So my GS lease is up in about a month and the wife is loving the RX330. I'm at a point where modifications are not worth the time considering she spends most of the time driving it during the day, and I use it at night or on the weekends. The mods on the GS was limited to a set of 17" wheels and ultra high performance all season tires to replace the stock POS tires that Lexus put everyone's life in danger with in driving with them in the snow. I had the tires and wheels from my previous ride, so they would have just sat there, so I figured i'd use them.
I love Lexus, always have been a fan. Heck I used to work for a dealership too(LOM in NYC).. My original intention on leasing the GS for 24 months when I did was to get the '06 GS when it comes out. Sadly, we still have to wait about 6 mos for it, and I think it's going to be more than I want to spend in it's initial introduction, so the next runner up is the RX. I don't mind the RX330 at all, based on the features and amenities in the RX, I don't lose out on the luxuries i've gotten used to in the GS, not to mention my wife is driving me crazy to convince me in buying the GS lease when it's up because she loves the car. She will take the RX though without putting up much of a fight. I wouldn't mind keeping the GS with the exception of the RWD in the snow, and the fact that the car is heavy, leads to so-so power and acceleration. I know the RX isn't much lighter or so much more powerful, but for comparison my mom's 02 RX feels quicker than the GS, even though they are very similar in power with the exception of one being an inline six and the other a V6 (there's no substitute for the smoothness of an I-6)...Geez I have so much to say, i'm just rambling..I'll get to the point..
When I was younger I always told myself I'd never get an SUV because of the increased ride height and loss of handling compared to a sedan. I used to be all about the power and handling. Then I got married.:whistles: You might think that it's an SUV, and it is meant to be higher up, but I say: Will I be going off-roading with it? NO. Do I really need the added ride height? NO. Do I want to have the confidence of making a turn as fast as I used to in the GS or any other sedan without feeling like i'm going to roll over? YES. Which leads me to the next question: Has anyone lowered their RX 330? If so, what spring did you use? I know someone mentioned in the past if anyone lowered their cars, the post was like 3-4 months ago and it didn't really get many responses from anyone that did do it.. The 3 worth considering so far are: TTE, Eibach and H&R. I have no experience with any of the brands. My last ride (Acura) was lowered with Comptech hardware and it was sweet! I always liked the look of the lowered ride height, and I think for suburban driving you don't need to be that high up. I don't need the car slammed to the ground, just a mild, subtle drop will do fine for me.
Compare the 18's in an FX 35 to the 20's in the same car with the Sport Package. My brother has a loaded FX with Sport. One look at 2 FX's side by side with 18's and 20's, the difference and look is obvious. The 18's look stupid IMHO, but he 20's stuff the wheel well nicely, giving it a nice aggressive look. I'm not planning on changing the wheels to fill in the wheel well, so the next solution would be a mild drop, which should do the trick, and improve the handling without compromising the ride much. If it was up to me, i'd also change the sway bars too, but I can't seem to find anything in the aftermarket for the RX. PLEASE Let me know!
Ed
