AlanDL

I am used to the headlights staying on after parking when it is dark, usually known as follow me home lights when lights are on automatic. My previous car did this for about 30 seconds. When I first had the car I thought this happened, then it went back for some rattles to be sorted (see other threads) and I realised that this didn't happen anymore (or maybe never did!). The door handles illuminate, and I think that is what is adjustable in the settings menu. Anyway, when I had an FSport on loan while my car was being finally sorted I realised that one didn't have that feature. I had already raised the issue with the dealer, and when I collected it I was instructed that it had now been activated, but it wasn't a default feature and didn't activate automatically. I have to come to a stop, shut down the ignition, and then if I flick the headlight stalk towards me I can activate the headlights for 60 seconds (which is what they set): I can cancel this if I want to by flicking the stalk again. It does work, but I was wondering if others have had any experiences with this. In the manual on page 221 it talks about the automatic light off system, which turns the headlights off after 30 seconds. Am I missing something here? I have copied the text from the manual below. Any ideas?? Automatic light off system ●When the headlights come on: The headlights and tail lights turn off 30 seconds after a door is opened and closed if the power switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off. (The lights turn off immediately if on the key is pressed after all the doors are locked.) ● When only the tail lights come on: The tail lights turn off automatically if the power switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off and the driver’s door is opened. To turn the lights on again, turn the power switch to ON mode, or turn the light switch off once and then back to or . ​

Just this week I have managed to get everything sorted. The rattle from the rear turned out to be a slightly misaligned bracket holding the rear centre seat belt reel, which is situated around head height in the rear pillar. Apparently as the car flexed it slightly moved and made the metallic noise I could hear. They have also repacked the centre console area around the display screen to stop any further vibrations from that. I think when the heat from the heater built up it slightly distorted the plastic. Anyway, both rattles are things of the past hopefully.

An update since starting this thread. I really like the car, but I am annoyed that I am plagued by two rattles. One is the plastic above the centre console vents, which vibrates after some time of driving. This was "fixed" when the car went in a couple of weeks ago to resolve the other rattle. However the plastic trim is vibrating again, and doesn't sit right, so it will have to be refixed. The second rattle from the back was not detected on that visit, but it remains. Having taken out everything from the boot (spare wheel and all) and taped the trim everywhere, I am convinced that the rattle is the middle rear seat belt mechanism: it looks like it is anchored on the nearside rear pillar, and I can make it noisy when I brake or going over bumps. Yanking the seatbelt also makes a more metallic noise than the other seatbelts, and the noise is coming from the same area that my wife identified when sitting in the back. Knowing the source of the noise is reassuring, but fixing it will probably involve lots of work removing the trim and ceiling liner. Anyway it's going in in a week's time so hopefully everything will be resolved finally. I will post this update on the other thread I started. ​

An update since starting this thread. I really like the car, but I am annoyed that I am plagued by two rattles. One is the plastic above the centre console vents, which vibrates after some time of driving. This was "fixed" when the car went in a couple of weeks ago to resolve the other rattle. However the plastic trim is vibrating again, and doesn't sit right, so it will have to be refixed. The second rattle from the back was not detected on that visit, but it remains. Having taken out everything from the boot (spare wheel and all) and taped the trim everywhere, I am convinced that the rattle is the middle rear seat belt mechanism: it looks like it is anchored on the nearside rear pillar, and I can make it noisy when I brake or going over bumps. Yanking the seatbelt also makes a more metallic noise than the other seatbelts, and the noise is coming from the same area that my wife identified when sitting in the back. Knowing the source of the noise is reassuring, but fixing it will probably involve lots of work removing the trim and ceiling liner. Anyway it's going in in a week's time so hopefully everything will be resolved finally. I will post this update on the other thread about the rattle.

Thanks for the suggestion about the trim. I tapped the trim around the tailgate window, and on the left the vertical section holding the widget that holds the parcel shelf overlaps at the top with the top horizontal section. Where these two sections of trim overlap there is definitely movement. I have inserted a bit of card between them and the "rattle" seems to have stopped. If this continues to be ok I will ask for a more permanent fix from the dealer next time I am in.

