RX in for Service - 5 days with CT loaner
05-13-14, 09:41 PM
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RX in for Service - 5 days with CT loaner
My RX was due for its 30K mile service. A pricey one for anyone who has it coming up. Good thing I had a mailer for 20% off and also used some of my lexus credit card points to soften the blow. The service comes in at just over $600 full price 
There were also other reasons to bring in the RX. At 3.5 years old, the warranty is about to expire and I have posted before about these issues. Over wallows roads/speed bumps/gutter dips, the rear suspension makes a squeak sound. The steering wheel makes this creaking/click click noise when gently turning it about 20 degrees or so. Turns out both of the rear struts needed replacing since they were found leaking. The steering wheel issue was deemed "normal" even though I did a road test with the technician. They called and said they found it on 3 other RXhs. I will need to go in again to verify this, but I highly doubt it. It isn't the end of that chapter yet.
Notes on the CT. This was my first time driving a CT and also a prius. Excuse the harsh comparison but they do share the same power train. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. This particular model was not very loaded. It had nuluxe instead of leather, heated seats, and nav, and rain sensing wipers. This was a 2014 model and so is newly updated with the spindle grill, new front and rear bumpers, shark fin antennae, simplified dash, and the new nav interface like that found on the IS. That said, Remote touch and the menu interfaces seems to have taken a step backwards. The icons seem smaller and it was hard to click the button I wanted while driving. I would always inadvertently hit something else beside it. Also the radio screen has way too many presets. I liked it when my AM and FM were separated. I dislike having my presets scattered. Also the nav was very slow. Many people have had complaints in the IS forum and supposedly there is a fix. it seems like the processor is not good enough. I do however like having split screen option. I had it on radio and the consumption
At first, I did not like driving it. Sitting so low made all 6ft of me feel a bit claustrophobic to be honest. The distance between the top of the dash and the roof seemed very narrow, and with the rear view mirror and the popped up nav screen, you can barely see anything in the center of the windshield. The C pillar is huge, and the rear window is tiny.
The great thing about this car? Gas mileage. I reset the mpg when I received it and consistently was getting 45-47mpg. This car is only rated at 43. I wasn't even trying either. On my RX, I can barely get about 26 even when I am trying. Of course the downside is the power, or lack there of. CVT drone is horrendous.
I loved the little EV car icon that displays when the car is running electric. This is the same EV mode icon found on the RXh but means something different in the CT. Made it easy to see and is much more useful than the ECO light we have. I also found it interesting that the CT loves to run EV. For instance. on the RX, the gas engine will kick in shortly after starting no matter how warm the engine is. On the CT, starting the car will not necessarily result in engine kicking in. It can stay in EV mode. I also found the engine shudder to be less intrusive on the CT versus my car which is surprising.
Pros: Gas mileage, navigation with 3D mode/buildings, trunk utility versus sedan, rear view camera with distance and guide marks that move, sport mode which makes a difference (feels like you get a boost at initial tip in)
Would I buy one? Probably not. The cons are far too great. The rear seats are not nearly adequate enough. No rear air vents, no rear cup holders, no rear arm rest. Nuluxe looked cheap since they do this wavy pattern/design on it instead of making a grain effect like the germans. No wood, too much plastic. Road noise is intrusive. The "Ding ding ding" sound in reverse is annoying. Also this car makes much more buzzing noises. The brake pedal hiss is loud when you depress it. The regenerative braking noise seems higher pitched. The buzzing when parking is much more abundant. Does it for 5 seconds when you first open the door on cold start up.
There is my random montage of thoughts
There were also other reasons to bring in the RX. At 3.5 years old, the warranty is about to expire and I have posted before about these issues. Over wallows roads/speed bumps/gutter dips, the rear suspension makes a squeak sound. The steering wheel makes this creaking/click click noise when gently turning it about 20 degrees or so. Turns out both of the rear struts needed replacing since they were found leaking. The steering wheel issue was deemed "normal" even though I did a road test with the technician. They called and said they found it on 3 other RXhs. I will need to go in again to verify this, but I highly doubt it. It isn't the end of that chapter yet.
