wlpncp

Just wondered if anyone looked at the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, BMW X3, or Acura RDX before going with the Lexus RX3250. Edmunds recommended the first three and didn't mention the Lexus. Very strange!

m1964

You can search Audiworld.com for my comparison of Q5 and RX350;

X3 is now built in a new factory in US-reliability is a BIG question, esp. in a long run after warranty ends.
RDX look good, it was not out yet when I bought RX;
After some problems w/ XC90 I am staying away from Volvo, but maybe Chinese guys improved quality control?

carfan1111

its pretty simple:
RDX: 1st gen: its just lacks class, gets horrible gas considering its a 4 banger, but it is fun to drive
the 2nd gen acura doesnt have the SH-AWD in it
Q5: good luck with the reliability: watear pump issues, carbon collectup in engine issues, cracking sunroofs? but really fun to drive
Im not a fan of BMW interiors
volvo xc60 is ok, i just didnt like the silver interior in it

deilenberg

X3 - great truck until the warranty runs out. (I came here from a BMW "Touring" aka - wagon, and still have several BMW's in the garage and have owned BMWs for the past 25 years or so.) Plan on repairs. If you look at reliability charts, the X3 is at one end, and the RX at the other. I'll leave it to you to figure out which end is which. And that difference is a big part of why SWMBO is now driving an RX instead of an X3 (similar equipment, the prices were almost identical when I counted in all the BMW discounts.,) Love how they handle, but just got tired of fixing her car.

Audi - I've just never been real impressed with the driving experience. I've had almost every model they make as loaners when my Porsche has been in for service. I also can't stand the bright red dash and control markings. I've also heard reliability concerns, but that's true now about almost any German made vehicle (ah, how times have changed - when Ford comes in more reliable then BMW.)

Volvo and Acura? Dunno enough, but isn't Volvo shifting through different owners? Owned by who now? Could it go the way of SAAB? Dunno, but would be concerned about that. Acura? The ones I looked at were well built and boring (something the RX is sometimes accused of.)

TomT127

The RDX lacked the cargo room we were looking for. We did take a serious look at the MDX. Nice vehicle but didn't handle near as well as the RX. My wife, who was going to be the principle driver, thought the RX was a little "sportier" and less SUV like.

vlad_a

For me, it was between BMW X5 diesel and Lexus RX 450h. This is a family car, so reliability took precedence over handling. I figured if I'm to spend over $50K on a vehicle, it has to last me a while.

User 41924

I've never looked at Volvo because my brother had bad experiences with reliability on several Volvos (his friend owns a Volvo store, so he kept buying them). He swore that if he didn't get special service (pick up and delivery), he would never own Volvos. However, aren't all of these cars smaller than the RX? To get at least a similar size as the RX, you have to go to the X5, MDX, Q7, and (I assume) the XC90, all of which cost more, and are generally less reliable than a Lexus. The size of the RX is one of it's best features, as far as I'm concerned!

The driving experience is clearly subjective, but the German cars are considered to be more of a "driver's" car than the RX. Having had many "driver's" and "go fast" cars in the past, and I finally realized that you rarely get a chance to appreciate those attributes in day to day driving. It's fun when you can use it, but it seems that 98% of the time you're just going from here to there, and don't actually USE or even notice the handling. You eventually just get used to what you have, and forget to notice what you've paid all that extra money for. I figured there is MUCH more opportunity to appreciate the interior design, materials, and comfort you find in a Lexus. So far, I feel like I made a great decision. I'm currently on my 2nd and 3rd Lexus, and have yet to be disappointed in the handling, and still appreciate the insides. Keep in mind that you're looking at an SUV, where comfort and utility is usually at a premium. Not performance.

Just my opinion.

m1964

a few errors: RDX is now 6-cyl. 3.5L, w/ fuel economy better then Gen 1 (4-cyl. turbo), has most of amenities as standard, but you can't get electrical rear door, and some other fitures you can get in RX

Q5: Audi no longer uses plastic water pumps, and all of those failed within 1 year (ask me how I know that)-so WP is not a problem anymore; carbon build-up looks like a hyped issue-there are only 2-3 posts about carbon build up, I feel it could be caused by using cheap gas...
Q5 is fan to drive, esp. comparing to RX350-it is more fun to drive then CT200 I am driving last 2 days (loaner), which is smaller and lower then Q5.
Lexus vehicles appear to be made for every day drivers, not so much for fun driving...

