicle for about 15-30 minutes and see how you feel.

As for the Leather vs Leatherette...

The Nuluxe material seems much smoother to the touch, and slightly softer than the "Leather" used on the regular NX.

Personally I just like "normal leather" more, because I'm not sure I like the sticky nature of leatherette surfaces, especially when the weather warms up.
(Thank the heavens for ventilated/ or Air conditioned seats!!! Best invention since heated seats)

edit: For clarity, leather would react the same way to the summer heat as Nuluxe would, didn't mean to make it sound like it was immune to heat.
Come on Lexus! give the NX F-sport Nuluxe brethren some seat ventilation!!!

 

I'm also fine with Nuluxe. I think it really looks nice in my wife's IS. You can tell it isn't leather, but it's a really great material for its intended purpose.

My current car is at 157k and the leather is starting to wear and not look as nice. Unfortunately just a fact of life with natural materials, especially if you only go in and take care of it once in a blue moon like I do. Since I don't have ventilated seats black leather gets sweaty and hot in the summer, too.

 

Yes you're right, I forgot to mention that in my prior post, that leather gets equally hot, and sticky during summer, but that the ventilation helps minimize this to a great degree.

I made it sound as if leather did not succumb to the same effects of heat as Nuluxe would.
My mistake.

 

When I got my 2011 ct200H I was disappointed that my "leather" seats were NuLuxe, but after three years of usage and 40k miles, I have to say that the bamboo fabric material is much easier to clean than the real leather stuff. All the stains, including dog paw scuffs were easily removed with warm water and mild detergent. The only drawback is when the temperature drops down to 10ᵒF or below (no longer an issue since moving to sunshine FL !!!), the NuLuxe will be sort of stiff, but it softens quickly once the heated seating are turned on. I never had to do anything else other than wipe down with warm water and mild detergent, unlike in my BMW e93 leather where I had to apply leather cleaner/conditioner.

 

The whole "F-Sport vs. leather" thing was the deal-maker for me. I wanted a vehicle with ventilated seats, so the F-Sport was out. And I'm OK with that.

 

I found them very stiff at first but after 5k km, I find them fine now. Give it a chance. The trick is to also adjust your seating position such that your legs are straighter and closer together versus more apart (more pressure against the bolsters.


BTW, this is my third Lexus with Nuluxe (CT, IS, NX) and although initially I was disappointed in Lexus even offering such a "fake leather" material back in 2011 on the CT, I love the soft buttery feel, durability (crease-free), and easy maintenance.