Notes on the CT. This was my first time driving a CT and also a prius. Excuse the harsh comparison but they do share the same power train. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. This particular model was not very loaded. It had nuluxe instead of leather, heated seats, and nav, and rain sensing wipers. This was a 2014 model and so is newly updated with the spindle grill, new front and rear bumpers, shark fin antennae, simplified dash, and the new nav interface like that found on the IS. That said, Remote touch and the menu interfaces seems to have taken a step backwards. The icons seem smaller and it was hard to click the button I wanted while driving. I would always inadvertently hit something else beside it. Also the radio screen has way too many presets. I liked it when my AM and FM were separated. I dislike having my presets scattered. Also the nav was very slow. Many people have had complaints in the IS forum and supposedly there is a fix. it seems like the processor is not good enough. I do however like having split screen option. I had it on radio and the consumption
At first, I did not like driving it. Sitting so low made all 6ft of me feel a bit claustrophobic to be honest. The distance between the top of the dash and the roof seemed very narrow, and with the rear view mirror and the popped up nav screen, you can barely see anything in the center of the windshield. The C pillar is huge, and the rear window is tiny.
The great thing about this car? Gas mileage. I reset the mpg when I received it and consistently was getting 45-47mpg. This car is only rated at 43. I wasn't even trying either. On my RX, I can barely get about 26 even when I am trying. Of course the downside is the power, or lack there of. CVT drone is horrendous.
I loved the little EV car icon that displays when the car is running electric. This is the same EV mode icon found on the RXh but means something different in the CT. Made it easy to see and is much more useful than the ECO light we have. I also found it interesting that the CT loves to run EV. For instance. on the RX, the gas engine will kick in shortly after starting no matter how warm the engine is. On the CT, starting the car will not necessarily result in engine kicking in. It can stay in EV mode. I also found the engine shudder to be less intrusive on the CT versus my car which is surprising.
Pros: Gas mileage, navigation with 3D mode/buildings, trunk utility versus sedan, rear view camera with distance and guide marks that move, sport mode which makes a difference (feels like you get a boost at initial tip in)
Would I buy one? Probably not. The cons are far too great. The rear seats are not nearly adequate enough. No rear air vents, no rear cup holders, no rear arm rest. Nuluxe looked cheap since they do this wavy pattern/design on it instead of making a grain effect like the germans. No wood, too much plastic. Road noise is intrusive. The "Ding ding ding" sound in reverse is annoying. Also this car makes much more buzzing noises. The brake pedal hiss is loud when you depress it. The regenerative braking noise seems higher pitched. The buzzing when parking is much more abundant. Does it for 5 seconds when you first open the door on cold start up.
There is my random montage of thoughts
Last edited by RXSF; 05-13-14 at 09:53 PM.
05-14-14, 08:32 AM
#2
No, I don't play soccer!
Thanks for the review. It's interesting to get one from an RXh owner. Did you have the CT in sport mode? That was definitely better than eco. Otherwise it was a strain to get going. At least that's what I remember from my test drive years ago. You managed some fantastic mileage there. I wish we could see numbers closer to that. But then again I'll take power over MPGs any day of the week 
How's your 450h now that you had some of the issues addressed?
How's your 450h now that you had some of the issues addressed?
05-14-14, 09:25 AM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
I got a CT 200h as a loaner and returned it the next day.
As a Prius owner, i hated it.
Except for the Lexus badge and the "sporty" pretension, the CT200h is is inferior to a PRIUS.
Here's why the PRIUS comes out a winner;
1. Gas milage 50+ without even trying. ( NORMAL mode)
2. Cabin space ( comparable to a Camry in legroom and headroom)
3. Trunk space
4. Height of the driver and passenger seats
- THIS Was my biggest complain. I can tolerate an IS250/350/ISF but not the CT200h.
5.. Softex vs Nuluxe leather
6. Navigation ( i prefer the PRIUS controls, more like a GX460) vs a CT200h with the remote touch ( like an RX350/450h)
7. JBL stereo on the PRIUS, which in my opinion is better than the ML on the RX 350.
8 REAR visibility is far better on a Prius than the CT200h.
9. Blind spot which is related to no 8 and the C pillars.
10. Presence of rear arm rest and cup holders ( as RXSF posted is clearly absent in the CT200h)
The Prius have a PWR button ( Similar to a SPORT BUTTON in CT) that makes the driving more pleasurable vs the NORMAL and the ECO.
As a Prius owner, i hated it.
Except for the Lexus badge and the "sporty" pretension, the CT200h is is inferior to a PRIUS.
