LexKid630 Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 For those of you that have an rx300 or rx330, would you buy another rx after this one? Why or why not.....Just wondering if you were satisfied enough to buy another rx... ;)
RX in NC Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 Not for all the tea in China. Read some of my transmission problem posts and the fact that Lexus has had to provide us with over $9,000 in repairs to keep my wife's 2000 RX300 roadworthy, and you'll clearly understand why....
monarch Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 Hundreds if RX owners have told Consumer Reports they are highly satisfied http://www.saber.net/~monarch/rxb.jpg Relatively few have experienced transmission problems http://www.saber.net/~monarch/cr.jpg BMW X5 owners told Consumer Reports they are not real satisfied and have experienced more than an average number of reliability problems http://www.saber.net/~monarch/bmw.jpg
TunedRX300 Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 No, RX is about 30 HP underpowered and very limited aftermarket performance parts. I understand it is for a different cliente but the SUV underperforms its competition.
wwest Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 I may.... It appears that Toyota/Lexus cannot, will not, provide a fix for the engine hesitation problem. My suspicion is that a true fix cannot be provided without compromising the CAFE or CARB regulations and standards under which all of these FWD V6 engined vehicles were shipped. If that is indeed the case then it is likely that no fix will be forecoming from the manufacturers. So there may be an opportunity for an aftermarket product if one can find a solution to getting, or keeping, the transaxle into the correct gear.
RX400h Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 The fix is arriving April 18th. It's called the RX400h - CVT tranny and enough torque to pull a house off its foundation. ....gotta love it!
cruznroadking Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 I've own a 99, 2001 & now a 2004. They get better all the time. My next one will be the Hybrid. Love these cars. More reliable than the 3 BMW's i've owned & much better service.
mikey00 Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 No. Even though I am on my second RX now and have been very pleased with both. What I don't like is that I see Lexus service departments everywhere taking advantage of the uninformed. They charge ridiculous prices, perform unnecessary maintenance, and actually get people to feel good about it because they are getting a free loaner. As cars get more sophisticated, like 400h, the dealer dependency will increase and prices will go even higher.
wwest Posted April 8, 2005 Posted April 8, 2005 Hey, if they can't get the technology down correctly in the RX330's engine/transaxle ECU, what makes you think the RX400h will be an improvement? That's not your father's (Prius) hybrid system you know. I think I'd trust Ford and Toyota to get the Escape correct before I'd try Toyota out on the RX400h. The Escape does have your father's hybrid system. And think about what might have been behind, the cause of, the RX400h's two year production delay.
LexKid630 Posted April 9, 2005 Author Posted April 9, 2005 My first rx was the 99 rx300. In 03 it's transmission went so i sold it. I loved it so much (besides the tranny problem) that i bought the 03 rx300. The 2003 rx300 has been the mossstttt troublesome car i have owned. But i later bought the 2004 rx330. it's deffinetly an improvement ;) I've got an rx400h on the way ;) can't wait for that one....
RX400h Posted April 9, 2005 Posted April 9, 2005 Hey, if they can't get the technology down correctly in the RX330's engine/transaxle ECU, what makes you think the RX400h will be an improvement?That's not your father's (Prius) hybrid system you know. I think I'd trust Ford and Toyota to get the Escape correct before I'd try Toyota out on the RX400h. The Escape does have your father's hybrid system. And think about what might have been behind, the cause of, the RX400h's two year production delay. ← Actually Nissan has had a high-HP vehicle with CVT tranny for quite some time now and reliability has been excellent. Therefore, yes, it is not that difficult to build a reliable CVT that is linked to a high-HP engine. The CVT has FAR fewer parts and should prove to be a much better alternative to the ever more complicated granny trannies. :chairshot:
thdoan Posted April 9, 2005 Posted April 9, 2005 For me, I always find something I do not like about my car from a cheap Civic, Avalon, Sienna, and now RX330. My real question is "Is a perfect car exist?" If there is not a perfect car, RX330 is the best one I have. It is not only due to the car's quality, finish, look; it is also due to the service that Lexus dealer provide (including free loaner car) PS. If you do not like yours, drive a rental car (non Lexus) for a weekend, and you may change your mind! :whistles:
2tired2floss Posted April 9, 2005 Posted April 9, 2005 Two comments: First, someone mentioned a Ford Escape. My advice...be afraid, be very afraid. I've owned two Fords and I have taken a blood oath, "never, ever again!" Second, I have a Thundercloud '05 RX 330. I've only had it less than a month, but so far, so good. I am very, very pleased with the fit and finish. When I bought my last Ford in '98, within 48 hours I had it in the repair shop.
