Does the PHEV drive smoother than the HEV when only electric motors are running? Also, how do both handle on snow? How is the AWD performance on snow? Does the PHEV feel more planted on snow because of additional weight?
All electrified powertrains have a smoother feel compared to internal combustion given the way that power is generated and distributed. So broadly speaking, the answer is yes. I didn't drive them in any heavy snow, but again when speaking generally, EVs do drive well in snow due to not just the added weight, but where the weight is placed. However the weight from a smaller PHEV battery isn't substantive so there wouldn't be any big difference.
Not sure what it is at the moment as I'm not affiliated with Toyota/Lexus. But it would be consistent with wait times in the U.S. as the NX for both markets is made in Canada, as is the new RX as well.
Hi Zeke - Actually it's correct, although it's missing some context admittedly. According to the Lexus USA media site, there are only two versions of the 450h+ available for sale in the U.S. but they are largely the same. The Luxury Trim is priced at $57,225 and there is an F-Sport package variant that has an MSRP of $58,475. That's all that is noted on the 2022 price sheet presented on their media site. So it's not a typo technically, but I could have done a better job explaining it.
Thanks for the review. In the United States I think these things are marked up more than their value. In other words Toyota/Lexus knows we get a rebate and they want that rebate so they mark up the car. once the rebate expires watch the price come down. It’s frustrating because Toyota/Lexus gets I believe an inflated amount for the car and then the dealership will probably turn around and potentially add additional dollars to the MSRP. So both Toyota/Lexus wins and the dealerships wins….. having said that ultimately we have the decision to make personally I think I would pass on the plug-in hybrid based on its price.
Your points are taken. But the only thing I'll add is that when you are talking about price, keep in mind that vehicle cost is only one of several costs associated with vehicle ownership. Higher gas prices are here to stay and the price gap between home charging and fueling up is significant. Every mile or KM of EV driving saves money and it can add up to thousands of dollars each year. Do the budgeting based on ALL factors and not just monthly payments alone to see if price is really prohibitive.
@@TheNovakReport Yes I hear you. I am a hugh PHEV fan myself. On cars like the Ford Escape the trade-off between PHEV and hybrid is much better because after the federal rebate you basically break even with the Escape Hybrid. Similar with the Prius Prime vs Prius. The price delta is just a bit too steep on the Lexus NX for me. Of course their is often more than dollars and cents in the new car equation and even if you do not "break even" in the Lexus PHEV you do get the joy of driving pure electric or 35 miles and the better acceleration and passing gas stations and that is worth a lot. Thanks again for the great review.
@@robertbaxter2684 I think if gas stays this high and the savings from home charging continues to be as large as it is, the break even point will be sooner than many expect. But as you say, there is also a premium for more power, better acceleration and overall nicer driving dynamics. Anyone in the U.S. thinking of the 450h+ should decide now before the end of September for maximum returns. In Canada there isn't the same rush. Appreciate the comments and the kind feedback!
Not only the GAS...although worth mentioning....the Adaptive Suspension...the Normally aspirated ...Non Turbo and more power by 35 HP....and Totally QUIET Ride n' electric.....Z Best!
.............You did not consider the HUGE ADD: of driving the 450h+ F SPORT off the lot and YES you gain 13 to 17K in value for Re-Sale as this model is Extremely hard to find i.e. econ 101!!! + I never buy GAS and get 49 miles per 120Volt charge & the 450h+ will recharge as you drive & get 89 eMPG per mile. If you pass on the plug in...Oh Well not very astute Do Your Research BETTER!!!
By adding a big battery you add weight which also means you need more energy to move it.. basic physics.. Never understood why governments help people who can afford to pay this sort of money for a car instead of providing welfare and services.. but it is for to save the climate.. BS.
You are forgetting the facts that batteries are 4 to 5 times more efficient at converting its stored energy into motion than gasoline is. You would need significantly more gas to generate the same mechanical energy given how only about 20% of the stored energy in gasoline actually moves the vehicle. By comparison batteries are about 85% to 90% efficient. So any added weight is more than offset by superior efficiency, thus making your argument incorrect and irrelevant.
@@TheNovakReport Then it would be better to just have a full electric car which I do agree. There is many arguments for and against. Batteries and evs are more energy efficient do not contest that but you have much more energy in Petrol per weight so it is better. And you can store it much better than electricity in a battery. With the 40% thermal efficiency of the Toyota engines you get a lot of energy out of it. You can argue which is more energy efficient all day long adding more and more parts to it like how much do you loose from charging the battery from a socket? 1% 5%? At 50Kw charging you loose about 20+% through heat so if you charge the cars battery of 7.4kw you will use around 9.6 from the grid..
