Rx - A Woman's Vehicle?

[natey2]

Many people I know describe the RX series as a woman's car/vehicle.

I've also noticed (and my observations are not statistically significant, I might add) that most RX drivers I see on the road ARE women.

I've also seen ads from used car dealers saying things like "she will love this SUV", etc.

Are there any statistics that show what percentage of RX owners are women?

[1990LS400]

91.2% of RX drivers are women and the remainder are !Removed! males. OK, I made that up. But seriously ... I've personally known a number of RX drivers and only one has been male - he was in his mid-50's when he bought it to replace a GS300 that he also bought new. It's about the same with the ES ... have met only one male ES driver (Sorry Paul, you're the one). I know a number of guys who drive LS and a handful who drive GX or LX.

[JoeCompute]

Yes, our RX is a "Woman's Car" since it was mostly chosen by my wife. In fact, it is her fourth RX since the first one back in '99. And, yes, it is Red - that was her first requirement. No kids get carted around though, but occasionally 2 small dogs ride in the back. She says its particularly easy to get into compared to my car(s) - the latest being a 2012 MB C300 Sport, which is fairly low.

[lenore]

Yep, but lots of guys on the Club Lexus site are getting the old RX300 used and modding them...very popular among the younger crowd after they have depreciated....We are on our second, my choice but my wifes car....because I drive a Toby Keith manly Ford F150.....My feminine side comes out when I drive the RX400h as well as my teenage side (long gone) when I step on the peddle. What a hot rod in a sleeper car....

[1990LS400]

Yep, but lots of guys on the Club Lexus site are getting the old RX300 used and modding them...very popular among the younger crowd after they have depreciated....We are on our second, my choice but my wifes car....because I drive a Toby Keith manly Ford F150.....My feminine side comes out when I drive the RX400h as well as my teenage side (long gone) when I step on the peddle. What a hot rod in a sleeper car....

Lenore, please do NOT tell us about your "feminine side" - T.M.I.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lenore]

Ah I was just trying to fit in....I love my truck....

[Demp223]

It is my wife's vehicle. I'm here to learn all I can for maintenance and issues.

I drive a van all day for work and an 05 Chevy Silverado 4X4 diesel Dually. It's tows our trailer and all my hunting gear. I do enjoy driving it on weekends when we run errands. Very refined.

[lenore]

Its a hot rod and gets 20 plus miles per gallon which is a lot better than my F150....Love filling my truck and it cost $100

[pj8708]

You've gotten this far Lenore without managing to cause a major storming of the gates, so let's go further......

What items, things, or qualities make a vehicle a "Womens Car"? What do women say that makes them chose one vehicle over another?

Paul

(ps to Jim; I see a lot of men driving ES here in the heartland. The problem is there is bareley enougth headroom in the cabin for the Seed Corn caps every body wears to work!!)

[13IS250C]

Not only do I feel like my car is most CERTAINLY a woman's car, I feel like it is an older woman's car. That is why I insisted on the F-Sport package to get those rims. It "youngs" up the car a little. I have seen some men driving the ISxxxC though.

I guess most people associate sleek lines to a woman and raw horsepower to a man. I'm strange. I have to have horsepower to go with my sleek lines. This car I have now is the slowest car I have had in decades, but I am enjoying the 24/25 mpg city driving.

I might return to American Muscle my next car. I'm waiting to see what happens when they un-retro the Mustang. I'm sooooooo sick of the retro thing. I don't want the same car I wanted 40 years ago.

[lenore]

I know in the Sacramento area you always, and I mean always, except when I drive, you see woman behind the wheels of RX 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation. Even the local media type that advertises drives one (I believe she is on her third one.) However I love my wifes RX400h, as it is a stealthy hot rod. Now if only I could get the color I wanted. Oh well, I did take the Soccer mom roof rack off. Wifey feels the car is taller, but not like a minivan. And she has a Parnelli Jones gas foot....Hince great mileage considering it is not driven like a hybrid...The Old RX300 really suffered under those conditions. And yes she looks quite gorgous in her Womans Lexus.

[kevinmlexus]

I've had mine referred to as "soccer mom" car. That answer to that is that there's no 3rd row of seats; which was one of buying points. Oh, and by the way; !Removed! male here.

[lenore]

Great auto, love the 1st and 2nd generation....maybe next one will be the 3rd generation.

[pj8708]

Hi kevinmlexus and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club.

