CROSSOVER A GREAT LITTLE EVERYDAY DRIVER
When Darcy Kraus spotted the 2018 Lexus NX 300h he was scheduled to drive, he was surprised by its size.
“It was a lot smaller than I was expecting,” he says, “because I think I had it confused with the RX 350 ... being smaller wasn’t a bad thing, though.”
When Lexus introduced the compact crossover NX variant in 2014 as a 2015 model, it became the smallest luxury utility vehicle the company made, and fit, in terms of size, just below the RX nameplate.
On its release, Lexus called the gasoline version, powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine, the NX 200t. Refreshed for 2018, the vehicle based on Toyota RAV4 architecture is now called the NX 300. The gasoline/electric hybrid model is referred to as the NX 300h, as it has always been known.
In the hybrid model driven by Kraus, there’s a 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine that powers the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission. It’s coupled with two electric motors, one at each rear wheel, effectively making the model an allwheel drive. Combined, the gasoline and electric motors generate 194 net horsepower.
“Upon first seeing the NX 300h, I thought it had a great paint colour,” Kraus says as he picked up the Atomic Silver vehicle for his Calgary area test drive. “It was visually striking, too, with plenty of folds and sharp body lines — it wasn’t conservative, but it looked like that intricate grille could be expensive to repair if anything ever happened to it.”
That spindle-shaped grille is the face of the Lexus range, and on the refreshed 2018 NX models it’s taller than it was on the previous generation. On either side of the revised grille are new fresh air intakes, designed to aid engine and braking cooling.
In terms of lighting, on the NX 300 there are new bi-beam LED headlights, while the 300h gets low-beam LED headlights. On both models, the tail lamps are slightly wider, while the daytime running lights, fog lights and clearance lights are all LEDs.
“After getting in, my first impression was of the quality feel of the steering wheel,” Kraus says of the Lexus that cost just less than $58,000. His was equipped with the no-charge Premium Package that includes a 10.3-inch display audio system, 18-inch alloy wheels and heated and cooled front seats.
“I grew to love the seats,” he says. “There’s a huge range of adjustments in them, and they’re very well bolstered, almost like something out of a sports car, but that was the only sporty aspect of the 300h.”
Meanwhile, Kraus says, “The dash was full of buttons, and although they’re laid out quite well, it was getting button heavy. Plus, there are three stalks on the steering column, all with myriad controls and I found I had to take my eyes off the road to see what I was adjusting.”
Overall layout of the dash display was pleasing and easy to see. When switching between Sport, Eco and Normal driving modes the display switched between a tachometer to show engine rpm in Sport to an energy gauge in Eco mode.
“There’s a little button beside the shifter to push for full EV, or electric vehicle mode,” Kraus says. “When you’re in that mode, and you push hard on the accelerator, the gas motor fires up.
“I did feel it was a little underpowered in the hybrid version with the 194 hp, and would like to have driven the gasoline-only NX 300 with its 224 hp for comparison. There just didn’t seem to be much grunt, and it seemed a bit counterproductive to drive it in a spirited manner.”
That’s when Kraus says he changed his mindset, and began driving the NX 300h differently.
“If you stay out of the throttle, it’s kind of fun to drive it with fuel economy in mind to see just what kind of mileage you can get — in that sense it was a great vehicle to putter around in to get groceries and pick up the kids.
“It was just a bit more pedestrian than I was anticipating.”
The vehicle handled well, and Kraus stayed firmly planted in his seat with the exceptional bolstering. As for the ride, it was rated comfortable. Kraus did drive the NX 300h north to Red Deer and found the cabin quiet with little wind noise evident on the highway journey.
The cargo area was put to use hauling boxes and groceries, he says, and the cargo net and tiedown points offered good utility.
Kraus concludes, “I just felt that if you’re looking for something with a bit of ‘sport’ to it, this just doesn’t have it. However, as an everyday vehicle, it would suit a large majority of people.”
DRIVER’S JOURNAL
Day 1: Looking it over from the rear, my wife and I appreciated the smaller dimensions and the knife-edge styling. Jumping in to the driver’s seat, I liked the softness of the leather-wrapped steering wheel. It does have good ground clearance, which was much appreciated when I parked it on top of the glacier in my front street. Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2 225/60R-18 winter tires were fitted, and they easily clambered up the icy bank.
Day 2: The seats are supportive and comfortable for a quick work trip to Red Deer. While hitting an off ramp I noticed the side bolsters were probably the best I’ve experienced in a long time. I had to bring many boxes of displays and literature for a trade show, and the car handled it with ease. The power tailgate was appreciated. Driving to Red Deer I achieved 8.2L/100 km. I thought this was a bit high consumption — perhaps having the selector in Sport mode negatively affected the fuel economy?
Day 3: The dash in this car has a large amount of very small buttons for features such as seat heaters and fan/heat toggles. They are hard to operate with gloves. I thought it was a bit odd the heated steering wheel switch was by my left knee, nowhere near the HVAC and heated/ cooled seat controls in the middle of the dash. The cruise control is on a third stalk, and also requires glancing away from the road.
Day 4: I was out making sales calls in Calgary with my manager from Vancouver, who was quite excited about the NX 300h, as it is the model she is considering buying. It attracted a few glances at various stops. The short wheelbase makes it a snap to get around parking lots and tight spaces. There is very good visibility out the front and sides.
Day 5: Drove a bit more around town. Around downtown, I started trying to feather the gas so as to keep it in Electric Vehicle mode. My economy was not quite near the fuel economy ratings shown, so I needed to lighten up my right foot. The engine note is rather thrashy and given the acceleration, it is not rewarding to be deep into the throttle anyway. I realized a new driving strategy is required.
Day 6: For the rest of the test I tried out Eco mode. The shifts are soft, and it seems to like running in higher gears. If you do need the power on, you really need to put the pedal down to wake it up. However, I did see the fuel economy numbers improve. Elaine, my six-year-old daughter, likes watching when the ‘EV’ light comes on the dash to indicate electric vehicle function. Grocery run with the kids. Put seven full bags in the rear along with a couple of good-sized work boxes.
Day 7: Driving around city and a bit of highway in Eco mode since Friday, I managed to come up with 6.6L/100 km. This felt rewarding. However, I have had to drive in a saintly fashion (and while watching numerous cars pass me during my leisurely starts from the lights).