PS
Audi Quattro is definitely superior to Lexus RX AWD-I clearly felt the difference last time we had some snow...

shaolin

iTrader: (2)

Really like X5M but I am not at that level to afford and to maintain one...so RX it is.

deilenberg

Not necessarily.. my daily driver is a Cayenne.

Surprised me at how similar in size the two are. Lining them up on the driveway, the length is almost identical. Front and rear seat leg-room, about identical. Front seat width - the Cayenne has about 2" more hip room. I suspect the rear seat is similarly a bit more spacious, but there is a center driveshaft hump. Cayenne seats aren't adjustable - plus for the RX.

The outside width looks very close, with the RX perhaps being an inch or two wider (but that may just be the look.. the Porsche front end is more tapered then the Lexus.) Weight - probably close. The Cayenne/S is no lightweight - comes in at around 4,700lbs.

Height looks identical.

Rear/luggage compartment - Cayenne is larger since it isn't sloped as much in the rear. Width is similar, depth is similar. Cayenne rear window opens independently of the tailgate if you want it to. I've never needed it though.

Comfort - tossup. The Cayenne seats are amazingly comfortable. The RX are good, but Porsche does have seat comfort down pat. HVAC - a lot simpler to control on the Cayenne, probably about the same functionality.

Options - either can be equipped with more options then any human could need or understand. The Porsche does come standard with a cooled glovebox (an AC vent goes right into it., and since the normal HVAC setting leaves the AC on year-round, it's always cooled.) The Porsche has more 12V outlets in the rear, and one more in the front then the RX. One-touch, auto-lights, rain-sensing, etc - all about the same.

Porsche navigation is a bit simpler to learn, and isn't disabled at speed.

Fit and finish of the interior? About equal - both have amazing quality. My Cayenne has a patterned aluminum trim package inside, but wood, paint and other metals were available. Also Porsche has a full-leather (dash, doors, every surface you touch or see basically) option, plus Alcantra headliners. Just takes money for those. Porsche interior looks more "function driven" rather then styled as the RX is.

What's considerably different is the driveline. The Porsche has a 4.5L V8 (~350HP, available up to 550HP with dual-turbos) lots of torque, and a very comprehensive full-time 4WD system, with a 32% front/68% rear power distribution. It has locking a front-rear differential, and locking side to side diffs. It will basically go through anything that doesn't lift the tires off the ground. It's also available as a hybrid with 570HP combined, and in Europe as a diesel.

Handling - Porsche has it hands down, at the expense of a slightly firmer (but not harsh) ride. MUCH wider tires (275-55/19's), 1.25" thick anti-roll bars. Double wishbone suspension front and rear. The full-time 4WD with rear-biased power distribution is a joy to those of us who love a rear-wheel drive feel. If you turn off the electo-nanny, you can easily get a nice corner drift going with the Porsche. And it's amazing in snow - especially with dedicated snow tires on it.

Air suspension was a Porsche option, with 4 different height settings. Dunno what the RX offered.

Brakes - the Porsche brakes are in a category of their own. The system is often used as an upgrade on other cars (including BMWs). 6 piston calipers with 390mm disks. It stops RIGHT NOW if needed. The RX one seems good, probably as good as most BMW systems, but I haven't done a full on "lets see how fast it will stop" test yet.

IMHO - The Porsche CPO is better then Lexus'. Porsche one is 100% the standard factory warranty for 2 years after the purchase date or 100k miles on the vehicle. The Lexus one depends on how old the used CPO is - mine is an '11, which means I only get 1 year of real CPO coverage (the normal warranty will cover me to '15) Factory warranty is about the same, Porsche (depending on the dealer somewhat) is remarkably generous in covering things.

