Mide

So I've been driving a NX for about a year now and it's my first Lexus. I've been impressed with the quietness of the ride and the overall quality of the interior; mainly the seats. The bad thing is that I miss driving a lower 'car' as opposed to a CUV/SUV that rides taller. I know many folks are the opposite but I've used to a more grounded feel when driving. My previous ride was a 3rd Gen Prius and I liked the gas mileage/regular gas, but it didn't have any pickup and go. The NX is faster but the gearing with the six speed is awkward when going up anything with an elevation and it seems to be lacking in the power department.

So I'm thinking of selling it and going for a ES300h. The roominess of the NX should pass along to the ES and I like the CVT feel of hybrid transmissions. Any opinions as to this change? People say that the NX may be more sporty but really, since it's so high I only think its a tad better than the Prius in that regard.

st1800

bc6152

+1 . If one doesn't require an SUV then a luxury sedan is the ticket. The ES models ride is smooth as silk as opposed to the NX or RX as I've driven them both.
The Executive Sedan provides luxury, dependability, and longevity for a reasonable price.

LexBob2

You'll have some good choices if you decide on an ES. The new generation ES (which looks very nice IMO) is coming out in September, and dealers still have 2018's, the current gen, in stock.

pab12

>You'll have some good choices if you decide on an ES
And plenty of sweet CPO deals are there to be had, too...
===================================
Angle parked in a parallel universe

Sulu

I have always owned sedans and have only driven SUVs and crossover utility vehicles on a loaner or rental basis. Whenever I have had to step up into and drive one of these utility vehicles (but I must admit that Toyota's crossovers, including the NX and RAV4, are more sit-into rather than step-up-into vehicles), they feel tippy because of their height and higher centre of gravity.

More specifically, comparing the NX with the ES, the ES has much, much more room, especially in the rear seat, which is much wider with much more legroom than the NX.

My 2015 ES Hybrid has been great. I use only as much fuel as I did on my much smaller, compact Corolla did, and the trunk is still large enough for most purposes (and the new 2019 ES 300h will have the same-sized trunk as the new EX 350). It may not be as powerful as an ES 350, but regardless, it is very smooth and refined, and has more than enough power for my purposes. It can easily keep up with traffic on the crowded North American highways (especially if you put it into "Normal" or "Sport" rather than "ECO" mode).

lesz

I agree with the others who have said that the ES, whether the ES350 or the ES300h, is an excellent vehicle, but you should understand that you have posted on an ES board. If the people here have chosen the vehicle that best meets their needs, it should not be unexpected that they would speak highly of the ES.

On the other hand, if NX owners have chosen the vehicle that best meets their needs, I'm confident in guessing that, if you made the same post on the NX board, the replies that you would get would likely be somewhat different.

The NX and ES are very different vehicles, and each is likely to best meet different sets of needs.

Mide

Thanks all, yes I was looking for some perspectives on my idea but it seems like we're all on the same page. These days I'm concerned with ride quality and comfort and the whole elevated feel of a crossover isn't my cup of tea, so the ES looks to be a great option. Will hunt around the CPO market indeed.

TechNut

Mide

Hi there, thanks for the information. Yes I posted on the ES side of the forum since I assumed most folks on the NX area are fairly content with their CUV. That and it's more rare for a person to cross shop an ES hybrid with NX 2.0T. But I was looking for folks like yourself who have driven both. I'm sure the Hybrid NX would've been a good middle-ground car between the two I'm deciding on. I may just wait until the 2019 model hits the showroom to make a comparison vs a CPO 300h. I think I do miss the comfort of a CVT + Hybrid though; just do smooth.

newyerker

i drive an es300h and had an NX loaner for about a month.
i rly disliked the NX......imo the interior looked cheaper, and that turbo lag is something i could not deal with.
also, it is just soooooooooooooo tiny. like someone said above, the rear seats are way too small. reminded me of the volvo s60 that i came from which made me determine that im never going for a car with virtually nonexistent back seat.

Mide

I also had a Volvo S60 (2014 with Drive-E Engine) and I barely noticed the turbo lag on that car. Much faster but yes, the back seat reminded me of an IS one...quite small.

peteharvey

I'm 5'10", and I have to actually slightly step up into an NX.

I find that small high riding vehicles like the Honda HR-V have lightweight small diameter tires/wheel combos for low ground clearance such that they almost ride like a sedan.
However, from compact onwards like the CR-V and NX etc, the larger tire/wheel diameter has a heavier unsprung weight, such that after impact with a bump, there is much more momentum thrown into the body of the motor vehicle resulting in a "knobby"or "bouncy" ride; this is much worse in the big RX.

High riding vehicles naturally roll, and to mitigate this, there are two major engineering techniques:

Firstly, front single lower link MacPherson strut suspension is used, or double wishbone is engineered so that as the high riding vehicle leans, the top of the outer sidewalls of the outer front tires lean outwards in what is known as positive camber to automatically reduce the grip, thereby increasing the radius of turn to reduce the cornering centripetal force, and this places a limit on how much the high riding vehicle can lean/roll - to prevent unsafe inside wheel lift off; the trade-off with this technique is limited grip.
This technique gives the high riding vehicle a compliant and comfortable ride, at the expense of grip.
An example of this type of vice is in a Landcruiser & Mercedes GLE.




Secondly, if more grip is needed, then firmer springs must be used to directly limit roll, hence directly limit weight transfer to the outside wheels, to prevent unsafe inside wheel lift-off.
This technique increases the grip, at the expense of a less compliant and less comfortable ride.
Examples of this technique is in RAV4 & Highlander.

I can't remember the NX's ride.
The RX I remember has too low a profile tires with a lot of tire noise, combined with heavy unsprung weight from heavy large rolling diameter tire/wheel combo for a slightly "knobby/bouncy" ride, and if I remember correctly, the current model RX is too firmly damped; firm damping results in a high frequency of vertical oscillations which gives a rather tiring ride.
A floaty ride like the ES has a low frequency of vertical oscillations for more relaxed comfort.
Because the RX is very tall, there is a lot of wind noise compared to the ES.

Another con of high riding vehicles is the that the taller the vehicle, the greater the CDA Coefficent of Drag Area, and the more it "compresses" the air for both greater wind resistance, and in particular, louder wind noise.




The SUV tall wagons also lack a rear parcel shelf panel, and a sealed-in rear windscreen for greater torsional rigidity, bending stiffness, and less noise.
I test drove a C Class back to back with a GLC high riding vehicle, and the GLC was so much noisier with sound coming directly through the rear wagon tailgate.






However, whether we own a low riding sports coupe, a medium riding sedan, or a high riding SUV tall wagen - each body type format has its pros and cons.
Horses for courses, and each to their own.
What is great for Jack could be a disaster for Jill.
We pick & choose what best suits our individual needs, wants & tastes.

The tall wagons have a larger opening doors and wagon tailgates, together with much greater interior space from their greater vertical dimension, and much higher ground clearance to drive over natural terrains...
.