Dolphin

Any Insights on what will differ with the supposed "F" sport version of the RX?
TYIA

jtrue28

Outside of this forum there is no market for that. 95% of the people who drive RXs don't want that stuff and certainly wouldn't pay extra for it.

Dolphin

I am curious what "that stuff" actually is?

tbrx350

I disagree with jtrue28 - I do think there is a market for it. With BMW and MB prices going thru the roof, Lexus would be a great alternative if it was 'sported up' so to speak.

MX5NES350

Nothing concrete except the photoshopped exterior maybe on youtube. Anything "Sport" usually implies a suspension and wheel upgrade (above and beyond the available package), interior accents, usually a sound system upgrade, some extra plastic trim on the outside, and "Sport" or "F" badging. All this neat-o-mosquito stuff commands a premium.

Dolphin

Thx MX....
I figured it would follow somewhat in line with the other GS Sport, which is quite nice....

I am one of the suckers that usually fall for these superficial upgrades....

btw, what is typical Lexus release dates of the of the next years cars? Spring?

Dealer advised me they will have new 13 GX in a few weeks, is this possible?

MX5NES350

Manufacturers stagger their model releases - makes for better sales. It's possible the new one will be out in a couple months since I believe that's around the time they have been updating that line. The 2012 RX was only released in the late Fall of 2011 and the ct200h hit early Summer. The new GS is slated for the end of this month according to the debut invitation I got from my dealer.

Dolphin

> The 2012 RX was only released in the late Fall of 2011


Good info, thx.... so based on this, it would make sense the 13 RX would be closer to mid to late summer release, surely not a spring release, as the 12 would have too short of a "sell cycle"... would you agree with this assessment?

Also, I priced out a loaded RX350, about $60k... what is typical buy price?

I heard the new GX being released in a month will a 14, not a 13.... ?

Dolphin

I also read somewhere on the web the RX 13 will have a 7 speed trannie. That will prob. improve fuel economy a bit. Has anyone else heard this? Benz seems to have perfected this, and its incredibly smooth

hypervish

I'd be surprised if Lexus, released an F-sport edition. The RX isn't supposed to be sporty. I would love to own an F-sport but I don't think that's Lexus's main goal. As of now, I think they are trying to prove that they are on the right path with the re-designs, especially after all of the media coverage Toyota has been experiencing the past few years.

kitlz

Why not an F-sport RX? Lexus had the performance package on the 2nd gen and now has the sport package on the 3rd gen which is basically a stripped down version of the PP. I'd love to have more features than a different suspension and special tires on the 450h. Air suspension not so much. I didn't use it on my 330 with PP.

DunWkg

I'm leaning towards jtrue's side of the fence in this discussion. I'm not sure, but is the sport package available any more or was it discontinued in 2011? Perhaps indicating a lack of interest.

Do you proponents see the "F" in both the 350 and 450? A fully loaded 450 and then "F" might be too expensive for most folks buying an entry level luxury car.

Evitzee

Lexus is always accused of building sloppy feeling vehicles compared to MB and BMW, so there is a market for a better handling vehicle. The RX is not very engaging from a driving standpoint but it suits the vast majority of owners, but there is a market for a tighter handling, more controlled ride and Lexus can't afford to give up on that market. They lost the crown of best selling luxury brand in the US last year so they can't afford to sit by as MB, BMW and Audi start to encroach on their core market.

Cruiter

Uhh, I don't think we're considered 'entry' level as far as either model of the RX goes. We're in the same class as Cadillac and Lincoln and outselling both of those by very large margins. Same with BMW and M/B. I'd consider the RX as the pinnical of the mid-size lux SUV market.

DunWkg

Jim, perhaps I phrased that wrong. More like this article states:

http://www.jdpower.com/autos/Lexus/RX/2010/SUV/

List from Yahoo:
Entry level luxury SUV's all with a starting price above $35,000.*
- RX350/450
- BMW X3
- Infiniti EX35,*
- Audi Q5*
- Mercedes GLK
-*Porsche Cayenne*