SW17LS

As the title says I just got done with a day driving a 2013 RX350 while my 2013 GS was in for the 10k mile service. This is the first time I have driven an RX in a long time, I test drove the current generation in 2010 when I bought my 2010 ES, and I had several of the previous generation as loaners when I used to use the dealer for service.

I've never been a huge RX fan, I've always said there are a lot of products in that segment I would buy before the RX. I was however pretty impressed with the 2013 RX I drove today...its of interest with me because of our 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While we love the Jeep, some electrical warranty issues lately have me wondering if its an "own it after the warranty ends" kind of vehicle.

It was a white with the dark brown interior, fairly base model (no nav, FWD).

Plusses:
-Very comfortable interior, good driving position, Lexus switchgear and readouts which we are used to and like.
-Excellent ride, quiet, overall very comfortable and glides along effortlessly at speed as a Lexus should.
-Good space, rear seat room is excellent, much better than the Jeep. We're going to have a kid here in the next couple years, and ability to safely install a rear facing child seat is important. Would not be possible in the Jeep, but would in the RX.
-Easy to drive with no blind spots
-Good feature set
-Lots of great cubbies and such

Minuses:
-Looks. Subjective but I just don't think its an overly attractive vehicle from most angles. F-Sport helps, but not sure how much of a comfort tradeoff it would be.
-Some interior materials are pretty cheap, dash area below the gauge line on the drivers side, material around the interior door handles. Console plastic around the shifter (it actually had a rough edge where my leg rested against the console which really surprised me), leather quality wasn't excellent. Pretty distinct material quality difference between the RX and my GS.
-No third row. I think this vehicle would be unbeatable if it were a 7 seater like the MDX and Infiniti JX35.
-Standard audio was several notches below the standard audio on my GS, but that can always be dealt with by getting the ML.
-Lexus' senseless war on sunglass holders continues!

Overall I was impressed, my wife drove it as well and we will seriously consider one when it comes time for us to make a decision about the Jeep. Only serious negative for us is the lack of a third row, we have had several situations with the Jeep where having one in a pinch would mean the difference between everyone riding together and having to take two cars somewhere with extended family, etc. We're very interested in the JX35, but the issue for me is the CVT, I hate CVTs. Haven't driven the new MDX.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

'14 mdx!

SW17LS

Yeah I may try and drive a new MDX this week. Theres an Acura dealer down the street from my office...

RXSF

Good to hear your thoughts Steve. I agree quality of materials is a step down from the 2nd generation which I feel had the highest of the three generations. However, the RX is first and foremost a great value. In terms of entry price, it squares cheaper or is competitively priced against SUVs that are smaller, like the bmw X3, GLK, Q5. While the materials dont change with higher trim models, the leather and speakers in a loaded model would have been more pleasing.

The GS has a base price of 10K more than the RX, and 10K certainly buys a lot

SW17LS

Yeah the parchment interior looks a little richer, that's why I had chosen parchment for my 2010 ES, it hid some of the lower rent materials which black as an example seems to magnify...

kitlz

I haven't spent much time in the '13 RX or GS. Your observations are pretty interesting, especially the part about the Grand Cherokee. My parents have one. The only baby that rides in the backseat is the 145 lb Rottie. His poor head hits the ceiling. I haven't put him in the RX to see if it's any better for him. And I have to agree the ride is definitely better in the RX. One thing though, if Lexus adds a third row to the RX there will be lots of unhappy campers, me included. They don't need to change it after 15 years. Unfortunately you may need to look elsewhere.

SW17LS

What year is their Grand Cherokee? If its older than 2011 which is the current generation I can understand that. I never would have bought a GC until this latest WK2 generation. In the current Jeep the room in the rear is fine for 2 or three adults, headroom is fine, seats recline and are comfortable. We've taken road trips with 4 and 5 people and all are fine. Issue is the space between the seat and the back of the seat in front would make it impossible to install a rear facing child seat level without moving the front seat up to where the person in front would be uncomfortable. To Jeep's credit most vehicles are that way, in the RX it would be fine, but at the cost of cargo space, the cargo area is probably 6-8 inches shallower in the RX than the Jeep. The Jeep cruises down the highway beautifully at 80, velvety smooth and quiet.