Having sorted out the number plate rattle, and reduced the pressure in the tyres (was at 38psi when bought, have reduced it to 32 as says in the handbook), the car feels a bit more refined. However, there is still a small rattling when going over bumps in the road. I cannot find anything in the cabin (including seat belt buckles and other fittings) that would make a noise, and the audio isn't on so not subwoofer; in any case seems to come from nearside rear. Is it just me being over sensitive, has anyone else had similar? Any suggestions please?

Having looked at the manual and found the setting on the multi information display operated on the steering wheel, you can definitely turn the power off to the tailgate. Then pressing the rear door button will release it, but then you can physically move the door slowly up and down: there is a lot of resistance: it is the same as when you stop the tailgate moving when under power, but without triggering the power to come back on. It is quite heavy, but I think a good protocol when there is limited headroom is to depend on manual operation: the door doesn't fling up or anything. So probably the best solution. It is a bit frustrating how slowly the door moves when under power, but I think safety is more important. By the time you set the door to close you can be sitting in the car ready to head off: you'd have to be moving pretty quickly to beat the door. I went back to my dealer to look at the rear number plate rattle. Technician said that it was a common problem with NXs when using metal number plates. They claim they use special noise-reducing tape provided by Lexus, but only did the ends (one of which had come away): this time they fixed the tape all the way around. Maybe in the future they could do this for everyone, seeing it is a common problem!

Just responded to DanD: looks like there is a setting for it, so will try it out tomorrow. How are you getting on with the car, when you can get it!

I was going to respond that it could only be operated under power, but I was just looking at the online manual when your message came through, and looked again and found a setting on the dashboard screen that seems to be about the power tailgate: ie turns it on an off, so I will try that out (when I get out of the garage tomorrow). Thanks for your comment spurring me to look again!

Thanks for the suggestion; I saw that somewhere as well, but there is no sign of rattle around the subwoofer. Definitely the number plate: I think it is slightly bowed, so have put more padding behind it. Next time I am near the dealer I will go in and get it sorted.

I take your point about the tailgate being a door, but all the other doors you can stop them moving by grabbing them: you cannot do this with the tailgate. Further investigation has shown that the number plate is held on by screws and some adhesive pads; I have added some more of this, and see if this does the trick.

I might try reducing the tyre pressure a bit, but I will give it some time to get more experience with road surfaces. I would have thought that something that detected resistance would have been required for the tailgate, rather than just some pressure pads. Believe me, I put a lot of resistance on the tailgate and couldn't stop it. Interesting that your RX did have this. The problem with lowering the tailgate height is that it is awkward to get into, but next time I have restricted space above the car I will do that on the settings. Once the tailgate has stopped one can move it up and down manually, although do this too fast and the power comes on again; and I am not sure which way the thing will move when it starts up again. I still like the feature, but I think it should be a lot safer!

I had kept away from an SUV before as I was concerned about the higher centre of gravity causing more car sickness in the wife! We had a DS5 which was a little higher than normal saloon, and that was ok. Then had the NX test drive and wife was fine! I had thought about the Audi Q5: one of the things about the DS5 was its width, and I was getting fed up with that. The Q5 is quite wide, and so numbingly dull to look at, but definitely a quality car and probably more able than the Lexus. But it is due to be replaced very soon (albeit with another dull shape) so I definitely did not want a 7 year old design. Then obviously the BMW X3: but BMW options list is so long, and I do not know what the resale value would really be with at least a quarter of the cost spent on options; also quite dull looking, but only coming in diesel (which even before recent VW events I was turning against). Mercedes didn't really have a contender for this size. I tried lower down the food chain, and tried the Kia Sportage: good car, with loads of kit, but a rough diesel, and wasn't that comfortable, but great value. Again though about to be replaced, along with its sister the Hyundai IX35. The new Hyundail Tucson has a lot going for it: self parking, opening panoramic roof (why can't Lexus do that: Audi and BMW do it as well), touchscreen tech. I seriously thought about waiting for that car, and it has now come out. The closest contender for me was probably the Honda CRV 1.6 Executive; I test drove the version it has just replaced (a refresh), and all the salespeople raved about how the new 1.6 diesel and automatic would be so much better. It has some terrific features (amazing seat system), although the dashboard a bit ugly. The CRV is best selling SUV around the world, and built just down the road to where I live! But in the end I felt it was still a bit of a facelift with lots of chrome, and I thought that paying more for the fully loaded version would not work out the best value, and while probably 10k less than the Lexus, that might well be eroded pretty quickly. In the end I totted up the pluses and minuses of the Lexus vs Honda, and Lexus won out by a wide margin (even down to colours that I liked, I got the Sonic T). For example the Honda didn't have an opening sunroof which I wanted: the DS5 had a panoramic roof, but I kept the back part closed anyway (in the Honda you couldn't even do that to its panoramic roof). I preferred the touchscreen on the Honda (used to have one on my IS250, but then reviewers said it was very sluggish. But overall there were at least 15 other areas where I thought the Lexus was better, and having had the car for a while now, I think it is literally immeasurably better than the Honda or the Kia: it is extremely refined in comparison, and apart from some niggles (see my thread that I posted today), I am delighted with it. Also while the Lexus cost more, I bought my IS250 S-EL in 2007 for £32,000, and sold it privately (to someone who then exported it to Nigeria) six years later for £9000: in other words it cost just about £4k a year, and that is a lot better than the resale value of the Hondas. I am sure that others could dispute figures till the cows come home, but I have never liked a car so much so quickly than the NX.

