SeventyGTX, Starfire is a beautiful color on the RX. Pretty soon you'll be able to post pictures of yours. Try to get the VIN from your salesperson. The first two numbers/letters will definitively tell you where it was made, 2T = Canada, JT = Japan.

BTW, a few weeks is nothing compared to the four months I waited for my 450h. A month alone making the journey from Japan. But it's worth it to get exactly what you want. Hang in there.

 

Yep, 2T is the beginning of the VIN and thanks again for the encouragement.

 

Anita makes a good point, the wait time for special-order RXh was unreasonably long, to the point where people ordered one model year and got another. That's one of reasons I ended up picking one that was on the lot of the out-of-state dealer. Looks like Canada-built RXh will be here much quicker.

BTW, my WRX STI is special-ordered from Japan and should arrive after a total of ~2.5 months of waiting. I still have 3 weeks to go.

 

Looks great and glad you didn't let the performance inhibit your purchase. I will agree with you that the RX doesn't feel like it has 295 horsepower, and Ive concluded over the years that it is due to a myriad of reasons, some which have been discussed here.

1) weight of the RX, she is one heavy beast. Getting awd will actually make it faster with the second electric motor
2) CVT, without that initial kick down feeling of dropping a few gears, the perceived acceleration is reduced
3) Electronic nannies controlling everything. There is a reason why this 4700 pound beast can get 30mpg. The car is programmed not to react too quickly.
4) atkinson engine with reduced torque numbers. Theoretically, torque from the electric motors (all available at 0 rpm) should be able to compensate but it doesn't and Lexus doesn't state combined torque numbers

 

Congratulations! You're going to LOVE your new car! If you're at all interested in this kind of thing, I would recommend you read about CVTs and Atkinson ICEs. There is some really great insight into the design decisions Lexus made, and knowing the "whys" makes it even more fun for me to drive.

BTW - I'd be willing to bet that your driving habits will change, no matter what cars you drive. You'll enjoy these adjustments, too. Best of luck with your new car!

 

Thanks Woody. I am familiar with the belt driven CVT's in our ATVs, but this is a whole 'nother ball game. The quads also give that linear acceleration, with no gears shifting. They work on a clutching principle. I have no idea how these complicated things work. Not sure if I want to know.......lol

 

Haven't seen anyone mention the torque steer yet. It's pretty dramatic if you punch it when making a turn from a stop (pulling out into traffic). Wish they sent more power to the electric motor on the rear axle to better manage that. However, as it relates to this thread, perhaps the feeling of slowness being discussed is due to Lexus' attempt to control the torque steer.

 

It's the nature of front wheel drive. Most any primarily front drive system with sufficient power will experience some amount of torque steer.

 

Since this system is AWD, I expected better.

 

We have had 2 AWD RXs (350 and 450h), and I've never noticed torque steer from either one.

 

Woody, I don't normally notice it unless I'm really getting on it. Even then it's not bad but with enough power and wet conditions it's happened.

And to Brian, yes you may have an AWD, but it's not full time. Your car is primarily front wheel drive with the rear wheel power used for additional traction when needed. But with the main drive from the front wheels and the engine sitting transversely you may experience it if enough power is used. Doesn't mean anything is wrong, it's just the dynamics.

 

Torque steer? Nah, never noticed:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/hyb...que-steer.html

I came to a conclusion that most Toyota drivers wouldn't know what it is.

But I almost did take out a mailbox while making a 3-point turn into a driveway and the steering wheel jumped out from my hands unexpectedly under throttle.

 

Torque steer mainly affects the more seasoned folks like myself that primarily learned to drive RWD vehicles and got used to using a single finger stuck through the steering wheel spokes to correct oversteer during fast turns.

Those that learned to drive on 80s and 90s era FWD, today's torque steer is like a sleeping kitten.

 

Some do.

I can actually deal pretty easily with torque steer. I grew up in VWs, Corvairs, and muscle cars, and became completely comfortable with oversteer. Understeer on the other hand, makes me very uncomfortable. I know it's supposed to be comforting to some people, and it's actually built into some cars on purpose (the RX?). I simply never learned how to deal with it, and I don't like it.

 

The AWD will not help with torque steer in the RX. Even though from a standstill the rear motor is active, the front engine and electric motor is till sending 100% of power to the front. Power is not being "split" in the traditional sense as is the case with other awd systems