Browninggo

Love our F-Sport RX....why all the hate? Handles very well around the corners. I for one enjoy the stiffer ride. Paddle shifters are a "hoot" also. Coming from a 09 RX350. This 14 F Sport is better IMO on snowy roads also. Looks and drives sharp. Enough said.

vlad_a

It's not hate, but criticism of the RX being based on the FWD platform. Toyota could have used the GS platform instead of Camry, but they didn't. Hence why it doesn't handle well. Most of the weight is in the front and the primary driving wheels are there as well. Most people will not care or will not know any better, so they do sell like hotcakes, in a typical Toyota fashion (I bought one as well).

A well-handling vehicle will have most of its weight closer to the center, with the distribution as close to 50/50 as possible. Add RWD bias to it, and the throttle will help the car turn. It becomes a very different animal. That's why so many sport cars are RWD.

SW17LS

Absolutely not hate, the RX is a great vehicle. It just is not comparable to a Cayenne, X5, etc etc. The RX is the best selling vehicle in the segment by a wide, wide margin...but its not an enthusiast vehicle. Its like the ES, and hey I had two ES's. They are the type of vehicle you buy to haul your 2.5 children and dog around to Grandmas house in comfort and style. They are not for those who worry about enjoying driving.

My issue with the F Sport is IMHO it spoils what the RX is good at, which is family hauling comfort, without there being a payoff when it comes to better handling. It may feel tauter, but just hit an offramp with some speed and see what happens. Then do the same in an X5, Cayenne or Q5. HUGE difference. It would be like saying an ES F Sport (if one existed) was in the same league as a Porsche Panamera...or even a 5 Series or GS. It never will be just because of the type of vehicle it is.

rayaans

Its not even THAT firm though. Thats like saying the Cayenne is a comfortable car LOL. The Cayenne is better round corners, no one is saying thats not true. However, the RX F Sport is by no means a poor handling vehicle and owners of the RX F Sport will agree with me on this one.

SW17LS

If you are saying that its safe to drive on the road, predictable for people to control in everyday driving then no, its not a poor handling vehicle. But, by any enthusiast's definition of a "good handling vehicle" the RX F Sport is a "poor handling vehicle" yes. like the ES or any other FWD softly sprung car with a loose flexing chassis. All you have to do is come off a highway and get into a cloverleaf offramp with some speed and the RX's warts as far as spirited handling slap you straight in the face.

Hence why a handling package that degrades ride comfort makes no sense. No handling package can make up for the FWD architecture, the near 65% front weight bias, the loose flexing chassis and body.

I found the Cayenne quite comfortable. There are a myriad of different suspension/wheel setups that allow different types of combinations of handling prowess and driving feel. Even a 911 is a pretty comfortable car, very drivable every day.

In fact, I liked the way the Cayenne drove and rode in everyday driving better than an RX F Sport which I felt rode quite poorly. The regular RX rides great.

oohpapi44

iTrader: (1)

Don't think you've said anything in this thread that I can find a large degree of difference with. Props.

nabbun

How would the F-Sport ride on tracks? jajajajaja

ngerstman

I agree with your sentiments. The regular rx is great for what it is and why I bought one. It is not a Cayenne or a bmw x5. They are definitely built to be sport suv's with higher performance and much better balance and way stiffer chassis. They also cost an arm and a leg more when similarly equipped. They will also no doubt spend way more time in the shop!! I had an x5 rental on vacation a few month ago and it was great. Firmer ride than the rx but not crazy and definitely quality. Quick and fun to drive. But for driving on the NJ roads and wanting a comfortable, quiet, reliable, functional, great value proposition suv, I'll take the standard rx!! I don't mean or want to disparage the F Sport owners. The firmer suspension no doubt works better on great roads versus the regular rx but how often does one drive on impecable road? Thanks. Regards. Ned.

kitlz

No hate here either. I like the F-Sport. I'd get one if it was available on the 450h in the US. I'm not used to shifting. And I prefer the firmer ride and steering too.

rayaans

Steve Hammes also agrees with you

TBH this guy knows what hes talking about -

dknn

Last year I was cross shopping the RX 350 F Sport, RX450h, JX35, and Cayenne. In the end it came down between the hybrid and the Cayenne. I was very close to pulling the trigger on the hybrid, but the dealer pissed me off and that just steered me towards the Cayenne. I was coming from a 2011 Highlander Limited

I ended up purchasing a base model (V6)Cayenne. The sticker price was 20k more than the RX450h. Options quickly add up on the Porsche. The 21" inch upgraded wheel package was 6k. Fortunately, I was to get a great discount on the Porsche which is not very common. I'm not sure if the market conditions are the same as they are now, but many V6 Cayennes were being exported to China. The dealer was very clear in asking me if I had any intentions on exporting the vehicle.

