2019 Lexus NX 300 F Sport Review
2019 Lexus NX 300 F Sport Review Lexus refuses to be ignored. The luxury brand Toyota, whose designs were once like Xanax in warm milk, has busted a knife edge, spindle-grilled styling attack that calls the attention of many shoppers. The look doesn’t always work, but it seems to work: the newer, offensively styled models from Lexus receive a warm showroom reception and not only the medium-sized RX crossover, which is the lifeblood of the brand: the sale of the new LS, a Extroverted flagship sedan, are up 128 percent so far in 2018, compensation declines for other traditional car models like the ES and is sedans and RC Coupe.
The Lexus NX is another: in a slanted manner, the NX has steadily developed into one of America’s most popular and compact luxury crossovers. The outstanding Mercedes-Benz GLC class, which has a strong momentum — it is about a further 78 percent in the year 2018 — now leads this field with a good lead with 28,223 sales by May. But with 23,810 sold in 2018, the NX joins the stand-up Audi Q5 (with 24,223) for second place in this hyperwettbewerbsklasse. And the Lexus overtakes the new X3 from BMW and the Acura RDX easily, although the lavishly redesigned 2019 version of Acura just penetrates into the showrooms, so I would expect a nice RDX sales push next year.
What explains the success of the NX? Good value, for one, with the NX300 from $37,180. My week behind the steering wheel of a shockingly bright NX300 — whose ultrasound mica-blue colour drew an almost embarrassing outpouring of compliments from New Yorkers — reminded me of a motor-rush wisdom, which, especially after the torrential bang of the High performance SUVs that I have recently tested, including the Lamborghini Urus and Alfa Romeo Stelvio: The vast majority of car buyers, especially in the SUV sector, is not focused on performance. Give them a stylish cabin, the latest gadgets, peaceful street manners and reputation for trouble-free operation, and that SUV can close the deal.
From his furious bird squealing to a body that was apparently carved by a chainsaw logger, the NX is one of the most extroverted little SUVs around. The larger, more Baroque rx from Lexus still gives me the willies, but God help me, I begin to see the visual appeal of the NX. The technically filled interior, on the other hand, is not controversial at all — only luxurious, a thick-shaped layer cake made from obviously good ingredients.
For 2018, the mid-cycle refresh of the NX brings a name change for the gasoline version; It is now the NX300, and not the NX200t. The hybrid is still referred to as NX300h, and it delivers 33 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway, using the powertrain as the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: A 2.5-liter four-cylinder and an electric motor with a total of 194 hp. (The Lexus will be divided Transverse engine layout and the wheelbase with the Toyota, but not much else, and the cars see and drive certainly not the same). The NX300 consumes significantly more fuel than the hybrid at 22/28 mpg in AWD trim or 22/27 mpg for the AWD F Sport model I tested. So the government figures they will spend an additional $800 per year in gasoline, with a $2,200 annual fuel bill versus $1,400 for the hybrid.
The NX300h (only offered with AWD) is also a quadratic deal according to hybrid standards, with a $39,530 base price, which is a $2,390 premium compared to the non-hybrid AWD model. In other words, the NX 300h should pay back its hybrid price premium in just three years, and at this point the drivers will start to insert the $800 in annual fuel savings.
The downside of the 300h is the tepid hybrid powertrain — with an infinitely variable transmission — which also increases the board weight to nearly 4,200 pounds. It’s faster than a Prius, but not much, managing the 0-60 miles per hour walk in about 9.2 seconds. If you are willing to spend more on the pump, the NX300 ‘s payback is a sensible 6.9-second syringe to 60 mph, thanks to 235 PS and 258 pound-foot charged by a turbo, 2.0-liter four. It is a spunky-small engine, despite a short 6,000-rpm redline, with a lovable exhaust-rasp and very little turbo residue. This twin-scroll, direct-injection four can adjust the cam-phasing in a jiffy and switch between the cycles Otto and Atkinson to save fuel. Where the Mercedes GLC class brings a nine-speed gearbox and the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 have eight, the NX300 is sticking with a six-speed automatic. Nevertheless, it beats the cloudy CVT of the hybrid, even without the paddle sliders and the heated, leather-trimmed sports steering wheel, which was part of the F-Sport package of my tester.
