SeventyGTX

Hello all, first time poster here. We will be purchasing a 2015 RX350 within the next couple of weeks and I just found out it is doubtful I will be able to get the Sport Appearance Package with AWD. What is really a puzzler, is the F-Sport has AWD standard. AWD is a must for us in the high desert.

Buying the F-Sport is out of the question as this will be my wifes vehicle and she hates black interior, and red seats even more. She is set on Parchment w/wood and leather for the inside. Actually she could care less about which bumper it has, I am the one that prefers the F Sport bumper as I think it looks a bit more up to date than the stock higher bumper.

Anyway, we are super excited to get this vehicle no matter what bumper. It will be an excellent upgrade for her old 05 Acura MDX.

SteveCraig

Tell me/ show me more about the GTX. RX can wait.

SeventyGTX

Lol. Actually, I sold the car a few years ago after owning it for quite a few years. I still keep the name for message boards so I don't have different names on different sites. It now resides in Sweden and was an original 440 4bbl car, but I added a factory 6bbl setup. Ran high 12's at the track. Here is a pic at a show I entered near Sacramento when we lived in that area, probably about 2004.

SteveCraig

Very nice !
Just sold the Buick in my avatar. Some regrets but time to move on. 350 car ,was a perfect cruiser. I had a very strongly built 455 & TH400 combo built & ready to drop in about 3 years ago. Left it original & rebuilt the original 350/350 instead. 455 now resides in Denmark. Big American iron has a strong following in Europe.

Cheers,

bmaez

Where did you get the info from? I was interested with the appearance package and the AWD but don't like the ride of the fsport.

SeventyGTX

When I asked my dealer, the salesman didn't know, but another girl there said you can't get it with AWD. So, I got home and checked the Lexus website on the "Build your Lexus" tab. Sure enough, if you start with an FWD, it shows the Sport bumper on the higher end option package. But if you start with an AWD, that option is not there. I had also read it wasn't available in an older thread on this site....
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...rance-pkg.html

BUT, on a good note! I just got off the phone with the Lexus Corporate office and talked to a gal named Jackie. She checked with someone else, and they said it can be ordered and I just need to tell my dealer.

We will see, but I hope she is right.

mklemovitc

The lexus.com BYO steers you into the standard packages they build and ship to each region. There are lots of combinations you can actually have if you really want them.

I special-ordered after doing my own research on edmunds.com and kbb.com about what the valid and available options were. It took a bit longer (about 4-1/2 months from order to delivery and it was a Japanese build coming to the East coast) and I too had to deal with salesmen knowing less than I did about what I wanted on my RX but in the end I'm very happy that I did. Two years later and I'm still a very happy camper with my chosen options.

He just got a fresh coat of Zaino this weekend ad is feeling very happy.







Freshly waxed @ 2 years old

SeventyGTX

Well, come to find out, you can NOT get the Sport Appearance package with AWD. Soooooo, we are probably going to get a 450h as you can get the two packages together. Going to be more than we expected for a new car, but it's what we want. Since the nearest Lexus dealer to us is 70 miles away, it's going to be a few days until we can get there and drive one.

Working on cars for a living (body tech), I always found it a bit unsettling rolling in a car silently around the shop, then have the engine fire up. My wife may have a hard time with that. I have never driven a hybrid on the road, but will soon.

oohpapi44

iTrader: (1)

You'll be surprised at how much fun it is. Plus with the extra hp, the sport appearance will be a bit more truer to form with its quickness.

SeventyGTX

Does the hybrid have more power than the gas version? I assumed they were the same engines.

corradoMR2

Oh yes, 25 more hp + and undisclosed amount more torque thanks to the electric motors. It's about 7 seconds 0-60mph vs 7.8s for the 350RX 6-speed (F-Sport 8-speed is a tick quicker). Only downside with the h is it takes premium fuel but it's more than offset by the 40-50% better gas consumption (city). Transmission is also a "CVT" which adds to the buttery smooth power delivery.

I had the older RX400h and LOVED the library quiet startup and rolling. If the h was available in F-Sport trim, I'd be owning that without a doubt for this luxuriously smooth driving experience (oxymoron to the F-Sport? I know...)

kitlz

Yup, the 450h is 295 HP vs the 350's 270 HP. Takes a few days to get used to but I think you'll enjoy the extra power. BTW, once you decide what you want, e-mail a few dealers to get the best price. Good luck.

ericsan13

Hi Seventy,

Not to rain on 450h owner's parades or ignite a speed war (sorry guys!), but you won't see the 450h noticeably faster OR slower than the normal 350. FYI I will be getting the 450h when the 4th generation comes out at the end of 2015.

I have a 2010 RX350 and it is no different than the 2010 RX450h I test drove. In fact if you look around the internet you will find the same information (that the RX450h is a tiny, tiny bit slower).

While 450h does have more HP, it is also running the atkinson cycle and it has the extra weight from the batteries.

Buy the 450h because of the smooth torque curve and the fuel savings, but don't expect it to drive like a rocket ship. I am getting it because I can mash the pedal without a guilty conscience. =P

-Eric

Sources:
2010 RX450h
"We've timed the 450h from zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds, a time that's about the same as the regular RX 350's." - http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/rx-450h...iew-pod-anchor

2010 RX350:
"A 3.5-liter V6 rated at 275 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque powers the 2010 Lexus RX 350. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard, and buyers have a choice of either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Lexus claims either version will run from zero to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds." - http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/rx-350/...iew-pod-anchor

2015 RX450h:
"In Edmunds testing, the 450h went from zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds, which is a few tenths of a second slower than the conventionally powered RX 350." - http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/rx-450h...iew-pod-anchor

2015 RX350:
"In Edmunds performance testing, a front-wheel-drive RX 350 went from zero to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, which is average for the class. The F Sport was actually a little slower despite a more sophisticated transmission and its advantageous gearing." - http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/rx-350/...iew-pod-anchor

oohpapi44

iTrader: (1)

Think I read something about those times being conducted while in Eco mode. Will wholeheartedly disagree that you can immediately tell the difference between the two. The torque difference alone between the two is unbelievable. Not taking the comments personal but just sharing that my comparison results are very different from what you post above.

ericsan13

FYI, even Lexus rates the 450h as slower from 0-60:

RX350 FWD: 7.7s
RX350 F Sport: 7.7s
RX450h FWD/AWD: 7.8s

The feeling of speed is probably attributed to the smoother torque curve. With a difference of a tenth of a second, even measuring equipment and human responses times are going to have difficulty telling the difference.

Sources:
http://www.lexus.com/models/RX/speci...350-fwd#engine
http://www.lexus.com/models/RX/speci...f-sport#engine
http://www.lexus.com/models/RX/speci...50h-fwd#engine
http://www.lexus.com/models/RX/speci...50h-awd#engine