tsmith167

Hey guys, I could use some help deciding between these 2 vehicles. I am a 49 year old male with no children in the house ( just me and the wife ).

I am currently driving a 2013 GS F-Sport. I am planning on keeping whichever vehicle I get for 3-4 years and then if I like the major redesign of the GS my next car will probably be that.

If any of you have both in your family, I would be interested in your thoughts especially. I like the fact that the RX doesn't require premium fuel, but am slightly concerned that the RX is seen as a soccer mom car (maybe not the f-sport though )

If I get the GS though, it will be 7-8 years in the same body style and a change might be nice. Both vehicles sticker for around 60k but I expect the resale to be better on the RX.

If it sounds like I am leaning on the RX, maybe it is because I am, but I really could go in either direction and your input would be helpful.

I have posted this in the GS forum as well so that I can get the perspective of GS owners as well as I am sure each forum will have different perspectives and advice.

Thanks

aznkorboi

Honestly, I was thinking the same thing. I'm 30 and have no kids. Don't plan on having any. I have a dog and a wife. My previous car was a 2 door coupe. I wanted the RX F SPORT because it's a much larger vehicle. It's higher up, it can do more, and hold more. Costco trips are easy. I can move things around, the dog has plenty of space in the trunk. I got the F sport because I wanted a manly masculine vehicle. Got the triple beam LED's and I love the car.

I wanted the GS because it's roomy, 4 doors, and tons of power. However, how am I going to get a giant dog in there? What about my costco trips with paper towels, etc? What if I need to buy big things and move stuff? I'm 6'3 and I hated having to lower myself to get into a car.

I found that the RX is the most practical. In 5-10 years if I want that extra power, I'll for sure get a nice fast car however at this time, the GS wasn't a practical purchase. I also love the room.

tsmith167

I will get triple beam on either vehicle I go with. Did you get Mark Levinson or HUD?

aznkorboi

Yes. Fully loaded. HUD, Mark Levinson, everything.

I had amazing sound on my coupe so I was at first disappointed with the ML system on the RX. However, after the sub broke in and I brought the sound behind me a little, the sound is amazing.

NealKBrown

I was very interested in the GS as well. I think it is a better car overall. But I wanted the SUV for all the reasons cited above. I think the RX is a good compromise.

tsmith167

Any opinion on the HUD?

aznkorboi

Get it. At first I didn't use it much.

But now, it's super useful. It shows the lane keep assist lanes all the time that way I don't have to always look down. Also shows a compass if I need. It also shows the tachymeter and speed. I love the fact that if the safety feature ever kicks in for the "BRAKE", it shows up in giant RED letters on the HUD and that ALWAYS catches my eye. ALso, if you use the system nav it looks awesome.

I think it's worth the price. You can skip the touch free power door if you want. I use it here and there but it's not that difficult to use your hand or remote to open.

TontoG

I was in your situation few months ago. I initially set out to get the GS and almost bought it until I saw a white RX350 F Sport on the road one day. Then I researched it and pulled the trigger on a fully loaded F Sport. After 3000 miles, I have no regrets. I am so glad I went with the RX. When I sit in the 2016 RX, the cockpit especially the shifter does not make me feel like I'm sitting in a minivan like the shifter/cockpit from previous model. I also like the F Sport tachometer/speedometer. Get the ML and the HUD, you won't regret it. The triple beam was a must for me also.

JT4

OP I'm not trying to turn this into a lease vs. buy thread but I thought this may be a good option for you.

IMO it seems to me that while you like the GS you're simply looking for something different, which I completely understand.

So why not lease an RX F Sport for 36 months. This way if you like it you can purchase it off lease and keep it, or simply turn it in at lease end and get another GS or something else.

JDR76

I love my GS but I would get an RX just to try something different. The RX is a great vehicle.

tsmith167

I'm leaning heavily towards the RX. Going in this week to look at models with Mark Levinson and HUD. Those are the main options I'm not sure about. They only have 1 f-sport on the lot, but I'm sure I can find some non f-sports for the comparisons. I will test drive while there also. Does the F-Sport ride way differently than the non F-Sport. I don't think they have any models with the panoramic view Blind Spot Monitor but will be looking for that as well. Does anyone here have that? Looks like a 800 upgrade over the standard blind spot monitor.

JT4

I know that with our 15 F Sport there was a big difference when compared to the regular RX, the ride was much firmer. I'm not too sure how much they differ on the 4RX models, but IMO if you're planning to buy an F Sport, you need to test drive the F Sport over all types of roads to make sure you will be happy with it.

Good Luck..

GoHuskers

I didn't buy an RX last month when I was car shopping (Sorry to me wife but you have to drive your GX little longer) just because I wanted F-Sport with Triple LED lights and they have nothing in stores or in transit (can't wait for months to order it). I have driven both regular 350, F-Sport 350, and 450h

- Regular 350 - meh...drives better than my Gen 3 but nothing excites
- 450h - feels heavy and slow...may be because it is brandnew...I didn't want to put down $60 large and compromised on options
- 350 F-Sport (no Triple LED, no panorama Parking sensors, no Hud) is nice, very engaging - well nothing compares to the GS F-Sport but it the the BEST of the RX line.

kitlz

tsmith167, the 4RX F-Sport has Adaptive Variable Suspension and 25 more HP. So it's a bit different than the 3RX F-Sport and the 4RX on the AVS part. VDIM is also standard on the F-Sport. I've driven the '13 RX350 F-Sport and the '16 RX350 F-Sport. However, that was a few years apart. But coming from a '10 RX450h with the sport package (sport suspension), I'd say the 16 RX450h F-Sport ride is more refined. Body roll is virtually non-existent. With the different modes, it can be tuned to different driving styles. I keep it on eco since there's more than enough power IMO. Just to point out, the 450h has a few more HPs than the 350. I haven't tried the paddle shifters on the steering wheel yet. The front seats are conforming. That might be a negative for some. Otherwise it's roomy for passengers and cargo. The best thing to do is check it our for yourself. Hopefully the dealer has an RX F-Sport with most of the options you want. They're hard to come by. Good luck.

aznkorboi

Yes! You have to get the pano view monitor. I use it everyday, best investment EVER.