2004 Lexus RX330
Dedicated to the proposition that an SUV needn’t be truckish.
BY PATRICK BEDARD
July 2003

As you know, the Lexus reputation for impeccable quality has buoyed the brand into the creamy layer atop the world’s outpouring of automobiles. Yet the gimlet-eyed pros on this staff, ever watchful for lapses, keep the fine-toothed comb in motion. And we found some lulus on this baby. Consider: The camera that watches behind for bicycles and hamsters you might back over also shows a Lexus logo atop the bumper. On the screen, it’s upside down. Ha!

We’ll return to this shocking exposé, but first some background. The RX330 hit the showrooms in March of this year as a replacement for the immensely successful RX300, the original white-gloves-and-Gucci-loafers kind of SUV at prices starting in the mid-$30,000 range. You could take it off-road, but trekking to Saks is so much more rewarding. Folks bought the heck out of that unit, more than 75,000 of them some years, most front-wheel-drivers.

Think of the RX300, and the RX330 replacing it, as ritzy mid-size station wagons with the added bonus of a commanding view all around. The RX330 has been upsized considerably, 5.9 inches longer and just over an inch wider. But it’s hardly bulky—still about three inches shorter than a Honda Accord.

Two different cars were evaluated for this test, giving us the chance to review a wider selection of equipment. We had a front-driver and an all-wheel-driver with similar tires (optional all-season 235/55VR-18 Goodyear RS-As on 7.0-inch-wide wheels). The photo car, which also served for track testing, had the Performance package ($5455) that includes air suspension and look-where-you’re-going high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights (on both high and low beams, and the light on the shoulder side of the road rotates into the curve as you steer). The other test car had a $6770 package that included a navigation system, a rearview camera, and an 11-speaker, 240-watt Mark Levinson stereo. The all-wheeler weighed in at $43,313; the front-driver at $45,848.

In looks, this is the antitruck, with a fast windshield, a coupelike angle to the rear glass, and low-profile tires. And it’s quick on its feet, hustling to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds (a 1.8-second improvement over a 2001 RX300 we tested) and on through the quarter-mile in 16.2 seconds at 86 mph (1.2 second and 7 mph ahead of the old one). Weight is up 226 pounds to 4249, and urge is up, too, thanks to an extra 0.3 liter of displacement in the now 3.3-liter V-6 and an extra gear in the now five-speed transmission. Power is up 10 hp, torque up 20 pound-feet.

Compared with other SUVs of similar price, the RX330 is a step behind the quicker Lincoln Aviator in acceleration, about even with the Acura MDX, and it has Range Rovers and Land Rovers completely covered at any price.

The sound at full throttle just hints at the thrilling rip of a combustion machine. This is a Lexus, after all. About the only noise at any cruising speed you’d mention with a straight face is a rustling of air, probably from the roof rack. The big Goodyears don’t kawop! over bumps, but they surely contribute to weavy steering on blacktops worn by truck traffic. Crossing the center stripe on such roads with the hammer down, as you would when passing, puts a zig in your path that could raise DUI suspicions. If you can back off the style priority a little, the higher-profile 225/65R-17s are probably a less unruly choice.

The taller tires should add plushness to the ride, too, although anyone who would complain about the versions tested really shouldn’t choose an SUV. Scheduling prevented an A-to-B ride comparison of the two suspensions, but the clear benefit of the air suspension shows in height control. It brings automatic load leveling plus a high mode (jacks itself up 1.2 inches for 8.3 inches of total ground clearance), a low mode (automatically drops 0.6 inch from normal when you reach 62 mph, or you can select it when you need to chase a Miata), and the kneeling-bus mode (drops 1.2 inches in park when the key is switched off). Kneeling happens automatically if you’ve selected that mode.

Using a comparison test of eight high-end SUVs as the standard (“The Bradsher Bunch,” January 2003), we find that the RX330’s 176-foot stopping distance from 70 mph is slightly better than average for that group. On the skidpad, its 0.75-g performance was much better than the 0.68 of the RX300 but below average today. For the record, we were unable to switch off the stability-control nanny; those systems always resist slipping the tires enough for the best cornering numbers.

As a station wagon, the RX330 is generously sized for five passengers with seats in two rows. The rear bench divides 40/20/40—essentially, two buckets with a jump seat in between—and adjusts on sliding tracks that allow ad hoc compromises between leg room and cargo room. Pushed full back, leg room is beyond expansive, and foot space under the front buckets surely breaks all Guinness records. You can adjust backrest angle for the outer seats. Think of them as fine furniture for the road. The RX330 is a luxury carriage for four big adults. For five, well, a middle guy who’s less big is always better.

