watsonle

My wife doesn't seem to mind the ride quality but then she drives it daily so doesn't really realize the difference and very seldom drives the 2007.

Since the 2007 is my daily driver I can really feel the difference when I occasionally drive her 2011. It is a huge difference on the uneven surfaces of concrete freeways. My 2007 seems to dampen the imperfections much better and doesn't result in a choppy ride.

On the flip side almost everything else is hands down better on the 2011 and I much more appreciate the amenities that it provides. I just wish that Lexus would take the choppiness out of the ride but apparently that is not going to happen anytime soon.

KBotwinick

I have a new 2013 RX450h. It's ride is pretty smooth. (It did come with 19" wheels which I was worried about, since I had seen reviews saying the 18" wheels provided a smoother ride... But I have nothing to compare to, and I'm happy enough with the ride...)

Now to the relevant part... It's currently in the shop to look at some annoying rattling in the door that started with the cold weather. While they have it, they gave me an older year model RX350. I'm not sure if it's 2012 or 2011 or what. But I sure as hell noticed how much less smooth the ride was. It seems like every single little bump goes right through me, as compared to my new RX450h where that all seems to be dampened much better. I also noticed the noise. The road noise. The engine noise. Much worse in the RX350 compared to my RX450h. I also realized how much gas it used in one day compared to my RX450h. Ouch. I want my hybrid back now.

Hvarsov

Just bought the 2013 rx350 black on black with michilin primacy 18 inch tires...replaced my 2011 rx with bridgestone tires.....big difference in ride... The 2013 is tighter steering and softer ride....I have only gone 100 miles but so far I am thrilled.....

CoastalRX

I had an 04 330 AWD that has a nice ride but I never thought it handled great and was disappointed with it's laggy acceleration even after they updated the software. I've given the 330 to my daughter and just got a 12 350 FWD 19“.

I am very happy with the ride, handling and acceleration improvements that have been made. My wife and daughter also noticed what we regard as a great improvement.

wilchan

I think I have to agree with Quatro40's assessment.

Here is my story and tire feedback.

I got my 2013 RX350 AWD 19in wheels last Nov and it came with Michelin Latitude Tour HP. My wife and I both felt the ride was bumpy over uneven pavement as soon as we got the car. When the car runs over some bumps, it feels like tires are filled with concrete and shock is sent straight to my neck. I keep the tire pressure to 29 - 30psi. It makes the ride much less bouncy, but still feel the harshness when the car runs over bumps.

I then test drove a 2013 RX350 AWD in another dealer and my colleague's 2013 RX a week ago, both are with 19in wheels and Dunlop Grandtrek Touring A/S, I immediately felt the ride difference. I still feel bumps, but they are well softened and I don't feel harshness.

I talked to my sales lady and service manager at dealer and they kindly agreed to swap tires from one of their new 2013 RX loaners (kind of surprise) and I got it done last Sat. I keep tire pressure at factory recommended 32psi and have driven for ~300 miles this long weekend including bad San Francisco city roads. My wife and I both feel the ride is greatly improved and are very happy to get this ride issue resolved.

Other than ride comfort, I found Dunlops' road noise is a bit louder and steering is a bit lighter than before, but overall I am happy the Dunlops' ride and enjoying RX finally. For tread wear, I will worry about that later

Note that ride feel is quite subjective and I am happy with Dunlops at the moment, so no flame please

-- william

Tropicsun

Glad to hear you got a better ride. I have the 2010 RX and have several posts concerning the bumpy ride. I wanted to switch to 18" wheels as an experiment, but could not do it since the RX they were coming off could not use them (factory settings on a bunch of things). My ride is better after 52,000 in 2 years. The ride is the ONLY thing about the RX that bothered me, that bumpy feeling over a semi rough surface was not what I had expected. I am running the Michelins now but going to switch to the Pirelli Verdes on the next set. I got into a fender bender and now my RX has a record that dimishes the trade in value so I am going to run this RX as long as I can.

JimLeslie

I hear you regarding the "bumpy ride". I upgraded from a 2009 RX350 to a 2012 model. Mine is FWD but has the 19" wheels and Michelin P235/55/R19 tires. I did take it for a test drive and it seemed fine. However, after having it for about 10 days, I really feel I made a mistake. The ride is nowhere nearly as nice as my 2009. Other than the ride quality, I really like the car but ride quality is a very important component in a vehicle's satisfaction. I was hoping a set of Michelin MXV4's might help. In addition, I asked if the dealer would swap my 19" wheels for 18's...no go on that.

The bottom line is that if I can't get a better ride, I'm selling the car. This vehicle is my 4th Lexus and I didn't buy any of them for sporty handling. I want a smooth, comfortable, quiet ride.

Any ideas from the forum members?

lexus_ls

I have driven the previous generation and the current and I have to agree the ride in an 09 is much more cushier. I own a 2013 and want to swap the tires to the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia. They have the best rating for ride comfort and quietness than the Michelins. I am currently running the horribe Dunlops and planning to swap as soon as I wear my current tires down more.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....3&autoModel=RX 350&autoModClar=FWD

wilchan

Do keep us posted on the improvement on Ecopia tires.

