[Sot] My Lexus Nx Hybrid Test Drive

[PeteB]

I had a test on this car today, and at least one member has asked for me to review it - here it is:

http://www.biwel.com/pmb01/PeteBs Lexus NX Test Drive.pdf

[paultnl]

Nice review.

Thank you

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Interesting read :)

[RunningInPleasePass]

Good read, have you any other cars in mind, Lexus CT or IS perhaps?

What puts me off Lexus is the warranty, only 3 years or 60k miles, and the service costs, I average about 30k miles a year so these things count.

[PeteB]

...have you any other cars in mind, Lexus CT or IS perhaps?

What puts me off Lexus is the warranty, only 3 years or 60k miles, and the service costs, I average about 30k miles a year so these things count.

Same here - the LX 300h Premier comes at almost double the price of a T3 Prius - going back to a 3 year warranty is a real minus - one would have thought it would pay Lexus, with their reputation for reliability, to give that extra peace of mind. It must put a lot of Toyota owners off upgrading.

I do about 14-15K a year now, so I wouldn't hit the mileage limit.

The CT doesn't have all the features I would want to warrant changing, the IS doesn't have a spare wheel on the Hybrid (petrol model does).

A plug-in EV with 4WD and good mpg would be my ideal - the Outlander would appeal, but again, no spare wheel. When I travel, I want enough boot space left to get everything out of sight to minimise the risk of getting a window smashed by an opportunist thief. Harder if the boot is half full of spare wheel.

I did briefly consider the Tesla Model S, but whilst it would be perfect for all but about 2 days a month, it would still give me range anxiety (even on the longer range model) for the couple of longer day trips I do each month (worry would go away if/when there's a reliable network of fast charging points). Plus once or twice a year I drive to Hull and back in a day (from the Norfolk Coast) - I would need at least a 7-8 hour charging stop at the moment - not ideal.

I was very tempted after driving a BMW i3 REX, but again, no spare wheel. On reflection though, it's meant for the petrol range extender to only be used on rare occasions, and I'd need to use it too much for it to be viable.

I think I'm moving more towards waiting to see what the Gen 4 plugin Prius has in store - just petrified it will end up with no spare wheel, tiny analogue instruments hidden behind the steering wheel, no oddments space and such a sloping rear roofline that the rear seats are compromised. And if it has the tinny indicator clicker like the new Yaris, I'll shoot myself! I pray this fear is unfounded!

Plus another thing my test drives have proved to me - I thought the HUD would just be an interesting gimmick, but having had it for two years I'd hate to be without it now. I hardly ever look at the speedo inside the car. I wouldn't have considered the LX if it didn't have the HUD, it just about makes up for the old fashioned instruments.

[barrycoll]

Well done Pete...excellent review, and maybe you could submit a copy to your local rag (in which Lexus may advertise).

I would like the Gen 4 Prius to be just as you have described the NX with all those toys plus the possiblity of 70+mpg

[cmclean]

Good read, have you any other cars in mind, Lexus CT or IS perhaps?

What puts me off Lexus is the warranty, only 3 years or 60k miles, and the service costs, I average about 30k miles a year so these things count.

Not sure what the prices will be for the NX, but I just had a quote of £1001 for three services and £795 to extend the warranty to five years on my IS300h. Also, as you do a high mileage, I would expect your servicing costs to be £1001 per year.

[Chris Dance]

I was going to wait to purchase a Prius Gen 4. but when I bought our new 2014 Prius recently the salesman did say that all future Toyota cars would have the dreaded can of gunge instead of a spare wheel. This could have been sales talk to get me to purchase a new car.!!!

Good report Pete but from your comments I would not persuaded to change our prius for Lexus NX. even thogh you have outlined some good points about the Lexus.

[PeteB]

Neither am I - after weighing the pros and cons, I'm now firmly leaning towards waiting to see what the Gen 4 Prius has to offer.

Mainly because of:

• bang per extra buck
• running costs
• warranty
• real concern that the pensioners I give lift to would struggle to climb aboard (didn't think of this until the test drive!)
• boy am I angry at either having to have black paint for paying over £600 extra for white!

BTW: for early readers, I've made some updates, highlighted so if of interest you can quickly see the key changes)

http://www.biwel.com/pmb01/PeteBs Lexus NX Test Drive.pdf

Truth is, my Prius does everything I really need, and most of what I really want.

I'd love 4 wheel drive, just for the security of being able to keep going when the FWD Prius wouldn't (but that's not very often) - this was brought home to me about 5 or 6 years ago, when I was lent an RX Hybrid 4WD for a few days, and by chance it snowed heavily. At the time I lived in a bungalow which had a 1/10th mile private drive to the main road with a 6' fence either side - with extra snow deposited by the winds, it was nearly 10" deep. The RX had air suspension that could be raised or lowered, and a "snow mode" for the transmission. Just to see how it went, I just put it in D, left everything on normal setting, and it went through the snow like it wasn't there! It would have taken me (at least) all morning to dig enough snow away to get the Gen 1 Prius I had at the time out.

I'd love the safety features too, plus the all round camera, SatNav instructions in the HUD, powered memory seats, ventilated leather seats that aren't black, and interior that doesn't have so much black in it I'd want to slash my wrists after a day inside! Not overly important but nice to have a Rev counter - I often wonder how fast the ICE is turning.

