Pricing
20,000 Mile, 4 Season Review
I still am giving the NX Five Stars, even though there is one negative which has been irritating me for 6 months, Lexus has still failed to deliver the second set of keys for my vehicle. I was one of the first people to get the 2024 model in June and it was initially promised in August. I learned only when taking delivery that the chip shortage prompted Lexus to only provide one set of keys initially. The NXh has been through all 4 seasons in NE Ohio and several long road trips fully loaded. This includes snow, high mountain passes, off road, high temperatures and downpours. This was also my first hybrid. Since I was extremely happy with my 2019 Genesis G70, my first choice was a new GV70. It test drove very nice, but the NX 350h was far more technologically advanced, that goes for the Volvo XC60 I was considering as well. I rely heavily on consumer reviews and the Lexus NX 350h was a real mixed bag of people really liking or not liking it. I am convinced the bad reviews were either heavily biased or the people just didn’t know how to operate the car! The technology on this car is amazing and can be intimidating for someone who does not read the owner’s manual! Fortunately, in the 5 months I was waiting for the car, I downloaded the Owner’s Manual and MultiMedia Guide. Reading these really prepared me for the arrival of my NX. The Tutorial Part 1 and Part 2 on YouTube by Melissa O’Connell is a must for going over the features of the car inside and out! The customization on the NX is incredible, but you have to be familiar with how navigate the various menus and it takes a while to digest each option. But when you do, it will be a car that will fit perfect to your needs. The amount of room in the NX should not be a surprise, I looked at the specifications for cargo volume and I saw for myself how much room there is before I purchased the car, for a compact SUV, there is plenty of cargo and legroom space. My wife and I have a lot of gear we pack for trips and have no trouble finding room This car is everything I expected and more! I was a little apprehensive about getting the Rioja Red interior, but it is not overpowering and blends very well with the Black Prism. With the Atomic Silver exterior, it is a great match. After driving it for 20,000 miles so far, I still get a charge out of starting the ignition and not hearing a sound and starting my drive on all electric. In colder temperatures, it will run less frequent on electric. The transition to the gasoline engine is seamless. The fuel economy, low 40’s city, mid 30’s highway, in colder temperatures, you can subtract 5mpg! 95% of the time I drive in the Eco Mode and there may be a little difference in fuel efficiency with 87 octane gas, but not much. I did get significantly worse fuel economy while driving out west which may have been because of the higher ethanol content in the gas because it immediately improved once we got to Illinois. The NX drives extremely smooth and is as quiet as any sedan I have had. The engine does not have the power as my other sedans, but that is an easy tradeoff for great fuel economy. It certainly has adequate power and quickness. The instrument panel and MultiMedia screen are all very easy to use once you read the instructions. I have the 14” screen which really makes viewing easy. I do like the heads-up display, but don’t really use the digital mirror much, it is harder on the eyes and not as clear. If the cargo area is full of gear, the digital mirror would come in handy for better visibility. Lexus clearly goes out of its way to make this a very safe vehicle with a plethora of features. The seating is extremely comfortable for long trips, no fatigue or discomfort. The climate control system adds to that comfort with uniform heating and cooling. The run flat tires are much quieter than I thought they would be. For being a compact SUV, the standard 18” wheels look great, would not want any bigger. The compartment under the cargo mat really comes in handy for those odds and ends you don’t want to clutter the cabin with. I don’t understand why they have a compartment for the tire jack and accessories when these are not included with the car since it has run flat tires. Every other feature in this car is very well thought out. Another negative thing I can say about the NX is sunglass compartment, if the lens has any curvature to them, they will not fit, my Oakley’s and Ray Ban’s will have to find another place. To date, the NX 350h is without a doubt the finest automobile I have ever owned, zero issues. Considering I have driven my Volvo’s, Toyota’s, Acura’s and the Genesis 40,000+ miles a year for the last 35 years, that is saying a lot!