For hauling, each second-row seat folds flat with a single hand motion, without removing head restraints. Both of our test cars had the newly optional power-operated tailgate. It works fine, but by the time all the warning beeps have been issued and the finger has been held on the button long enough to convince the system we mean business, impatience has already set in (this is true of power minivan doors as well). Lexus says cargo room is 85 cubic feet, up six from the previous model, but this SUV isn’t about hauling sheets of plywood. The practical length of the load floor is six feet; sliding the front passenger seat full forward will gain eight or so inches on that side. In the wayback, the coupe roofline bites off space you might be counting on for Maytag-size boxes.

Probably you wouldn’t shove a crusty wheelbarrow into a hauler so beautifully dressed as this one, anyway. The RX330 is a showcase of small details done exactly right. We had bird’s-eye maple (walnut is the other choice) micropolished till the grain was iridescent. A maple-veneer lid on the console silently swings away to expose two cup holders, each with compound flaps that manage to securely hold containers of various sizes up to one-liter bottles. Just behind is a large compartment topped with wood-veneer clamshell doors. Having no visible hardware, they instead open and close at the touch of the appropriate button. The console itself glides fore and aft between the buckets, allowing your choice du jour between footroom in back and stuff space in the floor tray in front.

Overhead, the sunglasses compartment fits so smoothly into its surroundings we didn’t notice it for three days. If you lift the hood, you’ll instantly find the release catch just where your right hand hopes it will be. This is a car of subtleties. It takes awhile to notice that the interior doesn’t glare on bright days. Shapes and textures absorb light rather than bouncing it into your eyes. And all the mirrors are self-dimming.

The HID headlights are subtle, too, in that they don’t turn the world some unusual color. But the pattern is exceptionally uniform, and the light is truly excellent for depth perception. Both test cars had HID beams: One had the fixed-in-place kind; the other had the steerables (includes a switch on the dash so you can see what you’d be missing if you cheaped out). We think this: The basic HID package throws a superb pattern to the sides, and the steerable adds wow! Spend accordingly.

Now back to the shocking exposé promised in the opening. All the remaining boners on our list were committed by the navigation system, which, incidentally, pronounces “route” as if it were a military defeat:

The voice called for a left turn on several occasions when the map correctly showed a right was needed.

It placed the deservedly obscure north Florida town of Hosford about five miles east of where God spilled it.

It routed us to Apalachicola Municipal Airport by ordering us to ignore the Highway 98 turn arrow, turn left a mile later, then after yet another mile announced that the rest of the way was “uncharted” and we’d have to follow our noses.

Leaving aside the navigation glitches, the RX330 is a sweet way to get where you’re going.

C/D TEST RESULTS

ACCELERATION (Seconds)
Zero to 30 mph: 2.4
40 mph: 4.0
50 mph: 5.7
60 mph: 7.8
70 mph: 10.6
80 mph: 13.7
90 mph: 17.9
100 mph: 24.6
Street start, 5–60 mph: 8.2
Top-gear acceleration, 30–50 mph: 4.2
50–70 mph: 6.1
Standing 1/4-mile: 16.2 sec @ 86 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 110 mph

BRAKING
70–0 mph @ impending lockup: 176 ft
Fade: none light moderate heavy

HANDLING
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.75 g
Understeer: minimal moderate excessive

FUEL ECONOMY
EPA city driving: 18 mpg
EPA highway driving: 24 mpg
C/D-observed: 17 mpg

INTERIOR SOUND LEVEL
Idle: 44 dBA
Full-throttle acceleration: 71 dBA
70-mph cruising: 69 dBA

2004 LEXUS RX330

Vehicle type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon

Price as tested: $43,313

Price and option breakdown: base Lexus RX330 (includes $575 freight), $35,600; Performance package (includes sunroof, air suspension, power liftgate, high-intensity-discharge headlights, and 18-inch wheels and tires), $5455; 4-wheel drive, $1400; heated front seats, $540; Towing package, $160; cargo mat, $92; wheel locks, $66

Major standard accessories: power steering, windows, seats, and locks; A/C; cruise control; tilting steering wheel; rear defroster and wiper

Sound system: Lexus AM/FM-stereo radio/cassette/ CD changer, 6 speakers

ENGINE
Type: V-6, aluminum block and heads
Bore x stroke: 3.62 x 3.27 in, 92.0 x 83.0mm
Displacement: 202 cu in, 3311cc
Compression ratio: 10.8:1
Engine-control system: Toyota with port fuel injection
Emissions controls: 3-way catalytic converter, feedback air-fuel-ratio control
Valve gear: belt- and gear-driven double overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, variable intake-valve timing
Power (SAE net): 230 bhp @ 5600 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 242 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm
Redline: 5900 rpm

DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: 5-speed automatic with lockup torque converter
Final-drive ratio: 3.48:1, electronic limited slip
Gear ... Ratio ... Mph/1000 rpm ... Max. test speed
I ... 4.24 ... 5.5 ... 32 mph (5900 rpm)
II ... 2.36 ... 9.8 ... 58 mph (5900 rpm)
III ... 1.52 ... 15.2 ... 90 mph (5900 rpm)
IV ... 1.05 ... 22.1 ... 110 mph (5000 rpm)
V ... 0.76 ... 30.6 ... 110 mph (3600 rpm)


DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Wheelbase: 106.9 in
Track, F/R: 62.0/61.2 in
Length: 186.2 in
Width: 72.6 in
Height: 66.1 in
Frontal area: 28.3 sq ft
Ground clearance: 6.5–8.3 in
Curb weight: 4249 lb
Weight distribution, F/R: 56.9/43.1%
Fuel capacity: 19.2 gal
Oil capacity: 5.8 qt
Water capacity: 9.7 qt

CHASSIS/BODY
Type: unit construction
Body material: welded steel stampings

INTERIOR
SAE volume, front seat: 56 cu ft
rear seat: 46 cu ft
cargo volume, seats: up/folded 38/85 cu ft
Practical cargo room, length of pipe: 131.0 in
largest sheet of plywood: 75.0 x 39.0 in
no. of 10 x 10 x 16-in boxes,
seats up/folded 14/31
Front seats: bucket
Seat adjustments: fore and aft, seatback angle, front height, rear height, lumbar support
Restraint systems, front: manual 3-point belts; driver and passenger front, side, curtain, and driver’s-knee airbags rear manual 3-point belts, outboard curtain airbags
General comfort: poor fair good excellent
Fore-and-aft support: poor fair good excellent
Lateral support: poor fair good excellent

SUSPENSION
F: ind, strut located by a control arm, air springs, anti-roll bar
R: ind, strut located by 1 trailing link and 2 lateral links per side, air springs, anti-roll bar

STEERING
Type: rack-and-pinion, power-assisted
Turns lock-to-lock: 3.0
Turning circle curb-to-curb: 37.4 ft

BRAKES
F: 12.6 x 1.1-in vented disc
R: 11.3 x 0.4-in disc
Power: assist vacuum with anti-lock control

WHEELS AND TIRES
Wheel size: 7.0 x 18 in
Wheel: type cast aluminum
Tires: Goodyear Eagle RS-A, P235/55VR-18
Test inflation pressures, F/R: 30/30 psi

COUNTERPOINT
Perhaps what’s changed most about this new RX is the length of its options list. Tick all the boxes, and you could spend $48,305—almost $2500 above factory list on a loaded 2003. But the RX starts out so good, I’d opt for the monk’s version: a front-driver with cool, grippy cloth seats for $35,600. I’d have to do without headlamps that swing to illuminate my intended path (they’re more nifty than necessary) and an air suspension that kneels (we monk types don’t expect our vehicles to genuflect) and adds ground clearance when I go off-road (never) but doesn’t improve the already superb ride. My RX would be quicker, more efficient, and best of all simpler than this one. —Frank Markus

For every thing there is a season, and for every sport-ute, there is a marketing guy with a particular type in mind. This one is aimed at the very cool, elevating the swell crowd above the commonplace rabble. Look for it under the porte-cochere of that fusion restaurant. It’s stylishly chic—you see that in the gleaming chrome around the dash gauges, like bracelets set against black gloves. It’s for people who wear Prada and proud of it. Its seats would look good in your living room. But there’s a letdown: When you need to dust a dumpy Daewoo with some dismissive passing, the 230 horses don’t pull its 4249 pounds with sufficient cool-guy swagger. For 40-something large, they should. —Steve Spence

The RX330 swims in refinement, from the luscious leather and wood to the elegantly high-tech instrument displays. The brain-teaser control panel has been replaced with a far more intuitive set of audio, climate, and navigation controls. Meanwhile, it appears the letters “N,” “V,” and “H” have been prized from the corporate keyboard, with cabin noise levels that make you want to run to the nearest audiologist for a checkup. Even so, this straight-A student strikes me as a teacher’s pet, eager to please and a bit pandering. I walked away wishing the RX330 had more personality, more character, and—of course—a lower center of gravity. —Dan Neil

2004 Lexus RX330

Highs:
An exterior that won’t be mistaken for an Explorer, an interior that might be mistaken for a custom furniture showroom, and high-intensity-discharge lights that take the darkness out of night.

Lows:
Ziggy steering when the torque rises, bad advice when the nav system speaks.

The Verdict: Perfect for those arduous treks to Saks.

Originally posted by LexusPia
The camera that watches behind for bicycles and hamsters you might back over also shows a Lexus logo atop the bumper. On the screen, it’s upside down. Ha!