I'm helping a friend purchase a RX350. She loves the '13 model year and since I'm a current owner of a 2010 and previously owned a 2006, I offered my expertise on the vehicles. It seems to my knowledge that every year the option packages become more and more complicated. Anyway, the deal was a CPO RX350 AWD Nav 19" wheels Black with Saddle interior. Dealer was asking $35,980 would not budge. I was thinking that was a good price until noticed it didn't have automatic high beam. No a big deal. Then upon closer examination I realized it had halogen headlights and no rain sensing wipers. I advised my friend it was time to walk away because those are must have options. BLS I can understand to pass on but I just feel a car of this classification should have HID as standard. Especially when you can get a brand new base model Corolla and get LED headlights standard. I'm sure she thought I was crazy when told her no deal over headlights. It's hard to explain the benefits when it's 2pm in the evening. However, after discovery of these options missing she took my advice and left the dealership in hopes of finding one with those options and color combination.
What are you're guys thoughts on this? Am I took picky? Perhaps if the dealer would have took another $1,000 off the price I would say okay but they were absolutely firm on the price. When searching online how can you determine which model has halogen and which is HID for MY13?

 

Believe it or not most companies only have HID as options now not standard. Also don't let the corolla fool you. Just because it has the cool looking LED doesn't mean its comparable in quality to Lexus' HID, put them.side by side and you'll see what I'm saying
As far as the packages go..the package you want is the comfort package. It comes with HID rain sensors and heated/ventilated seats. The wierd thing is I haven't seen a RX with nav and 19s without this package.. So yeah I'd pass on that price.
As far as the auto high beam feature from what I remember they took the feature out after 2012.

 

As you know, trying to figure out the packages can be further complicated by regional preferences. HIDs are part of the comfort package (CP) along with the rain sensing wipers and heated/cooled seats like greeknasty said. Auto high beams and AFS were dropped. To answer your question, no, you're not being too picky. Your friend will be happier with HIDs and rain sensing wipers. Tell her to keep looking. Best of luck.

 

Can those options be ordered a la carte? Reason I say is because this vehicle has the heated/ventilated seats. I understand the headlights on the Corolla can't compared to Lexus in terms of lumens and beam quality, but aesthetically driving down the road it does look nicer than your average halogen.

 

If your friend really likes this color combination, she may be hard pressed to find it again on a CPO vehicle. Also, how do you know that the difference in Halogen and HID will matter to her. It doesn't matter to plenty of people, me included. Just make sure you're not imposing your standards on her.

 

I don't know why, but Lexus had declared war on HIDs in the RX models. Many new owners found themselves unpleasantly surprised after taking delivery of their vehicle. I blame product planners at Lexus HQ. I have long suspected they are high on something. Maybe, in their opinion, a typical elderly Lexus owner does not drive at night, and would not know any better. Sorry, I don't have a better explanation, especially since even Corollas now have LEDs.

The difference between HIDs and Halogens is night and day. To some it may not matter, others, myself included, will not buy a luxury vehicle without it.

Good call on walking-away!

P.S.
The rain sensor has its own drawbacks. It works great most of the time, but not all the time. And there is no way to use it conventional way. It is not a feature I highly praise during winter.

 

That's why I mentioned it might be a regional thing, taking popular options from the different packages. Going into the 'build my Lexus' on the Lexus website using a zip code close to me, it shows three available 'packages' on the '15 RX - premium with additional options, nav with additional options and a second nav with additional options. They're priced at $4,800, $5,700 and $6,800 respectively. Only the last 'package' comes with the rain sensing wipers and heated/ventilated seats. But none seem to have the HIDS nor is it listed as an available accessory. Maybe in the '13 brochure HIDS are a separate option It's all confusing.

Do your friend a favor and write up a list of all the features and options she should look for. It's tough to figure out, even for people like us that have an understanding of the different packages (CP, PP, etc.) and options.

 

...I'm sure she thought I was crazy... Yes, she does.
...Am I too picky?... Yes, you are.
If you talk her into a car that's not her color, you will never hear the end of it, in my opinion.

 

i see some of you really like your hid headlights. my 2001, and 2005 RX had them and honestly i prefer the halogens. i just cant see right with those hid lights.

 

i will never buy another car with halogen. hell ive done retrofits in my older cars to have HID

 

Ha ha!. I had the dealer take HIDs out of the comfort package to add in optional LEDs. That was done obviously more for looks than light.

 

I can appreciate your opinion, but this is the first time I have heard someone say that they prefer halogens over HID's.

I find HID's so much safer to drive with, they're so much brighter..

 

Ditto! I paid extra attention to HIDs in the RX and comparing them to halogens is like a flashlight and a candle.

The only reason HIDs could be producing less visibility is if they were aftermarket units installed into halogen housing.

 

^^ Very true, what some people don't understand is that while they may get the "white" light effect of HID's with some of these aftermarket kits or bulbs.

Usually you wont get the same projection of light that you do from real HID's.

 

Does this apply to the 2013+ RXs? Are the low beam projectors the same or different for the halogen headlights vs HID headlights? If the projectors are identical, then changing the halogen bulb to HID w/ballast (with an aftermarket kit) should achieve the same projection as that of the factory installed HID option... right?

Note: I'm referring to the low beams only.