Lexus Nerd

A further comparison with competitors ...

The NX is meant to compete with both the X3 (a smaller SUV) and X5 (larger).

Even though the NX is a larger vehicle than the X3, it's still around $10,000 more expensive:

BMW X3 xDrive20d F25 LCI with alarm, keyless entry, DAB+, LED foglamps, heated front seats, basic telematics, mid-range stereo, real time traffic information and surround cameras: $69,805

NX 300h Luxury AWD: $59,500

Sure, the X5 is a larger vehicle, but the NX 300h Sports Luxury is $75,000, whereas the BMW X5 sDrive25d F15 starts from $83,900 ... and you still have to pay extra for an alarm, DAB+, gear shift paddles, heated seats, window glazing, traffic information and surround cameras ... and that will bring the X5 up to the NX's Luxury spec!

Surely you can get an X1, the smallest Bimmer, for less than an NX? Yes, but only just ... about $1257 less than an NX 300h Luxury, once optioned up to Luxury spec.

2014 Audi Q3 TDI 8U with coloured bumpers, parking camera, DAB+, heated seats, electric tailgate, mid-range sound system, "load through facility" (in lieu of split fold seats), privacy glass, drive mode select, convenience key, navigation, 18" alloys and xenon light package (LED lights not available): $59,750

NX 300h Luxury AWD (larger than Q3): $59,500

2014 Audi Q5 TDI 8R with coloured bumpers and side sills, DAB+, heated front seats, tinted windows, rear camera (panoramic not available) and navigation: $68,247

NX 300h Luxury AWD (smaller than Q5): $59,500

As requested, dis-lex-sic, here's my review of the new NX 300h:

http://au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/12714-nx-300h-first-drives

Thanks to you and Sydney City Lexus for the opportunity to be one of the first to test drive what promises to be a very popular Lexus model.

This week, two Lexus NX 300h SUVs became available at Sydney City Lexus for test driving. I was at the dealership yesterday to try one out and give my thoughts.

I won't provide a detailed technical overview, as there are plenty of hi-res photos and equipment specifications available through online media. Instead, I'll start off pointing out some features that may not have already been covered.

Exterior
First, some photos ...









Lexus have continuously improved their lighting effects over the past couple of years, and the NX's illuminated door handles is one such improvement:



Oddly, there is only one reverse lamp on the left side of the tailgate. The right tail light cluster features a foglamp in place of a reverse lamp:





Now, how's this for attention to detail: The emergency door key is hidden behind the door handle. There's no need for a removable body-coloured cover that could get scratched or lost:



Interior
As an IS owner, I found the interior of the NX delightfully familiar, but incrementally better. The entire dashboard features leather-look trim and contrast stitching, and an electronic park brake replaces the foot-operated brake. A lot has been said about the Qi phone charging tray; this sits just below the centre console lid, and lifting it reveals some reasonable storage space. Not only is this main storage bin larger than in the IS, but a separate sunglass holder can also be found in the centre console (with a make-up mirror on the underside of the removable lid!). The positioning of the switchgear is much the same as the IS, although the relocation of the front seat heating and cooling buttons near the HVAC controls is a notable change.



The hip point of the front seats might be lower than in, say, an RX, but that doesn't mean it's harder to get in or out of an NX; in fact, it is so, so much easier to get in and out of an NX than with a current model IS. The only trouble with the F Sport seats - almost identical to the IS seats - is that shorter people will tend to sit on the outer bolster and rotate their legs when entering or exiting. That will inevitably crease the leather strip on the bolster and, indeed, two large creases were found on each front seat within five days of the car being available to the public.

Having brought a tape measure, I found the depth of the trunk to be about 5 cm shorter than in the IS sedan. Usable space is greather, though, with less protruding wheel wells and the valet kit stowed elsewhere.

Infotainment System
A lot has also been said about the new touch-sensitve Remote Touch controller; although I prefer joysticks and trackpoints to notebook computer touchpads, my wife and I did find the Lexus touchpad better than the IS joystick. The entire Lexus square touchpad acts as a button and moves downward when pressed, so there's a pleasant tactile feedback unlike a computer touchpad.