Again depends on the year. I did not feel the 2013 RX I had rode better than our Jeep. The Jeep rides very, very well. Its very smooth and quiet, its a little truckier feeling than the RX which is appealing IMHO. I would say the RX rides as good as the Jeep. Bear in mind that at the RX price point the Jeep would have Quadra Lift which is their adjustable air suspension and the ride would be better than ours. Previous Grand Cherokees rode like crap.

The only reason I would choose an RX over our Jeep, or especially a Jeep trim costing what the RX costs (you could get a Summit model for that money which is way more vehicle than the RX IMHO , leather dash, nappa leather seats, alcantara headliner, radar cruise and PCS, quadra lift, better power, better drivetrain, way more capability offroad and in bad weather. ) is reliability and the Lexus dealer experience. Chrysler is just not there yet, I hope they will be someday because the quality and execution of the product is excellent otherwise.

Even with the issues I've had I would probably try another GC before i gave up on them, I like the vehicle that much. Its my wife's primary drive and she's done because of the little issues.

This is what I don't understand...why? The rear seats stow to a flat load floor when you don't need them. I can understand not caring about a third row, 95% of the time we don't either, but I don't understand being an "unhappy camper" if its there or is an option.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Steve my daughter has a '12 loaded Laredo and I have drove a few times.
The ride quality was surprising smooth and very quiet at her 10K miles, anyway.
I was very surprised and impressed.
I sat in the Limited,Overland and Summit at the NY Car Show and was very impressed with all three.The '14 has a better tech system and exterior and interior changes are very nice.
The after basic warranty scares me.
With Toyota/Lexus you can always buy a highly discounted Lexus/Toyota Platinum warranty from 2-3 dealer guys.I don't know of any with Jeep.

SW17LS

Yeah, its an impressive vehicle. There's nothing else at that price point that I would rather own from a material and build quality, features, styling perspective. The 2014 enhancements are great, much better infotainment system than Lexus.

The issue is reliability. I just spent $550 for new front brakes at 27,000 miles, the rotors were so corroded they were fused to the hubs, and thats from my own independent mechanic so I wasn't being BS'ed. We've replaced a ton of switches, a couple multiple times, the HVAC control panel, we had a leak that was caused by sunroof drains not being connected at the factory. We were doing great until about 25k miles, a couple little things but I expected that. Then all of a sudden we just had a bunch of issues all at once, and having owned Toyota/Lexus vehicles for so many years we are just totally unaccustomed to that sort of thing, and without a warranty it would cost a ton to keep replacing things at that rate. I mean, in a Toyota you just never think about switches going bad...

I have 6,000 miles left on the bumper to bumper now, so I need to start deciding if we're going to find some way to buy a warranty and keep it or replace it. Issue is theres not anything that I'm real excited about replacing it with. I was impressed by the RX, but I don't love it.

Its not only the cost either, its the hassle. They do not do loaners, even for multi-day warranty repairs so it is a royal PITA to have to drop the car off and either rent a car or borrow a car or make due with one. We've been without it for 3-4 days at a stretch a few times and it really sucks.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I like the Jeep but it's tough for me to go away from Toyota or Honda.With SUV's,I do like the '14 MDX a lot.

SW17LS

I might walk over and drive the new MDX here in an hour or so. I suppose I will look at the new Highlander too, but the interior of the outgoing Highlander is so crappy I don't have high hopes. I hate the Pilot. Thinking maybe an Explorer...but I don't know if that would be replacing one issue with another...I like the Infiniti JX35 but hate the CVT...we shall see...

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I saw the Highlander at the NY show and I'm not a fan.
I don't like the Explorer's interior and it's pricey loaded.I'm not a Nissan guy but do like the new Pathfinder.
The Pilot is so ugly.

SW17LS

Yeah we looked at the current Explorer before we got the Jeep, and I too did not care for the interior and its really big. The Pathfinder is the same vehicle as the JX35 and has the same issue...the CVT...

SW17LS

Just drove the 2014 MDX, liked it a lot. Not as soft riding as the RX, but it had a livlier sportier feel. Has a third row which is a huge plus, similar money to the RX...

LexBob2

I've read several reviews of the new MDX and they have all been favorable. It's sounding they've done a good job with the new model.