I'm deciding which vehicle to purchase next. I'm currently driving a Chevy Malibu, which is an adequate car, but I've decided it's time to get back to a "nicer" mode of transport. Also, my family is in the process of growing: I got a dog last year, and we're about to have our first child. Although we'll initially fit in the current sedan with room in the trunk for cargo, there is NO room for any extra people, which will occasionally be necessary.

I really don't want to get a minivan! However, I'm concerned that the RX won't hold more than 2 adults, a baby seat, a dog and the equivalent of a trunk-full of cargo. I've looked at the Lexus showroom, and of course the salesman says it's not a problem. (He says to put the dog in the back with some of the stuff, and put some on the roof.) However I'm still concerned. What is your experience with this issue?

BTW, I'm not interested in going to the LX. It's just too big, IMO. The RX is a much nicer looking vehicle, and is far better on gas.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

 

Man, I don't think you should have ANY problem with space with what you described. We were dropping off my sister to NYU, and had to fit 4 adults, plus sooooooo much stuff (you can't begin to imagine how much stuff she packed!) and we didnt even have to use the roof. This was all in the RX300, and the 330 is more roomier, plus you can put down each seat individually. You shouldn't have any problem at all.

 

Thanks for the comment. It's actually a 300 that I'll be getting (probably a 1999 or 2000). From what I've seen, lots of people put their dogs in the back. I'm just hoping that I'll be able to leave "half" of that space for the dog, and fit all of the rest of the stuff beside it (without having it all topple down as I take the first corner. ) Are there tie-down points that would facilitate securing the cargo in one half of the back, or will I have to rig something up?

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

 

I'm not sure about the specific RX you're going to purchase, but if yours has the cargo net and the child seat tie downs that are found on the backside of the rear seats, then you should be set. Just adjust the cargo net/rope to wrap around the cargo and secure it to the child seat tie downs.

 

Perfect! Thanks again.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

 

I just took a really close look at the RX330 in the showroom, and it definitely won't fit a 3 big people and a baby seat, with a dog and a bunch of luggage in the back. The sloped rear window makes this impossible. In fact, it's really quite small inside.

I've not had a chance to get a good look inside of the 300. From the look of the outside, it looks like it might have more space than the 330? What say you?

BTW, I took at look at the Toyota Rav4 and Higlander. The Rav4 has as much room as the 330, if not more. The Highlander seems almost huge, and the Sienna is a gaping hole in time and space. I like the idea of space, but minivans scare me.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-

 

Nope. My new RX330 can put more things in it than my RX300 since it has a deeper floor and its a tad wider. Also, the rear chairs can slide foward much more than the old one to be able to put more luggages in the back. I have placed 5 medium size suitcases, 2 big golf bags, and 2 small size suitcases w/o any problem and all five of us in the RX330 for our trip to a resort. It was very roomy inside compared to teh old one and is pretty practical for us. I would not suggest the old RX300 since it has a shallow rear compartment and the wheel wells protude alot through the back compartmet as well. Keep in mind, the roof may slant more than the old one but the new one is 6 inches longer than the old one, so I can put more bags on the bottom and the the rest on top.


Besides, if you are interested in the RX300, then thats a great choice as well, since they are very reliable with a good value. I just wanted to give you my perspective. Let me know what you say,

Dave

 

Thanks for the post. When I looked at the 330, it looked like the back window was quite low to the ground, except for the area near the back seat. If a dog were sitting there, it could potentially be bonking its head repeatedly against the glass. I'll go take another look, though.

It's actually the 300, however, that I'm really interested in. The available 330s would cost more that I consider to be reasonable for a mere car. The pricing of the older 300s makes more sense to me, and they're still great vehicles. For an extreme example, at roughly the same cost, it seems better to buy a 1999 RX300 than a new Hyundai Santa Fe.

-=> Mike Hanson <=-