Here's why the PRIUS comes out a winner;
1. Gas milage 50+ without even trying. ( NORMAL mode)
2. Cabin space ( comparable to a Camry in legroom and headroom)
3. Trunk space
4. Height of the driver and passenger seats
- THIS Was my biggest complain. I can tolerate an IS250/350/ISF but not the CT200h.
5.. Softex vs Nuluxe leather
6. Navigation ( i prefer the PRIUS controls, more like a GX460) vs a CT200h with the remote touch ( like an RX350/450h)
7. JBL stereo on the PRIUS, which in my opinion is better than the ML on the RX 350.
8 REAR visibility is far better on a Prius than the CT200h.
9. Blind spot which is related to no 8 and the C pillars.
10. Presence of rear arm rest and cup holders ( as RXSF posted is clearly absent in the CT200h)
The Prius have a PWR button ( Similar to a SPORT BUTTON in CT) that makes the driving more pleasurable vs the NORMAL and the ECO.
Last edited by markrivers; 05-14-14 at 09:28 AM.
05-14-14, 09:39 AM
#4
My RX was due for its 30K mile service. A pricey one for anyone who has it coming up. Good thing I had a mailer for 20% off and also used some of my lexus credit card points to soften the blow. The service comes in at just over $600 full price
There were also other reasons to bring in the RX. At 3.5 years old, the warranty is about to expire and I have posted before about these issues. Over wallows roads/speed bumps/gutter dips, the rear suspension makes a squeak sound. The steering wheel makes this creaking/click click noise when gently turning it about 20 degrees or so. Turns out both of the rear struts needed replacing since they were found leaking. The steering wheel issue was deemed "normal" even though I did a road test with the technician. They called and said they found it on 3 other RXhs. I will need to go in again to verify this, but I highly doubt it. It isn't the end of that chapter yet.
Notes on the CT. This was my first time driving a CT and also a prius. Excuse the harsh comparison but they do share the same power train. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. This particular model was not very loaded. It had nuluxe instead of leather, heated seats, and nav, and rain sensing wipers. This was a 2014 model and so is newly updated with the spindle grill, new front and rear bumpers, shark fin antennae, simplified dash, and the new nav interface like that found on the IS. That said, Remote touch and the menu interfaces seems to have taken a step backwards. The icons seem smaller and it was hard to click the button I wanted while driving. I would always inadvertently hit something else beside it. Also the radio screen has way too many presets. I liked it when my AM and FM were separated. I dislike having my presets scattered. Also the nav was very slow. Many people have had complaints in the IS forum and supposedly there is a fix. it seems like the processor is not good enough. I do however like having split screen option. I had it on radio and the consumption
At first, I did not like driving it. Sitting so low made all 6ft of me feel a bit claustrophobic to be honest. The distance between the top of the dash and the roof seemed very narrow, and with the rear view mirror and the popped up nav screen, you can barely see anything in the center of the windshield. The C pillar is huge, and the rear window is tiny.
The great thing about this car? Gas mileage. I reset the mpg when I received it and consistently was getting 45-47mpg. This car is only rated at 43. I wasn't even trying either. On my RX, I can barely get about 26 even when I am trying. Of course the downside is the power, or lack there of. CVT drone is horrendous.
I loved the little EV car icon that displays when the car is running electric. This is the same EV mode icon found on the RXh but means something different in the CT. Made it easy to see and is much more useful than the ECO light we have. I also found it interesting that the CT loves to run EV. For instance. on the RX, the gas engine will kick in shortly after starting no matter how warm the engine is. On the CT, starting the car will not necessarily result in engine kicking in. It can stay in EV mode. I also found the engine shudder to be less intrusive on the CT versus my car which is surprising.
Pros: Gas mileage, navigation with 3D mode/buildings, trunk utility versus sedan, rear view camera with distance and guide marks that move, sport mode which makes a difference (feels like you get a boost at initial tip in)
Would I buy one? Probably not. The cons are far too great. The rear seats are not nearly adequate enough. No rear air vents, no rear cup holders, no rear arm rest. Nuluxe looked cheap since they do this wavy pattern/design on it instead of making a grain effect like the germans. No wood, too much plastic. Road noise is intrusive. The "Ding ding ding" sound in reverse is annoying. Also this car makes much more buzzing noises. The brake pedal hiss is loud when you depress it. The regenerative braking noise seems higher pitched. The buzzing when parking is much more abundant. Does it for 5 seconds when you first open the door on cold start up.
