Hi everyone...I need some feedback on a few suv's that I'm considering. My son crashed my wife's 2000 ES300 last week when he hit a tree (he's ok but the car had close to 10,000 in damage so the Insurance Co totaled it). I need to get something in the next week and here's what my wife wants to look at:

08 Acura RDX
08 Infiniti EX35
08 Lexus RX350

Of the cars listed, I've driven the RX350 as a service loaner and its a good car but I hear Lexus will be replacing the body style in 09. I would hate to buy something that will look dated in a year. I would like to hear some of your comments and what you would get if you had to buy in the next week.

Thanks

Rich

 

how much are those cars that you listed? my current favorite SUV is the Acura MDX which costs 45-50k.

 

If you're thinking of the RX350, why not just go with the newly redesigned and highly commended Toyota Highlander?

 

Three excellent choices, I'd lean towards the Infiniti

 

The Highlander is a good choice, but it will be obvious as soon as you sit in it that it is a Toyota and not a luxury or near luxury SUV. It looks nice, but feels very plastic and cheap inside IMHO. Perfect for the mainstream Toyota brand, but out of the 3 cars on the OPs list it will definitely feel a notch or two down in quality and feel. Not even my wife was impressed with the interior quality of the new Highlander.

In the RX forum we have a topic about the new 2009 RX. At the latest it may seem like it will actually come out a year later as a 2010, so that may give you an extra year if you buy the RX.

The Infiniti EX has caught my attention since Infiniti has been sending me a lot of emails and literature about this car. It is a car I have to see in person though, but if it is anything like the new G and M, the quality should be pretty good, reliability should be pretty good, and performance should be great.

RDX is also a car I like, but mostly because of the SH-AWD and turbo I4 engine. Otherwise I'd probably would buy the MDX instead which I think is one if not the best in its segment right now in 07/08.

 

EX35! and tell us the selfhealing paint!

 

MDX, CX-7, or ES350

RX350 is nice but if theres a new body coming out so soon then its ur call.

 

You have some points, but, to an extent, I have to disagree. Yes, there is a lot of plastic, just like with all new Toyota products, but I thought the interior of the new top-line Highlander Limited, IMO, was anything BUT cheap....and the Limited model, inside, could pass for a Lexus. Here, check out my recent review:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlander+2008

Toyota did a much better job on the new Highlander than either the Camry or Tundra, which ARE cheap inside.

If you like it and can afford one, get an '08 and don't worry about a "dated" look. People in general worry far too much about stuff like this when they go car shopping......"image", being "cool", what others will say, being "fashionable", etc... The '08 RX is a fine vehicle.....think of it as an all-weather version of your former ES. You will also probably get a better deal on an '08 than an '09 and owe less personal property taxes on it of your state taxes cars based on their value every year....as mine does.


Several posters mentioned Acura SUV's. Yes, they are an option too, especially with the superb SH-AWD system, but if you are used to Toyota/Lexus interiors, you probably wouldn't like the new MDX and RDX interiors, which are more aggressively styled with a high-tech look. The RDX has snappy handling and a lot of torque from its first-ever Honda/Acura turbocharged engine, but it rides stiffly and doesn't have a lot of room inside compared to other SUV's.

 

If you are worried about changing body styles, I would get the EX35 since it is brand new. The RDX came out in 2007 so you would lose a year in the current body style but it is still relatively new.

Of course other factors that maybe important to you: RX350 is probably more luxurious, quiet & comfortable; if exclusivity is important to you this might not be the ride for you either since I see them everywhere. The RDX is probably the cheapest after haggling & I am not familiar with the EX35 yet so no comment there.

 

Thanks for the comments. I'm going to add the Highlander to the list. (Nice writeup by mmarshall on it) Overall, I want AWD and NAV. FWD is out since we will be doing plenty of mountain driving on weekends when we move out of Charlotte NC and back to NorCal Bay Area.

I believe the RDX will be lowest $ and the EX35 the most expensive since it just came out. I think the $ for RX350 and Highlander will fall between the RDX and the EX35.

 

This is why you don't let your kid drive your Lexus....though I guess my mom lets me drive her Lexus. Anyway, glad he's alright.

My mom got her RX400h last February to replace her aging RX300. She originally had no intent to get the hybrid, but it turned out February was just the right time. Lexus knocked $3k off I think it was because they wanted to make room for the '08s. Perhaps you could explore this.

Though it doesn't seem like you have time to wait, you could prolly get an even better deal on leftovers when the redesigned body style debuts.

 

I recently chose between those and picked the RDX. It offered the best balance of everything--performance, luxury, utility, and price. The RX just wasn't worth the $$ premium to me, and the Infiniti EX and FX are lacking in the utility department. The EX does look like it has a class-leading interior, if pictures can be believed, but again when considering the total package the RDX came out on top in my analysis.

 

Actually, he did not have permission to drive. In fact, he does not have his license yet and he's lucky to be alive. We'll leave it at that since this can get off topic real quick...

 

What are your needs? Both the RDX and EX are new are solid SUVs but I can't understand them. The RDX is a turbo-4, which gets no better economy than a 6. The EX seems to have a very nice interior but it has only 3 feet more cargo room than a G35! Both of these are tiny and no offense, are hard to look at.

There is a reason the RX is the inventor of this class and continues to be the best selling in class. It actually has the UTILITY portion in SUV, it has good power, a great interior and Lexus panache. Downsides, there are tons of them on the road, not as "sporty" as a RDX or EX and lacks some of the newer tech those 2 cute utes have. As for a redesign, it may come in 2009 as a 2010 model.

IMO RX by a landslide.

 

You too have a point as I don't believe we checked out the Limited with leather. The other point is the Leather trimmed fully loaded Limited is pretty expensive. Might as well just go for the RX350 at that point.