Gary H

3 hours ago, Scotlex said:

I am very surprised that manufacturers don't sell lots of cars at £39,995.

There are even lots of cars just over £40k which seems stupid 🙄

Indeed. I remember when I ordered my UX, the Takumi was fractionally above the £40k mark - which ruled it out for me. So I went for an F-Sport with option packs which took it to an 'almost Takumi' spec - to bring the price just short of £40k. Mechanically identical, yet hundreds of pounds of difference to tax a year. It makes no sense at all. 

Before I settled on the UX and was shopping around the brands, I noticed almost everything I considered was literally just over the £40k mark by a few hundred pounds. I often wondered at the time how many sales it would have cost them. I'd also like to know who decided on the price of these cars - given this £40k 'envy tax' band was already well known by that point. 

Mine is the same age as yours @S Dhuper and my driver's seat (hazel) is still pretty much perfect - so this is certainly something I would also be perusing. Obviously I can't comment on yours in terms of milage to compare, but I'm up to 3400. 

From your pictures, this is something I'd expect to see on an example that's a couple of years old. My previous UX was starting to get like this when I traded it in - but that was just shy of three and a half. At around this time, I deemed that to be reasonable wear and tear. 

With regards to my NX's driver's seat, all I have is a few very minor creases starting to develop on the right hand bolsters - which you'd rub up against getting in and out the car. By minor - I mean you have to literally put your face to within about six inches of them to see... 

Good news, folks. I've finally received my letter confirming my second key is now ready to be programmed. So - my own wait for the second key is just short of five and a half months (collected the car 1st September 2023). There's no news on the locking wheel bolts. 

I'm just trying to arrange to get the car to them and back to me (I don't really want to return to the dealer to be honest after my experiences), so hopefully I should have my spare key shortly... 

Indeed - no mistake unfortunately. This is something I'm bracing myself for when my tax will be up at the end of August.

I simply refer to it as the 'envy tax', of which more and more cars are now falling into. Even reasonably modest cars are now upwards of £30k. It's ridiculous. 

I just about escaped it with my old UX (literally - by a few hundred pounds). There was no way of escaping it with the NX sadly, regardless of model - which was one of the reasons why I plumped for the Takumi in the end. 

Like @Al D-Much, I personally like the way it's set up and I like the fact that if you want it - you press the button. It was the same in my UX. There does seem to be a bit of a 'jolt' using it to pull away as it's obviously holding the brakes. That's fine on a hill, but unnecessary elsewhere. 

Each to their own of course, but I certainly wouldn't like it to be 'on' all the time. I'd feel as though I'd have a slightly sticky caliper every time I wanted to move forwards from standing still. 

I've resisted the urge to call the dealer until now - but put on my 'big boy boots' this morning to contact my woeful dealer to find out what's going on with my second key and locking wheel bolts. 

Predictably - no real news other than they told me they've just had in a key for someone who collected their car in August 2023. So, with mine being collected in September 2023, the answer was: "errr, it might not be too much longer". 

Notification will come in form of a letter from Lexus directly, so I've been told. One letter for the key and another for the locking wheel bolts. I've no idea how true this is. 🤷‍♂️

22 hours ago, Harry Junior said:

Wow 🤩 indeed! How remarkably inconsistent this process is. And my dealer says “Lexus don’t supply locking wheel bolts for the NX any more”. Nor do they acknowledge or recognise this forum - unlike me, where I have picked up so much information I would never otherwise had. 

I'm waiting for them to advise my they don't supply the locking wheel bolts any more - as I signed for the car on the understanding that the second key AND the locking bolts were to follow. I clearly wrote both down. 

My dealer seemed to be 'aware' of this forum and, now that I have the car I feel safe enough to say this, is that they told me to 'ignore it' and solely rely on the information they, as the dealer, gave. I almost burst out laughing. What information is that exactly? They kept me pretty much in the dark throughout my 16 month wait for the car - and it's only when I made complaints to Customer Services did they reluctantly provide me with absolute basic non-information which was neither use nor ornament. They were notably very displeased that, after twelve months of zero news at that point, I felt the need to contact Customer Services (something else I'll now reveal).

