Hey guys!
I always had a dream of buying a lexus RX350 after riding my aunt's 2009 model back in those days. I fell in love with it so much that I dream about it until now that I finally have the chance to purchase one I wanted to ask you guys what to look for when buying a used RX350. I have 0 experience with purchasing a used car but have a general idea of what to look for. But wanted to check with the experts on specifics when it comes to making sure to purchase the correct one.

First I am thinking about purchasing a 2016-2017 model that has a luxury package. I would love the triple beam but it's not a necessity but would love to hear feedback from owners that had experience with it. I also would like to know if any possible negotiation and probably how much negotiation can reasonably happen at a dealership. Would you also recommend buying from the Lexus dealership? or any third party would do the work?

Thank you guys so much in advance!

 

i just bought 2017 RX 350 luxury package last month. Honestly speaking, I'm a little disappointed. I didn't do enough research and didn't test drive enough and turns out 2016-17 and perhaps 2018 has issues with drone noise and acceleration hesitation. I test drove 2019 rx before hand and thought that 2017 would be the same but it's quite different in terms of road noise/performace. 2019 is a lot more refined, has a much more quiet cabin and feels more peppy. I did the TSB on drone noise and ECU update and it has helped a little, but still not enough. Hope this helps you~ Good luck!

 

I just read about the drone noise and watched a video on how it sounds like. Did you find a solution to that issue at all? Or did anyone here find the solution?

Some people found this to be a solution for them https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ration-88.html

 

yes that’s how I got the info and requested my dealer to do the TSB and replaced the center exhaust pipe and ecu update. Drone noise TSB only REDUCES the noise somewhat but doesn’t solve it. Noise level is subjective and maybe it won’t bother you but it does bother me quite a bit.... besides it’s not just drone noise, when I step on the gas I can hear/feel the sound of the engine from inside the cabin which I can barely tell from driving 2019 rx. Test drive more before you make a purchase decision!

 

Most lease cars are three years old when they come back to dealer. Many of those become CPO. This means many 2017s will be at Lexus dealers only. You may find 2016s elsewhere but Lexus is still a good place to look. No need for a mechanic's inspection on a CPO but you should hire an independent mechanic to check out a non CPO. Go to Lexus.com and click on CPO for a search engine to all CPOs in your area. Otherwise there's lots of websites to help find the car you'd like. FYI, some dealers won't negotiate on a CPO price, but I bought a CPO ES350 and the Lexus dealer did discount it below asking price. You have to be willing to shop around. Hope this helps some.

 

Also, don't overlook a new 2019. I just bought one for $37,000, which is over 18% off MSRP. Base car but that's still a lot of features, minus a few I did not want. California car.

 

Did you end up buying the vehicle? I'm in the market to buy a 2016 Executive package. But now I'm reading about the noise and vibration from the powertrain and becoming hesitant

 

Hi 5hredder, welcome as a new member . If you look at the original post that started this thread, the blue bar at the top of that post shows the date it was posted. This one is 2 days old and unlikely he has bought the car yet (no harm in asking), but you'll sometimes come across threads that have recent comments/answers, yet the original post is many months old (almost no point in responding to it). Hope you find many good answers and questions here!

 

I haven't yet. I'm still doing researches before heading to the dealer. I'm in the same page as you. The vibration and noise from the powertrain is what's pulling me back. But someone mentioned about a base model trip 2019 but I'm all about having the full option ready if I'm buying a car. I dont mind used but would like to have all the bells and whistles

But not too sure yet. Have you bought yours ?

 

Have a 2017 hybrid and love it. When I bought the 17 it was a loaner vehicle and was certified. Payed $2,000 less then they were offering. No drone issues with a hybrid. To help with the drone put it in sport mode. Before buying register with the Lexus owners site (free). Register the vin # and it will tell you all the maintenance and repairs done at any Lexus or Toyota dealership. By far the RX is the #1 selling luxury SUV. More #1's. Lexus is #1 in dependability, lowest depreciation, maintenance cost among luxury vehicles, loyalty and satisfaction. Any other manufacturer would give their right arm to be # 1 in one of these let alone all five.

 

Yup, I'm taking delivery this afternoon. I test drove the vehicle and paid special attention at low RPMs and I didn't hear the noise issue. Maybe it's there but I'm coming from driving a noisy Toyota Tacoma, so my ears might not have picked it up. Either way, I'm super excited for all the bells and whistles. The HUD is pretty sweet.

 

That's great news!! Too many folks read about subjective issues and take it as fact. An actual test drive reveals a lot.

 

I purchased a Used 2016 RX 350 with 80k miles about 6 months ago. I have very little drone noise other’s complain about. It is a bit slow on take off however I switch to sport mode while driving in the city and I’m very satisfied with performance.

 

Bought a CPO MY2017 EXEC with 51K kms and still very happy with it