Why The Rx 350 Vs Competition?

[gqscientist]

1st time SUV buyer, have a new child and need the 2nd seat leg room for car seat and more space in the back for playpin, toys, etc (we turn in the A4 next month which would not have enough space)

So many SUV's to chose from, why what you all chose the 350/400 vs all the other ones out there?

I live in S Cali, so dont need AWD (rarely any rain), am used to efficient cars (ie prius hybrid), want the best lease price for the value. THe RX 350/400 would be on the high-end of pricing, but do-able. Amazing a $40K car can lease for the same as a $30K car depending on depreciation, money factor, specials, etc. How much below invoice can you get the RX's?

Looking at - loaded RAV4 V6, Subaru Tribeca, BMW X3, etc

This car is for my wife/baby....cruiser, safe, quiet, easy to drive/manuever, etc. I hate the 350 is not SULEV like the 400...oh well.

Any advice to why I should get the 350/400 would be helpful

Thanks

[bngu1]

i think this is a great suv for family; not too big not too small. it is reliable and fit and finish is awesome. great resale value too. lexus are comfortable and smooth, great if you have kids. i used to own an fx35 and i loved that car but it is to firm for a family ride. german cars are not that reliable and they are too expensive.

[GDixon]

Check out Consumers' Reports SUV ratings. Then drive them all - no cheating. We did and the 2008 RX350 had it over everything else in just about every category (Acura MDX, Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX9, even the Porsche Cayenne, and more of course). I made an Excel spreadsheet of all of the attributes that we cared about and the RX wiped out the competition. If you are at all concerned about styling, the RX is "subtly elegant" according to my wife.

[krisv]

I compared cars for 9 months before deciding on the RX350. Last two in the running were the Acura MDX and the Lexus. In our case for a family of three (one still in a carseat), the Lexus was great, however, if you are having more than one child, you might want to consider something a little larger like the MDX. I've had many families tell me that once they added the second child, the Lexus didn't feel big enough for them. One other determining factor for me was the ride of the Lexus. It was much easier to drive. Smoother feel, less work. The Acura has a much more "sportier" drive but it still road wonderfully. It's all dependent upon what you're looking for. If my husband was going to be driving this car, he'd of gotten the Acura. With me driving, the Lexus ride won.

[LexKid630]

The Rx350 is an excellent car, and your wife will love it! There's plenty of room in the back and the carseat fits very well.

I've owned both the hybrid and the 350. The hybrid isn't worth it; it's just not. Go with the front wheel drive rx350.

[kivettlexuslover]

We're looking at buying a 350/400 as well. I did the research on an excel spreadsheet and test drove everything in the luxury, and non-luxury class of mid-sized SUVs. We are choosing to purchase the RX for several reasons. After being involved in a few MVA's (not by fault), safety was a huge purchase factor. Cost of ownership over 5 years was the next item we looked at for vehicles that were an average of over 20 MPG. The RX had the lowest cost of ownership and depreciation for the MPG hands down. If we're able to find a 2006-08 with under 30K miles, for the low $30K, then we're ahead of the game, even compared to the domestic market.

Good luck shopping.

I read several reviews in the 2008 Consumer Reports New Cars, SUVs, and Truck Magazine, and have read about 200 reviews from consumers on Edmunds, KBB.com, and Car and Driver to rule out other vehicles. Another great source is fueleconomy.gov