There is my random montage of thoughts
There were also other reasons to bring in the RX. At 3.5 years old, the warranty is about to expire and I have posted before about these issues. Over wallows roads/speed bumps/gutter dips, the rear suspension makes a squeak sound. The steering wheel makes this creaking/click click noise when gently turning it about 20 degrees or so. Turns out both of the rear struts needed replacing since they were found leaking. The steering wheel issue was deemed "normal" even though I did a road test with the technician. They called and said they found it on 3 other RXhs. I will need to go in again to verify this, but I highly doubt it. It isn't the end of that chapter yet.
Notes on the CT. This was my first time driving a CT and also a prius. Excuse the harsh comparison but they do share the same power train. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. This particular model was not very loaded. It had nuluxe instead of leather, heated seats, and nav, and rain sensing wipers. This was a 2014 model and so is newly updated with the spindle grill, new front and rear bumpers, shark fin antennae, simplified dash, and the new nav interface like that found on the IS. That said, Remote touch and the menu interfaces seems to have taken a step backwards. The icons seem smaller and it was hard to click the button I wanted while driving. I would always inadvertently hit something else beside it. Also the radio screen has way too many presets. I liked it when my AM and FM were separated. I dislike having my presets scattered. Also the nav was very slow. Many people have had complaints in the IS forum and supposedly there is a fix. it seems like the processor is not good enough. I do however like having split screen option. I had it on radio and the consumption
At first, I did not like driving it. Sitting so low made all 6ft of me feel a bit claustrophobic to be honest. The distance between the top of the dash and the roof seemed very narrow, and with the rear view mirror and the popped up nav screen, you can barely see anything in the center of the windshield. The C pillar is huge, and the rear window is tiny.
The great thing about this car? Gas mileage. I reset the mpg when I received it and consistently was getting 45-47mpg. This car is only rated at 43. I wasn't even trying either. On my RX, I can barely get about 26 even when I am trying. Of course the downside is the power, or lack there of. CVT drone is horrendous.
I loved the little EV car icon that displays when the car is running electric. This is the same EV mode icon found on the RXh but means something different in the CT. Made it easy to see and is much more useful than the ECO light we have. I also found it interesting that the CT loves to run EV. For instance. on the RX, the gas engine will kick in shortly after starting no matter how warm the engine is. On the CT, starting the car will not necessarily result in engine kicking in. It can stay in EV mode. I also found the engine shudder to be less intrusive on the CT versus my car which is surprising.
Pros: Gas mileage, navigation with 3D mode/buildings, trunk utility versus sedan, rear view camera with distance and guide marks that move, sport mode which makes a difference (feels like you get a boost at initial tip in)
Would I buy one? Probably not. The cons are far too great. The rear seats are not nearly adequate enough. No rear air vents, no rear cup holders, no rear arm rest. Nuluxe looked cheap since they do this wavy pattern/design on it instead of making a grain effect like the germans. No wood, too much plastic. Road noise is intrusive. The "Ding ding ding" sound in reverse is annoying. Also this car makes much more buzzing noises. The brake pedal hiss is loud when you depress it. The regenerative braking noise seems higher pitched. The buzzing when parking is much more abundant. Does it for 5 seconds when you first open the door on cold start up.
There is my random montage of thoughts
05-14-14, 12:31 PM
#6
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Thanks for the review. It's interesting to get one from an RXh owner. Did you have the CT in sport mode? That was definitely better than eco. Otherwise it was a strain to get going. At least that's what I remember from my test drive years ago. You managed some fantastic mileage there. I wish we could see numbers closer to that. But then again I'll take power over MPGs any day of the week
How's your 450h now that you had some of the issues addressed?
How's your 450h now that you had some of the issues addressed?
I did have it in sport mode sometimes, trying to decipher if I could tell a difference in steering feel and power. The steering indeed gets stiffer. I also noticed that the CT is less prone to go into EV mode when in sport mode. And again, that initial tip in boost was surprising. I am not sure if it was coming from the transmission or from electric.
The RX and CT definitely have different missions. The RX is a good balance of power, efficiency, and practicality. The CT's main focus is just mpg, with a little sporting pretention.
05-14-14, 02:45 PM
#7
No, I don't play soccer!
Bummer about the suspension noise still going on. Maybe over time it'll dissipate more as it loosens up. Definitely keep us posted on future developments. I might ask to have mine checked this weekend when I bring in the 450h for minor service.
And you hit on the head, the CT certainly has its appeal but for different reasons than the RXh.