The audio system was very quick to accept my test CD after the engine was started; I dare say that Lexus may have removed the navigation warning notice and other improved startup times of the unit, making the process before leaving the kerb so much more enjoyable. Like in the IS, the sound is quite good in the 10-speaker Pioneer system, with the 14-speaker Mark Levinson system offering somewhat better sound for CDs - but only if one listens very, very carefully. Of course, many people listen to MP3s or compressed streaming audio nowadays, and the HARMAN Clari-Fi technology found in the NX Mark Levinson system "automatically analyzes and improves the audio quality of all types of compressed, digitalized music sources." I shall have to test that claim the next time I drive an NX.

On the Road
As expected, both the electric and petrol engines were quiet. I could really appreciate the softer notes of an orchestral soundtrack without being interrupted by engine noise or having to resort to using the Automatic Sound Leveliser. At 90 km/h, there was no noticeable CVT drone commonly associated with hybrids. The brake and accelerator pedal feel were noticeably different to petrol cars, but didn't annoy me.

On flat roads, with the driver's seat set as low as possible, driving the NX just didn't feel like driving an SUV. When cornering quickly, even outside of SPORT S+ mode, the higher centre of gravity was noticeable, but there was minimal understeer and the F Sport tyres were firmly planted. The panoramic camera and all-wheel drive made parking a breeze, even though the track width is wider than what an IS driver is used to. The Rear Cross Traffic Alert also took the worry out of reversing out of a parking space.



Not everyone sees the point of having an SUV in urban driving, so I channeled a soccer mum's mind and quickly found some uses for this virtual "IS wagon". Going over speed bumps at almost double the recommended speed was reasonably comfortable, and driving through potholes and grassy mounds (the Sydney Air Traffic Control tower served as my test site) in an NX was streets better than in a sedan.

How about flooring it?

Sadly, even when putting the pedal down at 60 km/h in SPORT mode, there was a delay of about two seconds or more before the wagon felt it was propelling faster, and then only slowly to 80+ km/h. It's not something most people would plan to do with an SUV, anyway, but you've been warned: don't use the NX's acceleration performance as something to impresss your friends, especially as an example of the F Sport's "sportiness". But it was the only let-down in an otherwise impressive test drive.

Verdict
If you've always wanted a quiet, comfortable and fuel-efficient luxury passenger sedan, but would also like wagon capabilities or would rather not have to worry about low road clearance heights, then the NX is for you.

Hi felix123, and welcome to the Club.

Service intervals for your IS is every 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever comes first. Therefore, your IS is already due for its first service.

You'll be pleased to know that your first service will be free. A loan car will also be available at no cost or, alternatively, your dealer will pick up and drop off your car at no cost. Additional services, such as tyre rotation, will cost you, but you don't need to rotate your tyres just yet.

now since i am also able to get corp program, which allows a reduced dealer delivery fee. according the the lexus sellsman, the new delivery fee will be 998. does this mean, without real negotiation, the 62k will be further reduced by 1.5k? hence starting point at 60.5K drive away before any back and forth game talk?

Possibly not - it depends on how the L'Exhibition discount is structured. I did say that L'Exhibition features factory incentives but, for all I know, part of the discount may come from a reduced delivery fee. In other words, during the big annual sale, corporate incentives are being passed on to private customers - that wouldn't be surprising, since we know Toyota does that.

This month, at L'Exhibition, an IS 250 is $58,990 driveaway, normally $62,041 in SA.

Applying this same discount amount on an IS 300h, your sticker price of $65,039 driveaway is reduced to $62K.

L'Exhibition discounts are made possible through factory incentives, and that's before any further discount you can negotiate ...

Based on most Lexus dealerships' tendency to absorb the Luxury Car Tax in its $2500 delivery costs (i.e., the standard delivery fee including LCT is often $2500, regardless of whether you buy the cheapest IS 250 or a $100,000+ vehicle), you could get away with paying just $490 in LCT for the NX 300h Sports Luxury, or just $144 on the F Sport EP2. Not bad for an SUV with so many features.

Australian pricing for the NX 300h was announced while the Lexus Australia chief was in New York over the weekend.

We already knew that the base model would actually cost less than an IS250, although it was a surprise to learn that it will not come with leather trim at that price. Even so, a starting price of $55K - or about $60,600 driveaway (NSW) - is impressive.

