Our 3rd RX has just gone over 100K miles so we are considering a new one. All 3 of our RX's have been V6s and it is a disappointment that it looks like all models now have an I4 motor. Is this true and how does it compare with the V6? Is it smooth and quiet and with adequate power? Any other observations would also be appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving.

 

LOL. Hasn’t had a V6 since 2022! Plenty of power. Not as quiet as my 2022 is although there will be others here that swear it is. I wear hearing aids so I may not be as alert to the sounds as other but the 4cyl seems loud to me on acceleration. Would have expected bettergas mileage with a 4 but weight just kills it. I love both our 22 and 25 but my wife says there is no way she’s giving up her 22 for a new 4cyl. Since it just clicked 25K miles she doesn’t have to worry about it.

 

The 2.4 turbo engine and tranny gearing give the RX better pickup than my previous 2015 V6.
yes it is not as smooth and quiet as the V6, but I’m very happy overall. Very quiet inside.
jim

 

Thanks. This is pretty much what I suspected. Our RX is also my wife's car, I'm a BMW guy and drive an X5. The BMW I6 and the ZF 8 speed tranny are just awesome. I can get close to 30 mpg on the highway and the power is also awesome. My wife is perfectly happy with her 2009 RX. It was a loaner vehicle and had 6k miles on it when we bought it. It has been almost completely trouble free. I'm taking it in next week to have the tranny fluid replaced, just a drain and fill NOT a flush. Oil and filter changes annually as she only puts about 5k miles a year on it. If it continues to be as trouble free as it has been we will probably just keep it. Thanks again for your feedback.

 

It’s measurably quieter than the past V-6 RXs BTW. All your questions are answered looking at testing from places like Car & Driver who actually measure these things scientifically.

 

Had a 2017 RX 350h and now a 2024 RX350h. 27 mpg versus 37 mpg. The 2024 is quieter and smoother. Yes on harsh acceleration it will be a little growly. This can all be confirmed scientifically by this YouTube clip.

 

It may be "measurably" quieter but it seems that most owners don't agree with the measurement. Is their equipment listening in the same frequency range heard by most drivers. The metrics say Lexus drivers tend to be a bit older than the average new car owner.

I will emphatically say that my 2023 Luxury is "measurably" louder on takeoff than my 2007, 2014 or 2016.RXes.

In my opinion, the Gen 5 RX has been cheapened. Try to get your hand in the door pockets. They are no longer expandable. The Infotainment system, with the Mark Levinson sound is not nearly as smooth sounding. You can no longer tune the radio with the ****. You have to be distracted by tuning with the steering wheel buttons or yelling voice commands, disturbing your Pax. Everything is subscription based. People sometimes buy Lexus for the bells and whistles. Now, you rent the bells and whistles. I wish I had my 2016 RX back.

 

So you measured all of those vehicles for noise with a meter?

 

I surely did. Devices are called ears.

 

Funny how everyone hears things differently. I agree with your assessment. I don’t care what articles say. I care about what my ears hear. My 450h is quieter than my 350. The 4cyl is loud on acceleration but smooths out nicely after reaching desired speed. The steering in my 350 also feels heavy compared to our 450h. That’s after adding more air to the tires. Probably caused by the 21” versus the 20” on the 450h. At highway speed they both sound the same. With OEM’s I have no doubt the 450h would be more quiet but I recently put the CC2’s on it and they are definitely louder than the OEM.

 

Back when I was shopping, I used an app to measure sound levels. It was pretty interesting to compare/contrast various cars.

 

Isn't tuning the radio using a **** actually more of a distraction than using the steering wheel buttons where you hand never leaves the steering wheel?

 

It's interesting how differently people perceive things. To me, not having to tune with a **** and being able to use voice commands is an improvement. My passenger (the Mrs.) also uses the voice commands, so it's definitely not annoying to her. And we don't have to yell at it. A normal conversational volume works just fine.

 

Anyone that thought the droney V6 was quiet is merely deaf.

 

More accurate, actual measuring devices contradict your "device "

Seriously. ​​​​​​​