[MEP's Yaris GS]

I'd love 4 wheel drive, just for the security of being able to keep going when the FWD Prius wouldn't (but that's not very often)

Or practically never with winter tyres ;)

[Guest]

Thanks for the overview. It seems that if we could put all models of Prius and Lexus in a bag and shake them up, we would each get the exact model we individually would like. :lol2:

[PeteB]

...It seems that if we could put all models of Prius and Lexus in a bag and shake them up...

Actually, I'd also like:

• heated windscreen from Ford
• 17" central screen and extensive setup options from Tesla
• built in umbrella from Rolls Royce
• ... and the blonde passenger from a Maserati I saw the other day

[MEP's Yaris GS]

...It seems that if we could put all models of Prius and Lexus in a bag and shake them up...

Actually, I'd also like:

• heated windscreen from Ford
• 17" central screen and extensive setup options from Tesla
• built in umbrella from Rolls Royce
• ... and the blonde passenger from a Maserati I saw the other day

In all serious this is a massive trick they'd missed on the PiP imo, having to use the ICE to clear the screen in the winter :(

[PeteB]

definitely - even the electric heating elements in the blower (as fitted to North American Gen 2 Prius) would have been better than nothing.

[Dapple]

An interesting and informative review.

I too would like a Ford heated windscreen and/or a Leaf heat pump in my next Prius please Mr Toyota.

Oh and;

Lexus 4wd and performance,

HUD navigation and hard drive from an early gen 3,

LED headlights and adaptive cruise,

An opening glass roof (my gen 3's opening solar roof keeps my daughters travel sickness under control),

An option to keep 17" wheels whilst still having a glass roof,

bluetooth to a Ford or Fiat standard and a USB slot,

Maybe a bit more involving drive, say a sport mode button that changed more than power,

And about 10k off the price.

[PeteB]

...I too would like a Ford heated windscreen...

Oh and;

Lexus 4wd and performance...

I see Vauxhall are advertising a heated screen for the Corsa now, and I think some Skoda have it so maybe the patent has expired now - here's hoping Toyota pick up on it

BTW- the Lexus 4WD NX I drove has the same top speed as the Prius Gen 3 and is just 1 sec quicker to 62 mph/100 kph

[FROSTYBALLS]

Ford introduced their Quickclear system in 1985, and GM introduced their system, Electri-clear, in 1988. The patent that Ford supposedly has, must be to do with a specific feature of their screens rather than the heated screen itself.

Heated windshields were used in aircraft in WW2 - with planes like the Focke Wulf TA152 having an armoured, heated windshield for use at high altitudes.

[Heidfirst]

the Ford heated front windscreen is a very nice feature (had it in a Focus) but it's a massive current drain - much more than a normal heated rear screen. I imagine that is part of the reason (patents probably being another although I think that has now run out) why Toyota doesn't fit it.

[PeteB]

from what I can glean from the Internet, Ford's screen uses very thin wavy wires similar to those originally used in aircraft, and their patent was for using that type of technology in a road vehicle.

I can find lots of references in the last year or two saying the patent should run out any time now, but nothing definitive.

I was given a Ford Orion with it fitted whilst waiting for a company car back around 1990, and it was about the only thing on the whole car I liked - from memory it only stayed on a couple of minutes after pressing the button (no doubt due to that current drain), but it was usually enough to melt even quite thick ice.

I guessing a couple of minutes of higher current is probably better for the mpg/CO2 than 4-5 minutes with the engine running.

[ToyotaAuris]

from what I can glean from the Internet, Ford's screen uses very thin wavy wires similar to those originally used in aircraft, and their patent was for using that type of technology in a road vehicle.

I can find lots of references in the last year or two saying the patent should run out any time now, but nothing definitive.

I was given a Ford Orion with it fitted whilst waiting for a company car back around 1990, and it was about the only thing on the whole car I liked - from memory it only stayed on a couple of minutes after pressing the button (no doubt due to that current drain), but it was usually enough to melt even quite thick ice.

I guessing a couple of minutes of higher current is probably better for the mpg/CO2 than 4-5 minutes with the engine running.

Woah you just literally answered my question!!! I currently have a Ford Fusion, guessing this is the same feature which I think it is. Its a 2003 and today I was looking at the front windscreen and it has light brown wiggly lines on it, the whole windscreen. I was thinking to my self what the heck is this??? Is this the heated windscreen? If it is, theres not much of a difference between normal windscreen de-misters and the heated windscreen, although I cannot judge too much since we only did 100 miles in it.

[JayZZ]

Great review.

I am a Prius T3 owner myself and I followed with great interest the journey of NX from concept to production. However, when the UK models and specs were revealed, I lost the interest I had.

Main reasons were:

1. Wheel size - UKs fascination with large low profiled wheels means no 4x4 grades with 17 inch wheels.

2. Facts and figures - To me the NX does not stand out well enough from the competition

3. Warranty and service costs - Lexus is far more reliable than the competition but costs are still too high

4. Noise and ride - Most early reviews seem to suggest that the ride was harsh compared to the competition

So I've extended the warranty on my Prius and waiting to hear about Gen 4.