Pricing is now said to be slightly higher than the NX 200t, which will be released next year. Having said that, there's over 100 firm orders for the NX 300h, and that translates to a waiting time for new orders of at least two months.

In advance of any official press release from Lexus Australia, here's the list of prices and equipment specs:

NX 300h Luxury
$55000 FWD
$59500 AWD
Includes LED low-beam headlights and foglights, satellite navigation, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, Lexus Remote Touch (the new touchpad incarnation), 10-speaker sound system, power tailgate, heated and powered front seats, 60/40 split-fold rear seats, powered steering column adjustment, Drive Mode Select, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, 18" 225 mm wheels, keyless entry, NuLuxe interior
Add $2500 for moonroof

NX 300h F Sport
$66000 AWD only
Includes Luxury features, plus all LED headlights, adaptive variable suspension, performance dampers, 360-degree camera, blind spot monitor, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, wireless phone charging tray, leather-accented trim, heated and cooled seats, driver's seat memory, 18" 235 mm wheels ... oh, and unlike the GS and IS F Sport, it still includes fog lamps
Add $4000 for moonroof and 14-speaker Mark Levinson sound system
Add $7500 for moonroof, ML, Pre-Collision Safety system, all-speed active cruise control (ACC), lane departure warning, colour heads-up display, auto high beam, smart key card

NX 300h Sports Luxury
$75000 AWD only
Like the IS Sports Luxury, the NX Sports Luxury has all the F Sport Enhancement Pack 2 features, without the F Sport styling touches. In addition, it has power folding rear seats.

Hey Qwerty256,

Welcome to the Club!

How are you finding the LS430?

Brake squealing at low speeds is commonly reported in the IS - check out this old thread:

http://au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/10638-brake-squeal/

Hey guys, im new to the site and also a new lexus owner! Being new ive ordered a few mods but havnt chucked em on the car! I have an '08 IS250 and was just wondering if its odd to see completely stock cars at your meets! Dont wanna be the odd one out! Hahah

Welcome, Benjamin.

No, it's not odd. At the meets, you'll find:

- those who will always have a new mod since the last meet

- those whose car stays stock for a good few years ;)

- those who turn up to a meet, intending to maintain a stock car, but catch the "mod bug" ... careful, you may be next! :D

Check out the new NX forum, featuring photos of the Australian spec NX:

http://au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/forum/58-lexus-nx300h-lexus-nx200t-club/

A few nights ago, Lexus Australia revealed a driveable NX for the very first time to some members of the public.

I thought I'd share some photos I took of this vehicle. I was limited in the photos I could take, so I apologise for the poor quality of some of them taken on my humble iPhone 4.



This is a pre-production NX 200t F Sport, registered for Australian roads. As with most Lexus models nowadays, this one does look better in real life. Reviews often refer to the appearance as "polarising", but I think it's stylish and will even make the Range Rover Evoque look rather ordinary.



Here's the F Sport front grille - notice the camera mounted beneath the badge.



The headlights. Note the 'L'-shaped LED headlights, as we've also seen in RC preview photos. The fins at the base of the light housing seem to diffuse the light and make it more visible from the sides. Sadly, the windscreen washer is not the pop-up style ... but it is body-coloured, instead of the chrome finish found on the 3IS.



On the F Sport, the wing mirrors are finished in gloss black with chrome highlights.



We're starting to see more depth or three-dimensionalism on Lexus wheels. Here's what's fitted on the NX 200t F Sport.



And here's our first glimpse of a Lexus with a "t" badge. The tail lamp cluster has a lot of angles and edges, with gloss black highlights. The tail light shines a consistent red 'L' swoosh when illuminated.

There's plenty of online reviews on the NX, showing you the IS-style interior, new Remote Touch pad, charging tray, colour options, et cetera, and how the pre-production hybrid drives. But here's a few things they won't tell you:

- Yes, the front seats do sit low, much like a sedan, but the rear seats feel more like you would expect in an SUV - it would also allow space for the batteries in the hybrid variant. There is a slight issue with rear headroom, although not quite as pronounced as in the 3IS: rear passengers with a height of more than 175 cm may have to sit forward, slump a little or maybe - something you can't do in a sedan - recline the seat ...

- The leather in both front and rear seats have a superior feel to them - more like the current GS and earlier 2IS models than in the current 3IS.