@@user-zh9kc7tw4n There are ample studies that show energy stored in a battery is far more efficient at moving a vehicle than energy stored in gasoline. 40% thermal efficiency is not the true benchmark as that only accounts for conversion. You still lose efficiency when trying to use the converted energy to move the vehicle - ultimately getting you to the point where only around 1/5 to 1/4 of the stored energy in gasoline actually moves the vehicle. PHEVs exist in my view because of consumer hesitancy regarding full electrics, and not because they are the better choice. I accept them as transitional tools but ultimately they will not be sold longer than a decade or two.
Terrible review. The 450+ plug-in doesn’t have the Mark Levinson sound system, panoramic sunroof and the self parking. You failed to mention that and that’s a big omission.
@@TheNovakReport a big omission to most actually. I wanted an FSport 3 450 H+…. that’s a lot of coin for no Mark Levinson or pano roof and it’s the top model! Good news is Lexus will be including the ML in the next year of production. However, still no pano roof!
Vapourware. 350h the far better choice. $20,000 less plus opportunity cost advantage. It will obviously become the best seller of all NX models when supply improves in a few years.
350 Not even close as being better...........Simply NOT USING Gas is the BEST you can do and still have the option...to say nothing of the add horse power and Adaptive suspension......Do Your Homework!
Does the PHEV drive smoother than the HEV when only electric motors are running?
Also, how do both handle on snow? How is the AWD performance on snow? Does the PHEV feel more planted on snow because of additional weight?
All electrified powertrains have a smoother feel compared to internal combustion given the way that power is generated and distributed. So broadly speaking, the answer is yes. I didn't drive them in any heavy snow, but again when speaking generally, EVs do drive well in snow due to not just the added weight, but where the weight is placed. However the weight from a smaller PHEV battery isn't substantive so there wouldn't be any big difference.
What type of gas does each take? Regular, premium?
Premium is recommended, but most luxury brands do the same.
....................WRONG the 450h+ F Sport takes Reg 89 oct according to manual / my manual that is because it is a NON TURBO thank you JAPAN!
Great review!!
What is the wait time for NX450h+ in Canada? Is there NX350h+ exist?
Not sure what it is at the moment as I'm not affiliated with Toyota/Lexus. But it would be consistent with wait times in the U.S. as the NX for both markets is made in Canada, as is the new RX as well.
............The 450h+ F Sport is:.....ONLY MADE IN JAPAN...Not is Union Shop Canada
Your USD quoted price on 450 must be in error:
"58,475 - 57,225"??
Is it 48,xxx - 57,xxx?
Hi Zeke - Actually it's correct, although it's missing some context admittedly. According to the Lexus USA media site, there are only two versions of the 450h+ available for sale in the U.S. but they are largely the same. The Luxury Trim is priced at $57,225 and there is an F-Sport package variant that has an MSRP of $58,475.
That's all that is noted on the 2022 price sheet presented on their media site. So it's not a typo technically, but I could have done a better job explaining it.
Thanks for the review. In the United States I think these things are marked up more than their value. In other words Toyota/Lexus knows we get a rebate and they want that rebate so they mark up the car. once the rebate expires watch the price come down. It’s frustrating because Toyota/Lexus gets I believe an inflated amount for the car and then the dealership will probably turn around and potentially add additional dollars to the MSRP. So both Toyota/Lexus wins and the dealerships wins….. having said that ultimately we have the decision to make personally I think I would pass on the plug-in hybrid based on its price.
Your points are taken. But the only thing I'll add is that when you are talking about price, keep in mind that vehicle cost is only one of several costs associated with vehicle ownership.
Higher gas prices are here to stay and the price gap between home charging and fueling up is significant. Every mile or KM of EV driving saves money and it can add up to thousands of dollars each year.
Do the budgeting based on ALL factors and not just monthly payments alone to see if price is really prohibitive.
@@TheNovakReport Yes I hear you. I am a hugh PHEV fan myself. On cars like the Ford Escape the trade-off between PHEV and hybrid is much better because after the federal rebate you basically break even with the Escape Hybrid. Similar with the Prius Prime vs Prius. The price delta is just a bit too steep on the Lexus NX for me. Of course their is often more than dollars and cents in the new car equation and even if you do not "break even" in the Lexus PHEV you do get the joy of driving pure electric or 35 miles and the better acceleration and passing gas stations and that is worth a lot. Thanks again for the great review.
