LexusPia

We've been in the market for an SUV for several years and test drove the current RX300 on a number of occasion as well as the BMW X5, Volvo XC and MB ML class but felt the RX300 was the "best" available based on comfort, refinement and reliability. However what held my wife back from buying the current RX300 is because of the following negative areas: 1) higher climb-in and step-down height as compared to her current ES300 and the fact that due to her work, she has to wear a dress often thus this increase height poses a nuisance for her, 2) both of us felt the engine power is a tad marginal and it can use a little boost and 3) my wife feels the trunk depth (fore and aft space behind the rear seat with seat back up) is somewhat shallow as compared to the Highlander.

When we got wind last year from preliminary reports of a redesigned RX with increased power and air suspension with auto kneel feature to lower step-in or step-out height, my wife said this new RX is the one. We went to Chicago Car Show and the Lexus factory rep further raved about this auto kneel feature of the air suspension system plus increase storage space further convinced my wife this new RX330 is the one she'll buy.

Our local dealer just got 3 new RX330 AWD in and we went in for a test drive with the full intention of either buying one right there or ordering one with the features she wants (we had never seen the inside before). The rep arranged a back-to-back drive for us with a 2003 RX300 AWD as well so we can have a good comparison. After spending a good hour test driving the new RX330 (we both took turns driving it), we both came to the conclusion that the new RX is not what we thought it would be and the hype we heard previously was simply just hype. We are including areas that we consider major disappointments we found on this new RX330 below as well as some of the comments we heard from other customers in the showroom.

1) No Air suspension: Our rep dropped the bomb on us when we were told that Lexus decided not to offer the air suspension option at all on the new RX330 the last minute. The sales manager confirmed this and he was quite disappointed with this Lexus decision. He said several customers have already canceled their orders because of this decision. To say that my wife is disappointed is an understatement since this is the most important feature she's after.

2) No Lexus Link (similar to OnStar): The Lexus Link was another option that my wife wanted and it was promised by Lexus to be included free for the 1st year on the new RX330 but decided the last minute to drop this option entirely.

3) Seat cushion designed for tall drivers: My wife is 5'4" and has had no problem with any of the Lexus sedans, coupes and the current RX300. Well, apparently Lexus has now lengthened the seat cushion from the current design and anyone who's say 5'5" or shorter or people with short legs may run into this problem, i.e. the front of the seat cushion now actually runs right into the back of the knee thus making it quite uncomfortable for shorter drivers. The rep said a number of the female drivers have complained about this and the dealer has raised this concern with Lexus. My wife tried for about 10 minutes adjusting the seat cushion but never could find a comfortable position. She has no problem with the seat on the old RX300.

4) High engine noise: Lexus is renowned for its quiet ride and low engine noise even during heavy acceleration but they must've left out the insulation on the RX330. During high acceleration, the engine noise from the RX330 is astonishingly high as compared to any of the Lexus we have ever driven including the old RX300. The rep said a number of people have noticed it and complained about it. This is really surprising to us long time Lexus owners (and to the dealer) because this high engine noise is so unLexus like.

5) 5-spd auto transmission sucks: During our road test when it is in the "D" mode even during nomal driving and cruising, it keeps shifting from 5th to 4th then to 5th then back to 4th, ..... quite often which is really a nuisance (I believe one of the auto magazines also wrote about this problem). The only time this problem disappears is if we put the drive in "4" thus eliminating the 5th gear. If you do that, then your gas mileage is not going to be good (probably like the old RX300). Also, my wife simply hates the "zig-zag" feature on the shifter (similar to the GS with the e-shift feature) because it makes shifting to "D" more complicated than necessary especially compared to the simple shift found on the old RX300. The rep said a number of the female drivers have complained about this feature.

6) Why a roof antenna? Apparently this is something new on the RX330 that a short (maybe 6 or 7 inches) antenna is mounted on the rear of the roof close to the roof rack. This design is similar to what you see on the IS300. One customer who really ripped Lexus for having this antenna in the roof has a good point because the antenna gets in the way if you put anything flat (e.g. 4x6 or 4x8 sheet) on the roof rack.

