First_Lexus

I’ve now competed 250 miles in my new RX 450h Premium with Tech, Safety and Protection packs. Those miles have been across A-Roads, B-Roads and mostly motorway on the M4. Previously I’ve owned two NX 300h, the first a Sport from 2017 and the second a Luxury from 2018, competing 30k miles across the two. My initial comparisons are: Comfort - a score draw. Both have exceptionally comfortable seats that suit me very well. The driving environment in the NX felt more compact, with some functions easier to get to - the heated seats and climate controls the most obvious. However, the RX counters with the automatic heating/ventilation for the seats which have meant I’ve simply left it all on ‘auto’ and let it do its thing. All very good. Ride quality - a narrow win for the RX. I always found the NX ride to be good, despite some of the media reviews. Yes, bigger potholes tended to make things a bit ‘crashy’ but generally it was a refined experience. However, the RX copes better and is much smoother over a wider variety of road surfaces. Bigger imperfections have a similar ‘crashy’ quality to the NX, albeit much less obvious. Refinement - a clear win for the RX. Don’t get me wrong, the NX is a very refined cruiser, but only when driven gently. That’s how I drive, but the difference in the RX is marked. At 70mph on the motorway, the RX is almost silent. At the end of a long day, facing a 70 mile drive in the dark and wet, I can’t think of a better car I’ve owned. There’s a sense of serenity that just made me very relaxed. I thought the NX was good - and it was - but the difference is much greater than I expected. Quality - score draw. As you’d expect with Lexus, both are exceptional. I can’t see any difference in material quality, or paint finish or anything really. Superb. Space - narrow win for the NX (but it’s relative!). Bear with me here. The RX is clearly larger, and has more space. However, given the size difference it doesn’t have as much space as you might think, especially in the boot with the seats up. The NX is actually a very practical car and is usefully smaller. Boot space seems to be about the same which has surprised me. I know the numbers say the RX has more capacity but my real world perception is that it isn’t noticeable. Economy - win for the NX. Accepting that my RX hasn’t loosened up yet, but economy - using the onboard computer - mirrors my experience when having RX loan cars. On the journeys I’ve completed in the RX so far, I’d have achieved 40mpg I’m the NX. In the RX I’m getting 32mpg with the same driving style. That’s fine for me, but worth noting. Equipment - not really able to compare, as the RX I have is a higher trim level and much more expensive. The NX had everything I thought I needed, but the RX takes things to a whole new level. The panoramic roof is lovely. The HUD and blind spot monitors are very useful. The heated steering wheel is real luxury! Is it all really necessary - obviously the answer is no. Do I like it? The answer is a definite yes! The only thing I’m unconvinced by is the steering assist, but I may get used to it over time. Overall I loved my time with the NX. It’s a great car. To be fair, every Lexus I’ve driven - IS, GS, UX, NX, and RC - has been fantastic. They all have a feeling of superb quality, and a sense of occasion that I haven’t experienced in any other brand. The RX continues the theme. It’s a lovely thing, and I realise I’m privileged to be able to own it. It takes the strengths of the NX and builds on them, but at a financial cost. If you have an RX and are considering downsizing I personally don’t think an NX would feel like you are dropping down too much. If you have an NX and are considering an RX the differences are enough to notice, but the question is whether the extra expense is worth it. I think it is - after all, if we all simply had what we ‘needed’ then I’d be driving a Fiesta!

Had I still been living in rural Wiltshire I doubt I’d have gone RX for that exact reason - but now moved to Berkshire the size just isn’t such an issue.

Grace

Lamb

Sparring

Conservative

By happy coincidence, I collected my new RX on Friday. That means there’s a set of 18” NX wheels with Bridgestone Blizzak Winter tyres available. They’ve been used for two Winters, so tread is fine (less than half worn I think). Wheels are Lexus OEM 5 spoke in black - no kerbing, but a couple of chips and light scratches. Location - they’re at Lexus Swindon. I hadn’t actually thought about price, so if you drop me a private message with a proposal we’ll go from there! Here they are on the car last year.

^^ That explains why I’ve been charged on some occasions but not others. Makes sense now you say it.