- The cargo area is fairly spacious: certainly more width than the IS, since the wheel arches don't protrude as much, and about as much depth as the RX.

I'm looking forward to test driving the NX, and provide a comprehensive review here in the near future.

Welcome, black-tien. Did you also drop your suspension?

Hey jesseshi,

You have an 06 IS 250. Is that the graphite colour?

You can apply a blob of touch-up paint, together with the LANGKA paint repair kit (available by mail order). The only issue is that the solid touch-up paint provided by Lexus may not match all that well with the metallic factory paint ... But if the chip is small, it may not matter all that much.

Welcome, Alvara. Thanks for the contributions you've already made!

The Mekon,

I acknowledge this forum (General Lexus Discussion) is probably the best one to use when discussing more than one Lexus model line. Having said that, few of the regulars here check this forum ...

Any car forum generally consists of three types of contributing members:
1. Those that are model enthusiasts
2. Those that come to vent about a problem with their own vehicle
3. Those that are seeking advice prior to buying (effectively looking for input from types #1 and #2)

You don't see much of the second group here, since Lexus vehicles have relatively few problems. Furthermore, there aren't that many GS enthusiasts in Australia; so you won't see many GS posts at all.

However, you can browse the GS model forums yourself and you will find that some late 2000's GS owners have noted problems with rattles. Only one person has attributed such a problem to snapped spot weld while others, though confirming that rattles is a common issue, haven't stated the root cause. Some have just grown to live with the issue.

There's been a number of questions in the IS forums about common problems with the second-generation IS line. By all means, browse the forums yourself; in short, though, you'll find few issues with the 2009+ upgraded models. Like the GS, rattles and squeaks do occur, but these are apparent in the first 1-2 years of the vehicle's life and have nothing to do with welds (usually just foam insulation requiring even more foam insulation!).

In short: Decide between the GS and IS, based on the functional differences you stated, and not on reliability issues. When test driving, do drive on bumpy roads and make sure there aren't any rattles or squeaks that will annoy you or your passengers.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/114073179031/lexus-confirms-is-f-has-been-discontinued

Perhaps this 4-door performance V8 will become a collector's item ...?

Welcome!

Your answer to the break-in process starts here: http://au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/12596-is250-break-in-period/

Take a look at the variety of answers given in this thread:

http://au.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/9674-running-in-the-new-engine

There are recommendations given by both dealers and Club members, but also check out your Owners Manual for some basic recommendations (which, perhaps, have more to do with tyre and brake effectiveness than engine break-in).

Meguiar's high-end consumer products:

NXT Generation Car Wash

Deep Crystal System Polish (pure polish - I don't feel I need an abrasive polish on near-new paint)

Ultimate Wax Liquid

Australia is set to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Japan:

http://mobile.news.com.au/finance/economy/australias-free-trade-agreement-with-japan-could-see-prices-fall-for-consumers/story-e6frflo9-1226980714601

It's important not to overestimate the reduction in cost to car dealers. The current tariff is 5% of the Customs Value of the car, which is basically - for Lexus vehicles - the cost of the vehicle to Lexus Australia before it is on-sold to Lexus dealers, before the duty is applied.

So expecting even a $1500 price reduction on a $30000 vehicle - the article suggests $1000 to $2000 - would be too much, given the CV on a $30000 car is much less than $30000. But it should mean a price cut of at least $2000 on most Lexus models, if the savings are passed onto consumers. (On the other hand, the savings may not be passed on, given that the main competitors are from the EU.)

So, who's looking to take advantage of reduced prices? New RC or NX, anyone?

I CU2, you already have the standard 17" tyre, so have a look at the last letter after the tyre size, e.g.

225/45R17 95W

Then look up the letter (e.g. W) against this chart of tyre speed ratings:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=35

As mentioned in my previous post, oil consumption and exhaust smell are two separate symptoms with completely different causes.

Your exhaust smell, as Abnrml pointed out, is caused by the standard exhaust.

1 Thing to remember is that your speedo value will be off by approx 3Kph - Higher... So at 100 you'll actually be travelling at 102.54Kph.

Fortunately, there's a reasonable difference between speedo reading and actual speed when standard wheels and tyres are fitted; so at 100, you could well be travelling below 100, even with the new wheels fitted. But you'll have a much smaller margin, so be careful around speed traps!