7) Roof rack is now virtually "standard": Even if you don't want roof rack, it'll be very likely you'll get one anyway because all the factory option packages except the "Multipanel moonroof" package include roof rack with rails. Since 99% of new RX330 come with one of these factory options and only a few with this multipanel moonroof option, you'll get the roof rack whether you like it or not.

8) Brushed aluminum control panel looks out of place: When the rest of the interior is richly decorated with fine leather and highly polished wood, this brushed aluminum panel is totally out of place. Why didn't Lexus extend the rich wood up to form this panel is beyond us and the dealer? The dealer admitted that quite a few people complained about this brushed aluminim look. Looks like Lexus tried to blend some of the IS300 high tech interior design into this RX330 but failed miserably.

9) Engine power: The 10 extra HP seems to offer a slight improvement during high acceleration as compared to the old RX300 but with the sacrifice of higher engine noise. At normal city driving with normal acceleration, we can't detect any difference.

10) Huge gap out of place: There's a big gap between the grill and the top of the front bumper which looks terrible. It doesn't look that obvious with dark color but light color really makes that gap stand out. The dealer can't explain why Lexus needs a gap there since the hood pops open from the inside. Dealer said several customers have complained about that.

Naturally because of the above negative points, my wife is no longer interested in the new RX. However, our dealer tells us we can buy a new 2003 RX300 at invoice and hints there may be room for further discount. Based on our experience, we believe the old RX300 maybe a much better buy and value than the new RX330. Are we going to write off the new RX330 entirely? No, because Lexus may change or modify its feature in the future especially when a new 2005 RX330 Hybrid version is due out next year but for now the new 2004 RX330 is definitely out of the picture for us. For those of you who are in the market for the new RX330, we suggest very strongly you test drive it back to back with the old RX300 to have a good comparison. If your wife is the principle driver and if she's not too tall, make sure she tries out the seat carefully before signing the dotted line. Our comments above are based on our own observations and we fully understand if some of you disagree. Hope our review is useful to some of you.

RNM GS3

1)The air suspension comes as a part of the Performance Package.

2) Lexus Link is an optoin on the RX330.

Go to lexus.com for more info.

The engine noise and transmission problem may be due to the fact that the car u test drove was a preproduction model.

All the other things u listed are based on ur self preferences. I havent tested the new RX, so i cant comment on them. But my father is picking his up on Friday, so I will definitely test everything out.

j4ydubs

The option is still there. It's called the Performance Package and can drop the SUV to 5.9" (access mode) or raise it to 8.3". Normal ride is 7.09" and will lower a little above 62 MPH. Maybe your dealer is not getting the Performance Package (I bet they could if they tried), but it is available (in limited quantities).

This is also still an option. I haven't heard of any 330's with it yet though, so maybe it's a delayed option (like the adaptive cruise control). Not an option I want, but I can see some people wanting it.
My wife is actually the opposite of yours. She's not real tall, but she hated the shorter seats in other SUV's we've test driven. I didn't even notice it (I'm 6'4"), but did after she pointed it out.

It sounds like your dealer is even more clueless than mine (which it quite a task). Your other points were mainly subjective (like the gap - which I like), but it does sound like the 330 is not for you and your wife. Right now is the best time to buy a RX300 though, so get over there and be sure to haggle with them...

John

anonymous

I agree that there shouldn't be an antenna in the first place since almost all new cars nowadays doesn't have one so I don't know why Lexus didn't get rid of it, but I've adjusted to the look of the new one and it doesn't seem to bother me anymore. In terms of getting in the way, you can flip the antenna down so it becomes flat so it shouldn't be a problem at all. I can see how that may be annoying to some people, but there won't be many days of the year where you will need to do that.

lexuslover

Yes, it sounds like your dealer has not been to the RX training in his/her region. I know for certain that some of the things he told you are completely false.

