tin369

I had though of either getting the Q5 or the X3, but after looking at the prices and options and standard features the RX350 looks more attractive. It more spacious, more second row space and more trunk space.

The interior also feels more luxurious, but the Q5 comes second close.

Today, my wife and I went to the dealership and I had a few question.
Is the Saddle tan color easy to maintain?

I also don't see a heated steering wheel option? Nor do I see all leather wrapped steering wheel option? Is this available in the lexus?

Also, which is the best package to get.
I think the price the SA told me was $47,000 and some change. How much discount can I expect or should try to negotiate for.

Its a lease, so they said that the Residual was 66% and Money factor was .00099

Also, the car had Michelin all weather tires, are these the right tires, meaning I read somewhere that some brand of tires makes more cabin noise and a rougher ride than others.

In terms of suspension, I know it won't drive like the germans cars, but is it still marshmallow type suspension or have they made any changes to it in the 2014's.

The weather was no good so could not test drive it.

corradoMR2

- With the use of a good leather care product like Meguair's, you can maintain your light-colored interior looking new if you see stains starting.
- Heated steering wheel is available with the wood steering wheel only.
- Michelin tires are the best ones among the Bridgestone and Dunlops offered.
- It will not feel as firm in both bumps and body roll compared to the Germans, but not marshmallow-like as it was in Gen 2.

Good luck in your decision.

tin369

I have a few other question, The BMW has a 4 year free maintenance program, the Audi offers Audi care for $820,
does Lexus have something similar or the maintenance (oil change, filter etc for the 3 years) significantly cheaper and if so, what would a typical Lexus service cost?

Can I expect to get 10%-12% off? Is there a better chance to get this with fully loaded options?

Which is a more popular options package that most choose?

kitlz

tin369, some Lexus dealers offer a maintenance program. But I question whether it's worth it. The RX only requires oil changes once a year. The major services are every 15K with minor service in between. Costs range a bit on geography. For me it's $120 for minor service with oil change and maybe $60 for minor service only. Then again I rarely pay since I use Lexus points The other thing is you can take it to a Toyota dealer instead. It'll cost much less for the same service.

Take a look at this thread to see what everyone's been paying for their RX. Options and packages are typically dictated by where you live. But you can expand your search area to find one equipped the way you want. It'll also benefit you when it comes to price. Competition. And right now is the perfect time being towards the end of the month. Good luck in your search.

Edit: Forgot to mention your first two services are free so you won't have to pay anything for a year and half. There are a few things you can do yourself like change filters and key fob batteries. The manual has a DIY section.

tin369

corradoMR2 and kitlz thanks for your responses. Also thank for the linking the pricing thread.

I have also been reading up on the RX F sport. What concerns me from reading a few reviews is the rough ride.

I have a RAV4 sport with run flats and one of the reason for trading that in is because the ride is very rough and you feel all the bumps.

When I test drove the Q5 and X3 I was expecting them to also be rough because of tight suspension, but to my surprise they were smooth and absorbed the bumps pretty well.

To the owners who have the F sport, not comparing it to the regular RX350 but to Q5 or X3 how do you find the ride on the F sport? Also, the price jumps considerably and i was wondering what do you get expect for tiger suspension, the new grill etc.

Browninggo

I know didn't own the Q5 or X3...traded in a 09' 350 for a 14' F Sport. It's the wife's daily driver. She picked the F out and I was happy also . Both liked the looks of front over the standard RX. Enjoy the inside black leather and accents. We both enjoy the stiffer ride as it hugs the road better. Love the F sport. Also the transmission and manual up shifting is a big bonus.

corradoMR2

Being honest, I haven't driven the Q5 and X3 nor ever considered the Germans as my priority has and continues to be a trouble-free experience (even if I have a lease and under warranty, I don't want my car breaking down on me unexpectedly). If this helps, I'll list the main selling points (and weighting) as to why I went for the F-Sport over the regular RX, then "Cons" I've experienced being an owner for 15 months now.

Reasons:
1. 50%: Sporty more aggressive styling (front-end, wheels, F-Sport logos)
2. 25%: Near-flat cornering and taut/controlled ride especially on the highway, thanks to new sport springs, shocks, and lateral performance dampers. Also appreciate the VDIM (more advanced proactive version of both VSC and TRAC which nudges steering if car senses you're losing control)
3. 15%: New quicker shifting/close ratio 8-speed auto with Manual-mode and paddle shifters makes the driving experience very engaging.
4. 5%: Slightly better fuel economy (1 mpg on hwy)
5. 5%: "F-Sport" exclusivity on the RX in a sea of regular "soccer-mom labeled" RXs (no offense intended to women or soccer moms)

NOTE F-Sport only comes as AWD

My personal negatives/pet peeves, only two:

1. Comfort in Winter: As with all cars, suspension (and tire compliance) firms up with colder temps. However, the F-Sport crosses that perfectly balanced comfort/firmness line to the negative when temps dip below freezing, comfort progressively worsening as temps dip further. Suspension gets harsh as some journalists have stated, bumps are felt in the cabin, making it somewhat jarring. I had an '09 Venza with the 20 inch wheels and traded it in after only a year because it was jarring, worse than the F-Sport. That car creaked and ratted like there was no tomorrow; the F-Sport barely thanks to its solid construction. Of course, winter potholes and bad roads exacerbate this.

