It has been printed on the RX330/RX350 sales brochure for years. Anyone seen one on the road?

 

They come standard on all RXs i've seen in Taiwan. I have not seen any RXs up here in the northwest with them though, probably since dealers figure the buyers are more likely to use the roof racks.

 

i've only seen 1 in the 3 1/2 years since they came out. it definitely made me do a double take b/c it looks so different from the 1000's of "regular" RX's out there.

it looked nice, but i agree w/ the poster above, roof racks are a little more functional. i use the racks every year during ski season, and i don't think the factory DVD system is possible with the multi panel.

 

When the RX330 first came out in the Spring of 2004, I needed to have an extended test drive in one because I have some lower back problems. No dealer in the GTA (greater Toronto area) would swing that for me. A friend worked (now retired) for the Canadian HQ for Toyota/Lexus and was able to secure a company car for the evening for me to try out. I was somewhat surprised when he arrived at my place with the new RX330 because it did not have a roof rack. Instead, it had the multi panel sunroof. I left it closed to start the drive and found that it was a bit noisy as some of the panels seemed to vibrate a bit in the wind. Part way through the test, I opened it up part way and then fully; it did let in a fabulous amount of light but was just too noisy for my liking. The vehile itself was fantastic. Just my 2 cents
worth. I have no idea the country of manufacture but since Lexus Cambridge did not come on line until midsummer 2004 and this vehicle had about 7500 km and was going to be sold, I would speculate that it origiated from Japan but could not be 100% certain.

 

Multi panel moonroof that is larger than the standard moonroof? I've never seen it. Is there a photo somewhere on the Internet showing it?

 

They are very, very rare.

I have never seen one, and I think I recall a salesman in the used car department saying that he had never seen one either.

Based upon what I know, which is not much, I would think that the observations made above sound very reasonable: noisy, not really much use, and with no roof rack, a lessened utility value.

Not recommended.

 

I've only seen one - a 2004 on the showroom floor at Lexus of Naperville (Chicago suburbs). The dealer said it was traded with a dealer in California; the multi-panel option was never shipped to the midwest as a "standard build".

There are pics and diagrams in this thread:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=179537

 

I saw one driving around Brandon, FL, its a city just east of Tampa. I did a double-take because they are rare.

 

I've only seen one as well, the big tip-off being that lack of a roof rack. I think they were imported largely into Northern California about mid-'03 as an 04 model. If memory serves, they were discontinued for a time through the summer of '03, but a few reappeared in the fall. They seemed to be offered primarily in Northern states - possibly because that big glass roof overwhelmed the AC in warm climates. I think they were available as a special order through the 330 model run, but they were very rare.

 

Looks pretty cool and really like the panoramic look. I would've gotten it just for the look and to stand out, especially given that it's originally-equipped (I for some reason greatly dislike aftermarket assessories such as body kits, bras, aftermarket rims, etc.). I have absolutely no use for the roof rack.

 

I am surprised that Lexus still has this option printed on the RX sales brochure (without picture) even on 2007 model year. I've read that some mentioned that it has been discountiued due to the rattle when the roof is half opened/closed. ??? Very good look on the JDM (Japan Domestic Market) Toyota Harrier with multi-panel package. I also like that parking mirror on the side fender.

 

You like that funny looking stalk with the mirror on the front fender?? Boy, I hope we never have to get those things on US vehicles. Totally ruins the look of any vehicle.

 

When I purchased my 2005 Thundercloud in July of 2005 the dealer (Lexus of Wayzata {MN}) had mentioned that they had a couple of the panoramic roofs in. Said sales were poor, most people liked the idea of the additional light in the cabin but also stated the noise was a little higher in the panoramic verses standard moon-roof. Also when the roof was opened every one said it looked ugly. The panels stack up angled like the Pontiacs. Also stated that when the panels were open the wind noise was very pronounced once you got over 20 mph. Just wasn't catching on with most buyers. Myself, I've never seen one in person, only pictures in both the closed and open positions. Can't say as I would rush out to get one, but everyone has their likes and dislikes.
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2005 RX330 Thundercloud, Thundercloud Mist, Grey & Black interior with Black Birdseye Maple, NAV, ML, HID w/AFS, Rain-sensing wipers, Tow Package w/OEM Hitch, 18" Thundercloud rims with Michelin MXV4's.

 

some pics of multipanel equipped rxs

 

Looks like it can be found anywhere in Asian countries. I thought the roof racks can be installed with the multi panal moonroof package. I remember the previous generation of the MB ML320/430 had this combination.