So I guess this confirms that the f sport is stiffer in all comparable modes. Hopefully the stiffness doesn't make the car jarring on bumps. Is it too stiff in your opinion? How does it compare to the 2015 F sport or other suvs you tried?

 

The car is still very comfortable as a daily driver. It is not too stiff but definitely a very noticeable difference between the Standard and FSport model. The Standard was just too floaty boaty for my taste, but it all boils down to personal preference. I did test drive a 2016 X5 35sDrive with MSport package and I felt the RX FSport was stiffer while the X5 was surprisingly more comfortable. I've never driven the 2015 RX so I can't comment on this. I think you should test drive both cars before making a decision.

 

Too late! I already custom ordered my 450h F sport. :-)

 

F sport model have sportier tune suspension stuff, so will have a little difference, but won't be lot compare to a sport car, still comfortable enough for daily use; mostly you get the F sport for the look haha

 

How's the rear view of this car?? Is it clear when reversing?? I won't be able to test drive it anytime soon....

 

Rear visibility is not that great. This is my first SUV so I can't really compare, I thought the rear visibility on the X5 was a lot better. I think it has to do with the curvature rear glass that limits visibility. Hopefully others will chime in.

 

I thought that too when I sat in the car and looked behind...this is my first SUV as well, my dad had an X5 2 years back and the rear visibility was great.

 

Rearward visibility and first year reliability are my two greatest concerns with the 4RX (and problematic 1st year reliability may prove to be unfounded). I'm currently driving an 2008 Acura MDX (2nd generation) and the rear visibility is really rather poor. Good luck trying to see cars coming up on your right rear side. In contrast, my wife's 2008 Honda Pilot (1st generation) has outstanding visibility looking rearward. Large windows provide a clear view.

 

Sigh....rear visibility is such an important factor for me with any car...guess i'll postpone my decision on purchasing the RX...at least until it becomes available for test drive in my country. As for cars coming from your right rear side or left rear side with such poor rear visibility, that's why rear cross traffic alert is an important feature to have

 

Agreed - rear cross traffic alert must be fantastic to warn one when backing out of driveways and parking spaces however I was mostly referring to changing lanes on the highway and attempting to see rearward over my right shoulder. In this situation the visibility is rather poor in the MDX, imo.

I'm wondering if blind spot monitoring might help here. I've never had a car with BSM so I'm clueless as to its capabilities however my guess is that nothing takes the place of rear windows of a sufficient area to provide a clear view 30' or 40' behind you.

 

Agreed...Blind spot monitoring is mainly for changing lanes on highway as you said...not sure whether it'll help when driving out of driveways or parking spaces.

I too never had a car with all those security features, my 2006 Lexus GS 430 has only front and rear parking sensors and a reverse camera. I love this car btw, it's got a powerful V8 engine and it's acceleration is great. I'll surely miss it if I decided to go for the RX.

 

Keep the 06 too for bad weather days as if you trade in you'll virtually give it away.

 

I had an interesting experience yesterday while waiting at the dealership for the replacement of our 2008 Honda Pilot's Takata airbag. I was checking out the 2016 Pilots and discovered they had a new technology called LaneWatch. When activated it provides a real-time view of the passenger side, rear corner and will show if the lane is clear. I'm wondering if the 4RX's surround view panaramic monitor has a similar functionality?

Here's Honda's description:
Activating LaneWatch
Activate the right turn signal. The LaneWatch display
appears. Check the display for blind spots, and
visually confirm that it is safe to change lanes.
You can also press the LaneWatch button on the end
of the turn signal switch to view a constant real-time
display. Press it again to turn the display off.

From 2/06/2016 New York Times (John Quain):

Rearview cameras provide a precedent. Those that eliminate the blind spots directly behind vehicles are already deemed a significant safety improvement and will be mandatory in cars and light trucks in the United States by 2018.

“But there aren’t any definitive studies of side cameras,” said David Zuby, chief research officer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Mr. Zuby said the closest example of how effective such systems might be is a survey by the institute of Honda’s LaneWatch feature available on models like the 2016 Odyssey.

LaneWatch uses a camera on the passenger side to give the driver a video view in the dashboard screen of the right side lane whenever the turn signal is activated. Mr. Zuby said there was a correlation between the LaneWatch system and a reduction in accident insurance claims, although further study was needed.

 

The 4RX doesn't have this functionality since the camera isn't pointed out towards the side; the surround view cameras in the 4RX are pointed downward and the images are stitched together. To help with blindspots, Lexus has the LED indicator on each mirror to tell you if someone is there. This feature isn't offered in the Honda, so you'd still need to look over your left shoulder.

 

This is not available on the rx since the camera is pointed downwards. The rx has the radar though to tell you if a car is in the blind spot. The Honda has a large camera mounted on the side mirror. Looks rather bulky. Don't know if it has a radar though.