wlpncp

My daddy said never to buy a redesigned model in its first year. Give 'em a year to work out the kinks. Guess this wouldn't apply to the redesigned 2013 RX 350. What do you think?

corradoMR2

Lexus is the best you can get so I wouldn't worry. If I'm considering a domestic brand (no offense), I'd say your dad may be right. My first model year '11 CT now 2 years old has been bullet-proof reliable. My '13 RX F-Sport same so far.

The '13 RX is not a new "first-year" redesign but a refresh of an already proven and reliable 3rd gen RX. Any (TSBs) bugs and kinks from '10-12 model years have been ironed out now. A couple of enhancements is the mouse-controller remote touch has been slightly redesigned to provide better feedback, and the vehicle structure has been slightly reinforced thanks to new laser welding and bonding techniques.

Droid13

My last 3 vehicles have been brand new 1st year models, I've had 4 in total.

2004 Sienna new May 2003, 1 or 2 months into the release of the 2nd generation. I still have it, coming up on 10 yrs and 100,000 miles. It's been super reliable, everything is still in perfect working order and only minor repairs limited to wear and tear items. It did have several recalls that didn't affect me other than having the work done at the next service period.

2007 Camry Hybrid new in June 2006, again only a couple months into the release of that new generation at the time. Had it for 6 1/2 years. In that entire time other than oil change maintenance, it needed brake service on the rear wheels, the AM radio acted up, and needed a bit of work to tame some rattles. I considered it very reliable.

My RX is a 1st model year in the current gen too, and based on my previous experiences with the Camry and Sienna, I was not concerned and so far so good.

I did have a 97 Chev Venture that was a 1st year model as well. It was kind of crappy, but not terrible and not any more crappy than other GM cars I've had that were not 1st model year cars. In fact, I've owned 5 new GM cars in my life and this one was the only one that did NOT have to be towed to the dealer at some point during the warranty period.

wlpncp

Thanks for the comments. I feel the same way about the Lexus. Just thought this might be the start of an interesting discussion.

kitlz

I've had every gen RX from the beginning, purchased months after release. I only had one glitch over 14+ years when I took delivery, a faulty window switch on the 330. Other than that, I didn't experience any problems during the first year. My dad told me the same thing about not buying a car when it first comes out. Obviously that's not true with Lexus. And it really doesn't apply in this situation. The '13 is a refresh like Corrado mentioned.

ecr72

I recall reading about early 2010 RX models having issues that they fixed in later 2010 vehicles. Soit's not terrible advice. My wife liked the new Pathfinder but the whole first year thing did factor in to our overall decision. If buying new, it's still good advice. If buying used, just do your homework. The track record will speak for itself if buying used.


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tfischer

I understand that the early SC430s were very carefully built and each was inspected several times to be sure that this new model would not have surprises. I was on the waiting list, and was able to buy the 15th one in May of 2001. I have had no troubles with the car ever since.
My '04 RX is also the first year of that design, and I have had no unusual problems.
None of us likes to generalize from insufficient data, and anecdotal accounts should not form a basis for major buying decisions, but a general rule not to buy a first year car is, in my opinion, being overly cautious.
Catching that first wave can be a lot of fun.

vlad_a

Your Daddy is making an assumption they will actually fix the issues that come up. There are certain brands that simply ignore them and continue on, even through future generations.

Luckily, Toyota is not one of those brands. They are very conservative and only put proven technology into production, even if it means it is not cutting-edge.

I have no reservations about buying a first-year release Toyota, especially Lexus. I have in the past and no major issues.

As everybody has already mentioned, 2013 is a refresh. Consider it the version of 2010 with the kinks worked-out. j/k

User 41924

My Dad said the same thing, but that was before Computer Aided Design, computer simulations, etc. Initial designs are tested MUCH more thoroughly before ever hitting the production line than they used to be.

BTW - My Dad in would never have been considered an "early adopter" of any technology. He refused early air conditioning and electric window, too.

kitlz

OK, I'll put this out there for comparison. Previous vehicle before buying the RX, a well known and popular American SUV a few years into the model year. In less than one year, I brought it in for service 12 times for about 25 different problems, ranging from the alignment to transmission problems. Not a single time for routine maintenance. I was without a vehicle for more than two weeks total. Forget about a loaner. I had to rent cars on a few occasions to get to and from work. Nothing ever was fixed on the first visit. Parts always had to be special ordered. But as soon as one problem was fixed, a few more would emerge. It was a wicked cycle. And to top it off, the way I was treated by multiple dealers and the manufacturer was absolutely atrocious.

Now I'm spoiled rotten by Lexus.

tfischer

The above sad tale is surely one reason why Lexus was just named the "Top Luxury Brand" in the KBB (Kelly Blue Book) "5-Year [sic] Cost to Own Awards."
My brother recently bought a Cadillac, and when he traded it in after two years, he only got 50% of his purchase price. Rapid depreciation as well as a tendency to require frequent unscheduled repairs is a cost of ownership that many buyers just don't factor into their buying decisions.
But then, sometimes color is more important in the short run.

go3Ds

Redesigned models come out to be an upgrade over previous models. Safer, better technology and more efficient. Far more testing is done now days before release. Why wait a year to see if a tweak or two is needed when you can be enjoying all the latest and greatest improvements and options. Didn't have one problem with our 2010 redesign, or 2013 refresh. Lexus also has a very generous warranty for the rare occasion if something might come up. Way to much excitement to pass up for those who are ready to buy at redesign or refresh time. Be aware though, some features are delayed in refresh years. I missed out on Lexus Enform in my 2010 RX, and the Blind Spot Monitor in my 2013 RX. Both came out a couple months later.

shaolin

iTrader: (2)

I say usually the case but I got mine IS the first month is was out and it is fine. All the recall we had on the car were awesome and pretty much gave my car with newer parts so my car lasted me pretty long...still at 150/160k miles running ok strong.

sightdev

Gen3 came out as model year 2010. In US, sales begun in 03/2009. "bugs" aren't isolated to just first year since improvement/changes are made almost every year.

UCSB

2013 is a solid car and the 4th year of the third generation RX. All of the fixes and improvements have been integrated into the third generation vehicle at this point. I do think that Lexus can improve a new model for the first few years after it's introduction ... I don't know for sure, but there is a small possibility that Lexus has improve the ride quality of the 2013 vs the 2010, for example. My 2010 was the first year of the current model and nothing has required a service call. I have purchased a number of first year cars over the years and in a couple of cases it has definitely cost me money down the road on repairs or replacement parts. Junk OEM tires and brakes are two areas where I have been stuck with products that were not the best quality and needed replacement.