clublexus9

See my post regarding problems with my RX350. Over 5,000 it develops
a loud valve noise when it's cold. It goes away after 5-10 minutes but
when happening it sounds like a Singer Sewing machine. I've been round
and round with Lexus but they say it is normal. My comment to them is
"if this is normal for a luxury car, than Lexus is screwed". I will not buy
another RX350.

My wife had
and ES350 for three years and we never had any problems. She traded in
for an new HS 250 Hybrid which we both love.

Cruiter

This is a new 3.5L engine family and no longer has belt driven overhead cams. They are driven internally by chain drive such as Porsche's have been over the years. When cold and maybe a little more noticeably in more northern climes such as yours, you'll hear the chain until the engine warms up. It 'IS' normal. It affects both the RX350 and the RX 450h like mine. The noise is more apparent if the engine is cold. Also it is a 'low friction' engine that uses a lighter weight oil (0w20w) for better economy and longer life. That will make the cold sounds a little more apparent.

On the upside, it's more reliable and will never need changing like the older design belt to drive the cams. That was a big maintenance cost that isn't scheduled for this engine.

tkman00

if you want the peace of mind in the winter, get a set of dedicated snow tires. i have a set of blizzaks on my rwd g35 and i've never been stuck in any of our NE storms. there was one time it dumped like 16 inches, and i went out. not a soul on the road. i thought i got stuck in a drift in a pharmacy parking lot, nope. powered right out of there.

Johnny

I'd be worried if I didn't hear that "sound". It tells me the belt is still in there doing what it's supposed to do.

I've driven the ES for a couple of weeks or so, and I've found the RX to be much, much quieter. In fact, I would even put in the same class as the LS460, quietness-wise.

someguy10

First, for tires, check out the Hankook H727. They are very highly rated by Consumer Reports and in CR's ratings scored comparably in snow and ice to dedicated snow tires but without the penalty in dry handling or braking. Prices are quite reasonable, too. I cannot vouch for them on the ES, but on other Toyota-brand models can say they do make a noticable improvement.

As for the RX vs. the ES, the wife recently got a used 400h and we drove an ES350 for a day while the 400 was getting serviced. Although we were comparing a used 400h to a nearly-new ES350, I can confidently say the ES was noticably quieter than the RX. The wife fully agreed. We both also agreed that the RX is still very quiet and smooth compared to other cars like the Mercedes E350 and Infiniti M35. The Hyundai Genesis is trash compared to all these other cars and the 3.6L 6-cylinder was a nightmare in the 1" of snow we also drove the M, E, and ES in. I love underdog victories but IMO the Genesis is overrated.

Out of the sedans, the E class has by far the most head and leg room. The ES's windshield feels a little like a pill-box slit. The RX does not have the pill-box feeling and has more headroom and legroom than the ES but less (particularly leg room) than the E class. Of course the general seating position in an SUV is different than a sedan. The M is similar to the ES for head and leg room, perhaps having a tad more.

Note that the wife is 5'10" and I am 6'6" so some of the head and leg room observations may not matter to you. The quietness, though, I am quite confident of. She is a professional musician and has an amazing ear.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Cold start noise.


https://www.clublexus.com/forums/2251338-post5.html

ciparis

The 400h doesn't have much in common with the current model, though.

Youngie

iTrader: (1)

Don't know about the RX400 but my wife has the RX450h and I have owned LS460 and ES350 as a loaner but ES is NOT as quiet as the RX450 and I can say from my experience RX450 is just about as quiet( atleast in the front seats) as LS460, which my friend and family members all agree( friend and families have LS460 also). In fact a friend who has LS460 hated the ES350 as a loaner for being noisy, under powered and lack of interior quality compare to his LS( which I also agreed 100%).

atomarchio

I am finding the price of RX to be very close to the ES. And I believe the RX interior is much better than ES plus you get AWD.

I know it's kind of an odd comparision but my thinking is that it's definitely worth making the move for added space, interior, and AWD.

Granted, you give up fuel economy but I am finding the trade-off to be definitely worth it given the low amount of miles I drive each year.

The buttons on the ES were sub par in my opinon.

atomarchio

Yes but the price increase to the RX400H over RX350 is a bit steep for my liking.

For the small amount of miles I drive, I found the RX350 to still be a better value.

Perhaps that will change in 3 years.

oldcajun

At the end of my lease, I traded my '08 ES350 UL for a 2010 RX350. I needed the extra room for "stuff" so I made the trade. The ES350 was quieter overall and had a much softer ride. The two cars have the same engine and transmission, so differences in performance and mileage are due to the added weight and drag of the RX. Around town, the mileage for both was around 20, but at freeway speeds there is about a 5 mpg difference, 25 on the RX compared to 30 on the ES.

Do I regret the change? Sometimes, like on a long freeway trip. But then there are the time that I need to move something that just would not fit into the sedan and I'm glad I changed.

Both are great and which one you choose depends on your needs. I live in Arizona, so the availabilty of AWD did not enter my decision.

Steve

EMSLEXUSRX

Back in August of 2006, when I was deciding which Lexus vehicle was going to be my first Lexus purchase or lease, I test drove the IS250, the ES350 and the RX350.

I loved the styling of the IS250, but felt it was a little too small and the smaller V6 engine was a little underpowered.
For some reason, I did not test drive the IS350, and I can't even remember why now. (Oh, yeah. In Florida, you couldn't, and still can't get an IS model with the luxury package which will get you the memory seats, power tilt steering wheel and rain-sensing wipers.)

Then I drove the ES350, but I didn't care for the wallowy-type of drive. The car just didn't feel like it fit my personality.

Then I drove the RX350. I knew right then out of all of the three cars that I drove that this was the one I liked the best. You had the higher seating position, extra cargo space, the ride felt great to me, and I thought the RX handled even better than the ES. So the RX had me at hello back in 2006, and so it seems does the 2010 RX.

luvlexus16

Hello all, I am considering trading in my 2009 bmw 528i., and I like the 2011 rx350, but also like the new gx460. Well, I dont exactly like the high price tag on the gx. So, I am wondering which one to buy (new). I will need the 3rd of the gx only for a road trip once a year, but I like some of the options on that. I do like the rx, however its styling and heads up display which I really loved on my bmw. Any thoughts? Thanks!

LexBob2

Good, accurate overview IMO. We considered both the RX and ES and ended up going with the ES since we really didn't need the extra room in this car. As you said, you can't go wrong with either.