These are my personal observations & not based on any scientific data.

During a recent service for my RX, I was given a NX 200T as a loaner. The NX has a very similar shape to the RX, but it is considerably smaller. It’s powered by a 2.0L turbo 4 cyl. The sound difference between the RX & NX is like night & day. The power delivery of the NX’s 4 cylinder is very good with very little lag, one can tell it’s not the powerful & smooth 3.5 V-6. Fuel economy is better on the NX, but not markedly so. The real differences are in the ride & quietness. The NX rides well for a small SUV, it’s not buttery smooth like the RX. There is a level of buzziness present on rough & uneven roads where the RX is mostly silent. The NX seats are well finished & comfortable. The audio is just OK & a lot worse than the RX. The loaner didn’t have navigation & the display was small & confusing as was the menus. Lexus has a lot of catching up to do in the user interface & ease of use departments.

The back deck or cargo cover on the NX is hooky & fussy. The RX retractable & removable cargo cover works much better & doesn’t rattle. Cargo lighting is much worse than the RX. The headlights on the NX are dismal. The low beams are LED with a bluish tint & a really short & sharp cutoff. High beams are much better, but are halogen & give off that old yellow colored light. They seem very old fashioned for a newer designed car.

I noticed the windshield cracked in nearly the same place as my RX & spread nearly the same way. I’m convinced Lexus windshield glass is inferior. Just a tiny stone chip within six inches of the edge, & a crack will spread halfway across the windshield.

The center console is much more padded & comfortable on the NX over the RX. Overall, the NX is a great little SUV & entry level Lexus. Although it looks a lot like it’s big brother RX, the NX is very different & they in no way compete against each other.

 

Well said, My wife and I test drove an NX and after a few minutes realized it was not the car we wanted.

 

I have a friend who bought an NX last summer. It was he who urged me to get an RX this past September. Pretty much for the same reasons you noted. And I am very happy with my RX, with the exception of the illogical and complicated controls.

 

I got an NX as a loaner and it was a step down from the RX to me. The motor also seemed to make a good bit of noise in just normal operation.

 

I’ve had one as a loaner as well, and I agree with your sentiment. It’s definitely more of an entry- level Lexus.

 

I had a few as loaner.

I find the finish inside to be a bit cheaper.

My wife liked it for how much it is responsive to the gaz pedal. But then I told, her "if you want responsive, try the sport mode of our RX, you would be surprised"

Confortable and feel more sporty in the curves, but I also prefer the confort and smoothness of the RX.

Last night coming from another town in our RX on the highway, I found our ride so smooth and comfortable that I did not realize I was going way over the speed limit that I had to slow down and it was very quiet (radio was off and discussing).

I stick to RX.

We could make the same comparison between the the ES and GS...

 

Yes, it’s a step down from our butter-smooth RX, but I would in no way say it’s a bad little SUV. I think it’s one of the best for what it is. I have no idea if they offer AWD or how many different trim levels there are. I like it as an entry level Lexus. I really know nothing about the ES & GS. I had the ES as a loaner & it was just OK, but I was used to the RX SUV roominess. It was a 3.5 V-6, but seemed very vanilla. I think the Camry V-6 or Avalon would be better choices as an everyday sedan.

 

Without getting into a long-winded comparison, the RX is the smoother, quieter, and more comfortable ride. Its extra weight is also felt but in a good way since it exudes a greater feeling of solidity over bumps and road irregularities. However, the NX F Sport with AVS (what I had) makes a difference in ride quality over non-AVS models so consider test driving this since for the first time, this is offered on 2018 MY in the US.

Happy shopping!

 

Yes, corranoMR2 is correct, we had a 2015 NX with AVS. 2018 NX F Sport with AVS mades a world of difference. Try it, you will love it!

 

I've had many loaners and NX is one that I try to avoid. I somewhat can choose if I go early enough from my dealer. I usually just get another RX or ES or IS in that order.

 

Why have you had soooo many loaners ? hmmm

 

I’m actually happy with this NX. I like it a whole lot better than the ES. I simply wrote a comparison from my perspective. I would buy a NX as a 2nd vehicle, I like it that much.

 

We went 2 months ago to the showroom to consider the top of line NX. We stepped out with the base RX instead.

Although the NX looks great outside, we did not like the inside; dash design looks like an economy car. We had as a first time Lexus buyer a very high expectation on ride comfort, smoothness, quietness and quality of materials; during the test drive it did not deliver that to a level that it impressed us.

 

I removed a few posts and modified the title. It's not a true comparison, just observations. So let's keep the comments based on experiences.

 

My NX loaner experience was very positive. Our local dealership always provides the same loaner model as the one being serviced. My problem is that, because they're a small dealership, they have no loaner RX 450h's, so I get an RX 350 instead... which I vehemently dislike. The last time I had my RX 450h serviced, I asked for an NX loaner. I was pleasantly surprised! Granted, it's no RX, but I found it to be immensely more enjoyable than an RX 350. Keep in mind that I'm a single, unencumbered person. I only needed the loaner to run errands for two days - not for long trips. I found the NX to be quite adequate for around town use. It's zippy and easy to park. One cannot really compare an NX to an RX but, as far as loaners go, an NX works well for me.