SW17LS

I've anticipated having some considerable time with the NX as a loaner. Dropped my LS off for the 5k service and as luck would have it, they had an NX for me to drive.

Its a nebula grey on black,premium package, BSM, park assist, power rear hatch. Nu luxe seating. 900 miles (still has temp tags).

I've owned a lot of Lexus vehicles in my day, from entry level on up to the flagship. I've never had a Lexus SUV, but I have driven all of them, and the RX many times as a loaner. Overall, I'm impressed with the vehicle, but there are some places I think Lexus could improve.

I drove it a good bit today and tonight, and will drive it even more tomorrow.

What I like:
1. The new 2.0T motor. Its smooth, torquey, refined feeling and sounding. Overall, I like the new motor a lot. I'll be very interested to drive it in the GS.
2. Very comfortable passenger accommodations. The front seats are great, supportive without being too constricting, I know some people have had some issues with that in the F Sport. Rear seats are surprisingly roomy and very comfortable, reclining setbacks are a nice touch in this class. More than enough legroom, even behind my seat and I sit fairly far back. Visibility is very good despite a relatively short greenhouse.
3. Ride comfort. This thing rides surprisingly well. I was very impressed with how composed it was out on the road, and how muted and well damped the suspension is. Doesn't feel like a Rav4 at all.
4. Agile, fun to drive handling. Its a good chassis, nice and rigid. It sits up high which gives you a commanding view but it never feels top heavy. Very tossable, never feels big or lumbering. I'm very impressed by Lexus' ability in the newer chassis to make a car ride really well and still handle well. My GS was similar.
5. The headlights. This NX only had the basic LED headlights obviously, but I found them much improved over the 3IS I had driven with LED headlights a couple years ago. I'm sure the triple LEDs are great.
6. Interior design & some materials. I like the layout and feel of the interior, I like the way the center stack falls close to your hand and is angled so that the controls fall as your hand is angled when reaching out. A lot of the interior is very nice quality...but a lot is very poor. I will elaborate on that below.
7. Overall feature set. This thing has a lot of bells and whistles, automatic parking brake, brake hold like in my LS. I love the LED strip on the door handles. Interior lighting is good, gauges are easy to read and look quality, like the new readout between them.
8. Audio quality. Even the base audio is strong with good bass.
9. NuLuxe. Really like the nu luxe, very soft and natural feeling.

What I'm so-so about:
1. The new RTC. This is the first time I've spent some time with the new RTC, and I'm on the fence. Overall it operates just as it does in my LS and as it did in my GS. The haptic feedback I like in those because I'm manipulating the mouse controller. In this I don't like the haptic feedback at all, feels like somehow I'm pressing down on the controller or something. Quite strange. I also miss the dedicated "MAP" button so I can easily get back to the map after being in different functions, like the radio or phone. I like to leave the screen on the map so I use this button a lot, found myself having to navigate through the menus in the NX and I don't like that.
2. Styling. I have gotten to where I like the look of the F Sport, but the beak like shape of the standard NX I just don't like at all. The full face of the F Sport makes a big difference.
3. Road noise. Its not loud but its not quiet either. Having a solid feeling quiet interior is a big part of what makes a car feel premium to me, and this is where the NX felt a little closer to the CT than say the IS.
4. Cargo room. This thing is small, but, its supposed to be small. I'm not sure how in the world Corrado went on that long trip with his family without a roof carrier or something. You gotta teach me how to pack.

