Black Lexus NX Rental in Los Angeles

Black is what makes the NX's face work. Lexus draws an enormous spindle grille across the whole nose, and in a light colour it dominates the car; in black the grille, the surround and the lower intakes merge into one dark mass and the shape reads as sculpted rather than as a big mouth.

It is the version that looks most expensive for the money, which on a compact SUV at this rate is worth having. A black NX at a restaurant valet or a hotel forecourt is completely at home, and it holds low warm light well after sunset. The trade is the usual one — a hotter cabin after an afternoon in the sun and dust that shows within a day, which is why it goes out pre-cooled and hand-detailed.

The NX is the Lexus that competes with the German compact SUVs and wins on the things nobody puts in an advert. It is the quietest car at this price in the fleet, the interior is screwed together to a standard the class does not otherwise reach, and the whole experience is built around removing irritation rather than adding excitement.

It is a genuinely comfortable long-distance car for its size — the seats are supportive over three hours, the ride is soft without wallowing, and the hybrid drivetrain runs silently at parking speed and returns economy that makes a week of Los Angeles traffic cost very little. Five seats, a square boot, and a driving position high enough to see.

Honest hook: it is not a driver's car and does not claim to be. If you want a compact SUV that enjoys a canyon road, the Porsche Macan and the BMW X3 in the fleet are the ones to ask about.