Years ago, I was browsing a forum and dove into a thread a guy started to show off the stock sport coupe he bought with the money he saved for quite a while. It was a proud moment for him. The first comment on his achievement? “Drop that 4×4.” It was so rude, it was funny.
You all seem to be a lot friendlier with one another. For instance, you’ve started a thread titled “NX Interesting Discoveries Thread (Good or Bad),” which allows you all to learn from each other’s experiences with the entry-level SUV.
I’m here to tell you that I made a discovery about the NX myself at the Texas Auto Writers Association’s 2015 Texas Auto Roundup earlier this week: It’s a real hit here in the Lone Star State. I only had time to drive a $44,880 2015 NX 200t F Sport AWD for a few minutes on the rain-drenched roads and a short stretch of the highway near the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas, but I came away pleased with its eye-catching exterior design, surprising amount of storage space (which can hold full-size golf bags), and the nice flow to its center stack, which made important buttons easily accessible.
The selectable drive modes (Eco, Normal, and Sport), which adjusted parameters such as power output from the turbocharged 2-liter I4 and gear changes from the six-speed automatic, were a nice touch. Unfortunately, even in Sport mode, the upshifts brought about by the right shift paddle were a little slower than expected.
At the end of the driving-filled day, the NX 200t F Sport AWD was deemed the Activity Vehicle of Texas. The Lexus bested its competitors from Jeep (the $25,865 2015 Renegade Limited) and Kia (the $45,095 2016 Sorento SXL). Its hybrid brother, the $50,523 2015 NX 300h, defeated the 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid SE ($32,133) and the 2015 Kia Soul EV Plus ($36,875) to win the title of Green Vehicle of Texas.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
