navilexus

Any one know if Lexus making Backup Sensor for RX350? I know some of Lexus Sedan has it, why not on RX? I am more favor of Backup Sensor over Rear Backup Camera. It is a FishEye Camera very hard to tell the distance. Sometime an object not even close to the rear of the car, it look more like an object right behind it.

Fisheye Camera useless......I will replace it if there any backup sensor available.

32kcolors

Why don't you get an universal backup sensor system and use it in conjunction with the fisheye camera?

tfischer

The "fisheye" lense takes about a week to get used to, and the wide angle is necessary or you will not be able to see things at the corners. Since you can see the bumper itself at the bottom of the screen, it is pretty easy to see exectly how far away you are from the object (wall, car, kid on bike) behind you.

Far from "useless," it's one of the most helpful and most popular accessories available, and many owners of cars with NAV screens but no cameras are going to great lengths to retrofit their cars to add the camera -- see the SC430 forum, for example, for many discussions of this.

If you want to add radar beeps, which are far less precise, those add-on kits are readily available and would work in tandem with the camera, but my guess is that when the radar beeps start to get rapid, your reaction will be to look at the screen to see what is behind you.

DakotaRX

When we bought our RX330 Thundercloud we actually waited about 3 weeks for ours to be delivered with the NAV and camera package (dealer already had it on order for inventory) over an almost identical one on the dealer's lot. We wanted the NAV but the big deciding factor was the camera. Yes, you have to have a "fish-eye" else you wouldn't see the bumper or the 180 deg. view of your "backside" as tfisher said. It doesn't take long to get used to it. If you still want to get the "radar unit" please check out earlier issues of Consummer Report. They have done testing on them and found most to be useless to so-so. I think they found 1 that worked reasonably well but still was marginal. During testing some actually missed objects within a couple feet of the bumper. The camera doesn't! Really think you should just give it a little time to adjust to viewing it. After a few weeks or so I think you will appreciate what the camera really does pick up and how to judge the distance.

DocTDC

Actually, the camera is great. It took us about 5 minutes to test actual distances (by putting one person behind the car, the other looking at the screen) before we had all the distances figured out.

I have two relatives with backup sensors, one on a 740 BMW and one on a Honda Pilot (which continually needed adjusting or cleaning due to dirt or water screwing them up) and both relatives eventually turned off their sensors. The sensors were annoying an inaccurate. They beep at the side of the garage, the side of the curb and everything else. Our relatives found them so useless they actually turned them off.

Before you spend extra money on a beeper system, go back to the dealer and test/play with the camera. It really does work well.

DocTDC

tfischer

After all, what are you going to believe: accurate radar bounces or your lying eyes?

USLEX

I have the fisheye cam too with my Nav. I also have it on my Sienna. In the Sienna, the camera is awesome and is priceless for parallel parking. I find the RX camera to not be as good since it does not allow me to see the whole rear bumper like my Sienna.

thouwlin

I agree the 2013 RX 350 Camera is useless for two reasons. 1. 1/4 of the screen is bumper and 1/4 of the screen is messages. This is the first vehicle I've owned that puts overlay messages on the screen while in reverse. I'm backing up, I do not need to know that my phone connect and that my info transfer or that XM is not available. The remaining screen is black asphalt.

pauljcl

You can add aftermarket sensors at a very reasonable price (<$200) in addition to your camera. They work really well. Go to a car radio shop: they have different kinds available.