lee789

I agree Tony, official figures are always highly optimistic, but the figures some NX owners are achieving are up to 50% below these. The Volvo V60 Hybrid I talked about earlier is a 2 tonne AWD car, and I am averaging around 95 mpg with a mixture of electric only, and electric/diesel power combined. It is also a darn sight quicker than any hybrid that Lexus currently produces, with only 48 grms CO2. The reason for this is that it is a plug in, with an electric only range of up to 32 miles, and the batteries alone produce an additional 80bhp, on top of the 210bhp produced by the diesel engine. I hate to say it but theToyota/Lexus hybrid system is fast becoming obsolete, and obviously the major German manufacturers agree if you look at the number of plug in diesel and petrol models they will launch shortly. I imagine it will force Lexus to drop the current hybrid system in favour of plug in technology, or maybe something even better?

I think the issue is more to do with real world fuel consumption figures compared with Lexus claims for the car. People may buy these cars thinking they are going to save money because it's a hybrid, and will be environmentally friendly at the same time. Simply not the case in my experience. Anybody buying an NX 300H thinking they will achieve a constant 35-40mpg is likely to be in for a shock, unless they drive it very very carefully barely touching the accelerator, because the slightest pressure will fire up the petrol engine. Had I known what I know now, I would have definitely gone for the 200T, having waited first for those idiots at Lexus marketing to sort out the available options list.

Well I know how a lot of people feel about Volvo's, but I've been driving around in a V60 D6 2.4 Plug In for a few weeks now, and it really does demonstrate how good a hybrid can be. I get 26 miles from pure electric mode at speeds of up to around 75mph, and then the diesel cuts in. So far, I'm getting approx 96 mpg because I do quite a few shorter journeys. But the best thing about the car (apart from being fully loaded to Lexus Premier spec and beyond) is the 0-62 of 5.8 seconds when the diesel and electric motors work together. It is a very good car, but maybe not practical for me in the long term because of the restricted luggage space.

Son in law averaged 32mpg in the 200t he had on loan for a long weekend, and knowing how he drives, that makes the hybrid even more irrelevant. It wouldn't be so bad if it had better performance (say 0-60 in around 7 seconds), but 9.3 is slow for a 2.5L petrol and a hybrid system to boost power.

I've handed the NX over to my wife now, because I became so frustrated by it's poor fuel economy. Driven really gently (and I mean like a 90 year old on a Sunday outing) I managed 35-37mpg. However, driven even slightly enthusiastically saw mpg drop to 28-30, and driven hard 19-25mpg. Ultimately, that's truly pathetic for a 2.5L Hybrid, especially when many 3.0L diesels are much quicker, and considerably more economical. I know some people don't like diesels, and many are put off by particulate filter issues, but once technology overcomes this barrier to diesel ownership, I can't think of a single reason why anybody would buy a car as compromised as the NX, IMHO, it has just two things going for it - build quality and looks.

I really don't know why Lexus don't drop their hybrids in favour of plug in's. The 2.0L turbo or 2.5L coupled to an 80-100kw hybrid battery would greatly improve the fuel economy, and give sub 6 sec 0-62 mph as well. It would be nice to travel 20-30 miles on electric only, and not have the engine cut in constantly every time a fly passes wind near the accelerator pedal.

****, I hope that's for the fully loaded Premier model. I'm sure there will be loyal customers, but with a few high performance, ultra economical plug -in hybrids due from German manufacturers around the same time, it will have to be amazing to win over new customers, and keep existing RX customers on side too.

I think a plug in hybrid makes sense if you do a lot of shorter journeys of say 15 miles each way to work a day, and occasional longer journeys where you need the extra range provided by a diesel or petrol engine back up. Under those circumstances, most of your mileage is done under electric power, and you can end up spending very little on fuel. On the minus side the cars are usually horrendously expensive to buy, so better off getting one a few months old that has lost a fortune in depreciation already. Of course, apart from saving money on fuel, there's usually no excise duty, and if it's a company car. much lower tax. Some of these cars also offer outstanding performance if required. I reckon as the batteries become cheaper, lighter, and more powerful, there's a good chance that plug in hybrids will really take off. I agree that a lot of people buy them thinking they are going to save money, but then use them in such a way that an ordinary diesel model would have been much more economical. Apparently Mitsubishi are selling so many Outlander PHEV's, that they can hardly keep up with demand. Same story with the Volvo D6 and XC90. Basically, apart from the Vauxhall Ampera, these are the only real plug in hybrids around. I'm leaving out the BMW's because one (IMHO) is just plain hideous, and the other one way out of most people's price range (as are the Tesla's). I believe a whole range of new plug in models are due soon from Mercedes, Audi, VW and BMW before the end of the year. It will be interesting to see how they catch on.

