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For the first time in over 20 years I went from exclusively owing BMW's and made the jump into the Lexus brand by purchasing a GS350 F-Sport a few months back. So far it's being an enjoyable driving experience minus the worst infotainment system in the history of the auto industry (but I digress as I've already discussed in ad nauseam in the GS forums) That being said my wife is also ready to make the jump into this brand and she is on the hunt for a CPO 2016 or 2017 RX 350 with luxury package and not the Base or F-Sport package. In fact we've already test driving 7 RX 350 luxury models from both years and outside of a few different trim levels options, are there any concerns on the 2016 vs 2017 models? During my search and reading through allot of the forums here I kept seeing the huming and "drone like" sound coming out of these vehicles under low RPMs and until recently we didn't bother to listen to this until our last 3 drive tests and sure enough we heard and experience the lag. Is this a concern or a major issue? Would the 2017 model be better than the 2016? We noticed this on the 2016 models but not so much on the 2017.
Outside of the obvious price differences of both years and variable mileage, would it be smarter to target a 2017 CPO RX350 vs the 2016 CPO?
Thanks!
Last edited by HontoKuro; 01-28-19 at 09:26 AM.
Reason: grammar
You know, I have a 17 RX , I drove it for blissful 5000 miles before I stumbled upon thread on this board to listen for drone noise. After reading the thread and then my next drive of course I heard it.
I had TSB done as well and to me car sounds same after it. In my opinion sound insulation is so good, it’s almost too good. The cabin is so quiet in RX and driving over bumps is quite so well it’s unbelievable and you just hear some engine noise at Low RPM. We are toyota family, When I used to drive my old Camry or my parents Camry, also V6, or when I get into my parents RAV4, there are so many noises coming from these cars and i never think twice about it. But as soon as I get into my RX and hear anything but silence ... to the message boards I run
’16 or ‘17 with best price and your fav options should be your car. Read the thread about best things in RX.
The only difference in the 2016 and 2017 RX 350 is in the 2016, the safety features were an option and 2017 standard. These include adaptive cruise control, lane mitigation forward collusion control. We have a 2017 hybrid which does not have the drone issues. In these days of gas just above $2.00 a gallon there has never been a better time to buy a hybrid. You have bargaining power. Our used 2017 was $1,500 more than the RX 350's on the Lexus lot. We have had two ES 300h's and on our second RX 450h and would never buy a gas model.
I have a 2017 RX 450h (the hybrid version), which does not have the drone noise associated with some gas-only RX 350's. I did not primarily purchase the hybrid version to save on gas, but rather because I much prefer its ride quality. One valuable improvement in the 2017 RX is automatic breaking when in reverse, which has come in handy a couple times for me. The 2016 RX has only forward automatic breaking.
[QUOTE=HontoKuro;10422151 During my search and reading through allot of the forums here I kept seeing the huming and "drone like" sound coming out of these vehicles under low RPMs and until recently we didn't bother to listen to this until our last 3 drive tests and sure enough we heard and experience the lag. Is this a concern or a major issue? Would the 2017 model be better than the 2016? We noticed this on the 2016 models but not so much on the 2017. Outside of the obvious price differences of both years and variable mileage, would it be smarter to target a 2017 CPO RX350 vs the 2016 CPO? Thanks![/QUOTE]
The power of suggestion is amazing I've never noticed this " Drone Like" sound in the 2 years I've owned a 2017 RX350.
Onto your other question, Do get the 2017 the safety features alone are worth the extra money, the auto braking when reversing and cross traffic sensors saved my bacon twice.
You know, I have a 17 RX , I drove it for blissful 5000 miles before I stumbled upon thread on this board to listen for drone noise. After reading the thread and then my next drive of course I heard it.
I had TSB done as well and to me car sounds same after it. In my opinion sound insulation is so good, it’s almost too good. The cabin is so quiet in RX and driving over bumps is quite so well it’s unbelievable and you just hear some engine noise at Low RPM. We are toyota family, When I used to drive my old Camry or my parents Camry, also V6, or when I get into my parents RAV4, there are so many noises coming from these cars and i never think twice about it. But as soon as I get into my RX and hear anything but silence ... to the message boards I run
’16 or ‘17 with best price and your fav options should be your car. Read the thread about best things in RX.
Yep the car IS quiet which I feel amplifies other sounds/vibrations you may hear. I know when I don't have the stereo on I may hear a tiny squeak here or there sometimes, a little rattly noise in the door sometimes but with the stereo on it's all good. I can get in other cars, late model ones and straight away I'm thinking wow what's that noise/vibration, after a while you don't think too much about it, but they are there.
Thank you all for the feedback, after almost 5 months of searching, drive testing several models and trim levels, we went with a beautiful 2017 AWD Luxury package model fully loaded minus the rear entertainment option. I will post more information on our initial impressions but here are a few photos of her.
01-27-19, 06:48 PM
What year would you get? 2016 or 2017?
I've never noticed this " Drone Like" sound in the 2 years I've owned a 2017 RX350.