For their $2,400, the F-Sport package also throws larger 18-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels with all-year or summer tyres, a firmer suspension, black exterior mirrors, fog and driving lamps, metallic interior, aluminum pedals, türscuff plates, Cabin noise nuisance and sports seats. These seats, with their generous shoulder-to-hip bolstering, are an NX highlight: They are among the best, most supportive chairs in the class, here in light circuit red synthetic leather that I could have sworn was the real thing. (Genuine Cowhide is available in two of the five internal color variations of the Lexus). Lexus says that the supple “Nuluxe” material weighs half as much as leather, and produces 65 percent less CO2 emissions during manufacture.
The optional cloud-based, split-screen navigation system of the NX brings a larger 10.3-inch touchscreen. The Lexus Enform app system is standard, along with the Lexus safety system, which brings an adaptive cruise control, a precollision system with pedestrian detection, lane holding warning with tracking assistant and adaptive high-beam headlights. Lexus has finally added optional Wi-Fi to its line-up; A blind spot monitor with a tail-rail assistant also costs extra.
The brand’s notorious remote touchpad infotainment system has become a little less distracting thanks to a larger touchpad and easy access to sub-menus. Annoyances remain, including a satellite radio preset list that shows only the station number, instead of the station name itself. (apart from Howard Stern at SiriusXM 100, I can’t connect a single satellite station to your number.) Some center stack controls are also fussy, as the tiny metal wafers used to adjust climate settings. But many buyers will focus on the bigger picture of the NX: a rock-solid structure, a cuddly ride and a quiet interior.
I would be fine with the chill performance vibe; It’s a Lexus, not a Lamborghini. But the F-Sport package has aroused some performance expectations that the NX could not meet. The “f “-ing teases included some firmer feathers and adaptive dampers, with sporty, driver-selectable modes. G-digital flashy come-ons included with force and turbo boost displays in the instrument panel. But this is the NX-F most this is a sporty in a particular mode of Spice Girl, are more symmetrical shape about any real fitness clothing and alcohol. The electric steering of the NX feels for some fun, and this SUV turns on eagerly, but the body does not follow. There is excess body roll in the corners, and it dives under hard braking. As with too many lexuses, a spongy brake pedal requires more travel than one expects to stop at a certain distance. In the end, the F Sport delivers little of the refined, rousing feeling that the likes of the Lexus LC Coupe has made to such a revelation.
The paddle-shifted gearbox, however, is a smooth helper. That is, with only six speeds, the gearbox itself is a mite large. Again, some owners might prefer an eight-or nine-speed with a wider spread to keep the turns and engine in its sweet spot.
A word about the accommodations. Some reviewers throw the NX into the subcompact class with the BMW X1, the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA class, but have to check their band measures: The Lexus is on the small side for a compact SUV, but significantly larger than any subcompact. It is almost a foot longer than the Q3 or GLA, for chrissakes. In fact, the NX is only 0.6 inches shorter than a Mercedes GLC class and 0.9 inches shy from the Audi Q5. The only dimensional handicap of the Lexus is its short 104.7-inch wheelbase, which tracks the Audi by 6.3 inches and the super-stretch Mercedes by more than eight. The medium-sized Rx from Lexus is also about one foot longer than the Germans, so it is clear that the NX represents its compact entry. (Brightness will arrive with Honda’s true cocktail shrimp and UX, which is the fifth brand in the crossover SUV.)
2019 Lexus NX 300 F Sport Review
One NX advantage is that it is closer to these subcompact luxury models. On the other hand, a disadvantage is less cargo space compared to its long-wheelbase rival, especially behind the second row. The 18 cubic feet of the NX almost correspond to the Mercedes with 19.4, which is easy to play through the 26.8-cube of the Audi and the BMW X3 ‘s class 28.7. Nevertheless, the front and rear seats of the Lexus feel as spacious as the rivals — including only 1.2 inches less legroom than the Benz — and the cabin is commendably packed in the face of the ordinary exterior surface. The split rear seats of the NX also offer a power-folding/reclining option, from which Lexus says that it is a class first.
From $40,970, my NX300 F sport AWD climbed to a shadow over $49,000 with a generous color explosion. It is equipped with a reward, or is less than several hundred comparable to listen to transmit to himself. And the luxury and technology of the Lexus are fully on par with the competitors, even if the handling is not. As NX sales prove, when Americans choose the SUV players, a lack of athleticism rarely gets one kicked by the team.