I wish the new XC90 Hybrid was better looking. 400bhp, 25 mile electric range, up to 122mpg, and some very impressive options, all for around the same price that the RX Premier is likely to be. I just don't think I could live with that square exterior. Obviously not an issue for those trading up from the outgoing model, or owners of X5's/Q7's etc, because the entire UK quota has been sold out well into 2016. It's a pity Lexus haven't gone down the plug-in hybrid route, because a "twin engined" 400+ bhp RX Premier would be pretty awesome.

Well if it's got the same rubbish hybrid set-up as the NX, and the appalling fuel economy, I'll be giving it a wide berth. If the Premier is going to be £70k or more, there are a lot of other choices out there, some of which are more desirable. I'm looking forward to a test drive though!!

Ridiculous price if correct, and far more that I expected. Ex-demo definitely the way to go. Re Volvos - Well the looks of most cars are subjective. I have friends who hate Lexus, and think the NX is hideous. Personally I like the looks of the V60, but understand the brand has a rather unwarranted "old person" image. However, safety and reliability are first class, but they are another example of a car manufacturer with very odd marketing strategies. Customers in the States complain bitterly that models like the V60 hybrid aren't sold there, and even though Volvo have a large and loyal following, they refuse to meet the demand for their cars. Odd lot the Swedes.

The best hybrid car I've driven to date is the Volvo V60 D6. 31 miles on electric power alone up to about 75mph, 285 bhp available, and 0-60 in 5.8. No HUD, but Adaptive cruise, lane depart, blind spot and traffic sign recognition come in the Driver Support Pack. The Harman Kardon 650w Dolby Pro 12 speaker stereo is also excellent. The downside is the £55k + price tag for a decently specced car, but there are some low mileage bargains around on 64 plates.I had the car on loan for 2 days, did 170 miles, and averaged 97mpg. Rather puts Lexus NX consumption to shame.

Yes I think switching from an RX to an NX you would need to go for the Premier, unless losing the options isn't important. I believe the F Sport is still the best selling model though, and that may well be down to the front end styling. Pity the F Sport grille and paddle shifters aren't available on the Premier, because that would solve a few buying issues.

I decided against the AMG because I wasn't happy with the ride quality, or the cost of the options I wanted. Nearly £48k for what is basically a "hot hatch" is just too much. I may start looking at ex-demos, but Merc dealers don't tend to spec them very well, and the cars are very rare. Not surprised at that price!! I'm also interested in seeing the BMW 330e specs, because a car that can do 22 miles on electric power, but still manage a 0-60 time of 6 seconds sounds ideal for me. Once again though, I think the price is going to be very high.

Couldn't agree more mate. I drove the new Kia Sorento today in KX-4 spec. Really impressed by the build quality and absolutely huge spec. Put off by two things - no HUD, and the Kia badge. But I'll be honest, it's so good that if you took the badge off the car, you would really think you were in a Premium brand vehicle costing far more. I reckon the car will be giving the likes of Audi, Mercedes and BMW a few sleepless nights, undercutting one of their similarly specced cars by £15-£20k.

Let us know Amit, the RX looks like it may well address some of the issues with the NX - performance, options available etc.

This could be one way to go...lol!!

Think I know why you are asking that Amit...once bitten eh!! I've looked into dash cams recently, and I quickly realised that no one has actually come up with a camera that can run off a rechargeable battery yet, which is a right pain because you need to have a power leads (and possibly a GPS antenna) trailing everywhere. You could try tucking the wire into the trim, but it's not easy to find enough gap to allow this, because this is a Lexus that's screwed together well. In the end, instead of paying £££ on one of the bewildering array of camera available, all of which have their fair share of good and bad reviews, I decided to take my car to my local in-car entertainment specialist. He quoted me to have front and rear mounted cameras, both wired directly to the car, and with the wires neatly hidden. The cost was £300, and I haven't had it done yet, but it seemed more sensible than paying out a couple of hundred on DIY cameras from Amazon that might be rubbish.I trust the judgement of professionals more than I trust my own judgement, or the reviews from people who might work for the company who make them. Actually, you would have thought with the Surround View cameras on the Premier, it wouldn't have been too difficult for Lexus to have fitted a small hard drive to record what was going on all the time.