I agree, the styling and features of the new RX330 are not for everyone. I, on the other hand, absolutely love my new RX330 AWD, and I just traded in an '01 RX300 for the new one. I thought the old RX generation was a magnificent car, but the new RX330 is just on a different level. I owned the '01 RX for about a year and half, and was very satisfied with it, but I couldn't resist the new RX once I saw all the new features. Having personally owned the old-generation RX, I can't express how much nicer of a ride the new RX330 provides in every aspect. I know that you compared both on your test drive, but this is my observation based on a long-term ownership and experience w/ the old generation. I'm a relatively aggressive driver (well, for a woman), and love good handling and fast cars. Although my GS430 is my fast car, I am excited to take the new RX to its max potential once the break-in period is over, on road and off road. I can already sense in the steering and acceleration the improvements Lexus made. Overall, the new RX is a tighter, less "sloppy" feel. I live in an area with about 5 miles of windy road driving at 50mph+, and the body roll that I experienced earlier has been virtually eliminated in the new RX.

I have some of the same concerns as your wife did; I am a 5'7" woman and ease of entry and exit are pretty important. Even without the air suspension, I find the height of this car very reasonable when you compare, for instance, with BMW X5 or MB ML series.

In my opinion, it sounds like you are looking for sedan-like qualities w/ SUV capabilities and cargo room. Which begs the question - why don't you consider one of the many AWD sport wagons out there? The entry height is significantly lower, yet the cargo room is very generous. If you haven't owned an SUV before, and you didn't like the Lexus RX, then I would guess that some of the annoyances you pointed out are going to reappear when you test drive cars like the Acura MDX, Volvo XC90, etc.

There are several sport wagon options available in the luxury segment - I would recommend taking a look at the Audi Allroad Quattro or the Infiniti FX35. Both w/ AWD options and more wagon-esque, less SUV-like.

Just my two cents . . . from a previous generation RX owner to a very happy new RX330 owner !

LexusPia

The dealer said Lexus has recently decided not to offer the air suspension and Lexus Link options. To make sure the dealer knew what we were talking about, we showed them a print-out of the Peformance Package option from the Lexus web site that calls out the air suspension. They confirmed that it was the same they were referring to. After we got home, we called another Lexus dealer out of town about this and they also confirmed our local dealer's story that air suspension and Lexus Link would no longer be offered. This particular dealer was speculating and guessing that Lexus stopped offering the air suspension probably due to some technical problem and it could still be offered later on. We intend to contact Lexus Customer Service tomorrow to find out for sure about this.

anonymous

That will be great. Please report here once you find out if there is a problem with it or not.

Daddy-O

I've read reviews by owners and test drivers of the VP(Performance) package.
They describe the air suspension, how it works and rides.

Lexus is selling this package with this feature.

lexuslover

Perhaps the VP performance package is not being offered in your region. I know that it is definitely available here in California though.

pbm317

Where in IL are you, what dealers are you talking to?? I'm in the Chicagoland suburbs as well.

lb535

The local dealer here did get one air-suspension RX 330 in. It sold immediately, before I got a chance to see it.

Re: 300 vs 330: - I much prefer the new one overall. But it's a step backward in some areas:

- Visibility considerably worse. Those small triangular windows near the base of the windshield are now solid opaque triangles. Nestled next to the huge rearview mirrors, they create sizable blind spots. More blind spots to the rear side, where the huge pillars surrounding the rear window can hide a truck.

- The front seat is less comfortable than before. The seatback bolsters rip into my shoulders.

- I also don't care for the brushed aluminum. The sliding console is nice, but I prefer the empty space between the front seats as in early RX 300s that allows a walk-through to the rear seat area, as with many vans.

- Although no worse than before, I was surprised at the less-than-smooth engine and ride.

But overall I think the new one's a considerable improvement:

- Better gas mileage, despite larger size and more powerful engine
- New features - air suspension, in-dash 6 CD changer, power rear hatch, rearview camera, adaptive headlights, more airbags, etc. Also a roomier, more comfortable rear seat and more cargo space.

spinteews

wow, good points to why the Rx330 aint that great... makes me and my 01 Rx3 feel better LoL

anyways... the engine noise.. .its not that bad, it sounds pretty cool in my opinion... when i was at the Lexus Redfined event... boy watching all those Rx330s floor it out onto the track was GREAT!!!... i loved everytime someone stopped at the line... FLOOR IT and it just REVS off... next... next... next... HAHA... well i do love the sound of it speeding off.

