New Rx330 Owner Here

[RXinMN]

We picked up our new RX330 last night, and it's a beauty. I came from an Audi TT, that was destroyed by a man driving a Crown Victoria who ran a red light. I had it for one month and hadn't even made the first payment.

With an eye towards safety, we chose the RX330, which is perfect for our needs. We also drove the new '06 GS300 AWD, but I didn't like the way it drove; too isolated from the driving experience.

I was a short-term member of an Audi TT club, but I'm glad to see that there are fellow enthusiasts for the RX models, too. I'm looking forward to learning a lot about the Lexus from everyone here.

If anyone wants to see how a TT holds up in a head-on crash with a Crown Vic, with a combined impact speed of approximately 80 mph, check out this link:

Audi TT Collision with Crown Vic

[scoobie]

So are you saying you went from an Audi to a Lexus because you think the Lexus brand is somehow safer than the Audi brand, or because you wanted an SUV vs another sports coupe and Audi doesn't sell an SUV.

In my book, the Audi more than passed the safety test, the car crumpled, you didn't.

Anyway, I'm glad you like your RX330.

[Husker4theSpurs]

Glad you weren't too seriously injured ... welcome to the club.

[RXinMN]

So are you saying you went from an Audi to a Lexus because you think the Lexus brand is somehow safer than the Audi brand, or because you wanted an SUV vs another sports coupe and Audi doesn't sell an SUV.

In my book, the Audi more than passed the safety test, the car crumpled, you didn't.

Anyway, I'm glad you like your RX330.

←

The Audi saved our lives... of that I am certain. We went with the Lexus because this was to be my wife's primary vehicle, and she was never comfortable driving the TT. While it was a fantastic driver's car, it wasn't practical as a family vehicle for us. I loved the A4 Cabriolet, but it was pricey at $48k, and still has the "old" 2004 styling (the new A4 sedans sport the controversial single-frame grille and revised bodywork, plus the new FSI engines -- it will be another year or two before the A4 Cab catches up).

Audi and Lexus are both exceptional, but Lexus has the upper hand when it comes to reliability. I think we made the right decision.

[blake918]

Welcome to the club! Congrats on your new RX! B)

If you don't mind me asking, how well did you fit in that Audi(are you tall?)? I'm 6'4 and I find my LS400 to even be on the small side; should I hit or get hit, I would hate to have to go through what you did. In the next few months I'm having the seating position in my LS lowered 1" and pushed to the rear of the car 5"-6", so I can fully stretch out. Your Audi was a stunning car! I'm glad you made it through well.

[RXinMN]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone!

To answer your question, Blake, I'm 5' 11", medium build. It wasn't a snug fit, but it is a fairly small vehicle. I think what matters isn't how much room you have on the inside, but the construction of the vehicle and how it's designed to absorb energy. When I think of how fast I decelerated from 60 mph to zero in just a few feet, I'm amazed that I wasn't seriously injured. Those airbags do their job. And, they're hard on the face, too! (really abrasive)

Who's doing the seat relocation on your LS400?

[blake918]

Thanks for the info! JP Importz will do the work. He services my car, and I laid the idea on him one day, and he said sure thing! The problem is he's in the Dallas area, and I'm about 5 hours away in Louisiana. He wants the car for a weekend so that he can take his time and make sure it's all secured and working well. The problem is I'm not old enough to get a hotel room, so this will take some more planning to work out.

My LS was given a Best Pick by the Insurance Institute, so I know it will stand well in a crash. I'm just worried that my knees might get shoved in to the dash since I can't stretch them out. My LS has about 42" from the gas pedal to seatback, and from my hip to heel is about 46", so it does fall a bit short for me.