@@robertbaxter2684 I think if gas stays this high and the savings from home charging continues to be as large as it is, the break even point will be sooner than many expect. But as you say, there is also a premium for more power, better acceleration and overall nicer driving dynamics.
Anyone in the U.S. thinking of the 450h+ should decide now before the end of September for maximum returns. In Canada there isn't the same rush.
Appreciate the comments and the kind feedback!
Not only the GAS...although worth mentioning....the Adaptive Suspension...the Normally aspirated ...Non Turbo and more power by 35 HP....and Totally QUIET Ride n' electric.....Z Best!
.............You did not consider the HUGE ADD: of driving the 450h+ F SPORT off the lot and YES you gain 13 to 17K in value for Re-Sale as this model is Extremely hard to find i.e. econ 101!!! + I never buy GAS and get 49 miles per 120Volt charge & the 450h+ will recharge as you drive & get 89 eMPG per mile. If you pass on the plug in...Oh Well not very astute Do Your Research BETTER!!!
By adding a big battery you add weight which also means you need more energy to move it.. basic physics..
Never understood why governments help people who can afford to pay this sort of money for a car instead of providing welfare and services.. but it is for to save the climate.. BS.
You are forgetting the facts that batteries are 4 to 5 times more efficient at converting its stored energy into motion than gasoline is. You would need significantly more gas to generate the same mechanical energy given how only about 20% of the stored energy in gasoline actually moves the vehicle. By comparison batteries are about 85% to 90% efficient.
So any added weight is more than offset by superior efficiency, thus making your argument incorrect and irrelevant.
@@TheNovakReport Then it would be better to just have a full electric car which I do agree.
There is many arguments for and against. Batteries and evs are more energy efficient do not contest that but you have much more energy in Petrol per weight so it is better. And you can store it much better than electricity in a battery.
With the 40% thermal efficiency of the Toyota engines you get a lot of energy out of it. You can argue which is more energy efficient all day long adding more and more parts to it like how much do you loose from charging the battery from a socket? 1% 5%? At 50Kw charging you loose about 20+% through heat so if you charge the cars battery of 7.4kw you will use around 9.6 from the grid..
@@user-zh9kc7tw4n There are ample studies that show energy stored in a battery is far more efficient at moving a vehicle than energy stored in gasoline. 40% thermal efficiency is not the true benchmark as that only accounts for conversion. You still lose efficiency when trying to use the converted energy to move the vehicle - ultimately getting you to the point where only around 1/5 to 1/4 of the stored energy in gasoline actually moves the vehicle.
PHEVs exist in my view because of consumer hesitancy regarding full electrics, and not because they are the better choice. I accept them as transitional tools but ultimately they will not be sold longer than a decade or two.
You ALSO ADD: the ability to Never have to buy gas for 49 miles...in my case NEVER buy freaK'n gas!
Terrible review. The 450+ plug-in doesn’t have the Mark Levinson sound system, panoramic sunroof and the self parking.
You failed to mention that and that’s a big omission.
A big omission to some...
Thanks for your thoughtful commentary.
@@TheNovakReport no, a big omission.
If you’re a so called ‘car reviewer’ you need to be better prepared and you need to do your research.
@@THEAC83 I did, and in comparing the two I listed what I felt was significant.
Thanks for your view and your feedback.
@@TheNovakReport a big omission to most actually. I wanted an FSport 3 450 H+…. that’s a lot of coin for no Mark Levinson or pano roof and it’s the top model! Good news is Lexus will be including the ML in the next year of production. However, still no pano roof!
...................You definetly REQUIRE a dog eared Euro or Korean genius crap! Repair NIGHTMARE
Vapourware.
350h the far better choice. $20,000 less plus opportunity cost advantage. It will obviously become the best seller of all NX models when supply improves in a few years.
What part of either variant is considered vapourware to you?
@@TheNovakReport vapourware = availability
@@billyrock8305 Yeah, but that's kind of indicative of the entire industry right now. It's not exclusive to the NX.
350 Not even close as being better...........Simply NOT USING Gas is the BEST you can do and still have the option...to say nothing of the add horse power and Adaptive suspension......Do Your Homework!
@@TheNovakReport No kidding.