Twice, my RX front end has been damaged or dinged by bad parallel parkers. One guy backed his truck bumper through my grill (to his credit he stopped and waited for me) and another just hit and ran after scraping the plastic surrounding "bumper". Modern cars seem to be a lot more vulnerable to damage, don't they?

 

The body is technically solid and safe, but compared to earlier models up to 2022, components like the grille, trim, and even the hood feel thinner and less substantial. I also find the RX doors lack stability, with noticeable rattling and a lightweight feel. With just a finger, I can loosen about 30% of the exterior trim. While not all brands follow this approach, many now favor lighter, thinner, and less substantial interiors.

but, . . Even the previous model my 2018 RX450 F-Sport had a grille that broke like potato chips in an accident. The thick front bumpers from before and heavy steel panels are gone.

 

The plastic "bumpers" you see on the outside of all modern cars is merely decoration. The actual bumper is underneath, typically a bar or structural foam across the front and rear of the car attached to the structure behind it which forms part of the energy absorbing crumple zone that protects us in collisions. All manufacturers are working towards reducing weight to lower fuel consumption. The hoods and trunk lids are made of aluminum hence the lighter feel, because they are.

 

Sorry to hear about your car, that sucks. The biggest issue is people can't drive anymore these days, & most couldn't care less about someone else's car. At least the first guy was honest.

 

The 5 mph bumpers of the 70s have been gone since….well….the 70s.

 

Sorry to hear about your woes.

I travel to DC a lot and I have noticed people opening their trunk and getting foam pads out to hang on their front/rear bumpers. Sounds sill but it seems to work (except for incidents, like the truck taking out your grill). Maybe that will work for you.

Good luck.

 

Had a 1975 Fiat X1/9. That had a BUMPER.

 

I had a '77 Cordoba (no Corinthian leather though) and hit a tree one winter. One of the shock absorbers on the bumper was pushed in a bit so the bumper was crooked across the front of the car. At an airport parking garage, I gently pushed the car into the concrete wall on the side that was sticking out and the other side popped back out too, the bumper was straight again. No other damage. Obviously can't do anything like that anymore.

 

I find the "snout" of my Rx to be essentially worthless, just adds inches to the front of the car...parked next to my 2013 RX I can see the difference, much prefer the shorter snout of old (and it's more solid)