Some threads back I posted a thread asking just how do you specify what things make a automobile a "womens" car versus a "mans" car.

Is paint color

Is it style of wheels

Shape of body...........Please list your opinion of what features a car has to have to make it a womens car/??????? In other words, the whole argument just dosen't hold water.

[roho99]

Hogwash! Must be a California thing.

[LEX-SV]

Now that you mention it, just kiddin....

[ROTTBOY]

Got a 2011 RX350 AWD for the wife and she is loving every moment of it. After 7 years of her driving our previous 6-speed manual FJ Cruiser, figured she earned the change to something with luxury. Being always impressed with Toyota's overall quality and excellent reliability, picking the RX was easy. No headaches, makes the driver feel on top of the world and can average 22 mpg with 70% city driving.

Since we got this, 2 of her girlfriends have since gotten RX's and its looking like, definitely a top choice for females.

That being said, I love driving this car. The Lexus stereo is excellent, a/c super cold, toasty heater and seats, easy to use navigation-phone-intephase toggle, etc.............plus, performance is respectable w/ more than enough for city/freeway needs.

Sadly though, I won't be driving this puppy in 4 ft of snow (we get these conditions about 2x's/decade) like I use to with our FJ. Am sure our equipped all-season 19' tires just won't cut it. Getting snows is possible but since our snowfall winters don't last that long, we'll survive.

Have had a Ferrari and Porsches in the past, but with this first Lexus experience maybe an LFA is the better alternative!!! Now, these are the wheels for us boys!!!!

[kmar]

We also have a 2014 Mustang and a 2007 Mustang before that. Mostly driven by my wife and she considers it "her" car. Over 90% of the newer Mustangs I see are driven by women, even the GT models. Still though I don't consider a Mustang a "woman's car".

[13IS250C]

I think the Mustang is considered a woman's car of the pony cars. From what I've seen posted on an F-body site, they are smaller and easier to drive than Camaros, Firebirds or Challengers.

[LEX-SV]

Yes, those look like old boats lol. The Challenger derived from a huge 4 door sedan is kind of funny to say the least, lots of road-hugging power-sapping gas-guzzling, non-aero weight too.

Mustang with it's new look should get the US sales crown soon is my guess.

RX as a woman's car, probably the sales stats support that. But RX just looks unattractive next to NX, IMHO.

[midwesterner]

Dangerous territory here! What makes a car a "woman's car" more than a "man's car?" I suppose that historically sports and high-performance cars have appealed to men more than women, but my wife would be as comfortable in a Cayenne or an X5 as the RX. In fact, the RX came to us as a result of a death in the family about the time we were ready to replace her previous car.

Where we live in the middle of the midwest, I think they are popular because they are reliable, have lots of amenities, and are easy to drive. They deal reasonably well with snow, especially in awd configuration, and provide a good field of vision from the driver's seat. They haul all the kids stuff, plus the kids, and go to the soccer fields and parks as well as the country club. Nobody really expects to take into serious off-road conditions. Lots of guys my age around here drive 'em, but these are not "car" guys, and most of them would find a Jeep Grand Cherokee too truck-like. they like the Lexus because it is smooth, reliable, provides reasonably good performance, and hauls the golf clubs or fishing gear, or the weekend do-it-yourself purchases. Again, none of 'em are going to head for the Rubicon Trail.

I find the RX to be OK, but would be a little more enthusiastic with a sport suspension. It is comfortable on a long drive, but lacks the precision and athleticism of my GS350. If I had to start from a clean sheet of paper and select an SUV, the RX would fall behind Acura, BMW, and maybe a few others. On the other hand, my wife would no doubt happily choose another RX, as she has become accustomed to it and likes the luxury features. If you told her she could have anything she wanted and that somebody else would write the check, it might be an X5. So which is the "woman's car?"

[LEX-SV]

And the top selling Lexus, the RX.

[13IS250C]

When I think "woman's car", I generally think of something easy to see out of and handles well. Also, most women have to do most of the carpooling and stuff like that. 99% of women don't give a rat's azz about horsepower. Thank God I'm one of the 1% ers.

[LEX-SV]

^ Sounds like recipe for top selling Lexus, the RX.

I had a Highlander V6 Limited (very much like an RX mechanically, less unattractive) for nearly 4 years and I used it for commute and other mundane duties. I was bored with it by end of day 1, even if I found it to be very useful.

[lenore]

Was the Highlander the newer one or older one? Which year....