House

Gale

I think the charge is to cover insurance, but when having a service I’ve also been offered loan cars for free by Lexus (but not always). Believe there may be an option to take the loan car for free with a high excess if the worst should happen, or pay the small charge for a low (or zero, can’t remember) excess. I’ve always dropped off and collected myself at Lexus Swindon. In terms of the cars offered, over the past few years (owning an NX) I’ve had a UX, IS, GS, RC and RX! Never had a CT or ES.

Sad news that Sir Frank Williams has passed this afternoon. When I was growing up the Williams team was right up there with Ferrari, McLaren and Renault - that was the era that really got me hooked.

Bread

My Doctor once diagnosed me with paranoia…well, he didn’t actually say I had it, but I know that’s what he was thinking. (I’ll get my coat…😆)

^^ Indeed. The size doesn’t seem to have many options at all, even for normal ‘Summer’ tyres. There are a few more specialist Winter options. I’ll keep an eye (well, an ear!) on the wear of the Dunlops…

My new RX is supplied with Dunlop Sport MAXX tyres. I’ll see how they are over a few thousand miles but generally I’m happy to have Dunlop fitted. It does beg the question though. I’d have thought for ‘premium’ SUVs manufacturers ought to fit ‘all season’ as standard. It wouldn’t cost that much more (per tyre, anyway). When mine needs replacement tyres, I’ll certainly be going down the ‘all season’ route this time, rather than having a separate set of ‘Winter’ tyres as I have on my last five or six vehicles.

I have to confess that - even though I’m going to moan about this - I also quite enjoy listening to it in short bursts, but then it gets tired very fast… Conspiracy theorists. Since the new COVID variant was announced, they’ve been all over the radio phone-in programmes (R5LIVE, LBC etc.) especially late at night. “It’s an anagram of moronic” they cry (Omicron), “…that shows how much contempt the world Government has for us, they didn’t think we’d notice…” Really? REALLY?! I don’t have the confidence that Governments across the world could manage such a complex conspiracy competently! Now, a good conspiracy theory can be jolly good fun. From JFK, to 👽 aliens, whether or not man landed on the moon, Hitler living out a quiet life in Argentina…all generally very entertaining. However, with their COVID conspiracies I fear the line has been crossed, for me at least. This rubbish can put people off getting vaccinated, or wearing 😷 masks, and that just isn’t on imho.

C h r i s t

Wife

I couldn’t possibly say what I do for a living…😇

@Mincey Just out of curiosity does the ES dip the door mirrors when reversing? My NX didn’t, but reading the manual for the RX today I discovered that if you set the mirrors - both sides - to where you want them to dip while reverse is selected then the car dips both of them to that position when you select reverse thereafter. Witchcraft I say…but I was quite pleased to find that particular feature. I’m still smarting that I can’t set the outside temperature readout to Fahrenheit…😬. I don’t suppose the ES, being designed for the US market allows this? I’m surprised the RX doesn’t, unless the dealer can do it somehow. There MUST be a way, surely?

Bubble

If it was me I’d call whichever of the roadside assist organisations you are a member of and let them sort it out. Assuming you have Home Start anyway. If not, and if you haven’t used the car in ages, you could simply sign up leave it a few days and then call them out…

When my NX battery went flat, I couldn’t get it open using the key either. When Lexus Assist (AA) turned up, he said there was a knack to it - which was basically brute force! It did open in the end, but I wasn’t brave enough to force it…at least if he’d snapped the key it would have been down to them to fix it!

As with many things in history, there are likely numerous causes as there are numerous theories. My specialist field isn’t (well, wasn’t) social history, it’s political history. My post was simply articulating views from a lecture I attended (voluntarily because I was interested) about ten years ago, delivered by a specialist in Social History. A few weeks later I attended another dealing with the impact of football and organised sport on society and social mobility, which was equally fascinating. I find the whole subject interesting, and the views since I posted show there are lots of other theories out there. ‘‘Twas ever thus. My dissertation was deliberately provocative - asserting (in simple terms) that the US forced Japan into the attack at Pearl Harbour because they wanted a war to destroy an increasingly strong rival. There was much debate about that at the time (early 90s). There’s an argument for it, but plenty of arguments against it. It’s only opinion based on interpretation of particular facts, and that’s what I love about history!