The explanation for why this is concerning is that the Storjohanns updated the stolen RX 350 F Sport3 with a 2023 NX 350h Executive. He added: “If this NX is stolen, we will not upgrade it with Lexus. He’s also obviously frustrated with the automaker. Lexus has yet to prove that this new generation is harder to borrow than the old one. One guy I’m sticking with on YouTube has been doing some studies and it seems like there have been some great results when it comes to security with some kind of token needed. But for me it’s very complex and I still think that it would be easier and better to have an immobilising formula similar to the Ghost or IGLA formula incorporated into the car’s electronics. “
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Before driving Lexus, Storjohann owned two Chrysler minivans. However, after his last Plymouth Voyager, Storjohann replaced it with a Toyota Sienna. Once part of a Toyota product, they remained in the circle of relatives and moved in 2009 to a Lexus RX 350 Pebble. Beach Edition was replaced in 2015 by an RX 350 with tech package, followed by its stolen 2020 RX 350 F Sport3. And now, his 2023 NX 350h.
Lexus first announced its NX Hybrid Compact Crossover in 2014 as a 2015 model. At the time, I was in the diversity just below the slightly larger RX. The NX was updated in 2018 and second-generation models were released for 2022. There are many variants of the NX available, and the 350h can be presented with five other packages. The base is the Premium, while the Executive. Regardless of trim, all hybrids are supplied with a 2. 5-litre inline 4-cylinder combined petrol engine. This adds electric motors, which deliver power through a CVT, for a combined total force of 240 horsepower.
“I knew we wanted a hybrid,” Storjohann explains, “and we’d even sniffed around the NX hybrid in 2022. When we were forced to go shopping for a replacement for the stolen RX, we were comparing the new generation RX and NX and just simply couldn’t justify paying an extra $9,000 for the RX.”
Finding an NX hybrid proved to be difficult, however, and the couple even attempted to purchase a used Toyota RAV4. That got sold out from under them, but eventually, at Erin Park Lexus in Mississauga, they were able to secure the 2023 NX 350h. “I paid full list for it, and I’ve never paid full list before for any car,” he says. Not able to choose the colour, the Lexus they did get is finished in Atomic Silver with Palomino leather interior. Happily, the colours are something Storjohann does like.
“It’s a little smaller than the RX,” he says of its size. “But we’re fine with him. And I like the position of the NX. Seen from the side, I like the way the wheels and tires fill the wheel arches. I’m a big fan of the wheels in this package, but I’m slowly getting used to them. Looking at the Lexus, Storjohann found that the driver’s seat was more comfortable than the previous RX F Sport. That, he says, is because the side braces are a little less spectacular. It’s six feet tall and has plenty of room in the NX. He likes the design of the controls and dashboard, but says he rarely looks down at the group of tools. He focuses on the head-up display, a formula he likes a lot.
“I don’t find the 4-cylinder and CVT as quiet as the 6-cylinder in the RX, but the functionality is exceptional, it hits and passes with ease on any pavement. Electric motors deliver a lot of power across the entire force band. “And there are no traction issues, thanks to the AWD-e feature. “At the time of delivery, Storjohann discovered some “protrusions”, such as misplaced external mouldings. Still, he says, “they have compatibility and the ending is good. “
Now with more than 10,000 miles on the odometer, Storjohann is very much inspired by the fuel economy of the NX Hybrid, a vehicle he uses as a daily driver. You can see numbers ranging from 4 to seven, in liters corresponding to a hundred kilometers. The average tonnage is 6. 4 L/hundred km.
The amount of technology included in the Executive package, he says, “is insane. But, like what the young guy at Lexus who went over it with us when we took delivery said, most of it is set it once and forget it.” One piece of tech he likes is the 360-degree camera view of the vehicle, but he adds overall visibility out all corners of the vehicle is quite good.
As for utility, “It’s smaller than the RX, but we’ve had no trouble carrying what we want. I do wish there was a doughnut spare tire, instead of the run flat tires on it. They are noticeably noisier than the Michelins I run in winter which are not run flats.”
Although he’s a fan of the vehicle, he says he’s still pretty traumatized by the theft of the RX. “With all the generation they have, I wish Lexus had had an immobilizer built into their vehicles,” he says. “I had a spare engine immobilizer and, it was easy for the operator to use, switching to Valet mode caused problems with the formula and I had to remove it. I now use a guide wheel locking hub on the Lexus.
Still, he concludes: “Fortunately, we’ve been using the NX 350h for just over 10 months and we’re enjoying it. “
Other owners of 2022 and 2023 Lexus NX 350h vehicles offer different opinions. One writer, posting in August 2023 on Edmunds.com, said, “We have owned this car for 16 months now and overall I am not satisfied with quality of the car. Like other Toyota/Lexus models built in US and Canada the new NX doesn’t reflect quality that Lexus once was known for. I have been in dealership 7-8 times to fix the issues but some aren’t even fixable like rattles inside cabin.”
Another, posting on January 20, 2023, on Cars.com said, “We got a 2023 Lexus NX 350h in early December for my wife. Here are my impressions after 1st month of ownership. First, this isn’t a “luxury” SUV. Yes, it is somewhat premium, with nicer quality interior and somewhat more quiet than a RAV4, for example, but it doesn’t reach the same standard as true luxury brands like Mercedes or BMW. I would put if half-way between mainstream SUVs like Ford Escape and RAV4 and real luxury brands. It is comparable to a Mazda or a nicely outfitted KIA or Hyundai. The most redeeming characteristic of this car is mileage. When one buys a supposedly luxury vehicle, one expects a combination of comfort and driving dynamics. The NX falls short on both.”
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