canuckwpg

I had ordered a Rav 4 hybrid but I’m looking at a year compared to the nx350H which is 3-6 months. So now I’m thinking about getting the nx 350H but debating the premium trim vs the luxury trim. The luxury trim gets the 14” console and the pano roof which I like the idea of. But it’s a lot more money.. but don’t want to regret not getting it. What are peoples thoughts on the trims?

thank you

Lexus22563

I got the 350h premium with the 14 inch screen. Many premium trims come with this screen in the US. If you do a search many premium trims come with about 3000 in options and accessories which brings it to about $48,000 . Mine has the 18 inch wheels which I preferred. I bet this is what your dealer will tell you too.

canuckwpg

would you recommend the 14” screen? In Canada I think you need the luxury package to get the 14”. 61k cdn for luxury vs 56 for the premium

junbuginc

I purchased the 2022 NX350H Luxury package built in Japan for my wife. The MSRP US was $54,455.00. It has everything except for the triple-LED headlamps and Mark Leveson audio system. We thought the bi-LED headlamps were ok in the beginning but now we regret that we didn't get the triple-LED headlamps because they were so nice to have. Don't get offended by this but in my personal opinion that only applies to me is that when you are buying a car this luxury you should try to have everything on it instead missing some of the luxury options. If you are trying to save some money try to get a different car like a Toyota Venza or the RAV4. But in the end follow your heart and chose wisely. Although it may be hard try to get a test drive for them and see what you like. p.s The 14" screen is really nice.

nitrolada

Isn't it 56400 for luxury and 51400 for premium in Canada for nx350h?

Base is 49,900 ....premium package is 1500, luxury is 6500?

I got ultra premium (aka luxury minus pano) and only reason I got it was for 14" screen. If I had choice like in US, I'll only get 14" screen, triple beam led and ML sound ...but in Canada so no luck and I wasn't going to pay another 10k for triple beam and ML

redhot47fl

Experience has taught me the same. If you think you might miss an option or feature, you almost certainly will miss it. If you can stretch to afford it, do so.

Lexus22563

I like the 14 inch screen myself.

zanewyn

If budget permits, I would suggest the luxury trim. The 14inch screen is what makes the interior stand out vs other brands

CRC99

I also agree. I have an Executive 350h coming soon. I'll keep this car for a long time so the extra cost prorated over extra years isn't too much. The current package costs are as follows.

PREMIUM PACKAGE
$51,400
LUXURY PACKAGE
$56,400
ULTRA LUXURY
$60,700
EXECUTIVE PACKAGE
$65,450

I'm not sure if Remote Parking is still included. Also I'm not sure if the Canadian version has on board cellular capability and what the implications are for related features...ie hot spot, traffic, etc.

Ihave1cat

Here's my take on the Executive Package in Canada. I got the Executive Trim (it was somewhat of an unexpected upgrade - as there was a cancellation, and I needed a car sooner). I originally ordered the Luxury trim for the 14" screen, Palamino interior (not available in Canada on the base or Premium trims), and the panoramic sunroof.
When ordering the Luxury trim, I really did regret not getting the 360 camera (Surround view monitor) and the tri-beam LED headlights.
I can directly compare most of my features to my friend's Premium-trim 350H:

