joedaddy1

iTrader: (1)

Ok.. I am about to bite the bullet and buy the RX350 for my mom.. (it's a surprise)
She currently drives a G35s
Well a few ?'s

1. I've noticed the NAV is $2650 option!! is it worth it? We have the OEM NAV in the G35, and it's really nice.. but it was only $2k extra... I also have a $500 Garmin C330 Navigation.. and it's pretty useful.. but i guess the "cool" factor isn't there...

2. Air suspension... I've heard only "bad" things about RX's handling... I see that the performance package comes with Air suspension... is it worht the extra cost? I say this because back in the early 90's we used to have a Mazda MPV (like a korean liquor store/dry cleaner owner).. and the air suspension went out in the back.. (i think it's called auto leveling, not sure if air suspension = auto leveling ) and it SUCKED... we got it fixed after someone rear-ended our van.. and it broke again after 2 years... when it breaks, the back of the just SINKS like u got 2 fat obese people in the back.. Do I want this?

3. Moonroof... All 5 cars in the family have this.. and none of us use it.. Is there anyway NOT to get it, but get the homelink system, etc?... looks every one of the packages include the damn moonroof and all it does for us is increase the weight by say.. 50lbs? i am guessing here

4. I am in Irvine/Anaheim area.. 714/949, can anyone PERSONALLY recommend a sales person? I don't really need to test drive it extensively.. I just need a GREAT price...

The mom likes the 3.5L of the G35.. she could definitely tell the difference between that and her old 3.0L avalon.. So she definitely needs a RX350, not 330..

5. Country of Origin: Should I insist on getting one built in Japan over Canada? The avalon which was made in America has given us small troubles but our old JDM accord is solid as a rock (200k miles)... i wish i could say the same for our new German repair shop queen.

6. What's a good "mom" color?

7. I HATE the silver trim around the radio of the RX.. any option/way to change this to something darker? like CF or black plastic... it just stands out too much..

Thanks all

lexuslover

welcome!

nice choice for your mom; i am sure she will love it. to help with some questions:

(1) Lexus nav is by far the best on the market. sure it's pricey, but well worth it in those instances you actually need it. don't forget the nav system means you also get the bluetooth phone functionality AND rear camera. i think those things are well worth the $650 extra MSRP over the G35 oem setup.

(2) the air suspension RX's really is a personal preferene IMHO. i don't think it makes a huge difference in handling, but the air lifting/lowering feature is a fun feature like the range rover. even if height is what you are concerned about, i don't think there is a big problem. the regular RX is very easy to get in an out of. the range rover, on the other hand, was a beast to get in and out of unless you lowered it after parking.

(3) you'd have to special order for an RX without moonroof, which takes a long time and i am not even sure they would do it. it's not a bad feature if only to let some light in to the cabin (which i personally like). i rarely open mine though. you don't lose the homelink feature, that is still there on the light panel above the center console.

(4) LA and OC are great places to shop for quotes. i personally like glendale and drive 2 hrs to get my cars from them. they are VERY competitive on price. if i were you i'd start sending emails or make calls to all your local and LA dealers to see what they have coming and what deal you can get. not all will have the color combo you are looking for, so if time is important, that might be something you want to figure out first.

(5) i am not sure you have a choice on japan vs. canada right now - maybe someone else can chime in on this?? each factory builds a certain type of configuration, so it depends on what you want as to where it is getting built. last i knew the AWDs and hybrids were still being built in japan while everything else was in canada. not sure how it is now though. there's quite a bit of old debate in the japan vs. canada dept on this forum, if you do a search you can read people's comments, but the general consensus hasn't shown one to be less reliable in the other.

(6) i think a good mom color is the breakwater blue or bamboo. i'm only 29 and i prefer the sportier look of silver on black, but i will say BWB and bamboo are nice colors!

(7) the silver trim was a bit much when i first bought the car after trading in an older RX300, but over time it's grown on me and i think it's nice. sure it would be great if it was real aluminum trim and not painted plastic, but it's ok. it's a nice clean look and i think some people actually like it, so maybe your mom will too. (i am sure there are aftermarket solutions though if it really bothers her!)

Good Luck, and make sure you post pics of the new 350 w/ a big red bow on it !

katzjamr

the nav in the 350 is their best version ever with a brighter better looking in dash screen so at least you will be getting the upgraded one for the money. i think no moonroof will also hurt you at resale and it will take over 90 days to special order one. They say canada is getting very close to Japan in quality control however i understand why you would want a japanese one. I think most of the 350's will be canadian. Get on a waiting list if you have not done so already, in fact get on more than one. Make it clear to the dealer you are paying cash and they will be able to call you when the person on the list ahead of you turns theirs down for color or financial reasons. At this time it may be hard to find a specific color so be flexilbe on that. good luck with the process.

Rockville

is that the voice guidance is confused by juxtaposed R's and L's. All of the bowing to get it to start is another small annoyance.

Then again the Canadian guidance will say "make the next right turn, eh?"

The gen. 5 Nav has a preference to "allow border crossings" which is good if you live in Mexico with a few amigos. The Castillian Espanol is a beeg improvement over the broken eenglish. Si Senor!

Your mother will love it...

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

Welcome to Club Lexus!
Contact Peter Kong at Lexus of Glendale. 818.507.1300
Or pm him here via "Lexus of Glendale".
Make sure to mention you are a Club Lexus member.
If you don't want to drive to LA, then they flatbed the car to your house at no extra charge.
He'll give you a hassle free, good deal.

Rockville

Your quite welcome, young man.

My3rdRX

My 04 has the Air Suspension and, frankly, the only reason that I would choose the 350 over the 400h when I turn mine in next month is that the 400h doesn't have the Performance Package option. It's a lot more than an auto-leveling device and the handling, IMHO, is indeed much better with it, both on highways and on curvy winding roads. Besides, I believe they still make the RX with the Performance Package only in Japan.

JZA80MHU38

Geez, LexusLover you are doing really well. 29 yrs old and already have 3 Lexi and a nice house (well, at least a house with a really nice looking garage.) I am 30 and only have one -- and that's for my wife.

Todd

Seems like I recall several Performance Pkg owners reporting uneven and excessive tire wear issues that it was speculated that the air suspension might be the culprit on. Might want to research this issue here on the other Rx page and elsewhere. Ask several dealers if they have had this issue reported. It can be a serious long term ownership issue.

My3rdRX

Well, I don't know where you heard that from but, surely enough, not from me! I have about 32k on my 04 with the original set of tires still with much treads left -- however, I do rotate my tires every 5,000 miles.

Todd

I am not trying to pass judgement and say it does or does not cause tire wear problems. I am only passing on concerns posted here by others. This is so that one can factor in to their own inidvidual equation and make an informed decesion. There have been more than one person with this issue. It warrants asking a few questions.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ight=tire+wear

ezwinner70

what kind of price over invoice can he do?

My3rdRX

I reread the link and it has a total of two (2) owners who had expressed concern about their tires and the overwhelming responses had been that maybe it had more to do with their alignment than the air suspension. BTW, my tires are the original Michelin MXV4 S8s and they still ride and handle great after 32K miles!