rohill

I just bought a 2008 RX 350 with 45,000 miles on it. I have a tendency to get motion sickness and as I was adjusting to the car, I thought I was a bit rough on the brakes and making myself feel sick. However, I realized that the car seemed to be floating down the road (even on flat pavement) given a bouncy feel. The vehicle does not have the electronically modulated air suspension because if it did I would have placed it on the lowest setting for sporty driving. That setting immediately gets rid of that floating motion. Any suggestions on how to get rid of that motion and to make the car more sporty? I have ridden in other RX 350's and they don't have the same feel or effect. It reminds me of a Lincoln Town Car which is not what I am looking for.

RX330inFL

A different set of tires with a stiffer sidewall (you do not state what size or brand tires you have) might help the situation, even a few extra PSI in the current tires might help (what are the current pressures), and of course you will want to have the suspension checked to see if you have any weak or bad struts. However, this is very subjective and the characteristics of your RX are more typical than atypical for what Lexus owners are looking for in their vehicles especially with the RX. The RX is a soft-SUV and is not really meant to be a sport-SUV. Remember, this is just a tall wagon. The new RX F-Sport perhaps leans more to the latter, however, there are some who still complain it is too soft.

Sounds like you might not have thoroughly inspected and test driven this particular vehicle before your purchase.

rohill

Thanks for your feedback. I will check the tires. I actually went with a friend on a road trip for a 700 mile weekend getaway in the same year and model and was fine. She may have had the electronic modulated air suspension to change the way that the SUV rides. I am not sure but this SUV definitely floats down the road as if there is a continuous shock wave. So I will try some of your suggestions, I am just not sure why there is such a difference.

rohill

The other thing that I notice about the RX that I liked was the fact that it didn't drive like a truck, which is what I think you are referring to as "hard". However, I did not expect it to feel like a boat or a large luxury car that floats down the street. It's a very different feel and unfortunately that motion makes me very ill. The other experiences in an RX did not have the same feel.

RX330inFL

The RX is of unibody construction like a car and not body-on-frame like a truck. Why you need to consider it a tall wagon. By soft-SUV I mean that it is not a sports car, rather than meaning truck-like. Here at CL we hear from individuals complaining about the ride and trying to limit body lean, attempting to improve handling by lowering the vehicle, and changing springs and strut packages.

Let us know what brand and size tires you are running as well as what pressures you are running. Can make all the difference as tires need to be considered as part of the suspension since they have a say in how a vehicle rides. Tires are also one of the easiest, and therefore one of the first, things to work with.

The Sports Package with air suspension is rare, however, it would not hurt to ask your friend how her RX is configured. Ask about tire brand and size as well for comparison.

HtownBlue

Your struts are bad. Look for oil on the tower of the strut. I'd bet good money your struts are weak.

Gordonrx

Might be bad struts, I had the same riding like a boat on freeways and like riding a horse on bad city streets. The dealer said my struts need replacing. I had them replaced and the ride is predictable and precise now. It goes where I need it to go without hesitation, especially swerving around objects on the freeway and avoiding ditches and potholes. It tightened up my steering and made it feel more responsive. Actually it drives similar to my 330i.

RX330inFL

Am hoping it is not bad struts for the OP, however, I did not rule that out in my initial post. As they only had 45K miles on their RX it is a bit early for those to have gone bad. Perhaps I am hoping they had a set of cheap 17" tires on this one which would give quite a different ride over the +1 18".

rohill

My tires are P235/55R18 and they are made by Falken (I believe). I am not sure of the PSI yet and will be bringing it into the shop this week. I will let you know what I find out. I am hopeful to hear that some owners experience a firmness when they drive after they have fixed the vehicle.

RX330inFL

Falken... not one we see much on the RX. With them being the 18" they should be giving you a bit firmer ride than the 17". Run them up to 32-35 psi on all wheels if they are not in that range already to see if there is any difference.

More credence to have your struts inspected. Any competent shop you trust.

rohill

It's my tires. The tires aren't typically put on Lexus and is causing the problem. Everything else is fine on the car. Thanks for your suggestions.

RX330inFL

You never came back to say which model Falken you had installed, but that very well may be the case. They are a cheap tire, though far from the cheapest. Might guess they were thrown on your RX by the previous owner or the dealership just to get a set on there. Goes to prove what a bad set of tires can do for ride quality.

Be sure to come back should you decide to replace these tires. Plenty of existing information from owners on their tire selection experiences.