Lexus NX 2018 Review

Luxury in spades

There a handful of car brands out there that consistently deliver different but striking interior designs that leave a lasting impression. For me, Peugeot is one, Lexus is another, and the updated NX300 once again delivers impressive levels of comfort and convenience.

The Lexus NX was updated in late 2017 was upgraded with a subtle new look, tweaked suspension and more standard safety features – including a pre-collision autonomous emergency braking system that now detects pedestrians as well as cars.

But let's get back to that lavish interior first.

It starts with the leather seats, which have excellent cushioning and some of the highest quality leather upholstery this side of a half-million dollar European exotic car. Before you even plonk your body into the lush seats, drinking in their form with your peepers feels good.

There are nine exterior colours and six interior colour options, the latter ranging from regular black to creamy-whites, tan brown and even red upholstery. And the interior changes don't cost extra.

Sitting in either of the front seats is akin to luxuriating in a business class seat on an aeroplane, just without the canapés. Combine the ultra-comfortable seats with a clear, concise instrument panel and soft leather touch-points everywhere – gear stick, steering wheel, door inserts – and the experience in this 'entry-level' Lexus SUV is more than pleasant.

Everything is electrically adjustable – seats, mirrors, even steering wheel – and in a vehicle in this segment, at this price, it has to be comfortable. Mission accomplished there, with a sprinkle of pragmatism thrown in, too. The rear seats have enough room for another two adults and the boot is large too, displacing 500 litres.

The boot gets another 200 per cent space, expanding to 1545 litres, when the 60:40 split folding rear seats are laid flat, allowing bigger, longer items in the car, such as a bicycle or tall lamp shade.

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Riding above it all

Being an SUV it has a raised ride height (190mm) giving the Lexus NX300 a higher hip-point, which makes ingress and egress much easier. This jacked-up Japanese wagon also provides a great view of the road ahead.

Lexus has paid close attention to noise attenuation, making this an exceedingly quiet car to spend time inside. I performed a little experiment by dropping the windows next to a large truck stopped in traffic. It was pretty loud. Swish the electric windows up and I could barely hear the big turbo-diesel prime mover's deep warble a moment later. That said, there was a touch of tyre roar on course-chip road surfaces.

The only polarising element of the interior is the infotainment system – or more accurately the input system. The 10.3-inch screen looks great but instead of a touchscreen or a rotator dial the Lexus NX uses a 'remote touch' pad controller.

It features tactile force-feedback 'rumbles' through the touchpad to help guide you to important features. It's not quite as universally hated by car reviewers as the previous joystick/trackball version (which I also liked) and it does have flaws. On an intellectual level I understand there's slightly more effective and efficient ways to navigate the infotainment system, but I like the way it works.

I used to love challenging video games – and the Japanese are kings of that – perhaps that's why I appreciate it? I have a sneaking suspicion however even this remote touch interface will be killed off soon. I personally hope not.

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Turbocharged SUV

The 175kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol powerplant is a tidy operator in general, especially during the commuter crush. Combined with six-speed automatic the city-savvy SUV is smoother than the late Barry White.

Acceleration is claimed to be 7.3sec from standstill to 100km/h but it never really felt fleet. Tipping the scales at 1790kg, the Lexus NX300 is overweight and its official 7.7L/100km fuel economy will be challenging to attain for even the craftiest of hyper-milers.

An all-speed adaptive cruise control function means you can tune out during freeway drives, which is a double-edged blade these days. Yes, it makes traffic jams and commuting easier. But on a sparsely populated freeway I found myself becoming complacent.

However, don't rely on the lane-departure assistant to keep the in its lane. This Lexus and most Toyota's for that matter are way behind other brands when it comes to driver assist technology. I drove the Honda CR-V on the same freeway and drove virtually hands-free for three hours, the steering doing its thing on mild bends.

On the freeway the Lexus barely detects the lines, and the steering assist is so mild that trialling it put the fear of God into me.

Another gripe with the car is the amount of beeping and bonking it emits. Videogames are cool but this is getting out of hand. Most of the alerts come from the satellite navigation system which warns of speed cameras and the like, but in the state of Victoria, where there are 13 speed cameras for every man, woman and child in existence, it can be infuriating.

Apart from those issues, the car is a dream to drive. It's smooth, refined, and comfortable. Ride comfort is impressive and although the suspension tweaks improve handling somewhat, it hasn't hampered the cars compliant ride.

Things like automatic LED high-beam headlights make night driving in the country less daunting and little touches like hill-start assist, trailer-sway control, self-dimming mirrors, touch-sensitive interior lights plus a reversing camera and an array of sonar sensors (eight in all) ensure it's easy to operate in a range of different scenarios.

It'll tow 750kg and up to 1000kg if your trailer has brakes, but whether you're in the country or the city the NX300 does a top job. It's the kind of car that won't wow you with its dynamic ability but I always found myself looking forward to the next drive.

All the Bluetooth stuff works well, there's a good quality 10-speaker stereo as standard, two USB ports and an AUX input just in case you still own a Sony Walkman… which are actually quite collectible today.

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Class-leading aftersales care

Lexus has one of the most enviable reputations of any car maker, luxury or not, when it comes to customer service and reliability, regularly topping the respected J.D. Power automotive surveys for customer service and vehicle dependability.

It's not hard to see why.

Lexus offers a four-year/100,000km warranty which a year longer than most of its luxury rivals, such as the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class vehicles. That includes four-year's roadside assistance. Service intervals are very good as well, every 12-months or 15,000km.

Furthermore Lexus will either supply a loan vehicle when your car is being serviced or pick up and then return your Lexus for servicing.

Lexus even does options differently. Or rather it equips its cars with everything so there aren't really any options. The extras list is teeny-tiny compared to what its European competitors offer.

Premium paint ($1000) and a tilt/slide moonroof ($2500) are the only major upgrades, along with a $6000 upgrade pack for the entry-level NX Luxury and NX F Sport models. The latter adds the moon roof along with a 14-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, head-up display and a smart key card.

Overall, the Lexus NX impresses. It doesn't innovate or surprise in any major way but the fundamentals are rock solid, as is the aftersales care. Definitely worth a test drive if your desire for a European badge isn't a requirement.

2018 Lexus NX300 F Sport pricing and specifications:
Price: $54,800 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 175kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 178g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017 tested)