The sports package should be there... i dont see why they wouldn't make it. I think Lexus shot themselves on the foot... They are offering TOO many packages and then theres packages you cannot have linked together and so forth. Makes consumers fustrated and then not want to buy one no more.

The big moon roof is in limited quantity my dealer said... he told me it was gonna be only in 2wd... not for sure tho. i could of sworn that other lady dealer told me that adaptive headlamps and laser cruise will be standard... but mabbie she wasn't sure what she was talking about either.

i woudln't really know about the seating thing... but i dont like about the seat is it doesn't seem as soft, plush, and comfy as i thought it would or compared to my rx3... but i was thinking again mabbie because mines the Silversport Perforated Leather seats... not sure but when i sat back in my Rx3, it felt more plush.

The gap in front is pretty lame... only if they gave us a reason why it was there...

The rear atenna on the roof... now that i like. no more dealing with power atennas and its a small little nubby atenna... pretty cool in my book. I dont usually load stuff up on the roof rack anyways and i barly see people do that with a rx3...

but yea, thast what i think of the Rx3... good luck and tell us what you find when you call lexus about the packages.

gsenthil

Drove the 330- mixed responses; overall nice though I dont like fake aluminium with real wood. IMHO it should be either not both.

The dealer (Lexus of Bellevue) did have a performance package that I drove and it has the Air Suspension with Height Adjustment and the angling headlights (forgot the real name for it). If you want you could give them a call.

Here are some build numbers (two sets- dunno which one is which)

Total Build
TO FT HH PH PT 105 34%
TO EY FT HH VN PH 80 26%
TO HS VP PH 32 10%
TO FT HH NV PH PT 88 29%
-----------------------------------------
Total 305 100%


Another set [probably overall]
VN $47,137 0%
NV $44,317 35%
VP $43,642 5%
PT $41,967 60%

Hope that helps

LexusPia

Here's the scoop on the Air Suspension (Performance) package as well the Lexus Link option. Lexus customer service said they are "available" but at a very limited basis since the bulk of the RX330 are being built with the cheaper packages instead of the Peformance since this package is priced at $5748. Very few dealers have RX330 with this package because of the price. They may build more later depending on customer requests after the current orders in the pipe line are met.

I then called up the dealer sales manager and he also clarified that during his participation in a Lexus dealer conference a few months ago that the dealers essentially picked out the most popular items or packages that they plan to order on the RX330 and the Performance package was not selected as a "popular" option over some of the others due to the high cost. He said very large Lexus dealers in major cities may have this package pre-ordered with a few of the RX330. However, he knows none of his new RX coming in will have this option. He said he can accept custom orders on this option however he said we would be looking at a minimum 4 to 6 months wait and a very large non-refundable deposit is required to place the order. He said if the supply relaxes down the road, say 6 to 9 months from now, there may be more RX330 built with the Performance package but he can't guarantee that. He also said since demand is high and quatity is low, very few dealers are discounting at all.

I should mention that due to the angled hatch design, visibility seems poor on the RX330 as compared to the old RX300. The dealer explained that the rear camera option is highly recommended to improve the situation. I should clarify the engine noise I mentioned above during high acceleration is not so high that it drowns out everything else but it is louder than the old RX300 which is unusual for a new Lexus model.

lexguynj

Ok, who are we all kidding here????

Sure it's a stinky feeling to be driving the previous generation car now when the brand spanking new generation is out on the road. That's only natural. All you can do is wait, until it's your turn once again to buy the latest and greatest car and be envied. It's just a life cycle of owning a car.

Almost everything about this new RX330 is improved and better. I think it looks great and just saw a commercial for it, showing a sweet black colored one. I always thought the RX was a good vehicle, but now with the new generation, I have a strong desire for one, it is most appealing!

This new generation is a sportier looking model (especially with the 18" wheel option) than the previous generation. It finally can appeal more to guys, since the previous generation had an image of being driven mostly by women and soccer moms. It was cute, bubbly and practical back then.

Don't get me wrong, the previous generation looks great too, but this new generation is a great step up and you can't deny how many improvements have been made and how sweet this new generation is. I believe Lexus did a great job on this new generation.