Hey Folks!

I've had fun and learned a bunch on this forum and want to thank you all for your contributions. You all have been very helpful on many topics and helped make my journey with my TX500h F Sport so much better than if I'd been going it alone.

That said, I'm going to be fading away as I said goodbye to my TX last night. It looked great on paper and I was very impressed when I test drove it after having 4 Honda Pilots over 17 years. The TX was faster, roomier, better handling, etc. It was better than my last (2917) pilot in every way. The tech was better. It was quieter, it was roomier. I loved the Traffic Jam assist. It was a real benefit in LA traffic.

That said, there were the issues:

First issue: Mark Levinson sound system had anemic bass. That should never be an issue with a system branded as Mark Levinson, one of the highest end brands in the audio business. Lexus finally owned up to it and released a TSB with new software and a new subwoofer amp that really improved the situation and audio performance.

Next issue: The low speed acceleration glitch that was seemingly fixed in a recent software update. That said, since I had the software fix installed around two weeks ago, I'm now experiencing the occasional spontaneous reboot of the infotainment system while I'm in the middle of driving. Sometimes it just comes back to life, but other times, I have to pull over and reboot the whole vehicle to get Apple Car play working again so I can resume my route. That's exactly the kind of issue that made me get rid of my 2016 Pilot after 15 months. I have historically kept cars for about 4-5 years, so that was an anomaly. I swore I'd never buy a first gen new model again, but the TX was so good on paper and on the test drives, I set that aside and jumped in. Oops!

Now there's the fuel tank capacity issue that's been verified. I know I've been very disappointed with how often I have to fuel up based on miles to empty. On the plus side, I've been pretty happy with the TX's mileage, but with the fuel tank capacity issue, I've been frustrated with having to refuel so often.

Those issues aside, I always enjoyed driving the TX. It's comfortable, roomy and well thought out from a cockpit standpoint. It accelerates adequately and much better than my Pilots. Handling is good for such a big SUV and the Ceramic brakes don't dirty the wheels, but do have a different feel than any other vehicle I've driven. You need more input to make them bite than I'm used to. I adapted and learned to drive the TX smoothly.

With all the things I liked about the TX, owning it has taught me a lot about what I like and don't like. After having Pilots and the TX, so all three row vehicles for the past 20 years, I've realized that I just don't need that much space. At one point, having the extra space of a three row with the back row folded down was helpful for work, but my position has evolved and I don't have to drag around factory sales managers with bulky demo kits much these days. In the last ten years, I've used the third row seating exactly twice. For that little use, I can drive a two row every day and enjoy the extra agility, and then rent a three row for a week here and there as needed and have something that is more fun to drive on a daily basis.

Something that was always challenging to me with the TX was parking. I'm not talking about parallel parking. That always went pretty well and I never even tried the auto mode, but I'm talking about plain old parking spaces at the Supermarket. Because of the length (the TX is longer than anything else Lexus makes) , the 4 wheel steering and the long overhang of the nose over the front wheels, properly positioning the TX in a parking space was always a challenge for me. After screwing up the first approach, I'd engage the parking cameras and get it right on the second try, but it was a PITA! Even when I got the alignment right on the first try, because of the long nose, I'd often not pull into the parking space enough and have to re-enter the vehicle and move it forward two feet to park it correctly. Even once parked,The TX is so long that the rear end would hang out into the parking aisle. I guess if you're used to an Escalade, this would be a compact, but in my experience, the length of the TX caused me some issues.

So, I've bailed on my TX that I so hoped to love and own long term. It was L Certified with 1530 miles when I bought it, so had a guaranteed warranted coverage for as long as I was likely to own it, yet I bailed after 15 months (seems like my timeline for tolerating buggy vehicles). What did I go to?

I totally changed direction. I wanted to put the Sport back into the Sport Utility Vehicle. I tried that with the F Sport, but it was long and gangly and had just enough power to knot be boring, but just barely.

I got a 2024 CPO BMW X5 M60i. The BMW really goes hard on the Sport part of SUV, but takes the tech and comfort to levels the Lexus never even dreamed of. I'm in the audio business and am well familiar with the Mark Levinson and Bowers & Wilkins brands and have to say that the Bowers & Wilkins system in the BMW destroys the Mark Levinson system in the TX from an audio performance standpoint.