I think the speed cameras are down to the mapping cameras: previous car always picked a few up that were facing the wrong way. I have used cruised control a lot over the years. Like you, I was always annoyed that everyone else kept varying their speed when I was clearly correct, particularly those who focus on the car in front to determine their speed, and then as soon as they are past you, in effect slow down as they no longer have a point of reference. And then I would have to overtake them again etc! When I test drove the NX I thought the adaptive cruise a bit annoying, as before I would come up behind someone and knew they were going slower, and then I would either overtake or turn off the cruise function (by breaking or cancelling it). I hadn't realised how much I had to do that until now. With the adaptive cruise everything is now smoother; I am slowing down earlier to keep pace with the car in front (I set the cruise on the minimum distance setting, still plenty of distance between me and car in front), and as soon as I slow down I can accelerate or not and move over to overtake, and then the cruise control takes over. In effect I think I am driving more safely but without having to turn the cruise control on and off. I have been caught out a bit and got stuck behind something for a while because I had decelerated too early and every bugger behind anticipated that before me! But I am getting used to it now, and think it is much better than normal cruise control. I also set the cruise control slightly slower than I used to, so that I can increase the speed when I need to without going too far over the speed limit. I have become a bit more zen about it: perhaps due to having a Lexus!

I collected my NX 300h Premier 3 weeks ago, and have done about 500 miles in it. I think I have just about got a handle on it all now. I really like the car a lot; it is extremely comfortable, obviously well made, and has enough power for my needs. I don't see why it has received criticism for the gearbox etc; I think it is extremely smooth and refined, and accelerates very well. Obviously not a track car, nor if you are a real boy racer, but for 99.9% of the time I think it is about right. I think a lot of it is about perception: I actually like the linear way it drives, with revs rarely going above 2,000. Economy could be better, but given the recent revelations about diesel, and glad to have got rid of my Citroen DS5 hybrid (a much better car than people said, but no way near as smooth as the Lexus) and come back to Lexus (used to have an IS250. I have a couple of niggles that might iron out over time, and some I just need to learn to manage. I have had a rattle at the tailgate, even sounding like a loose window. I recall that such a thing was mentioned on one of the long-term tests "Our Cars" in one of the magazines (Autocar, Autoexpress, Top Gear, What Car, and Car magazine all seem to have the NX Premier for a year, so Lexus must be confident to expose the car to motoring journalists, or they think that long-term impressions are better than short-term ones; same with other Lexus models, it is usually the car that is most popular in the car pool!). Anyway back to the rattle, and it appears to be the rear number plate rattling: if I can't muffle it it'll be back to the dealer: why can't they have a proper mounting system. Secondly, I nearly damaged the rear powered tailgate. In a covered car park last weekend I opened the boot while standing a the side (having reversed into the space), and then realised that the tailgate was going to hit a beam above it. I reacted quickly but only just managed to find the button to stop it, and my lack of experience meant I didn't have a fob in my hand. I tried to stop it by holding the tailgate down, but once it is going up or down under power it is impossible to stop. I must have been less than half an inch from hitting the roof, and god knows what damage it would have done. You'd think there would be some sensor to stop this happening (I know it would be technically difficult, but that's what technology is for). Also when closing there seems to be nothing to stop your arm or even head being chopped off if you left them at the mercy of the tailgate, or more realistically tried to pull something from the back at the last second. There is a pressure pad along the two sides of the tailgate if something got jammed there (so if you are trying to get something out in the last second come at it from an angle!) but nothing at the actual bottom of the tailgate. I