What I dislike:
1. Interior materials. Like I said before, theres a lot to like in the interior...but there is also a lot to dislike. The standard "carbon fiber like" trim looks very cheap IMHO. The plastics on the lower dash and lower door panels are terrible and most egregiously around the driver's side air vent...now, yes its an entry level vehicle. BUT, its priced exactly where my Kia Sedona is priced, and it doesn't have a piece of plastic all the way in the cargo area as cheap as that plastic around that air vent. And, its bigger and has far more features which should make it even harder to deliver good material quality. Lexus MUST do better with these interior materials on their entry level cars.
2. Feel of some interior switchgear. Overall, most is good, but some things that stick out...the shifter feels very insubstantial is one.
3. Torque steer. Like some others have mentioned...this is pretty bad. From a rolling start to full throttle, it pulls hard from one direction to the other, when making a right and accelerating even moderately, it really does try and get the front wheels out of your hands. Worst torque steer I have experienced in a Toyota product...and this is AWD. No RX I have ever driven felt this way, nor does the ES. So, there is truth to what some people have been saying.
4. Some placement of interior controls. I find myself bumping the memory seats with my knee for one.
5. Nav screen. This needs a bigger screen, whats there is small and low res, needs at least another inch or two in size.

Like I said, overall I like the vehicle but there is room for improvement. Would I buy one? I personally would not only because its not the sort of vehicle that fits into my life at this stage, but its a fun to drive, well equipped, reasonably priced luxury CUV that for a single person or a young couple looking to have something very drivable in the city and take some trips, its a great little vehicle. Personally, I would only consider the F Sport in this vehicle, I feel the same way about the IS.

Looking forward to comments. I will post more once I drive it more tomorrow.

PR3D4K1NG

Great feedback for both positive and negative. I feel the same way regarding the F Sport and that's why I got it rather than the Lux trim.

About the control placement and the memory buttons. I think they are in an awkward spot but I don't hit them with my knee since the boulstered seat holds my leg off the door. I wonder if that is the same for anyone else in the F Sport who also has driven a non F Sport trim.

miop4000

Best summary I've read yet. Totally agree. Very true that the f-sport is the only one to buy. The bolsters will soften or think about losing weight. Just ordered one in flame blue with rose interior. The non-fsport really does look like grandpa's CX5.

D4V1D

Great review, and thanks. My only nit-pick with it is your take on the sound level. This has been discussed at length on this board. I'm not exactly sure what the actual consensus was but it seemed to me to be about 60/40 in favor of quiet over noisy. For us, our NX is EXTREMELY quiet. I would love to hear what others, including yourself, are considering loud because I just don't get that part. Maybe it has everything to do with the tires. We have the summer rubber and its quiet for sure.

Of course, it may have to do with what we are used to. My wife's previous car was a CX-5 and I drive a lifted Tacoma, so maybe its just perspective.

Thanks again for taking the time to review it.

My0gr81

@SW15LS All good comments. We own a 15NX F-Sport and a 15IS F-Sport. Your comments about interior materials and the look of the front nose is bang on for the base model, even the luxury model somewhat but that one has some nicer materials. It looks like Lexus really wanted everyone to get the F-Sport or the Luxury models and while they advertised the base model as having more standard features than GLK/X3, the materials lacked that luxury feel.

Your comment about seats is also bang on, but for different reasons. The standard and luxury have nice wide seats, with good support. The F-sport has very firm, bolstered seats only available in the Nuluxe material. For the F-Sport seats, there is no middle ground, you love or you hate it. This is where Lexus should improve and provide a choice of Leather (as I am sure it would help with the feel and the suppleness once the leather stretches) and adjustable bolsters. We are lucky that both of us like the seats in the NX.

About noise levels, I am on the fence. Compared to the 3rd Gen RX, the F-Sport NX is a tad noisier. Compared to the same RX in F-Sport, the NX is quieter. It is noisier than the IS by a long shot. What I found was that the noise was tamed quite a bit, once the tires were brought to the proper inflation levels. I don't know why the dealer over inflate the tires by that much. I can see doing it by 2 or 3 psi, but 5 to 8 is overkill.

Everything else is pretty much discussed in most of the threads on this forum already, so I won't go into it, other than mention that while I think the 2.0l 4cyl turbo engine should be fine in the IS, I don't think it will be in the GS or the RC. The weight of the IS is just about right for that engine, the GS and RC are heavier and even on the NX, I think that engine is just at the limit given the current tune. I hope they squeeze way more of it it when they put it in the GS/RC.

