New 2019 RX350 is very bumpy- were my expectations too high?
 

New 2019 RX350, AWD, base model, 18" wheels.

I'm coming from a ****ty Corolla so I was expecting a huge increase in smoothness. But I feel every bump and divot in the road. Really wished I had taken it for a longer test drive.

I thought Lexus was supposed to be known for the smoothness of the driving experience? I know SUVs tend to be a bit stiffer but this car might be even bumpier than my Corolla.

Were my expectations too high or is there something wrong with my vehicle?

Check your tire pressure.

33, just as the door jamb says

How old was the Corolla, the shocks may have been worn giving you a soft ride and you'd notice the difference going to a new car.

The RX is not a traditional Lexus - if you're thinking of smoothness/quietness from the brand that relates to the LS, GS, ES, however this being an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) it is a little firmer and louder partly due to it being a "one box design" where the rear wheels are in the cabin space not the boot like a sedan. I felt similar, drove an LS years ago and fell in love with the refinement, drove the RX many years later and thought wow, this is nice but if I had gone into an LS that same day I would have felt how they are worlds apart. I'm still young at heart so don't mind the firmer ride, it feels more controlled and is still far quieter then my old car.

Not sure with your particular model but just make sure you haven't got the suspension set to a more firmer mode.

Real old, 2011 with 100k on it.

I haven't dived into the 700 page manual yet, how do I check/change the suspension firmness?

It sounds like there's nothing wrong with my car and this is just how it is? The thing is, I read/watched a ton of reviews on the car before buying it. Most of them complimented how smooth and comfortable the ride is. Lazy reviewers just going off reputation?

edit: AVS is only on the F-sport model.

Its not a sedan. We have a 17 RX and a 19 ES FSport. Apples and oranges. The ES is buttery smooth, tight and nothing like the RX. Dont get me wrong, RX is nice but dont expect a sedan ride from it.

I have similar comfort level and road feel between our RX and ES. The later is a sedan. Not sure why your RX is that way.

Contradictory information within this very thread. Not sure what to think.

If I go back to the dealership, what are the odds they just brush me off? Surely they'll just say they conducted a PDE and everything is normal?

Something seems off, we have a 2017 RX with 20" wheels non F-Sport and is super comfortable, floaty and the most boring drive I ever being in. The fact that you have the smaller 18" wheels and base model which should be even more comfortable than those RX models with 20" wheels.

The RX is floaty or whatever you want to call it but NO WAY it drives like a sedan. Gosh how could it.

The RX feels like a 1992 Cadillac Brougham, that counts as a sedan right?

100K Corolla would have pretty sloppy shocks I would think so may seem softer, obviously handling would be crap.

I'd say the RX is normal and your expectations were too high and like Mike said it's an SUV, it won't drive like a sedan. It's not going to give you the magic carpet ride of an LS or the LS's tomb like quietness.

Absolutely check it. I have had our RX in for service and when I get home it has had 45 psi. Tires hot, I keep 36-38 psi in them. Makes a big difference. Our 2017 RX 450h is very soft and comfortable ride. Not close to choppy. Could also be the tires. Many on this forum have complained about the Bridgestone tires as being a horrible ride.

Poster says he has 33 in them. I'd suggest he try 30 just to see if there's a difference. My 2017 RX350 with 18s and 34 lbs rides just fine.

I never drove that sedan but I do own a new ES Fsport and the RX feels NOTHING like it. I also suspect the 92 Caddy drove nothing like the new ES.