2015 Lexus NX 300h VIDEO REVIEW

2015 Lexus NX 300h VIDEO REVIEW by Auto Critic Steve Hammes

My first go around in the all-new Lexus NX made me a believer in both its daring styling and its excellent small SUV drivability. And because this is Lexus we’re talking about there just had to be a hybrid variant, right?  Well here it is, with over 30mpg, all-wheel drive and luxury to the nines.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. If you build a Lexus NX 200t AWD – the one with just the gas engine – exactly as this 300h AWD is configured, it’ll cost $5,300 less. Based on EPA estimates, this hybrid saves the average driver $600/year in fuel costs or $3,000 over 5 years. Though very good, the hybrid isn’t as smooth or nearly as fast and loses a tiny bit of cargo room. Its only real advantages are the extended driving range of 474 miles and its reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. All that being said, if a hybrid SUV is what you want the NX will delight.

The NX is one of if not my very favorite Lexus model. Why?  Because it does exactly what a small luxury ‘ute should…it’s fun to drive, nimble, styled aggressively and wraps you in Lexus level comfort. Eco, normal and sport modes give you flexibility, the ride quality exudes sophistication and even this hybrid brings an athletic nature with well-honed driver controls. If you’re interested in the hybrid, know that it stays very true to the original.

A 2.5-liter 4-cylinder running on the hybrid-friendly Atkinson cycle, which delays the closing of the intake valves, works in conjunction with a trifecta of electric motor generators, one of which is dedicated to turning the rear wheels, to produce 194 total system horsepower. Lexus still uses nickel metal hydride batteries, not lithium-ion, and splits the pack into 2 and places them under the outboard rear seats. This impinges less on cargo room and lowers the vehicle’s center of gravity.

Lexus worked hard at bypassing the unpleasant sounds and sensations of the electronic CVT by engineering a new transmission that includes a kick-down mode attempting to mimic a traditional automatic providing a power surge from the hybrid system for a sportier feel.

It still moans a bit on its way to a 0-to-60mph time of 9.1-seconds, but it’s one of those cars that always feels quicker than it really is. I never complained about a lack of oomph. And when all was said and done with a fair amount of Sport mode driving mixed in, I averaged 30mpg on regular gas.

Sized just right with living room comfy front seats, the NX Hybrid provides the same quiet and luxurious space that makes you want to go for a drive as in the 200t. It’s full of today’s tech too, but this mouse like control for the big screen is a not so likable distraction.

And if I have but one complaint about the NX is general, it is this. There are so many ways this could be made easier to use plus I hate that bonging sound. It’s a cumbersome system aggravating enough to make me think long and hard about whether or not I could deal with it as an owner.

Otherwise, the $4,665 Luxury Package invites in supple leather seats, attractive black shadow wood trim, these sweet looking LED daytime running lights and LED low beam, headlights and plenty of other luxury goodies that make the cabin such a comfortable, quiet and accommodating place. This Qi wireless phone charger is optional too but doesn’t work with my iPhone. Duck your head when getting in because the roofline is low, but the rear seats recline to bring adult-friendly seating for an additional 2.

In this obsidian paint, the NX is particularly handsome and it always drew very favorable reviews from onlookers and passengers alike. The $50,803 MSRP always caused eyebrows to rise but there’s no doubting that Lexus has done the NX right and though I can’t really make a case for the hybrid, if it’s a hybrid you’re after, you won’t be disappointed with the 300h.