SarahSonya

This is new first Lexus purchase! (I had a Toyota Scion Tc previously) and cant decided between two different Rx350, I want something reliable and not crazy expensive to upkeep (Im in my late 20s)

'09 upgraded pebble beach edition w/ nav 55,00 miles $18000 ($17000 after negotiation)

Or

'10 w/ navigation 84,000 miles $20500 ($19,75 after negotiation)

Both well maintained, no accidents 1-2 local owners both available through Hendricks motor group w/ limited extended warranty to 100000. Both darker grey colors with tan/light grey interiors

*note they just replaced the wheel rack and put warranty on those parts for the '09 (I know this can be a issue for second generation rxs)

Clutchless

The 10 is a totally different vehicle and the first year of the redesign. However, with a used car, the carfax and maintenance history are most important. The 9 will ride softer and is the last year of that model. Have you driven both as they are so different. In your situation, the 9 with lower miles and a lower price sounds like the better deal. Get the 9 and have them do a transmission fluid flush as part of the deal.

If you go to this Lexus official web site and register as the owner of each car, you can enter the VIN to see what service has been done at the Lexus dealer. I do this when shopping for a used Lexus and I have bought most of mine used.
http://drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/home

kitlz

Clutchless brings up many good points. They are two different vehicles. Some things to add, check the build date on the '10. Pre August 2009 builds have a sunglass holder. Lexus added the button for Safety Connect in its place along with Enform. That's one feature the '09 doesn't have. But I wouldn't rule it out. The lower mileage and being the Pebble Beach edition are definitely appealing. The slightly smaller size might also be more comfortable coming from a car. Good luck.

roadbike56

Sarah,
We purchased an 09 Pebble Beach 2 years ago. They are pretty much bullet proof cars. However, here are two things to look for. You already mentioned #1, the steering rack so that's been addressed on yours. #2, Some 09's or 10's have an oil cooler. On both of these years, the oil cooler is connected via rubber hoses. These are a sore point because as they age they can break down, cause a massive oil leak that could result in engine failure. There are threads on this issue. There is a fix from Lexus and a tsb, but unless your rubber hoses are leaking, they won't fix it under warranty. When they're leaking, you don't have long before failure. Don't want to stop you from buying one of these cars because they are actually great cars, but they do have this one flaw.
Our 09 now has 75K on the clock without any repairs during the 2 years we've owned it. I will probably go ahead and replace the rubber hoses on the oil cooler on mine with the all metal replacement and just pay for it for peace of mind. BTW, we did not purchase an extended warranty. IMHO on a Lexus, it's a waste of money. If Hendricks if giving you a warranty, that's great.
As for which one to buy, if you want the newer body then the '10 is the way to go. If you want to save some money and get a lower mileage car, go with the 09. Between those two, I'd go with the lower mileage, lower priced 09, but that's me.

SarahSonya

Biggest thing I'm looking for is reliability and maintenance/ upkeep cost since this will be my first car completely on my own. I'm involved in Real Estate and Property management so do on occasion need room for clients and to haul furniture and artwork for owners renovating.
I loved the inside of the 2010 and how it looked like the newer models on the road, but a actually preferred the outside of the 2009. The 2009 will come with a powertrain warranty for 3 years as well. The 2009 and 2010 are both in pretty much perfect condition, no parts/ pieces missing.

A 2009 Acura RDX with 70000 miles ($15000) is also an option.... If anyone has knowledge on those

No kids but do have a fiancé and a 1 year old female golden retriever (so cream/ beige interior is a must We typically use my car to go on trips in, since he has a large gas guzzler SUV.

kitlz

Sarah, the RX has been extremely reliable. Check out this thread from a member who purchased an RX330 with 220k miles. Another member, Sandi, probably has close to 200k miles on her '10 by now. You can read about the maintenance she's done here, Those are just a few examples. It might come down to which one you feel more comfortable with.

F250

One additional potential upcoming maintenance note... the '09 has a timing belt which will need to be replaced somewhere around 100K miles (brand-to-brand change point varies... some are earlier, some are a little later than 100K miles). The '10 is when Lexus did away with the timing belt and started using a metal chain in its place... more reliable, and likely not ever needing to be changed.

I'm not sure about Lexus pricing, but typical timing belt changes run in the neighborhood of $400-$700 when done by a shop. If you can do it yourself (or have a knowledgeable friend or family member do it for you), the parts typically run in the $150-$275 range depending upon whether or not you include the water pump in the same maintenance effort.

Just one more point to ponder.

hypervish

The 2009 has a timing chain as it has the 3.5L 2GR-FE engine same as found in the 2010. You are thinking about the older 2nd gen RX, 2004-2006 which had the 3.3L 3MZ-FE which had a timing belt.

F250

Gotcha... I was thinking it was the 2010 model year as opposed to the engine change in '07. Thanks for the clarification.

offroad200

Another thing to consider is the navigation system. It's much easier to operate in the 2010 (Gen 6) than in the 2009 (Gen 5). If you have an iPhone you won't be able to transfer your contacts to the 2009 but you can in the 2010. The 2010 already has XM satellite radio built in (if that's important to you). The 2010 also has a USB port to play music through your iPhone or iPod.