2. All-black interior: From Day-1 this is what was pulling me away from going for the F-Sport. Compared to a saddle-tan interior, the F-Sport looks far less luxurious and more plasticky much like the German competition. The darker wood trim is nice on its own, but gets lost in the all-black interior. Also, no wood trim in the rear armrest which is a minor gripe which is available on non-F-Sport depending on package. I do like the aluminum pedals, F-Sport logo and steering, and the white stitching. Just wished it was brighter. BTW, off-topic, but I had the same (disappointing) impression with the $85K LS F-Sport. Interior color makes a big difference on luxury and quality perceptions.

Something to consider: In Canada we don't get the option of the "Sport Appearance package" which keeps the standard RX suspension and interior but adds nearly the same front-end of the F-Sport and wheels. I would have opted for this option since for me 50% of why I went for the F-Sport was styling.

Since you pointed out comfort as a possible deal-breaker, if you live in the more northern colder states, you may not like the bumpier winter ride. Now would be a great time to test drive the F-Sport.

EDIT - See this thread for other comments on the F-Sport and the Germans rides: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ce-needed.html

tfischer

If you think that service for a new BMW is free for several years, you must have slept through your economics classes. You are simply paying in advance for it. (Essentially you are also purchasing a prepaid service contract.) Thus, the answer to your question as to what Lexus offers in its place would be a lower price on a more reliable and less electronically complex car that visits the dealer far less frequently.

tin369

Thanks for the details, it does help. I don't know if the Sport appearance package is available in the U.S, but if it is then that would be something I would like to add.

Yes, I also think that more interior color choices should be added to the F sport. besides black.

I am in the mid-atalntic and this year we have had very low temparature so I will definitely test drive and see if its too rough ride.

Sandi_k

Tin, both Kitlz and I have the sport suspension. She puts 10K miles on her car each year, and I put ~ 30K miles on each year.

If a bumpy ride is of concern, you should definitely make sure to drive it on a bad road. I bought the Sport suspension in 2009, without having a test drive, because NO ONE in the state had a model to demo. When we picked it up and brought it home, my DH was concerned enough for me to call the dealership and ask about how to loosen up the ride a bit. (You can probably find my original posts in this forum, searching for "springs" or "harsh").

I was told that tires, shocks and springs were the main difference, and it would be ~ $2K to change them all out to a softer ride. I chose to leave it as is, and hope that I acclimated. Happily, I did. And when it came time to swap out the tires, I moved to a softer tire, and have been very happy ever since. The cornering and road feel on the Sport is quite good, in comparison to the standard RX350.

I am getting older, and driving a lot more than I expected when I bought the car; my next car may well be the standard RX350. When you spend 2+ hours per day going in a straight line on the highway, comfort becomes more important than cornering.

FYI, I did test drive the Q5 at the time, and didn't buy it for several reasons: cramped cabin; less cargo room; harsher ride; reliability stats, and cost of maintenance. If you're leasing, that might be less of a concern; since I keep my cars for 10 years or so, it was of great importance to me. In 4+ years and 100K miles, I've spent nothing on repairs, only maintenance. Just the way I like it.

kitlz

Actually I don't drive that much, Sandi. I haven't quite hit 30K at 4 years, maybe next week. The commute went down to 10 miles roundtrip a few months ago

tin369, when you go out for a test drive, see what kind of tires are on the F-Sport. I drove one with the Dunlops and found they were very noisy. Strange because I had them on the 450h and didn't notice that problem. Maybe they were overinflated. Over the 20 minute drive over varying surfaces, the handling was pretty similar to my RXh with the sport package. The suspension, tight steering, minimal body roll - it was there. Shifting though took a little getting used to since it's non-existent in the 450h.

Now I haven't personally been interested in trying the X3 or Q5. The RX has been great for me. About the only the way I would is if Lexus brought back the driving events where you could test them all back to back. Talk about fun! The thread corrado provided should at least give you an idea of what other members thought. And drive a non F-Sport RX with the 18" tires if you can. Good luck.

corradoMR2

Oh and to add to all the above good tips and my post, forgot to mention the F-Sport also has HUD (Heads-Up Display), which is very convenient to see your speed, Nav direction, gear, station, etc at a glance. You almost become dependent on it after a while and rarely pay attention to the gauge cluster for speed.

Sandi_k

HDD

I bought a 2013 RX350. I really regret the decision. Should have bought the Q5. Lexus quality in general has really gone down the drain. Does not have the silk smooth ride Lexus is famous for. Technology package is very buggy. Voice command feature is a joke. Does not come close to the performance of Q5.

wase4711

so why did you bother to post that here?
people here are pro lexus...