jamsvet

Currently we have a 2003 LS430 and we want to change to an SUV. Which model year is the sweet spot for the RX? Must have options? I've gotten a lot of help over the years from the LS guys and thanks to everybody in advance for your help. BTW Our first 02 LS430 went 250k before we updated it.

BertL

IMHO, the "sweet spot" is going to be different for each of us -- e.g. some consider color more important than other things, whereas some want the driving experience first, or they must have towing capability, or something else. Let me try to help with a general orientation as to what's different year-to-year and key variations you likely need to consider as you narrow things down and become familiar with the RX line. Off the top of my head (that's my caveat for when someone jumps in stating I missed something ) ...here we go:

3rd Gen RX goes from 2010 to 2015. 4th Gen (2016) RX will come out "late this year". ...so if you are looking for new, you have 2015 now or 2016 if you wait a few months. 2016 is a completely new design inside and out -- see the 4th Gen RX Forum for pictures and discussion on what is known and tons of speculation and opinions. If you are looking for a 3rd Gen, however:

• You can choose between a RX350 or RX450h Hybrid. That is a whole discussion unto itself, and probably your first decision point. You'll find plenty of discussion here as well as in the Hybrid subform with people's opinion. For the most part, options between the two are similar. I'll try to highlight below a few of the key differences.
• You can have FWD or AWD depending on your needs.
• There are 2 versions of the 2010 (both RX350 & 450h) -- the very early builds here in the US came with a sunglasses holder above the rearview mirror vs the optionally paid for Enform services every truck comes with since then
• The 3rd Gen RX received it's mid-life refresh in the 2013 model, which visually comes with what I'd term a "first generation" spindle grille on the front end and a number of other tweaks throughout (another recent thread here describes those differences compared to a 2012). 2013 also optionally introduced Blind Spot Monitoring that you could not have on previous MYs.
• Also beginning with the 2013s, if you want a RX350 FWD, you can also have a RX350 F-Sport (not available as a 3rd Gen RX450h variant) which has 8-spd transmission, different suspension, styling, and badging. Beyond the appearance, be sure to drive one to understand if you like the feel from a standard RX350. There are plenty of threads on the F-Sport, opinions, etc.
• Also starting with the 2013s, if you like the external look of the RX350 F-Sport, but don't need the other differences with say the transmission and suspension, you can have the more aggressive styling with the optional Sport Appearance Pkg on a RX350 FWD or RX450h FWD/AWD.
• There have been some external and internal color variations across the years -- so if particular color combos are important, that may influence your model year. Note the way interior color is layed-out in the RX450h, it is slightly different than RX350 in at least one color variation if that sort of thing is important to you.
• There are some other more minor tweaks year-to-year beyond the larger 2013 refresh items -- most not even mentioned in marketing materials -- such as the "3 flash turn blinker" capability German cars have had for years, but showed up on the 2015 RX for the first time

There are many threads here on most of the subjects, so do a couple of searches and you'll probably find one to help with your research. If not, post back and the folks here will help. My suggestion is, look at the present RX, Lexus.com and marketing materials first, then prioritize which of the things above are most important to you, and that will help eliminate some variations or perhaps steer you to particular model years to narrow things down. Good luck in your pursuit!

kmar

On my 2015 RX 350 you can set the blinker to 3, 5, or 7 flashes. User configurable through the on-screen vehicle setup.

jamsvet

Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you Bert. Hopefully, others will chime in.

jamsvet

I suppose I should have narrowed things down so here goes. I want an RX that comes in more colors than silver, black or white. I hate that every parking lot you see, everything is silver, black or white. I would like a ride as close as possible to our LS. Nav and luxury items are great; the more the merrier. Reliability is King. I like Lexus because 200k is expected not marveled at. That is the only reason I will probably opt for the 350 over the 450h. 4WD isn't needed since SOCal is home. I'll post more "demands" as I think of them.

Bryanmeow

I just bought Calret Mica with black leather, looks very good. Wife was going to pick up white on black, now she's glad I made that color decision for her. (white, grey, silver RX 350 everywhere tbh)

GLP

I am a fairly new owner of a 2010 RX 350 and through all my research it became apparent that the most important thing was to get a 3rg gen (2010 and newer). The variations within the 3rd gen are minor. For us the most important things were color (had to have white with light interior but dark wood trim) and price (<$23k for us).