The seats are more comfortable, the ride is quieter and firmer and the overall control and cockpit payout seem more intuitive to me. When I bought the Lexus after so many years as a Honda owner, I commented to the sales guy that I never really thought of myself as a Lexus customer. He commented that a lot of people don't consider themselves Lexus customers, but in their car search find that Lexus is the right fit. I never considered myself a Lexus customer until I bought one, and I really never considered myself a BMW customer, but now I am one. Live and learn!

I hope all who are in the TX family enjoy their vehicles. There's a lot of good there. It was just time to go a different direction for me.

Aloha!

 

The door is always open

The Light is on

Stop by anytime your always welcome

Hope the BMW treats you well

 

Congrats on the new ride!!

FYI we too switched over to BMW ( X7) and unlike Lexus, the BMW DTE is pretty darn accurate. It warns you around 49 or 39 miles that you are running on reserve fuel. Then another warning around 19 miles. I’ve gotten down as low as 4 miles DTE and learned I was almost out as I refilled.

Also shop around for extended warranties. The warranty is ALOT more expensive than Lexus warranty. Coming from Toyota/Lexus/Honda, I’ve never had an extended warranty (read about others on forums) but plan on purchasing the longest extended warranty for our BMW I can find.

https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/ is a good place to hang around and learn.

 

I drove an X7 M60i and while it was nice, and certainly felt more solid than my TX, it also felt like a tank. After driving 3 row SUVs for 20 years, I was ready for a 2 row and the reduction in size going to an M5 seems to help emphasize the Sport part of SUV, especially in the M60i trim. I was shocked yesterday when I topped of for the first time and saw the DTE at almost 470 miles!

I have historically avoided all extended warranties, but this time around, I bit on the service package and the wheel/cosmetic package as well as extending the warranty out to 75K miles. The finance person worked with me to a degree, so I didn't pay full price on any of the extended packages, but based on the original MSRP on this truck and the potential for very expensive repairs/maintenance, I thought it was a good investment. Those things are always a gamble. AS my X5 is a CPO, it was buy the factory warranty/service package at time of purchase or miss out and have to go 3rd party. If I'm going to spend additional monies on something like that, I want factory support.

Congrats on the new X7. I'm sure it's awesome!

 

Thankfully we didn’t test drive the M60i because from the sounds of it, we would be owners of a X7 m60i instead of the 40i we have. The B58 in the 40i has a pretty good reputation from a reliability standpoint across all models as of late. Plus we take quite a few road trips and extra mpgs comes in handy. I hang around the TX forum hopefully to see Lexus has added a pano roof to the TX 550h+ or even a sunroof. No pano or sunroof was ultimately a deal breaker. We eventually grew tired of waiting on Lexus to add a sunroof. One of our relatives has a TX 350 and it’s very spacious, even the 3rd row.

Wish you well with your X5. We are loving the switch to BMW so far!! We routinely see 500+ miles on a tank.

 

Congrats on your BMW. The performance is great on those. Enjoy!

 

Are you saying that X5 M60i is quieter than TX? I may need to give it a try as I prefer quieter vehicle nowadays

 

Yes. I think the BMW is quieter. As much as Lexus has a reputation for quiet, civilized interiors, I feel the BMW takes it up a notch. My X5 M60i weighs about 5400 lbs vs the 3 row TX at about 5000lbs. It feels more solidly built. With the 4.4L twin turbo V8, it’s also a lot more fun to drive. I did check out an X7 M60i, but decided that I really don’t need a 3 row for everyday driving and like the handling of the 2 row better. I had Honda Pilots for 17 years prior to the TX, so a long history of 3 row vehicles, but my day to day needs have changed. If you really need a 3 row, check out the X7.

 

I would be in a X7 M50i if I didn't need three rows and space behind the 3rd row, so here I am in the TX. Perhaps one day I will be back in a BMW but for now, Lexus is the answer. Enjoy the X5. BMW really does make great machines.

 

Congratulations on your purchase and hope you have great luck with it over time..

I did the opposite and switched from BMW X5s to Toyota/Lexus SUV brands over the years due to difference in the higher initial price, higher service costs, lower reliability, parts prices and higher depreciation.

When you pay more it should be a better overall experience.

Maybe a LX 500, or TX 550h+, etc... would have served you better or maybe you already had one, with similar conclusions? Lexus and BMW definitely meet difference driving demands...

 

enjoy your Beamer, our other car is a 2024 X5 and it’s absolutely beautiful and a pleasure to drive.