As you say Harry - I'd say comfortably upwards of 90% of the information throughout the ordering process has indeed come from fellow members of this forum. That really isn't an exaggeration either. 100% of the information with regards to these 'missing bits' has come solely from this place. 

I have to admit, I didn't even know about these 'advanced options' until you mentioned them @Gaazzared! Have they always been there or just appeared?! 

Anyway, there's nothing really there of use to me - other than perhaps opening the window (which one?!) if it's been a blazing hot day...

Besides, I don't really have much use for the app. I'd like to use it for remote climate but on my car, it only works when it wants to (rarely) rather than when I want it to. It just seems to be something which records your mileage, fuel level and trip overviews - and 'times out' when you press on just about anything else. 

Thanks for the replies, folks. Much appreciated. So - it appears it was a glitch with the car rather than myself!

@PDM Thanks for the tip. If it crops up again I'll bear that one, of holding the button in for a few seconds, in mind... I wasn't aware that was 'a thing'.

@Scotlex Fingers crossed it was indeed a one off. It's not cropped up again so far. All good. 🤞

@imgo I do vaguely remember reading your thread at the time but I must admit, I'd forgotten about that in the meantime! Thanks for reminding me... It would be interesting if it was related to what I had - although my sound didn't stop half way through a drive. It just didn't work from start up! Then the next time at the end of the day, all was fine again. Very odd! 

Hi folks!

A bit of an odd one this...and fortunately it appears to have resolved itself but I'm interested to hear if anyone else has come across this with their NX350h or NX450h. 

Yesterday morning I got into the car, started as normal, backed off the driveway to the usual audible sounds of the parking sensors and pulled away. So far, so good... I went to put on my heated seat only to find the screen had somehow 'muted' itself. It wasn't doing it's usual 'bongs' when you press on the screen. The functions were all working perfectly fine - but it was completely silent regardless of what I pressed. 

Thinking this was a little odd, I turned on the radio. Low and behold - that was silent too. The radio was on but again, no matter how high I put the volume either by using the knob or on the steering wheel - it remained completely silent. Turning it off and on again resulted in the same issue. It shown the radio was on - but no volume at all. 

I get to the last few miles of the journey where I'm usually warned of a speed camera (the two beeps close together) and at the moment, the ladies voice telling me "warning - one mile ahead, roadworks". As you have probably predicted by now - nothing. The car was silent. 

So, I pull into work and as it should, the parking sensors worked fine. It was the only audible thing in the car that was working. 😕 I look around but can't see any sign of a 'mute' button or similar that I may have accidentally pressed when getting into the car, but with time pushing on, I had no further time to investigate until finishing work.

At the end of the working day, I got back into the car thinking it's either got it's first pronounced fault, or there's a 'fault' with it's user (i.e - me!) which so far isn't resolved. So, I leave work, put on my heated seat and guess what - the 'bonging' when you press the screen is working again! I turn the radio on - out comes music from the speakers as it should... It even warns me of that speed camera with two quick bleeps - as it should...

Ummm... 🤔

This morning? All fine again!

So, did I inadvertently do something which basically silenced everything inside the car barring the parking sensors (which if I did and I'm an idiot - please say so!), or did the car very much 'glitch out' yesterday morning?! I'm curious to see if anyone else has experienced this or similar... 

That's confusing...

Do I press down on that rocker switch to get reverse and up to get drive? Or vice-versa?

Would I press the switch 'in' towards the dashboard for neutral?! 

I have to say, judging from those pictures, that boot looks a really decent size and certainly an improvement over the UX I used to have. As someone who has an NX now (and one of the main reasons for upgrading to one was due to a lack of boot space), I'd probably get away with an LBX, boot-space wize, 80-90% of the time. I also like the fact that the interior fabric makes it up onto the door panels - which was another minor gripe I had about the UX (a little 'plastic-tastic' in that particular regard). 

Rear seat space doesn't look brilliant in the LBX though, but I was expecting that given the segment it sits in. As someone who does carry occasional passengers in the back at the weekends, I think that would ultimately kill it for me. It's hard to judge from pictures though, I will admit.

No doubt I'll get to poke around one at some point and make a better judgement of the LBX when I see one in person.

