Despite living in Nashville since September 11, 2005, I had never been to the iconic Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge.
Fortunately, I was invited by Lexus to test drive their upcoming NX to it; serving as a perfect, and not to mention, beautiful, test drive.
Seeing the bridge in person somehow made me think of the setting of The Hunger Games…
I enjoyed walking the trail leading underneath the bridge. My co-driver Jason Muxlow of Automotive Trends thought he lost me there for a minute after I disappeared while he was taking pictures of the NX as we were stopped at the scenic view parking lot.
As far as driving the Lexus NX for the test drive, the very first word that came to mind was “effortless”. I had nearly driven all the way back to the Union Station Hotel before thinking to myself, “Oh yeah, I’m driving a Lexus NX right now, and I have been for the past 30 minutes. Soak this in right now; this is a big deal.”
I mean that as a good thing. It’s like when I hear a good classic song, like “1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins, for example. It takes me to a different place for a few minutes and it’s not until the song ends that I realize that escape itself is proof that I love it.
In case you’re wondering, the NX is a small sport-utilility vehicle, but it looks and feels like a sports-car.
Obviously, the folks at Lexus make sure their vehicles provide a certain kind of experience. For me, and I have reviewed many Lexus vehicles by now, there’s this quiet, subtle power that comes with the experience of driving one.
I’m not the kind of guy who likes huge, loud, obnoxious, attention-stealing vehicles. Granted, every time I review a Lexus, I see people turning their heads and then trying to pretend they’re not once they see me catching them.
Something that I particularly appreciated about the Lexus NX is its size. I like that it feels lower to the ground, handles perfectly, and has the right amount of power.
Usually I would close with some official stats on the car, but since the NX is still just a prototype, I can only give estimates.
According my notes taken during the “True Grit, Pure Grace” Lexus NX Press Premiere, the estimated cost of the vehicle will be “less than $40K.”
The targeted demographic is “men and women in their 30s and 40s who are single or married with young kids, having a combined household income of $130K.”
Estimated gas milage will be 22 city, 28 highway, and 24 average.
For the hybrid version, it will be 31 city, 35 highway, and 33 average.
Some other features of the 2015 Lexus NX include the following:
-All new 2.0-liter, 235 horsepower turbocharged gasoline engine with a combination water-cooled cylinder head, integrated exhaust manifold and twin scroll turbocharger.
-All new six-speed automatic transmission networks with turbo engine and torque to demand ideal level of boost pressure for quick response for quick-response performance and fuel economy.
-G-Force Artificial Intelligence (G-AI) system automatically selects optimum gear and downshift pattern in response to G-Force.
-Pre-loaded front differential (and yaw rate feedback control on proactive all-weather AWD versions) to ensure optimum grip, control, and agility.
-Wireless Charging Tray for compatible phones and devices.
-Lexus Remote Touch Interface (RTI) with a touch pad and comprehensive Multi-information Display that features a G-Force meter and boost gauge.
I would also normally tell what my 3 year-old Jack said about the vehicle, but since he was at daycare while I did the test drive, he was unavailable for an interview.
All I know is that he’s looking forward to me officially reviewing it once it’s available to the general public sometime around November 2014.
That’s it for today! Thanks for reading my review/preview.
If you’ve enjoyed reading about the Lexus NX today…
And there’s plenty more where those came from…
I now invite you to view the Lexus NX Press Release Flickr page, as well as the completely library of posts I’ve published on the 2015 Lexus RX:
The “True Grit, Pure Grace” Lexus NX Press Preview In Nashville, TN
2015 Lexus NX Review/Preview Across The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge
Vegan Review Of The Farm House In Downtown Nashville
2015 Lexus NX 200t: 10 Professional Photos
2015 Lexus NX 300h: 11 Professional Photos
2015 Lexus NX 200t F Sport: 13 Professional Photos
Luxury Package of 2015 Lexus NX 200t F Sport: 7 Professional Photos
Thanks for stopping by. Be on the look-out for more of my reviews on the Lexus/Toyota/Scion family!
Family Friendly Daddy Blog 