RDLGX

Thanks for sharing. Since I had an F Sport, I will chime in a few thoughts. I actually traded my NX for a new 2015 RX350, and I love my change.
I loved the NX, the looks, the fun factor, but I made the mistake of not ordering one with all the options that I'm use to. I came from a Highlander that had everything, but I thought the smaller NX would fit my needs better. I found the FSport seats to be very comfortable..others found them to not be that. My biggest gripe was the rough ride over rough surfaces. As other professional reviews have stated, it isn't a smooth ride at all times. On the highway, it was awesome. The RX350 is so much closer to what I had with the Highlander, and it handles the rough surface much better. The second thing as you mentioned is the interior cheap look....they do need to improve it. Everything from the cheap carbon like material to the cheap looking *****, they could do better. And the doors continually get scared easily...it would be nice if they added more padding. I am loving the new RX350, it's high quality look interior, and the smooth ride on all surfaces. I think the NX is a wonderful ride, a beautiful work of art with it's design, and if they can work out a few things with the interior and perhaps ride quality for the rougher surfaces, it would be improved even more.
The RX350 is a perfect fit for me, and I got a loaded one with most all options at a great year end price.
The NX is a fine machine, and it is a head turner for sure. It just wasn't exactly what I wanted. I would like to add that the 4 cyl turbo is awesome, one of the best I have driven. Very quiet and smooth as silk ! Enjoy your NX's !!!

GlenK

I traded in a RX 330 for mine and absolutely love it!! Guess the NX isn't for everybody!!

BENZ2LEXUS

Ronn1, so how much is your trade-in value? (how much less from the MSRP?) I am going to do the trade-in as well in a couple months, after I test drive the new RX.

Thanks!

Koetsu

Many good and fair comments made by the OP. However, there are some alternate views one can make:

1. For the ‘traditional’ Lexus customer in the USA, the Luxury option NX200t with AWD strikes me as the optimal (and my) choice. This usually gets one to the level of equipment one expects in a Lexus. ‘Tree and cow’ is fitted which helps to deal with the quality of materials question. Much prefer the real wood trim to the faux carbon fiber. I personally believe that the seating, ride, and handling compromises are better with the Luxury version than with the F Sport as a one-size-fits-all purpose vehicle. For better or worse, the NX has a low $ entry and, as a consequence, one has to give Lexus enough coin to finish the car.

2. Having chosen the Luxury route above, one then has to live with the cross bar grill. Although the lattice grill looks better and more iconic, I guess I am one of the few for whom the cross bar grill looks OK and makes more sense on an SUV for which the UV is more important than the S. It is easier to keep clean. In this area of the country, the cross bar grill (as configured for the US) is also the more practical. The lattice grill with its low (pseudo ground effect) chin will run afoul sooner or later with some of the high curbing and driveway surfaces with deep entry drainage gullies to be found here … two situations for which parking assist will likely not sound an alert. The cross bar grill with its tuck under chin will also likely be a bit better for negotiating deep, unplowed snow.

3. I have long since gotten the feel of the mouse pad, as most will after a few days. I’m tired of hearing about this.

4. The lower door panels are my least favorite thing, however any scuff marks are very easily removed using Meguiar’s matte finish Quik Interior Detailer Wipes. The panels are textured black-painted hard plastic which easily catch residual shoe sole marks - a stubborn surface dirt. Oddly, the panels themselves are likely to prove quite durable.

5. Yes, I love the new twin turbo 4. On level constant speed freeway driving, I am achieving nearly 30 mpg. The blind spot, lane departure, adaptive cruise, and parking assist features all function very well and as hoped.

6. General handling is athletic and tracking on freeways is true. Given how I drive, the only times I experience torque steer is in Sport mode with vigorous acceleration during a hard right turn (as does the OP).