have thought of sticking a cucumber or carrot at the bottom to see what would happen. I know the manual warns against sticking fingers there, but small children and grown men don't read manuals. And I know a manually operated tailgate can be slammed down, but they can be more easily controlled. All I can say is that I was glad the powered tailgate was so slow (which it has been criticised for), because if it had not been then the car would have been damaged. I know you can also adjust the height it lifts, but anything less than full height makes it more difficult to access the load area, which itself could cause a sore head. Another gripe is no digital clock: I like the analogue clock, but I would have thought that somewhere on the many screens one could display a digital clock. I am also not sure where the parallel parking function on the Parking Assist is working: I cannot see what the manual shows on this. (SINCE posting this it occurs to me that this function might not be included in the Premier as it has the panoramic camera, which is brilliant). Finally for now, the wife got a bit upset about the ride quality along a section of country road. There was quite a bit of vibration, and the car never settled. I haven't had it much, but it is noticeable. I do not know though whether it is because the suspension is a bit stiffer being new?, or whether its the tyres themselves or tyre pressure, or it is the chassis (which again some of the reviews have criticised the ride quality). Generally though I think it rides really well. Any experiences or advice on this would be much obliged! I am sure I will have some more gripes, but overall I really do like the car.

On the dipping mirrors, I do not know which grades have them or whether they are linked to the seat memory function, but I do know that you have to ensure that the wing mirror selector switch on the door is switched to either left or right for the mirrors to dip. I couldn't understand why mine stopped, but then I read the long manual and found that if the selector was in the neutral position, the mirrors wouldn't dip. I prefer to keep it this way and only select dipping when parking alongside a curb, as I'd rather see higher up even with all the cameras. And my speed cameras do show up on the map and with a double beep, but maybe that's because I have the Premier. Good luck with yours: I think the white is really nice, but I prefer the sonic titanium.

Fifth Gear, which is now on the History Channel for those of you on Sky (I know, History Channel shows everything other than history) and can access on demand, have just done a team test on the NX. Looks like it was done before even the 200T was launched here. It didn't do bad, with Tiff Needell liking it most, especially the clock. Vikki Butler Henderson was okay on it, but Johnny didn't like the whining engine/"cvt" gearbox combo. They were all surprised it did so well off road. Given that they have tested the IS300h without saying too much about it other than how the sound system played a gearbox changing track (you can find this on youtube), I think they overemphasised the NX gearbox sound issue. They loved the interior of course. Overall they scored it 23 out of 30, which is pretty good for them.

Okay, a triangular shaped arse is not the best option. Actually, my arse has been complimented by many a lady! It might be that I have got used to the pleasures of a french seat under me, but any tips on seat positioning would be gratefully received.

I have had the 250 SE-L MM now for 2 months, and most things I like, but some annoying things (nanny sat nav, no autolocking etc: usual gripes). Probably better engineered than my Laguna V6, but not as many features and not as good ergonomically! However, I have had most problems with getting comfortable (as has my wife). I am only 5'8" (it was average when I was growing up!), but cannot find a position where I do not have either a sore bum or hip. Whether it is hard leather, or the presence of perforated vent things, or the lack of stuffing, I do not know. Never had this in the Laguna or other cars. I have not seen any other comments about this problem (although one review did mention it), so not sure whether to blame the car in general or my particular example. Is this an unspoken secret that no-one dare mention for ridicule?! Any advice anyone? PS: I think everyone should formally write to Lexus complaining about the autolocking on drive off and threaten to go elsewhere for their next car: they are taking the ***** on this.