Luxury/Ultra-Luxury features

• Screen size: 9.8" vs 14" - to be honest, the 9.8" screen is enough. While driving on a road trip with my friend in his car, the screen doesn't seem small at all. The size is adequate, and while, sure, I like the 14" in my car, I mostly tune it out while driving now. It's a nice to have for sure, but the 9.8" isn't a "cheapo version" by any stretch.
• Wheel size: 18" vs 20" - the smaller wheels are, at least to me, not that much more comfortable, in terms of looks, I prefer the 20" Executive Trim wheels (they are grey two-tone), then the 18" and then the Luxury and Ultra-Luxury 20" silver wheels. I wasn't a fan of the 20" silver wheels to be honest.
• Lights - This is really the factor that sets the cars apart. Now, I want to preface that the base "bi-LED" lights in Canada aren't bad at all - they rival any bi-LEDs (non-laser) in Audis, Mercedes and BMWs, and are amazing. However, the tri-LED lights, in Canada, are something of an engineering marvel. They are astonishingly bright, and, have a significant edge over the US model. The Canadaian-spec "tri-LED" lights are actually "4-LED" lights with matrix lighting. This means that they intelligently light up portions of the road, and can "block out" portions of the road as to not blind oncoming traffic. They reach farther, shine brighter, and are much better lights. Again, the bi-LED standard lights are not bad at all - they are much better than any non-luxury LED lights I've seen, and can directly compete with the German bi-LED lights, it's just the tri(or quad)-LED lights in Canada are better. I also want to add that the US gets a self-leveling "adaptive" Bi-LED option (note - OPTION) that is better than the Canadian bi-LED lights, and rival the US-spec Tri-LED lights
• Cornering Lamps - unlike the Lights above, the Cornering Lamps don't really do much. I don't even notice them to be honest. Sure, it adds some light to the sides, but it's not nearly enough to make a huge difference. I find they can automatically engage and lower speeds (like on a roundabout), which is nice, but again, not a real dealbreaker if you don't have them.
• Turn signal indicators - this is a small disappointment. On non tri-LED headlights, you get a incandescent turn signal indicator in the front, which isn't as visible from the side, as the LED strip on the upgraded lights. I find it more disappointing that on the standard headlights, there is a place for the turn signal LED strips, but instead of having them there, they just added a piece of plastic trim inside.
• 360 Camera - A great addition. The car has a slightly larger turning radius than my previous car - a Honda CR-V, and a narrow sidewall with the 20" tires. if you're a clutz, the 360 camera will help you not curb your tires. Overall I like it a lot, and wish it was included in lower trims than the starting-at Ultra-Luxury trim. It does help parking quite a bit. The real advantage here is the forward-facing camera and the parking sensors. It makes parking really... enjoyable, and overall very useful. I find that it's very helpful due to the long hood and "straight cut" of the grille.
• Digital Key/Credit Card Key - Skip the digital key. I've (and others) have had issues with it. Battery drain, it randomly stopping working, and just the overall execution is poor. You do get a Credit Card key with the trims that offer the digital key - which is nice. I use this key as my main key.
• Trunk kick sensor - is not something I thought I would love, but when you have your hands full of groceries, or a stroller, the kick sensor is a great addition. All the Premium and up trims offer a power tailgate, but the kick sensor is very useful to me. The NX has a very high load-floor, so this does help.
• Panoramic Sunroof - I like a lot. I find the NX to be a small vehicle, and lacks interior "airiness". I find that the smaller sunroof on the Premium trim didn't really add to the experience. Sure, it was there, but it wasn't enough to make a difference. The only benefit I see to the regular (or no) sunroof, is that rear headroom is slightly better. I am short, and my wife is too, so it's not a big deal for me. Having the panoramic roof for me definitely adds to the experience, and makes the car feel much more open than it really is, and I drive 99% of the time with the pano roof open. One thing I noticed is that the pano roof appears to do an amazing job at blocking heat out. Even in sunny days, the tint + heat blocking of the roof let in the light, without making you squint. This is really impressive. I can't recall what it was like in the Premium-trim NX, but my old CR-V, I had to close the sunroof on a sunny day because of the sun roasting my head.
• Seat ventilation/memory/steering wheel adjust - Unless you're getting the Signature (base) trim, every trim comes with this. Highly recommend not going with the base. The seats get really hot really quick, especially with the weather we've been having in Ontario (Canada). Driver seat memory is a must if you have more than one driver with "vastly different seating positions"
• Lane Change Assist - Gimmick. you hold the turn stalk down partially, and, at higher (highway) speeds - it can change lanes. Which feels awkward to be honest
• Digital rear-view mirror - I like it a lot. At first, it was disorienting, it was really strange looking at it, however it has grown on me. I find that the rear-view mirror is slightly dark (with the tinting on the rear glass). Additionally, visibility out the back isn't great. It's adequate, but not the best. The digital rear-view mirror is a high-refresh rate screen that works quite well. You lose depth perception, but you get used to it. It also allows you to see a much wider view, to the point where it can even "meet to what you see in the side mirrors". I find that it's not without fault though: it does get washed out when the sun hits it at a specific angle. At night, it's fine. The refresh rate of the mirror lowers to half (so that the image can be properly exposed). The detail is fine as well.