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Comfy
NX350h is very comfy and well appointed. Very quiet in EV and handy for in town use. Panoramic rear view camera is really great! AC is handling Las Vegas summer heat with no problems. After six months the mpg is 40.9 with primarily city driving. We've taken a couple road trips to N. Calif. and the cruise control is great, nearly self drives! It can slow for traffic ahead, even to a full stop. Very comfortable ride.
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Nice Car
After taking delivery, my wife drove her car 80 miles in through western Washington in stop and go traffic without any issues. The technical features of the car were very well set up and explained before she drove away. I would recommend downloading and printing the Lexus Personalized Settings worksheet before completing the process. We reviewed and made selections at home before we met with the technology representative. We knew how she wanted the car set up before we took delivery. The NX lives up to the “nimble crossover” moniker. It is not a sports car. The nx350h is a very capable compact SUV, well equipped for this retired couple. Like our 2 previous cars, our Lexus was assembled in Canada. 8 month update: still very nice. We have learned that not having the key in our pocket makes washing the car easier. The car and key communicate when in range, locking and unlocking the car doors gets distracting. The seats have a lot of adjustment and we experience no lower body fatigue on longer drives. The standard stereo is very good. The storage under the rear deck is ample. The climate control is intuitive and it works to maintain the temperature requested. As noted in another review, the adaptive cruise control works very well. This is our first experience with this kind of feature. The lane assist feature can surprise the driver when road configurations change, i.e. new guard rails, zip lanes etc. My wife disabled this feature until we understand it better. It might be useful on longer trips over the open road. The warning buzzers are polite but just loud enough and we appreciate it. The owners manual is many pages long. It is also user friendly. The paper version has a guide in the front where you can simply locate the feature or switch that you wish to learn about. The manual directs you to the reference page and your questions are answered quickly. If you download the electronic version of the owners manual the reference page is highlighted allowing you to simply select the page and it takes you there. The owners manuals are easy for us to navigate and understand. We are still pleased with this purchase.
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Comfortable, practical, and very efficient.
The seats are very comfortable and the ventilated and heated seats are a very nice touch. The screen is very responsive and the UI is on the more basic side but in a good way. It is intuitive and easy to understand. The Mark Levinson speakers are a wonderful addition and sound very crisp. The engine is on the louder side when speeding up, such as getting on to the highway. However, at normal speeds it is very quiet and the EV mode is perfect for neighborhood driving as it is very quiet. Space and great and the size of the car makes it very maneuverable and tight spaces while still providing space for storage. Also, I love how the taillight looks with the full led line, which makes the car stand out and also looks great at night. The led headlights are also very bright and the turning headlamps are very helpful. The 20 inch run flat tires are somewhat noisy but the ride remains stable and comfortable.
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Nice, but disappointing gas mileage, some quirkies
Had our 2024 NX350h, Luxury, 20" wheels, for about a month. In mostly suburban driving I've been able to average only 32.2 mpg (indicated) on premium gas. I'm a very conservative driver and easy on the gas pedal, so very disappointed. Average temp has been mild for Wisconsin, maybe 38 deg. In rural driving at night I've noticed that there is a sharp definition in low beam road illumination between area that is lit up, and where there is no light above. It is DARK above a certain point. I'm used to there being at least a little illumination above a certain point, but this car produces zero light higher up. It's like there is a shutter halfway across the headlights that blocks all light above the illuminated area. You have to keep the lights on high beam in the country, especially in hilly areas. Also I've noticed that sometimes when you're trying to coast up to the traffic light the car will decide it needs to regeneratively brake and I have to give it a little gas (annoying). The swipe your foot under the tailgate to open or close it doesn't always work. It just beeps and nothing happens. Yes, this occurs with the car OFF. Finally, there is no car locater "beep" using a button on the key fob. I guess if you want to get out your smart phone there is an app to find your car, but it's not as convenient as just pressing a button on the fob. I tried using the emergency horn button but its range is VERY limited. It's a great ooking car inside and out, and comfortable, but compared to my old 2015 Lincoln MKZ hybrid, it's lacking a lot.
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