Open Letter To 4Th Generation Designers

[laundrylist]

I traded my 2004 RX 330 (Bamboo Pearl, Ivory with Premium Package) for a 2012 (Matador Red Mica with Comfort Package, Premium Package, 12 Speaker Premium Audio, Navigation System, Park Assist) because I wanted updated technology and grew tired of waiting for the fourth generation. My husband made me purchase off the lot instead of ordering from factory because our goal is to factory order a fourth generation. However, Lexus has some work to do to make me a three-peat buyer. I hope Lexus engineers monitor this board.

Here are my thoughts after trading up.

Improvements I Like in 2012 (not in any particular order)

1) Driver’s side water bottle holder (I don’t feel like I’m going to break it off at a moment’s notice)

2) Driver exit assist

3) Less intrusive rear-wheels in cargo hold

4) Added door cupholders on all four doors

5) AFS and Intelligent High Beams

6) Smart Key access

7) Parking assist

8) Ability to order paint protection film and door guards
from factory

9) Smoother transmission

10) Back-up monitor

Items That Are Hugely Disappointing in 2012 (not in any particular order)

1) Inability to store rear cargo cover in the vehicle plus overall lack of hidden storage

2) Sound system – my non-ML 2004 audio was a million times better than the non-ML 12 speaker premium audio on my 2012. Satellite radio cuts out in downtown areas (my MB C-class and MB SLK satellite radios have no problem keeping a signal in
downtown areas)

3) Lack of lighted door sills – my plain-Jane 2004 premium package had lighted sills on all four doors. I should not have to buy the Luxury package to get this feature

4) Seat comfort – my 2004 seats were far more comfortable (although I will admit that Lexus is still more comfortable than comparable MB and BMW)

5) Location of clock – I can barely see it when the gear shift is in drive. If temp can be displayed in
the dash, I don’t see why the time can’t also be displayed there

6) Dash board color – I wanted parchment interior because I want the vehicle to feel bright even on cloudy days. So what’s with the dark dash on the premium package? My 2004 had ivory interior. Yes, the dash was darker than the seats, but it was nowhere near as dark as the one in the 2012.

7) Heated seats – honestly, I can barely tell the seats are warm on the hottest setting. My 2004
heated seats were fantastic and I miss them greatly.

8) Center console configuration – honestly, that small cubby hole under the gear shift is difficult to use and I practically have to crawl on the floor to use the outlet hidden in there. While I applaud the larger covered center storage bin, it is a bit like a cave (needs better lighting). I also don’t like having to lift the storage cover to retrieve my parking key.

9) Loss of captain chair arm rest. I used the arm rest in the 2004 EVERY SINGLE DAY. Now, I don’t have an arm rest because the center console lid height doesn’t adjust.

10) Loss of steering wheel angle – my 2004 gave me the ability to tilt the top of the wheel slightly back from the bottom of the wheel. 2012 doesn’t have the same angle.

11) Overall ride is much rougher than the 2004 (and yes, my tire pressure is correctly set)

Improvements I Want to See in Fourth Generation (not in any particular order)

1) More hidden cargo storage, including place to store cargo cover (the inability to store the cargo cover in the vehicle ranks high on my list of disappointments with the third generation).

2) Better navigation – make it more like a TomTom, which accurately provides arrival times. This “setting the speed” option is ridiculous. My dealer told me Lexus wants to eliminate navigation all together in favor of people using their smartphones. Not only is this dangerous on the distracted driving front, not everyone owns a smartphone and/or wants to use precious data for navigation. Don’t forget the age of your market segment.

3) Seat comfort – the early second generation seats were far more comfortable than those in the 2012.

4) Better heated seats – return to the heat levels of the 2004, PLEASE!

5) Heated rear seats – If Kia can make this an option, I don’t understand why this is so difficult for Lexus to accomplish

6) Massage option for front seats

7) Power plug for rear seat passengers (located under the center console vents, perhaps).

8) Lighted door sills integrated in all four doors in the PREMIUM package

9) Improved satellite radio antenna (see my comment above regarding reception)

10) Return of 6-disc in-dash CD player – don’t forget the age of your market segment (not everyone wants to stream from their phones). Further, CD audio is far superior to compressed MP3 audio. If the audio system refuses to play .wav files, then a 6 disc changer is still a must for anyone
who cares about audio quality

11) Move the fuel door switch away from the rear door lift switch (can’t tell you how many times I have mixed these two up – they were far more separated on the 2004 model)

12) Return of Bamboo Pearl color option – I have Matador Red Mica because that’s what was on the lot at the end of the year. If I had ordered the 2012, I would have had a hard time picking a color. I hate plain silver and the gold option is too yellow. Bamboo Pearl was the perfect balance of silver and gold with a hint of green. Most of the second generation RX’s I see are Bamboo Pearl – so clearly it was a popular choice.

13) A place to store my phone that doesn’t require me to lift the center console storage door

14) Wider angle options for steering wheel placement

15) Better ride – the 2004 ride was far more comfortable. The 2012 feels a bit more
like a truck (and no, my tire pressure isn’t set too high).