As general comments, my sample has proved itself to perfectly assembled and painted with all of the features functioning pretty much, if not exactly, as advertised. The Japanese assembly quality of my sample is really, really good (and this is my fourth Lexus). Passengers like riding in it and the vehicle has garnered many unsolicited favorable comments … the styling breaks away from the typical frumpy look-alike two box SUV designs. Having come from a 3rd generation RX350, I now feel that it is ‘too piggy’ by comparison to my new NX.

YMMV.

SW17LS

Equipment wise I agree I think the luxury package is a better package. Like the IS and RC though, I think the character of the vehicle is better suited towards the F Sport. I don't feel this way about the GS, LS, RX etc. The GS I think can go either way, and I think the LS and RX are actually mismatched to the F Sport Package.

In short, I don't think it makes an appealing "small luxury SUV" but it does make an appealing "small sport-luxury SUV". If my traditional Lexus buyer sensibilities (luxury over sport) were what I was looking for, I would go to another brand as I would in the IS and RC segments. For the IS and RC, no doubt I would be in a C Class sedan/coupe, for the NX I will have to think on that some. Likely an Audi Q3 or Q5.

As for material issues, the places I have issues with material quality do not change based on the package, save the plastic/metal/wood trim. Base, luxury or F Sport all those areas are the same. The NuLuxe I actually think feels nicer than the leather.

Koetsu

Fair enough.

I think of the NX Luxury as a "small sport-luxury SUV", so our conceptions may be diverging. If my memory serves, an Audi Q3 or Q5 will be a tad noisier and ride a bit less well than an NX Lux .. and the Q5 with the safety equipment (if one can find it) will be ~$4000+ more. Lexus still has the edge in lack of troubles and in its sterling dealer network. It is a crowded segment and sometimes difficult to parse.

Although NuLuxe feels nice and is more durable on areas such as the arm rests, it also feels like 'something else'. I prefer real leather, particularly for seating surfaces. Choices, choices, choices.

Thanks for starting this thread.

Frog98

I agree with you on the leather. I just prefer the Luxury or Ultra Luxury versions of Lexus. Real leather and wood for me. G meter and Sport + mode isn't going to do me any good in all the school zones I go through every day. I prefer all the safety and Luxury options I can pile on.

SW17LS

Got my LS back this evening.

Overall I enjoyed the NX. Nothing really to add from my thoughts from yesterday. They had a nebula F Sport with the triple LED lights there which reaffirmed that for me in this vehicle it would be the F Sport.

Enjoy your NXs guys!

corradoMR2

Nice review SW13GS/SW15LS


Agree with your observations/impressions overall in particular the interior plastics in the lower half and faux-CF plastic inserts. Lexus should have done better.

Noise is subjective but you having had a GS and now LS, I wonder if your impressions would have been more favorable have you not had the pinnacle of quiet. I find the NX quieter than the IS and compared to my past RX F Sport, has slightly less road/engine noise but more wind noise.

For the RTI, next time if you have the opportunity with an NX or RC, remove the force feedback in the main display options/settings. For many of us, we find this to improve the experience as seen here.

As for the cargo, the NX can hold 28 cu ft of cargo as seen here, well over the 17.6 cu ft advertised. It's in line with the competition's.

SW17LS

Could be, but I typically am pretty good at being able to let my experience with my own cars go and judge a car based on what it is and where. My Sedona that I drive quite often when we take the kids places is also not especially quiet.

I should have commented on this, I did make this change before driving it yesterday and it was much improved. Still the loss of the "MAP" button would be hugely annoying to me.

No doubt its in line with the competition, I just don't see how you could pack a family and their stuff in something that small LOL. I was unable to do that in our Jeep which is bigger, thats why we got the van. Going to the beach with two babies and my mother as well as both of us...even with the van we had to drive both cars.