hybev1 Posted April 9, 2005 Posted April 9, 2005 quote=RX400h,Apr 8 2005, 05:00 PM] The fix is arriving April 18th. It's called the RX400h - CVT tranny and enough torque to pull a house off its foundation. ....gotta love it! Last week I took my 99RX to the dealer for its last 6/60 warranty issue. I asked the head service writer @ Lexus of Watertown,MA their expected due date for the RX400. I'd like to drive one before deciding the 330 versus the 400. He shrugged and said, "They're unbelievable ... first it was to be last October now it's supposed to be some time in May? But I'll tell you this ... any owner that's an aggressive city driver will end up spending lots more on gas than if they stayed with the conventional RX...and I can only hope Lexus states it somewhere in the new owner's manual!"
RX400h Posted April 9, 2005 Posted April 9, 2005 But I'll tell you this ... any owner that's an aggressive city driver will end up spending lots more on gas than if they stayed with the conventional RX...and I can only hope Lexus states it somewhere in the new owner's manual!" ← That's typical of ANY vehicle. As a matter of fact, many car magazines achieve FAR less gas milage than EPA figures show. Remember that many of us live in large cities that produce plenty of stop&go traffic - traffic that suits the RX400h perfectly, since speeds up to 40 MPH are attained via electric power only. BTW, take anything you hear with a grain of salt. Case-in-point: I heard from a salesman that the Toyota Highlander hybrid uses a low-ower drivetrain that is very similar to that of the Prius and far less powerful than that of the RX400h. ....see what I mean?
wwest Posted April 9, 2005 Posted April 9, 2005 That statement by hybev1 wasn't related to EPA figures, it was related to an RX400h against the RX330! As many have said before me, you can't draw blood from a turnip! You can only generate so much power from braking in city traffic, and only a fool would use coastdown inertia to generate power when the brakes are not applied. And it takes an even bigger fool to use the ICE to generate power to charge, and recharge, and recharge, etc, etc, the batteries during highway cruise. That's why the highway MPG is so low. Any engineer worth his salt would simply charge, top off, the batteries and then not use them again as long as a reasonably constant speed were maintained or maybe if WOT is applied.
RX400h Posted April 10, 2005 Posted April 10, 2005 That's why the highway MPG is so low. Any engineer worth his salt would simply charge, top off, the batteries and then not use them again as long as a reasonably constant speed were maintained or maybe if WOT is applied. ← The AWD RX330 is rated (using the same EPA test cycles) at 18/24 MPG, so no matter how you look at it, the RX400h far exceeds the city mileage (72% increase) and even surpases the highway mileage by 12.5%, and I expect real-world-driving to produce the same increases. As I mentioned a while ago, if you drive primarily on empty country roads and average 50-60 MPH, then cylinder deactivation is the way to go. However, if frequent stop&go driving is the norm, you will make up the extra cost of the hybrid is short time, especially with these and future gas prices.
wwest Posted April 10, 2005 Posted April 10, 2005 Has anyone seen any OFFICIAL EPA cty/hwy mileage ratings for the RX400h? Like directly from Lexus? The Lexus mechanic in Boston seemed to be saying MPG for the RX400h would be poorer than the RX330... I guess you have to give up something for V8...Zoom, ZOOM,....ZOOM!
RX400h Posted April 10, 2005 Posted April 10, 2005 Has anyone seen any OFFICIAL EPA cty/hwy mileage ratings for the RX400h? Like directly from Lexus? Yes, the official EPA ratings are 31 City and 27 Highway for the RX400h. Anyone who really believes that the 330 will get better city milage should back away from their crack pipe. Remember, 0-40 MPH without using ANY gasoline says it all. Having what amounts to an electric supercharger AND large enough motors to propel a vhicle on their own is called having your cake and eating it, too. B)
wwest Posted April 10, 2005 Posted April 10, 2005 "0-40 MPH without using ANY gasoline..." That statement reminds me of the time our governor, Dixy Lee Ray, put her foot in her mouth by saying, with regards to saving water... "Electricity can't be stored..." So, RX400h, just how do you think those batteries got charged, or was it a form of Keebler's Magic Oven? Or was it from the inertia created by gasoline and/or the ICE being used directly to charge the batteries. "Official EPA ratings...." Please don't be insulted but would you mind referencing the actual publishing source?