Look like the most popular non OEM tire choices are:
1) Pirelli Scorpia Verdes
2) Yokahama Parada Spec X

Mine 2013 are on Dunlops too and it was on Michelins. However Michelins on mine was much stiffer than Dunlops and it is much different from other members feel.

viperdoc

My impression is that most car manufacturers are going toward stiffer suspension systems and shorter sidewall tires. I saw a video the other day of Japanese tire makers saying that consumers want the look of the shorter walled tires, but years ago we couldn't make tires safely for 18 or 19 inch rims. Now they can, and they do. It seems like they should have gone the other way regarding the suspension systems (i.e., making them softer) to counter the stiffer tire sidewall of a 19 inch tire. But they didn't. They stiffened the suspension at the same time they removed the shock absoprtion capacity of the tires. From what I have read, going down to 18 inch tires WILL make a difference. You will gain upwards of 13% more sidewall, which will absorb bumps better, and you will have a faster 0-60 time and better fuel economy too.

But the real issue is rollover risk. I have a 2013 F sport, and while the ride is firmer, it doesn't bother me except on really bumpy roads. Even with my stiffer suspension, there is a big disclaimer on the sun visor that says "high rollover risk". I drove a 2007 RX and while the ride was superb going in a straight line, I took a slight turn at 30mph and literally thought I was going to tip over. My wife hated it. Freaked her out. It cracks me up to hear people say they want a cushy ride, yet great performance. In a top heavy, 4500lb SUV, I don't think that's possible (unless you have an adjustable suspension, which I think the F sport should have come with)

vinlexus

Jimleslie - I can empathize completely with you especially when you've spent so much money on a luxury car in which you expect to have a much smoother ride.

I had the exact same problem with my RX 450H for quite some time and I took it to three different dealers who could not fix my ride quality. The first couple of times time they mentioned - it was because of the poor quality of roads and did not find anything wrong with the vehicle. The third time they did find that the suspension was leaking and they replaced the rear shock absorber under warranty. I was very hopeful that this was going to fix my problem but unfortunately it did not. There was an improvement in the ride quality but still did not feel like a lexus.

I had lost close to 9 moths dealing with this and reading this exact thread on this forum, thought - it was not unusual to have a bad ride until I mentioned this again to one of my new service reps at the dealership. They said - it may have to do with the wheels and they performed wheel alignment and wheel balancing along with my next service. I just had to pay my regular service charges and they did not charge me extra. After the service, my ride quality had a huge difference - it was like day and night. I am not certainly saying you should also do wheel balancing, but you should keep it at the top of your priority with the dealership and keep pushing them and compare your vehicle with other lexus vehicles.

I guess they also do not know what to do sometime until we get lucky to find a quality technician (like a doctor) who can do the diagnosis correctly.

Good luck with it !

TBoy

We only have one Lexus dealer in town and they have a unique set up by not being part of the US Network...they are part of Servco / Lexus Hawaii which includes Toyota and Suzuki. Hence, when you need work done at an authorized Lexus Dealer...they are it.

In prior post(s), I had indicated the rough ride from the get go. Very unpleasant and resulted in bouts of motion sickness (I kid you not).

Fast forward to the 12 month / 10K full maintenance service (which was at no charge); May 21, 2013. During service they notified me know that they ended up replacing (under warranty) both rear shocks. Hmmm...as written on Invoice "Noticed both rear shocks leaking". I noticed that the ride has improved somewhat, however it is still a bit rough compared to our 2001 RX300 . In retrospect, we should have opted to keep the RX300 and had it refurbished...we loved the RX300.

Since it's been ~ 4 months since this event and had a chance to confirm (with wife ) that the ride has improved, confirmed. Hence, I will be addressing why this was not investigated when I first brought up the issue of the rough ride.

For those who may want to investigate if this could be affecting your ride or to ascertain if this is a chronic problem:

"Both rear shocks leaking
Cause: Refer to TSB L-SB-0013-13
ST1301 R&R shocke (one side)
9202 WL3
2 48531-48280 Absorber
ST1301A Other side
9202 WL3
FC: 64/14
Part#: 48531-48100
Count:
Claim Type: LMR
Auth Code:"

Hope this helps.

JimLeslie

I'm going to go with 18" wheels and Michelin 235/60/r18 Primacy MVX4's. All indicators are this will go a long way to make the ride more pleasant. Note that this will increase the tire's sidewall by approximately 1 inch. Stay tuned as this will take place in the next two weeks.

viperdoc

JimLeslie, I think that is a good choice. Motor trend did a comparison a while back of varying tire sizes looking at acceleration, handling, ride comfort and road noise. They actually found 18 inch tires were better in each category compared to the same tire that was 19inches. Not a huge surprise, except for their findings on handling, which everyone expected the 19s to win, but they didn't. It's funny that people opt for 19 inch wheels/tires thinking it is better for performance- they arent'. It is all about looks. I will swap my F sport 19s for aftermarket 18s and slightly wider tires (245/55 R 18s) in the fall. This will give me a significantly taller side wall (a 13% increase), a wider tire for better handling, and will offer more and cheaper options for tires as well. Plus the lighter wheels will give better fuel economy.

good luck!

ericsan13

If you are referring to this article they weren't doing the testing on SUVs. Would love to see the article you are citing.