And you hit on the head, the CT certainly has its appeal but for different reasons than the RXh.
Trending Topics
05-14-14, 02:51 PM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
left part shows the map/navigation and the right shows audio ( can be customized to your preference)
and when you're nearing an exit, the right screen changes to that exit while the Left screen maintains the "trip" map.
Last edited by markrivers; 05-14-14 at 03:06 PM.
05-14-14, 05:01 PM
#10
The pursuit of F
As an owner of a CT and 2RXh, indeed these vehicles have different missions. I loved both vehicles for their intended purposes, which is the key statement here, understanding their purposes. Often times the CT is underrated and misunderstood. It's a compact city-based hybrid, with hot hatch good looks, sporty handling, best-in-class reliability, and quality fit-and-finish for its price against its competitors. It's not a hot-rod and a family or cargo carrier. The RXh has the extra noise isolation, power, comfort, room, and refinement, amazing for family hauling in the city and the long family trips. Downside, 20 mpgs less, bulkier, and 20K more. Either vehicle individually had its shortcomings for my needs...which is why I had both.
Back to the issue at hand. Regarding the suspension squeak, did they show you the leaky shocks? It's unusual both are shot after only 30k miles. And if other RXs have the issue, isn't this grounds for a TSB?
It's possible the squeak is still there, albeit less prominent because the new "stiffer" shocks simply allow less motion in the suspension's travel creating the lesser noise. As such, it's possible any one of the joints (many as per pic) allowing for vertical movement of the suspension just needs some lube or perhaps one of those moving parts is simply worn. If the shocks were truly leaking, great, you had to change them anyway, but it doesn't appear to be the root cause, instead it's partially masking it now.
Keep us posted!
Back to the issue at hand. Regarding the suspension squeak, did they show you the leaky shocks? It's unusual both are shot after only 30k miles. And if other RXs have the issue, isn't this grounds for a TSB?
It's possible the squeak is still there, albeit less prominent because the new "stiffer" shocks simply allow less motion in the suspension's travel creating the lesser noise. As such, it's possible any one of the joints (many as per pic) allowing for vertical movement of the suspension just needs some lube or perhaps one of those moving parts is simply worn. If the shocks were truly leaking, great, you had to change them anyway, but it doesn't appear to be the root cause, instead it's partially masking it now.
Keep us posted!
Last edited by corradoMR2; 05-14-14 at 05:06 PM.
05-14-14, 05:34 PM
#11
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I did not have them show my the leaky shocks. It is weird that both were shot after such a short time, however, I do go through some pretty rough roads here in Cali.
When I was doing the test drive, the mechanic did say that it could be the strut or the control arm. Seeing as how they saw the leaking struts, I guess they didn't investigate further. I will drive it around these two weeks to see if the noise improves, but it seems to me there may be bigger issues at play.
When I was doing the test drive, the mechanic did say that it could be the strut or the control arm. Seeing as how they saw the leaking struts, I guess they didn't investigate further. I will drive it around these two weeks to see if the noise improves, but it seems to me there may be bigger issues at play.
05-14-14, 09:57 PM
#12
Apples and Oranges
I own both a 3RX and CT. I enjoy them both for very different reasons. My wife really enjoys the RX and I much prefer driving the CT. The seats in the CT hug me and are more supportive and comfortable on long trips than the lazy boys in the RX, The RX feels like a top heavy boat compared to the CT. A boat with nice power, that is. Ultimately, I wouldn't drive the CT if it wasn't comfortable and a pleasure to drive. The fact that I drove 501 miles on 9.6 gallons my last tank is the icing on the cake. I must say it's a luxury to be able to chose between the SC430, RX350 and CT200h. They are all fun to drive for different reasons.
With warmer temps and summer gas, here's my last tank in the CT (9.6 gallon to fill):
StillLine
With warmer temps and summer gas, here's my last tank in the CT (9.6 gallon to fill):
StillLine
05-20-14, 12:28 PM
#13
That's interesting. My neighbor has a 13 and I don't believe she has that feature. Did it come in a certain package? Is yours an F sport? I'm intrigued, hope my 15 has it.
05-20-14, 12:32 PM
#14
Lexus Champion
05-20-14, 01:31 PM
#15
I just went next door and looked at the display screen on a 2013 RX 350. It has a button near the RT where she can choose either media or map (I think that was how it was ) she was as surprised as me about a split screen. We couldn't find any way to change it so i'm curious as to how it works.