Repair prices - points to Porsche actually. I checked list price on some identical parts, Porsche was about 20-25% less expensive then Lexus. Hourly labor rates are about the same in my area. Repair needs - points to Lexus, much less likely IMHO to need expensive repairs, at least for the first 10 years of ownership (which is true comparing it to any German car now.. and Porsche is rated as the most reliable German car.)

Fuel mileage: It's actually fairly easy to get 10-12 MPG on the Cayenne. It's also possible to get up to 20 MPG on a flat road at a constant speed. My usual mileage in it is about 16-18 MPG, we haven't had the RX long enough to know what it will do with my foot on the pedal. I'm hoping the RX does much better then the Cayenne. Both require premium, so no gain there.

Towing capacity - Porsche hands down. Rated for 8,000 lb trailer (with brakes) and no special trailer package needed.

Value - The RX has that in buckets new, a base Cayenne V6 starts at around $60k, and it's possible to spend upward of $125k on one. Great thing for people like me is - a used, nicely equipped Cayenne starts getting down into RX price range within 2-3 years, and a 4 year old CPO, shopped well can be had for less then a Honda. Of course that also means a new Lexus is retaining value much better then most any German car will.

Tossup on used ones. I suggested the Lexus RX to SWMBO since she wanted something that just started and ran whenever she wanted to use it. That hasn't been the case with the German cars I've owned (and that's quite a few of them now.)

Anyway - point is - it's possible to have all 3, comfort, utility AND performance. Just takes money - or being willing to buy a CPO car instead of a new one.

I've compared the Lexus to the attractive girl with a great personality who knows how to cook, clean, and love. The German cars are the hyper-hot girl, who has some quirks, doesn't give a damn about cooking and once in a while causes you real problems. What you chose depends on what you value.

I'm happy - I have both (vehicles). (And a BMW M-Coupe in the garage alongside my BMW motorcycle.. for when I really want to have fun.)

LexBob2

We looked long and hard at RX, RDX, Q5, X3 and GLK. In the end it was down to X3 and Q5 and we went with the Audi for a variety of reasons, mostly just personal preference in several areas. IMO they are all good serviceable vehicles. Initially we figured we'd get an RX but after two Lexus in a row were ready to try something different. No regrets on the Audi so far. My understanding is the carbon buildup issue was on the 3.2 V6 which has been replaced with the 3.0 supercharged V6.

CSSLDR

Hi,
I'm new here. Looking to get an RX F sport. I currently lease an Outback 3.6R Ltd. Before that I leased Two Tribeca's - which were fantastic.
Problem is Subaru falls short on creature comforts. - mainly front passenger power seats.

I'm drawn to the RX for its luxury (best value in it's class) - and also the efficient use of space. However, IMHO Subaru has the best AWD systems.

Here is the question:

All the cars compared in this thread are great - but - would any of these cars have trouble driving through our USA and Canadian winters.?? Has anyone regretted purchasing an RX after driving in the snow.??

vlad_a

A few years go, I owned a brand new manual Outback XT (turbo) for 51 weeks. The car was a blast in the snow. Real AWD with constant 50/50 distribution. In the short time frame I had it, I didn't get a chance to put snow tires on it, but it still performed extremely well.

Do I miss its AWD at times? I sure do. It was absolutely awesome. The RX is part-time AWD and only front wheels drive the vehicle at highway speeds. It is also very front-heavy, which is bad for handling.

Being FWD-biased, If you floor the RX, you have to hold-on to the steering wheel as it fights for torque-steer. In the Subaru, you just floor it and go. Peeling off traffic lights was a hoot. You could turn off the traction control and not notice, as real AWD did its thing keeping the car in line.

However, RX is a well-rounded vehicle. It appeals to the grown-up side of me. It is a cruiser. I call it the couch on wheels. A room to get some rest, if you will. It is still very capable and gets me where I need to go. No traction issues with snow tires.

Would I go back to the Outback as a family car? The answer is no. Love just was not a part of the ownership experience for me. Overall, Lexus is a much more practical choice. No regrets here.

cossie1600

Buy snow tires and you will be all set

CSSLDR

Thanks for the feedback.

If I choose not to use snow tires - how bad is the handling?