It's all common sense really - or rather, it ought to be.

Gentle acceleration. Gentle braking where possible and smooth, fluid steering input. 

I generally keep my washer fluid topped up anyway so mine very rarely gets low. However, last Friday my washer jets had frozen solid and I had to look through various arcs of smeared road dirt on the way into work when I thought it was safe enough to use them. That was...interesting. 

On 1/19/2024 at 9:22 PM, Spock66 said:

I have a recollection of driving on black ice on a dual carriageway, car in front spun hit the kerb and then rolled over three times (fortunately no one was injured).  I stopped and got out of the car, immediately falling on my arse it was so slippy.

I'm pleased to hear no one was injured. That could have been very nasty. 

This reminds me of our works' car park - which for much of last week resembled an icing rink barring a small 10ft or so length beyond the entrance gates. I almost ended up doing the splits walking away from the car last Thursday morning. 😬  The chap in the warehouse who usually salts/grits the car park at this time of year did eventually get round to it - but only about an hour after everyone had already been in and 'skated' their way to the entrance door!

My renewal is due in early March and I'm already dreading what the price will be... 

When I got it in September I think I was charged something along the lines of £20 more than the UX on my existing cover... If I can 'get away' with a smallish increase I'll just take it. Obviously if it's a double-digit percentage increase, I will certainly be shopping around. I think we've all been reading some of the horror stories out there. 

From my experience, Direct Line isn't the company they used to be. They used to be my 'go to' insurer some 10-15 years ago, but despite no changes in my circumstances and full no claims, they started quoting silly money when it come to renewal time. It always used to involve a phone call to bring it back down again. One year they tried to almost double my premium (it was about £8 short of actually being double) and that's when I decided enough was enough. I've actively avoided them for several years now. In more recent years, they've been pulling the same stint with my father who's now also moved elsewhere. He'd been with them for many years. 

I can't say I've noticed any condensation on the inside of the rear screen of mine. 

The only thing I can suggest...and I'd find it incredibly hard to believe on such a young car, is what's already been said - a window seal gone/split or alternatively outside moisture is getting into the rear hatch at some point. I recall Rover used to have issues with water getting into the boot through the rear light cluster seals. 

It's certainly worthy of further investigation if it's clearly more than just a 'one off'. 

@RXtoNX It's a regular 'thing' with mine, unfortunately. It'll work perfectly well for a bit but then it'll go several days at a time where it just refuses to work. I can stand right next to the car and get the same message. Yet, as what happened when it was only a few weeks old, I can stand in the middle of a field, the best part of 300yds away and it worked perfectly. 🤔 🤷‍♂️ So yes, as @Hayzee says, I don't think it's down to distance. 

It's all academic at the moment as I had these this morning - after my phone decided to update itself overnight. No options for remote climate - just an immediate error message and not being able to detect anything about the car other than what it is:

Pfffffff..... 🤦‍♂️ I literally have no words...! Well, I do have words to describe this app - but if I actually spoke my mind on here, I'd likely end up with at least a warning so I'll keep those choice words to myself!  

Anyway - in better news in this freezing weather... Still no issues at all with regards to the door handles. It's been faultless over the course of this week. I've had slightly 'sticky' doors caused by the ice and frozen washer jets this morning, but the actual door handle pressure pad things, which many owners have issues with, are all fine on mine. 👍

I must admit I'm surprised by this. No matter how poor my dealer was throughout my 16 months of waiting (as well documented on here...), I did at least get a full tank off them if nothing else. Thinking back, I can only recall one occasion where I've purchased a new car and it to not have a full tank. Even then, it was half a tank. 

Considering car dealers (main dealers) have a legal obligation, that I'm aware of at least, to make sure cars leave the forecourt with insurance, I'm very surprised by the lack of the standard three day free cover. I remember many years ago where this wasn't the case and I had to prove I had insurance on the new car before they handed me the keys. The free temporary cover these days basically covers any forgetfulness or mistakes in this respect. It would be an incredibly poor and retrograde step to make for Leuxs or that particular dealer at least. 