SW03ES Posted April 10, 2005 Posted April 10, 2005 quote=RX400h,Apr 8 2005, 05:00 PM]The fix is arriving April 18th. It's called the RX400h - CVT tranny and enough torque to pull a house off its foundation. ....gotta love it! Last week I took my 99RX to the dealer for its last 6/60 warranty issue. I asked the head service writer @ Lexus of Watertown,MA their expected due date for the RX400. I'd like to drive one before deciding the 330 versus the 400. He shrugged and said, "They're unbelievable ... first it was to be last October now it's supposed to be some time in May? But I'll tell you this ... any owner that's an aggressive city driver will end up spending lots more on gas than if they stayed with the conventional RX...and I can only hope Lexus states it somewhere in the new owner's manual!" ← LOL, I love stuff like this. Thats just the salesman trying to get you into an RX330 instead of an RX400h. First of all he's lying about May, the cars are already here in some places, arrived today, and spend more on gas if they're an aggessive city driver? Hardly. Worst case scenario is they spend the SAME, its IMPOSSIBLE that they'll spend more on gas. Driving the Hybrids aggressively does lower their mileage, but not beneath what you'd get on a normal gasoline powered vehicle of comparable design. Our Prius doesnt get great mileage because of how its driven but it gets 42MPG or so. Thats the oldest trick in the car sales book, get them to buy whats ON THE LOT TODAY, that means you get paid TODAY instead of a year from now when an RX400h may come in. Get a new salesman, you don't want to do business with that guy.
ritchieg Posted April 10, 2005 Posted April 10, 2005 For those of you that have an rx300 or rx330, would you buy another rx after this one? Why or why not.....Just wondering if you were satisfied enough to buy another rx... ;) ← I have had a 2001 RX300 silversport for less than a year. I am very happy with it and will consider buying another Lexus SUV. I really like the AWD system when I am in snow (about 15 days a year). Horsepower and handling are not up to the standards of a high performance sports car but definitely okay for this type of car. If I wanted a high performance car, I would not have sold my Ferrari. The ride is very good, the navagation sysem is not as good as my BMW Z4 but definitely acceptable. I have not had to take the car in for anything except the first free oil change and that went just fine. The interior and accessories are excellent when compared to what I want.
RX400h Posted April 10, 2005 Posted April 10, 2005 So, RX400h, just how do you think those batteries got charged, or was it a form of Keebler's Magic Oven? Or was it from the inertia created by gasoline and/or the ICE being used directly to charge the batteries. "Official EPA ratings...." Please don't be insulted but would you mind referencing the actual publishing source? ← 1. Kinetic energy is recovered during braking. 2. The front and rear electric motors redirect this as electrical energy to the electronic control unit. 3. The electronic control unit returns energy to the high voltage battery. As far as EPA figures, look here: http://www.invoicedealers.com/cars/Summary...me=Lexus+RX400h
LexKid630 Posted April 10, 2005 Author Posted April 10, 2005 quote=RX400h,Apr 8 2005, 05:00 PM]The fix is arriving April 18th. It's called the RX400h - CVT tranny and enough torque to pull a house off its foundation. ....gotta love it! Last week I took my 99RX to the dealer for its last 6/60 warranty issue. I asked the head service writer @ Lexus of Watertown,MA their expected due date for the RX400. I'd like to drive one before deciding the 330 versus the 400. He shrugged and said, "They're unbelievable ... first it was to be last October now it's supposed to be some time in May? But I'll tell you this ... any owner that's an aggressive city driver will end up spending lots more on gas than if they stayed with the conventional RX...and I can only hope Lexus states it somewhere in the new owner's manual!" ← LOL, I love stuff like this. Thats just the salesman trying to get you into an RX330 instead of an RX400h. First of all he's lying about May, the cars are already here in some places, arrived today, and spend more on gas if they're an aggessive city driver? Hardly. Worst case scenario is they spend the SAME, its IMPOSSIBLE that they'll spend more on gas. Driving the Hybrids aggressively does lower their mileage, but not beneath what you'd get on a normal gasoline powered vehicle of comparable design. Our Prius doesnt get great mileage because of how its driven but it gets 42MPG or so. Thats the oldest trick in the car sales book, get them to buy whats ON THE LOT TODAY, that means you get paid TODAY instead of a year from now when an RX400h may come in. Get a new salesman, you don't want to do business with that guy. ← All salesman are like that LOL. All they care about is money. The more cars the sell, the more the get. If a salesman last year got you on a waiting list for today, they aren't gonna get any money until today! at least that's how it went with me last April. I'm still waiting for the call that my 400h is here
shortbear Posted April 11, 2005 Posted April 11, 2005 I hate sleazy salesmen. They will say anything to make a buck. Definitely do not do business with that guy.
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