2018 LEXUS NX300 (2L TURBO)

The Lexus NX turbocharged range has just gone through a facelift...and a name change! (Used to be called the NX200t..now it's the NX300- why? Who knows and it doesn't matter). 

Seats: 5 
Engine: 2L Turbo
Towing: 1,500kg braked & 750kg unbraked
You can find more technical stuff here.
Pros: Every safety feature you'll ever need, conveniently placed buttons,  4 year service and warranty plan (and 4 years international and domestic airport parking if bought from Lexus of Auckland City) 
Cons: No heads-up display (we were okay with moving our eye line down 10cm to look at our speed.)
Interesting: The hybrid option is the biggest seller, despite the small premium. We will review the hybrid model next to compare. 


Lexus know how to make a beautiful vehicle, no doubt about it. Lexus’s current advertising "After we perfected luxury, we turbo charged it" is very accurate. The ride is smooth yet powerful. The cabin is quiet yet engaging. “Nice” is a good word for it

If you have a moment, look up the "Lexus Yet Philosophy". 

The hype at the moment seems to be Apple CarPlay. This car doesn't have it, simply because it doesn't need it.
The Infotainment System (the centre screen that has the navigation, audio, everything else on it) is so well equipped that it is able to do everything CarPlay can do. We tested this with a iPhone X...and we didn't even need to plug the phone in! The car has Navigation already built in. You can receive and send texts. You can answer calls and make calls. You can use Siri and you can even play music from Spotify and flick between songs by the controls on your steering wheel! 
For you non-iPhone users, there is Miracast which connects via WiFi. We are yet to try this - when we get our hands on a Samsung, we will let you know. 

Seriously- who needs real leather seats when you can have synthetic leather that looks and feels like leather but is actually stronger and more durable. The seats are comfortable and soft.
Even the seat cushions are made from foam derived from castor seeds, how cool is that! Someone has taken a lot of care in the designing of this car.
Everything is electronically controlled. No pesky manual levers to get to the right height. Even the steering wheel is controlled by a little electronic toggle. Nice. 

Lexus have designed a great subcompact sized SUV here. There is more than enough room for the little ones, a dog and the bags for a weekend away at the beach. You feel high on the road without feeling large. It is easy to handle and you feel very connected while driving. Everything is in reach and feels “nice” to touch. You don't have to go out of your way to change a setting and perhaps the only little annoyance is not being able to access some options on the infotainment system (like entering an address on the navigation) while driving, however I suppose this is a safety feature and therefore there for a reason. Once you are stopped at traffic lights or you decide to pull over, you have full access to all the options so it's no biggie.

​The NX300 has all-speed radar cruise control, lane departure alert and steering assist, pre-crash warning, 8 airbags, blind spot monitors and a 5 star ANCAP safety rating. 

​Thanks to Lexus of Auckland City for providing this vehicle for us to Review. Contact them at:
www.lexusofaucklandcity.co.nz  


Looking at the "Limited" model? Just click here!

---