I also got a Porsche Warranty that will extend coverage for 6 years/100k miles. Porsche doesn't sell factory extended warranties so you have to negotiate with the dealer to CPO the vehicle and then it falls under the CPO warranty.

The ride is on the firm side (probably due to the tires) and the engine is not as smooth as in the Lexus. It is not harsh, but you can feel some vibrations at idle. You can definitely tell the Cayenne competes in a different category as the Lexus. The interior has higher quality material and the build quality is pretty good. At first glance, the amount of buttons might seem overwhelming but it all makes sense. A majority of the buttons is for the climate control. You can also have the ventilated seats and heated seats on at the same time. Another major advantage is that you can program the navigation while in motion. The most annoying issue I have, is that you cannot close the power lift gate from the inside or via the remote. You have to physically push the button on the hatch.

Another advantage of the Cayenne is the all wheel drive system. It is more robust than the Lexus and can actually taken off road.

Service at my Porsche dealer has been great. They provide me with Porsche loaner cars while it is in for service. I've only had an oil change ($200 dollars) and received a Boxster as a loan.

viperdoc

I was also on the fence regarding the cayenne vs the f sport. I looked at the BMW but wasn't crazy about the interior styling and my dad has regretted his BMW purchase after the first year of owning it (for many reasons). I test drove the q7, and thought it was very rough riding- much more than the f sport. Really fell in love with the cayenne. But as others have said, I couldn't bring myself to spend an extra $20K for an equally equipped car compared to the lexus.

It surprises me that some bring up the Infiniti fx because I test drove it for a day (the dealer was really nice), and thought it was the firmest riding of The bunch. Even my wife couldn't stand it, and she typically doesn't care or notice those things. Visibility was horrible as well.

Not sure if this is an accurate representation of anything, but I called an aftermarket extended warranty company to get quotes for both the lexus and Porsche, and t he quotes were remarkably different ( the Porsche was much higher). After I decided to go with the lexus, the guy said that for his perspective I made the right choice. Obviously he was looking at it from a repair standpoint, but I thought that was important.

Lastly, while some people really don't like the suspension, I like it a lot, I test drove the f sport and non f sport back to back and could tell a little bit of a difference, but not earth shattering. But the slight increase in stiffness made it ride much more securely. I also loved the 8 speed tranny. I could tell a bid difference between it and the 6 speed.

But with all that being said, in a few years when loans are paid off, a cayenne will probably be in my future. That car is in a class by itself.

JDR76

Out of honest curiosity, what was the difference you felt. I keep reading in the reviews (Car and Driver, Edmonds, Motor Trend) that the F Sport is actually .1 to .2 second slower to 60 than the non F Sport. Is it just that the 8 speed is smoother?

SW17LS

Even he pans the ride. 2:13 in: he said exactly what I felt, and every other reviewer has felt: "If you're sensitive to a decidedly firmer ride quality, which is really pronounced, and an exponential increase in road noise, particularly on the highway then this RX isn't for you"

These YouTube reviewers don't hold a lot of stock with me. All you need is a YouTube channel and a camera and all of a sudden you're a professional automotive journalist? Google the guy, he has no background.

Anyways, thats my issue with the F Sport. It ruins the ride and comfort of the RX, which is the whole purpose of the vehicle for little payoff. The vehicle still has 65% of its weight in the front (listen to the front of it screech when he turns into the driveway at 0:32, thats front end ploy oversteer because its FWD and so front heavy) It might be firmer giving the illusion that it handles better, but it doesn't really. Like I said, it looks great...but I'd buy the regular RX personally. Perhaps I'd swap the bumper.

kitlz

Well, Holt2008 is looking for something other than the regular RX though I do think there is a difference between generations to maybe consider it. Otherwise it's back to the F-Sport or even possibly the 450h.