A couple of model Y Tesla's have shown up at my work parking lot. I love the look of the Y, hate the egg shaped model X. It got me thinking this might be my next car. I love the near quiet ride of my 16' RX 350, but don't like the heavy/ lumbering handling and marginal acceleration. I've had NX loaners and don't care for the rougher, noisier ride. Can anyone tell me what the ride in a Tesla model 3 (or model Y) is like? I assumed being electric, they would be whisper quiet, but a few reviews I read said they are on the louder side and ride rough. Thanks for reply's!

 

I don't own one now, but in the market and own a 16 RX. Plus I used to work for Tesla. The problem with comparing the two is that Lexus focuses on comfort while Tesla is geared for performance and efficiency. Thus there isn't an equal amount of sound deading material applied to the Tesla nor the extra seals + glass thickness and engineering to reduce sound. The Model 3, while awesome, is known for being noisy, especially no the highway. Also, what doesn't help is the car is dead silent so you end up hearing EVERYTHING.

And yes, the ride is way firmer and more jarring. If you really want something more quiet, I would focus on the Model S. Used, facelifted 16+ models with air suspension can be had under $50. That will get you closer to the Lexus quite while still being fun to drive. Model Y will be similar. If you like Lexus refinement but want sporty, why not go with the new IS when it comes out or wait till a year or two for a used one.

 

I just got a 17’ rx and boy it’s a nice change. It’s everything my model 3 is not, but In good ways. I really wanted something more comfy and higher ride. My 3 is fast and it’s been a great car, I don’t think of getting rid of it any time soon. With no engine noise you do pick up more wind noise and road noise. Tesla are not known for quality so fare warning. But after taking my first road trip in my new rx I miss auto pilot badly. I myself didn’t really like the y or x.

 

@Denverrx, there is a Model Y thread in the Car Chat forum that might interest you: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...ormance-8.html

I did a test drive in a Model 3 before purchasing an RX in April. A colleague told me I was an idiot not to buy a Model 3 - he loves his and has referenced-sold a few of them to his friends. I was certainly impressed and it's clear that full EV is the future of driving. My guess is the RX will be the last ICE I buy. That said, the Model 3 just didn't do it for me. It seemed fun to drive and the tech was right up my alley, but it wasn't the vehicle I could see myself living with for years.

 

This is my opinion too. Teslas are great, but between quality issues, service issues (waiting weeks for parts), and range/charging availability, I don't think it's quite there for me to have as my only car. I plan on keeping my '16 RX for 8-10 more years and getting a (hopefully much improved) full EV car then.

 

I don't think that the 2 are comparable, they are after different buyers.

 

Lexus is aimed at the older crowd which values refinement and quietness over technology. Tesla is aimed at younger ppl that care more about technology than anything else. Tesla’s greatest appeal is the technology and the EV shot out of a cannon instant torque 0-60 in .2 seconds! Nobody has ever boughten any Lexus based on technology, well the LFA and even that brought one 90s style key.

 

Are you into stereotypes much?

My wife is 72 years old and will likely get a Tesla Model Y next year - for the technology.

The technology was the main reason I bought my first Lexus LS in early 1990.

My next vehicle acquisition will be a new mid-engine Corvette C8 convertible - not known for being real quiet but it sure has incredible technology.

 

My 72 years old wife has a RX, but her next car may well be a Tesla. Currently have a RC-F, which I like very much, but those new corvettes look very nice. Some time I will have to test drive that new corvette, but I really like my RC-F, in fact, I must really like, it since it's the only car I have kept for over three years.

 

Wow I Admit I was way off going off what I’ve read online. I guess what I didn’t take into account is that most Tesla owners are home owners, and that the cars are expensive. Lexus and Tesla share most of the same customer base, this surprised the heck out of me! Lexus does do more female sale where Tesla does better with men. Go figure going off of stereotype Im supposed to have purchased an Audi.

Who is the typical Tesla customer?
The typical Tesla customer is male, in their 50s, own their own home and has a high household income.

What is the average income of a Tesla owner?
The average household income of a Tesla owner is over $100,0000: the average Tesla Model X owner is $143,177 per year and the average Tesla Model S owner is $153,313 per year. Our data shows that the median age of a Tesla Model 3 owner is 46 years old.


Lexus, with the second-oldest customer (age 53, on average) among the 4 brands, also increased its percentage of buyers younger than 56 years old this year — 56.8 percent vs. 54.5 percent a year ago.

 

I thought the same thing when reading that gent's post. Vehicle purchases are a wildly emotional experience, even though few of us will admit it. The vehicle we drive projects an image we want to project, and that can vary on a whim. I bought an RX350. Tied for 2nd on my list was the Volvo XC60 and Tesla Model Y, and the Acura RDX was a wild card. Clearly I did not have a fixed set of "needs" based on my age, income or anything else.

Thanks for the Blazing Saddles reference in your signature. One of the funniest films ever, directed and acted by geniuses. I see that HBO Max feels the need to add a preamble "explaining" the movie to snowflakes. God help us....

 

Thanks for all the responses! I value the opinion of someone who has experienced the comfort of a Lexus RX and has tried out a Tesla, rather than just going to a Tesla forum and hearing about how great they are. Back to plan A: wait till the 5th gen RX comes out & decide then. Looks like it will be a plugin hybrid...

 

I thought about this as well, but do you really want to wait 1.5 years and then deal with all the bugs and recalls of a new generation?

I ended up going with the tried and true 4th gen... peace of mind everything works. i'm a boring guy lol

 

hi there .
i saw this thread and motivated me to get one tesla on my own.
i am lexus guy all the way ......but after driving and looking deep in tesla model S.

i have to admit i was blown away.
all those years of fixing and improving my lexus models looks like will be very soon history.
tesla is the future not because of electric but because of the design.;model S using kindof lexus and mercedes benz platform.realy best of the best.
front brakes are almost same like on our GS 450h.Brembo style.door handels are presenting themself like on new mercedes benz.Nobody cant steal tesla due to constant networkaccess and PIN TO START MODE.we got one with free Supercharger for life and premium internet connectivity for life.
Gs 450h was fast but this tesla S is super fast .
sorry but lexus will never be on the same level like tesla.
tesla using blue coolanf G48 from bmw
drive unit using dextron 6 or ATF 9 oil
really they picked up best of the best tesla know what is doing .even small agm battery was similat like on our rx 450h but smaller.
charging can be do at home you can select how many amps you like to feed into tesla via tesla app. from 0 amp to 28 amp in our case.but if you like to go crazy you can get 60 amp braker and get more amps.

we designed small subpanel or how they calling load center siemens and got feed from main panel 100 amp.if you have 200 amp service than sky is the limit.we had only 100 amp service so we improvised.Gauge on cable was 6 for 50 amp and 8 for 40 amp.it was perfect we installed re3ceptical for dryer nema 14 30 you can get even nema 14 50 if you have diferent charger for tesla.

really not nessesary considering that we have free usage of supercharger any time but it was for educational purposes only ,and thinking about getting one more tesla model 3 or new model 2.


sorry but i thing I fall in love with tesla model S.

 

regarding range we gor about 430 km per single charge up tp 100 percent .but because i am hybrid guy es 300h .gs 450h and rx 450h.than i use mu experiance to lower tesla to 80 percent to prolong battery life.its awsome range and even longer if you are not tempted to use speed insane mode like amg mode on mercedes. even lambo gellardo you can blow off with tesla model s .
i was sad because i do like Lamborghini.

bottom line ;new RZ lexus has no range and look very cheap comparing to tesla.