No issues with my handles this morning. Again, I can only assume mine came with the updated/revised handle pad sensor things... The offside of the car was facing the coldest side of our driveway this morning too (more exposed to the elements) - so it would have been a decent test. Both my door and offside passenger rear door were a little sticky to open with the ice, but fortunately that wasn't down to the actual door handles which functioned correctly. 

On a slightly different subject and it's one I've brought up before - the only issue I have is the remote climate only works sporadically on mine. Naturally when you really need to use it, such as this morning, it doesn't want to play ball. 🙄

So, it was a manual defrost for me this morning... Including unfreezing the wiper blades from the windscreen. Oh joy... 

Like @ArneT, I prefer the driving position in the NX to the UX. It's also easier to get in and out of. Whilst I did very much like the 'cocooned' feeling of the UX's driving position, it did feel a little 'low' for me. However, I did have an Audi Q5 prior to that...so I did drop a class-size in car. 

Another thing I preferred about the UX to the NX is the styling. Don't get me wrong, the NX is a nice-looking thing, but I do think the rear of the UX is prettier - and I prefer the 'light bar' across the tailgate being in one piece, rather than it split into two like it is with the NX. 

Practicality-wise in my humble opinion though - the NX is a clear winner in this regard. 

Very good indeed! 😄

I wonder if anyone could possibly book one and save on the cremation charges?! 😉

I had the option of getting the protection pack with my NX at the time of ordering but decided against it at the time as the salesman was quoting me something like an extra £10 per month on my monthly payments... 

I decided to order the boot liner separately after I got the car...

On 1/14/2024 at 8:48 AM, szhrmp said:

* PW241-78002 NXP2: this is the genuine rubber one. seems very expensive (£100) and looks very flimsy. in the USA they have a different boot liner which is much better plastic - but not available here (PT908-78220-02) https://lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/product/lexus-nx-phase-2-boot-liner/

Peter

This is the one I have. Indeed, expensive but it does fit more or less perfectly. 

I have to agree with @RXtoNX. Compared to the equivalent 'official' one I had in my previous UX - it does feel rather 'thin' and lightweight in comparison. The rubbery surface of it feels about the same, but whatever backing it's been put onto is certainly a thinner plastic than I remember the one in my UX being. It'll do the job fine, but for £100 - I did expect it to feel more 'robust' than it does. 

19 hours ago, Gureamu said:

The seatbelt rattle is a really frustrating one and seems to be due to the use of cheap 'scratchy' plastics on the inside of the B pillar in the NX. In my view these may be appropriate in a Toyota but Lexus should aspire to the quality of say a BMW and banish scratchy plastics from the cabin. They just scream 'cheap'.

Agreed. Especially for the price you pay for the car, you'd expect a much softer plastic, or even for it to be lined - like the interior 'A' pillars running up/down the windscreen. Considering this was a relatively common issue on the UX (and my example was prone to the 'passenger seatbelt buckle knocking syndrome'), I was surprised to see Lexus appear to have overlooked this when they designed the new NX - giving it a similar set up. 

Again, it doesn't seem to be the same prevalent issue in my NX as it was in my old UX, but it still happens. 

16 hours ago, Richolf said:

Thanks all, it’s going in again on Thursday.  The dashboard squeak/creak seems to be worse over rougher roads and as the car is heating up.

I definitely agree that once you hear it the mind gets attuned to it and you subconsciously listen for it again.

will be interesting to see what the dealer says.  The loan car I had did not have this particular noise.  It had a couple of rattles but these seemed to come from distinct places.

it does feel like this car simply was not screwed together with the correct torque settings !

I also agree some of the interior seems cheap, my wife’s previous 2 Yarris has been completely rattle and squeak/creak free.  

 

Good luck for tomorrow and fingers crossed they can deal with it - or at very least source the issue(s) and rectify it on a subsequent visit. Keep us updated. 

My UX did have an odd, muted 'buzz' coming from the centre of the dashboard and it used to occur at a certain 'rev range'. Lower or higher than that and it stopped. It was only a minor thing so I never took it back for it - as I didn't fancy them pulling out the dashboard and potentially not fitting it back correctly again - i.e - more subsequent noises! I just lived with it in the end. It was one of those noises where if you were tuned into hearing it and knew about it - you pretty much knew when it would happen. You couldn't hear it from the back of the car. 