Glad to hear you have the car back Amit, and that they have done a good job.

It was a stupid decision Martin. and I'm sure it's put a lot of potential buyers off the NX. You are right though, with the waiting list I don't suppose Lexus gives a damn. It still shows a lack of planning, and some might see it as apathy towards buyers in the UK. Still, by now we should be used to being treated like mugs.

Flippin' Americans will be any old rubbish. as much of their automotive history proves. Probably much more worthwhile for them because they don't get all the benefits for generating solar energy that we do in the UK. Got the Feeling Tesla are going to be the American equivalent of Dyson. Re: consumption, 30mpg would be reasonable for a petrol SUV if the vehicle was not a hybrid. However, when the consumption is about double that claimed by Lexus, and there are many 3 litre diesel SUVs that do considerably better, it's very poor indeed, and completely undermines one of the main reasons for buying the vehicle. I'm not totally knocking the car because it is very good in many areas, but anybody buying one expecting to get anywhere close to the claimed figures is going to be disappointed. You could forgive it if the performance was something special, and it should be good from a 2.5L petrol with twin electric motors. Unfortunately it is just adequate, nothing more.

I've heard bad things about Tesla reliability too, and the home battery system powered by solar has to be the most stupid and pointless thing I've seen for ages. People have had similar systems in British homes for several years, and lets face it if your power is being produced by solar energy, why not use it as it's produced, and if you are out at work, buy a couple of cheap timers to switch the washing machine etc on. Got to be a much cheaper solution than the Tesla, plus you get feed in tariff payments from your supplier.

I was worried that the 10 Speaker Pioneer system in the F Sport that comes with the Premium Navigation wouldn't be that good, but I was surprised. I know the ML system is supposed to improve playback from MP3, but mine sound just fine on the Pioneer system. I note that when Will.i.am was asked to create his own unique NX (which is all over the internet if you haven't seen it), he chose the Pioneer system for the car. I'm actually starting to have serious reservations about the NX though. The fuel economy is diabolical - I average between 28-32mpg with gentle driving. Even those lucky owners who have achieved the dizzying heights of 40 mpg should still regard it as poor. I mean you can get better economy from a V6 diesel, and as I'm sure Rayaan will confirm, from the much larger 3.5L RX. I think it undermines what is supposed to be one of the main benefits of owning a hybrid car - fuel economy. To add to my dissatisfaction I have had the opportunity of driving my father in laws Volvo V60 Hybrid over the weekend. I've never owned a Volvo, and have no idea whether they are as dependable as Lexus, but I had a very good look over it, and thought it felt equal in build and materials quality to the NX. As for the performance, it just blows the NX out of the water (0-60 in 6 seconds), and the mpg figures I achieved were more than double that of the NX (79 mpg when I checked) Of course the V60 is a plug in hybrid, but can achieve around 25-30 miles on a single 4 hour charge before the 2.4 diesel comes into play. Makes me think that if you can achieve that level of performance and economy, then plug in hybrids are a much better option than what Lexus offer. I'm sorely tempted to look into the Volvo further, especially reliability and after sales costs. The cars are north of £50k new, but at that price they come with all loads of options like Adaptive cruise, LD warning, Blind spot, Adaptive lights etc. A used example just a few months old can be had for well under £40k, with very low mileage. Hmm!!

Weird is right. I don't know who took the decision to withhold all the top-end options from all models but the Premier, but I'm sure it's a deal breaker to quite a few potential owners. Then having done that they made the F Sport grille non-interchangeable with the Premier, and took away the paddle shifters too. Crazy!! I believe it is totally different in the States where they can spec an F Sport with whatever they want, but the HUD is unavailable on all models because it hasn't been safety approved. Odd as Lexus already offer it on the U.S GS and RX.

I had considered it, but the dealers want too much to upgrade, and frankly I don't think it's worth it. I had the chance of a Premier when I bought my car, and it was only a couple of thousand more, but didn't do it. Now they want £4k, and although the cameras and HUD would be nice, it's a lot of money to pay out, and I probably wouldn't see the benefit when I came to sell. I am also looking forward to seeing the new RX, but think a Premier spec is likely to be close to £60k. Hope you get your car back Tuesday and all is OK!