RX330/350/400h oweners POLL
 

Body wise these cars look the same,but they all have differences.what i would like, is to hear from owners of each model.please give compairisons of each if you have done so.likes dislikes.seams to me the 400 would have the most quiet ride ,because of the electeric driven motors. I will let you guys duke it out as to which one is the best.Since the 350 hasent been out that long,I really would like to hear from you guys who decided to wait for this model.THANKS1111 :woohoo:

I just traded an '04 RX330 for a 400h. much quieter. Love the voice activation and bluetooth updates to the nav system. Much quicker when needed, much more frugal on gas when needed. Does it get any better than that??

Drove the 400h - couldn't buy it for 1 main reason - distortion in the windshield. VERY bad. Not sure if they corrected but it was a deal breaker for me. A few observations:
older nav was not as good as on my Infiniti so it was a hard choice. Car is heavier so the suspension was changed - the ride, in my humble opinion (and my wife's) was much more truck like. Remember, however, that this is relative - we were trading from a 2005 RX330 so that observation is in comparison to that car - not many of the very trucky SUVs out there - it's all relative. Additionally, this was a demo model that I'm sure has taken its beatings from test drives so things were probably loosened up quite a bit (it was shrink wrapped in this jungle motif "green theme" with the Hybrid all over it too. I got some stares!
Mileage was really good and power was great! Just couldn't get past the windshield (I actually took it home overnight to see if I could get used to it). Not everyone has reported this problem though so if you are buying make sure to check out the specific model you are considering.

The 330 is a great car! My wife loves it and there are only 2 things that I really wanted to upgrade to the 350 for: the nav/backup and more power. I found the 330 just a bit underpowered for me. My wife was fine with it but I didn't like to take it on longer trips b/c of that. It's probably way more than adequate for most people but I like faster merges onto the highway and passing gear. It's still more than fine, just not super great. If she had the Nav and backup camera we probably would not have upgraded to the 350. If I were choosing and $ were a big factor I would strongly consider a deal on a 330 right now!

The 350 seems excellent so far. I bought one this week for my wife to upgrade from the 330 and so far it has been a great experience. Here's what I like:
More power - much more! Me likey now :D
Nav/Bluetooth and Backup camera - Generation 5 - a very nice upgrade to the old system. Will be playing with it this weekend.
No issue with windshield distortion!
Base stereo has MP3 capability and an am/sat button so I'm guessing aftermarket Sirius is/will be possible shortly if not already.

The engine is a bit louder and the suspension is just a twinge harder but most people wouldn't even notice.

So far I love the 350 (and so does my wife). Just some minor upgrades to the 330 but worth it for her to have the extras and more power for me. Not too many deals on the 350's yet, but 330's are moving with some really good incentives from what I hear.

Good luck with your choice and keep us posted!

Jay

my two cents
 

I drove both the 330 and the 400h and would never go back to the 330. Yes the electric steering is different however i think the handling is better in the 400h, with a great ride. (and better weight distribution with the batteries in the rear) I dont think the word trucklike belongs as a description especially if you have driven american SUV's.

Visually i like the aluminum wheels on the 400h, and the round fog lights, as well as the led taillights. Fuel economy is icing on the cake however the incredible linear power and worlds smoothest transmission take the 400h head and shoulders above any other rx Lexus makes.

Another benefit that i only realized after owning this vehicle is being more relaxed drving in heavy traffic, knowing i am saving fuel and becoming a better driver in allowing more room between vehicles as i coast and anticipate speeding up and slowing down to maximize fuel economy.

Just completed a deal with my Lexus Dealer...

Traded in my 2001 MB S500 for a 07 Lexus RX350, Flint Mica w/ Black Leather, Premium pkg w/ 18" wheels, hood deflector....

Picking up the car later next week; I can't wait.. :woohoo:

Jumping from the MB forum to the Lexus forums....

Granted on the "trucklike handling". I tried to be VERY careful not to offend anyone that has the 400h - it's an awesome vehicle. If you read my tip toeing carefully you will see that I tried to say that the handling was compared to the 330 and NOT other SUV's. I would definitely agree with you that the 400h is head and shoulders above any of the American SUV's out there! I'm glad you are enjoying yours so much. I was very disappointed we didn't end up getting the 400h - that was until the 350 came out :)

And Edison - congrats and good luck!

Jay

no offense
 

Dont worry no offense taken, i understand its no sports car, we save the 'trucklike' handling description for the Highlander Hybrid owners and listen to them scream like stuck pigs, (J/K)

LOL . . . Now THAT'S offensive ;)

One never knows with these boards so I always try to be as careful as possible. People are spending $40-$50k on their cars and I don't ever want to make anyone feel bad for their decision. The best part is - you can't go wrong with any of these RX's.

Good stuff!!! sounds like both cars have good and bad points. if i had my choice however, i would choose the 400h.i just dont think you can beat the electeric driven motors.must drive both suv`s 350 also.for right now going to keep my 300.THANKS ALL!!! KEEP IT COMMING!!! :woohoo:

i just got a 06 rx330 with nav/bluetooth/camera and a deep discount and i really think its the best rx deal out there right now

its funny how the 06 is not the newest model in march lol

I would get a RX400h...however...I've been wondering since the GS450h will be coming out...will they have a RX450h?...Don't know if this has been discussed because I am usually on the 3GS forums...heh :rolleyes:

We are looking at replacing our other car, and I test drove a 350 this week.

Nice vehicle, although I wish it didn't have those wimpy arm rests that I dislike on my GX. Decent ride.

As far as engine power, I don't want to think about what the 330 must be like. I kept wondering if I was going to have to get out and push. Of course I was coming out of my 2006GX V8, which has monster acceleration. I guess if I was still in my old Explorer, my reaction would have been different. I guess it is all a matter of what you drove last.

The 350 is still in the running - probably near the top if we decide to go with a second SUV.

Definitely agreed about the arm rests!

As far as power - don't bother driving the 330. It's a great car but if you compare it to the 350 there is a marked difference in the power. However, if that is not an issue then the 330's are the deal right now!

Rockville posted earlier that he had a concern about people abusing the suspension with the extra power and I can believe that would be possible. I don't know that they can get away with too much more power unless they make the ride much stiffer - which defeats the purposes for most RX lovers. It ain't the fastest thing on the street but I didn't need that - I just wanted more power for merges and passing on the highway and the 350 does the trick. My wife and I typically take my car places and that is more sporty and fun to drive. The 350 is her daily commuter and she loves it!

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted!

Jay

hello there, can somebody confirm that the USA modell of the RX350 has auto recirculation mode with smog sensor? i have seen this feature on the lexus.com website and it may be a mistake since the european version does not have this very important feature. all competitors AND the new small IS have this feature, but it seems not the new vintage RX350. maybe there is a chance to reprogram something? this feature is very important for europe since we have about 50% diesel engines without filters in the exhaust. if more and more diesel cars are bought in the USA this feature will be very important too. please let me know if the RC350 has this! thanks, george/stuttgart :uh:

I too have been debating between the 400h and the 350 when I'm ready to turn in my 330. Personally I'd prefer the 400h but it doesn't have the Performance Package option. Does anyone know whether Lexus has any plan to add it to the 400h?

Also, can someone confirm that the '07 NAV screen now displays the outside temperature as well? Thanks.