20 hours ago, hintonwood said:

A further point - my annual Road Tax on the NX left my account today - £ 560😱 There is a  surcharge included for the car having a list price of over £40k. My UX was just under the limit.

I've got this to look forward to when my first road tax is due at the end of August... I'm already dreading it. 

The 2020 UX I had previously was also just under the limit. I specifically ordered it to be that way. It was the F-Sport with the Tech & Safety and Premium Plus packs. It took it to an 'almost Takumi' spec and at the time it come to something like £39,700 ish. 

1 hour ago, BonzoSPB said:

You wouldn't believe how many new cars there are that have a list price of just over £40k.

I know... It's a limit which sounds reasonable enough but when you have a look at the costs of new cars these days, especially with the way they've literally gone skywards over the last decade, even some relatively modest cars are now comfortably over £30k. The £40k limit really out to be at least £10k higher now. 

My previous UX was prone for the front passenger seatbelt buckle knocking against the 'B' pillar if it wasn't straight. My NX isn't so bad but it still crops up every so often. Indeed - a case of lean across, adjust it and all is well again until the next few times the passenger seat is in use. 

The only other creak/buzz I've detected so far in 2800 miles is an odd knock coming from the driver's/offside 'B' pillar. Similar to the seatbelt buckle sound on the passenger side - but of course, the seatbelt is in use so it can't be that... 🤔 I've only heard it twice so far and that's been on a notably rough pieces of road. It's not cropped up enough for it to be a concern - just something I'm keeping my ear open for. 

Other than that, I've got nothing else to report on this front so far. 

A shame you didn't like the NX350h Takumi @e-yes - as that's exactly what I have! I'm pleasantly surprised they had one available to test drive as my dealer was unable to get any NX350h for majority of the 16 months I had to wait for mine... They did have an NX450h - but it was literally always out in use... So basically, the first time I'd experienced one out on the road was my own car... 

I've never experienced the ES unfortunately but it's very much a car my eye was on if my circumstances were different. 

Personally, I do like what I have but of course, it's each to their own. I've only had it four months but has already proven itself to be an excellent motorway cruiser. Well equipped and I personally find it comfortable (although I do see your point over the thigh support). Certainly more so than the UX250h it replaced...and that was decent for what it was.

All the best to you @Derant and I hope the Volvo serves you well.

Talking about Volvos, my brother had a very nice 04 plate S60 with the five cylinder diesel in it for a few years. It was a nice plum colour with beige leather. He very much rated it. Sadly, he wrote it off on an icy Suffolk country lane some time ago one evening after he'd just finished work. The car would have been about six years old at the time and I remember it was already knocking on the door of 150k. Cutting a long story short, it ended up in a ditch upside down. A very slow roll-over, no one else involved and fortunately he was completely unharmed. He replaced with with another Swede - this time a 56 plate Saab 9-3 saloon which he had for a number of years (there wasn't a decent Volvo of similar spec for sale anywhere near him at the time). I wouldn't knock those underpinnings either - as that also proved to be a thoroughly comfortable and reliable car for him.

I remember an Uncle of mine also had a few Volvos in his time. A 'T' plate C70 coupe which he bought nearly new and then a lovely S60 similar to what my brother had - but his was silver with black leather. If memory serves me, that was a brand new purchase. Both were solid cars from what he told me. He currently drives one of the last of the last model Lexus NX's, ironically!

Many moons ago, a now sadly deceased cousin of my mother. It was a metallic blue 'E' plate 740. He already had that car when I was a child and started taking an interest in cars (so it would have only been about two years old at the time) and only sold it on in around 2012/13. It was still pretty much immaculate too. Naturally he regretted selling it. He only passed away a few months ago but was still talking about that Volvo the last time I saw him, at a wake (ironically) about six months prior to his own passing.

I'd happily consider a Volvo and future and indeed had an XC60 in mind as the second-choice option to the NX350h. I suspect I'll own a Volvo at some point. Given my poor sales experience in buying the NX (and the ongoing wait for a second key and locking wheel nuts), I strongly suspect I'll be moving away from Lexus whenever it comes to my next purchase.