it really depends on her to be honest. she likes the RX. If our 17 has no mechanical issues (which it doesn't for now) and continues to operate then she'll keep it. MId cycle refresh is what in like 3-5 years? so timeframe is inline for the replacement of her '17 IF they get the issues sorted out. I personally dont want it though because it out of all the vehicles in our little fleet, the canadian one is by far the worst. Our made in canada RX squeaks and rattles in a lot of areas (arm rest, center console) and i had to take the dang thing apart and add foam padding myself to squelch the noise.

The sc430 from 20 years ago has less rattles and squeaks and its a hardtop convertible. My daily ES350 doesnt have a single rattle or squeak, nor does the 400h i gave my dad. Something about Japanese build quality is just better. If you guys can find a J VIN (or just look on the sticker in the door jam where it'll say made in japan or made in canada) then i highly suggest you do that. youre paying the same for PDI/Shipping regardless. its not like you get a deal on NA built lexususususu.

Here's another one
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This is interesting. Once upon a time Toyota was headquartered in LA County, then moved to Texas. It seemed that all of our cars came from Japan, as their main port was here. It looks like they are shipping either to Texas or some other east coast port now. The 5 RX 500h models at my closest dealer are all from Canada. All of the RX 350s and 350hs are from Canada. The RXs are huge here, every model and every generation. So far I have only seen one other 2023 RX, I live in the Westside of Los Angeles. I did not know that there were so many Japanese built RXs in the US.

 

I think only FWD RXes are built in Japan.

 

A J-VIN car has better fit and finish. Durability is hard to tell (this is coming from experience with ownership of multiple Lexus models).

I personally prefer cars made in Japan or Germany depending on the manufacturer (currently also own a BMW). Better fit and finish IMO. In terms of durability plenty of GM/Ford products and even American made Honda/Toyota cars are just as durable as Japan/Germany made BUT they lack that something special.

My 2 cents.

 

The engine and transmission is built in japan, rest is just layers of metals around it. If u ever get ur car hit, u wouldnt send it to japan to get it repaired. Think of it that way.
Also, Lexus facility in Cambridge, Ontario is quite advanced and has a very good reputation. Lexus simply cant afford to ruin its reputation

 

Use a VIN decoder. First character of the serial number.

 

I dont think VIN# carries this information. If you open the driver side door, there is a black sticker there that shows car built date and where its made

 

I think this whole "better if built in Japan" thing is overblown. Might there be some miniscule quality improvement of a Japan built Lexus versus an Ottawa, Canada one? Maybe. I think we could be talking about a fraction of one percent difference. I've had I think 8 Toyota or Lexus cars from the Ottawa plant. I can't think of any problems in any of them except my 2017 RX350 had an issue with the remote start app and they had to replace the receiving unit, or whatever it's called, inside the car. Might that have not happened had the car been assembled in Japan? I dunno. But I think the whole "I'll only buy the Lexuses made in Japan" thing is silly.

 

Lexus reputation is not like it used to be. I've had dozens of Lexus cars over the years and the past 10 yrs. or so they have gone down hill with their quality. So far the model year 2023 is pretty bad.

 

The quality surveys disagree with you. I’ve had 10 Toyota/Lexus products in the past 10 years and I disagree with you too.

 

Couldn't disagree with you more. My wife's 23 NX worlds better than our trades in 17 had two 23 RX loners. World's better than my 17 RX in quality and .technology. In this world of tremendously high used car prices if I felt the way you do I would sell my Lexus yesterday and buy something else.

 

Well, I don't believe that there are any German made German SUVs for sale in North America , other than the experimental EV ones for now.

Same holds true for Japanese companies. Acura, Infinity and Lexus mass volume SUVs are made in North America.

This is a good thing since it also supports the North American economy, aside from tax benefits for the companies.

 

That is so not the case with 5th gen models. Not sure where you're getting your info from

 

I think most of the non-hybrid RXs are built in Japan.

 

Japanese vehicles are far better quality than the Canadian made. And as a Canadian, that pains me to say it.