Now for the Executive-only features

• Lumbar Support - The executive trim offers more adjustment when it comes to the lumbar support. I really don't care for this. The seats feel fine with or without the additional (up-down) lumbar support.
• Power-Folding and reclining seats - Meh. In a car so small, it doesn't really make a difference to me. I find almost no value in this (for my use case).
• Heated rear seats - is nice, however, I have no passengers that ride in the back seats, so this isn't something I care about.
• Mark Levinson Audio - So, this is a polarizing answer. I like music, I am not an audiophile. The non ML audio sounds good. The speakers/amp (from what I heard) are made by Pioneer and are fine. It has bass, it sounds fine and sounds likes "premium audio" systems in non-luxury cars (it sounds the same or better than my friend's Bose system in a 2022 Honda Civic Touring). The ML system on the other hand is great. It's not one of those "blast it until your eardrums explode" systems, but it has remarkable clarity, no distortion at any level, and is exceptionally balanced. It's so great in fact, that I switched to Apple music because the quality of the audio is better than Spotify, and with the ML system you can clearly tell. The sound is pristine, but, just like the lights, the base option isn't bad at all. In comparison, however, yes - the ML audio is really good.
• Leather Seats - the non-Executive-trim seats come with NuLuxe - which are great, and are comfortable. The Executive-trim leather seats are only slightly more comfortable. I wouldn't call this anything spectacular, only to say that "I've got leather seats over synthetic leather"
• HUD - The best feature about having the HUD is the different instrument cluster/gauge cluster. I think it's much clearer and more refined, and I do like that I see navigation in the HUD, speed, etc. Now - the HUD isn't without its drawbacks - the Advanced Touch Steering Wheel...
• The "Advanced Touch Steering Wheel" - is a pain to live with. Not because of the "touch" aspect, but because of the way you interact with it. The buttons are unlabeled, which is fine, as I can remember that "down" is to set the cruise control, "up" is to resume, "right" is to cancel, and "left" is to set the following distance. The problem os that you can't simply "press" up. The touchpad is one big button - and placing your finger on the "up" button, then pressing it, doesn't really do much - it just seemingly wakes the "advanced" touchpad, after which you can press the button again to resume/raise the speed. The "proper" way to use it is to "swipe from the center to the up position, then press" - which wakes the trackpad and does the intended action. What a mess. Lexus loves their touchpads.
• Advanced Park - is a failure. It's slow, finicky and something that isn't worth the RD time that has been invested in it. I've used it 3 times, all of which have been a painful experiences, and just to "show off" the feature to friends and family.

Okay, so my take - what's the best Canadian trim? I'd say the Ultra Luxury trim. Why? the Tri-Beam LED headlights and 360 Surround View Monitor are worth it for me. For that price, you also get a kick sensor and digital rear-view mirror. As a small bonus - you also get wood trim inlays - which are nicer than the plastic ones on the Luxury and below. They don't show fingerprints and add a touch of class.
The Executive trim isn't worth the extra money IMO. it's a great car, yea. The ML audio is great, the HUD is great, and the Leather seats, Heated rear, power-folding rear, lumbar support, and nicer tires are all nice - but I don't believe they are worth the $5000 upcharge over the Ultra Luxury.

To answer the questions:
I'm not sure if Remote Parking is still included.
No, Lexus pulled this from the 2022 models. Supposedly due to a design spec change. The feature is still something that's present in the UI (you can toggle it on/off) - but not available in the Lexus app. Affected users were supposedly given some money back by Lexus.

Canadian version has on board cellular capability
Yes and no. The Canadian model does have a Wi-Fi hotspot, however, it doesn't work in Canada. If you connect to it - you get an ATT landing page that states that this feature isn't available in your region. The "yes" - is that it does have a Cellular model that does send and receive data (and allow you to control/monitor the car remotely, including location, start-stop, etc)

And what the implications are for related features...ie hot spot, traffic, etc.
Traffic works fine, navigation works fine, what you do miss in Canada is the ability to use Apple Music which is built-in. Essentially, you can't play streaming music services unless you have your own phone with data. Everything else works the same as the US-spec model.

Hope that helps!

zanewyn

Thank you @Ihave1cat for your detailed review. You have successfully converted a future luxury trim owner to ultra lux. I just put in my request to change lol.

Ihave1cat

That's a good choice! I was sold on the 360 cam and the headlights. They are next level. It's a shame that there are really no reviews on them (for the Canadaian trim). The IIHS lights are only the US model, which lack the adaptiveness/matrix and dedicated highbeam LED of the Canadian model.
And the icing on the cake is you get these nifty things!
(I don't believe they are 100% practical, but they are damn cool!

anoop

(Applies to US-spec cars.)

I debated and after a trip to the dealer and a look at both, I'm planning to go with luxury.

I think it will be tough to find a car with premium that doesn't also have a standalone option that upgrades the screen. I have not seen one so far.

The premium has the benefit of 18" wheels, but it lacks leather (and the quilting that comes with leather), the wood trim, and 4-way lumbar that luxury has.

zanewyn

Most definitely! At first, I was willing to give up the 360 surround cam to save 4k, because that's the only feature that stood out to me. But your review on the 3b headlights sealed the deal

CRC99

Thank you @Ihave1cat for your detailed review. Thats amazing!!! A few more questions if thats okay!
When you talk about the pano roof blocking out heat do you mean without the shade being closed?
I had the 360 view on a previous Pathfinder and liked it. I always thought it would be an advantage to be able to use it at very low speed when parking forwards. Any chance this is an option with the NX?
Is the Lane Change Assist just a warning or does it actually move you back into your lane? What do you mean it will change lanes?
Did you get the side door guards. They look good on the website?
Did you get the hitch receiver. Does it interfere with the kick opener?
I spend 1/2 the year in FL so I guess I can add the ATT service down there.
BTW I'm getting the Executive Package because the dealer said thats what I'm getting...not complaining.
thx again