lwlee

Not sure if it's apples to oranges any more. I specifically compared the 2009 LE. The LE has BIG upgrades in its interior which I really think was the big differentiator between the 2 cars. From all the reviews I have read, the Murano ride is quite good. No one beats the Lexus for the level of cabin noise but its ride has always been sited as mushy. I owned a 2002 RX and it's okay. Extremely reliable and a very comfortable ride. The interior was luxury back in 2002 but every manufacturers has been raising the bar since then. LE has dual moon roof. Automatic rear door. Very nice Nav and bluetooth. CVT engine has been bumped up in horsepower. 2 things that stood out about the Lexus for me were the reliability and interior. It's what I thought made it a "luxury" brand. But the Murano has a great reliability track record and now they've greatly improved the interior. You are comparing apples and oranges here. Maybe the RX vs. MDX or Murano vs. Pilot vs. Highlander makes more sense. If you like to save money, you can get the Murano with almost all the bells and whistles from the RX for a lot cheaper...but the drive/handling/comfort are BIG different. I test drove the 2007 Murano, fully loaded for 36K, but I decided to bought the RX for $10,000 more.

Does the top of the line Murano compare favorably with the RX? I know the Murano has better technology ie Nav. The interior has improved greatly though I haven't seen the RX interior.

Try doing this with my Accord. The time and hassle was just not worth it. Plus the grime! If it was a simple unscrew and replace, I would do it. Unfortunately, the oil filter is a hassle to get to.

Yes, I tried calling around but in NYC, there aren't many toyota express lubes. I guess there isn't much money in oil changes. I've never watched them do the change. Didn't want to offend them. Some people don't like someone watching over their shoulder. But those are some horrific stories. I should know better, there are sites dedicated to JiffyLube woes. I've tried RS Strauss and some gas station for oil changes. Service is way too slow. I'll watch them this time, tell them I want to learn how things are done. FYI, JiffyLube doesn't carry synthetic oil filter but they will use the one I bring in.

Very informative. So synthetic oil filter are the best, otherwise use the OEM oil filter. I'll buy one and have them install it. As for bulk oil, I called them and they told me they have Mobil-1 synthetic oil. Are you saying the syn oil is recycled or that the recycled oil is their standard dino oil? I go to them because they're the only ones locally that do a fast job.

Why?

I'm planning to change to synthetic Mobil-1 this weekend. I called local JiffyLube and asked what type of filters they had for the RX300. They said Pennzoil PZ-21. Anyone know if this is a good replacement for the stock OEM oil filter?

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal today. More and more 3rd party repair shops refer repairs back to the dealers because as more cars become computerized, only the dealers can afford the expensive equipment to diagnose the damages. Another vote for the dealer.

One good tip is to use Toyota Express Lube to do regular oil changes. Much cheaper than Lexus.

WarrantyDirect has the most pristine record of all the 3rd party companies but comparing their rate with the Lexus 7yr/100k. It's not better in fact it looks worse. Term/Miles* Will expire on... Or when odometer reaches... $0 $50 $100 $200 4 Years / 60,000 Miles 9/28/2009 60,000 Miles $1,762 $1,627 $1,517 $1,436 4 Years / 75,000 Miles 9/28/2009 75,000 Miles $2,112 $1,947 $1,812 $1,672 4 Years / 100,000 Miles 9/28/2009 100,000 Miles $2,351 $2,191 $2,026 $1,831 5 Years / 60,000 Miles 9/28/2010 60,000 Miles $1,811 $1,676 $1,566 $1,468 5 Years / 75,000 Miles 9/28/2010 75,000 Miles $2,171 $2,006 $1,871 $1,726 5 Years / 100,000 Miles 9/28/2010 100,000 Miles $2,421 $2,261 $2,096 $1,902

I don't have the history except for carfax but given it's low mileage, 35k, hopefully I am not afflicted. I plan to use synthetic oil and to follow maintainence religiously. I got a good tip from another forum, go to Toyota's Express Lube for regular oil changes to save money. V6 engine is the same in Highlander so they'll be able to handle the RX300.

The car is still pretty young, 35k miles. I've got a year/15k to decide whether the Lexus warranty is warranted. Heard great things about Rallye, will definitely give them a try.

I started calling the local Lexus dealers. 7 yrs/100k miles, no deductible seemed the most logical choice for my car. Price ranged from a low of $1875 (Rallye) to a high of $2550 (TriCounty). It seemed the standard rate is $2150. This should be easily discounted. Platinum seemed the choice that dealers wanted to talk about. Since my car is still in its original warranty, it is not necessary for an inspection. In fact, several dealerships said they could do it over the phone. Main reason for the warranty was to protect myself from the sludge issue. Lexus Manhattan said it was not part of the extended warranty because it was considered a case of neglected maintenance. In addition, several forum messages indicated that Lexus have now implemented an 8yr/unlimited miles coverage for the sludge issue if you can show that the car was regularly maintained. In this case, I'll probably not opt for the warranty and just be meticulous with oil changes using synthetic. You might have to e-mail the rep for this forum directly. Go to the first posting as his contact info is there. B) ←

The holes in the door frame, shouldn't they have clips so that the orange plugs should snap into them? If so, then that's the problem, the holes are missing the clips.

I need a rx300 shift lock transmission cap cover. I'm unable to find it on EBay or through sites linked in some of the messages. Does anyone know of a site that has hard to find oem parts?

There are 3 orange stubs when lifting the panel slightly. I'm not sure what's supposed to securely hold the panel to the door frame. Any thoughts? I used to have a Chilton Honda manual. Would the Lexus rx300 version detail this type of assembly? could be one of the clips is broken or loose from the panel, lift the panel slightly and look between the panel and metal door frame. see if you can see a clip loose or broken. Use a flashlight. I wish I had a picture but I don't. The clips can probably be obtained at a auto uphostery shop or sometimes at a hardware section in the local Auto parts stores. ←

Read a lot about how good WarrantyDirect is. Most people consider them the best 3rd party warrantor. Has anyone used them or preferred them to Lexus direct warranty?

Bought 2002 rx300 from a nonLexus dealer in Queens, NY. I understand I can qualified for a Lexus warranty with check out. Can anyone tell me if they've done something similar in NYC? Which warranty, gold or platinum? How much did you pay? Which dealer?

Bookmarked! :) CLUBLEXUS.COM ←

Did you forget to link?

lenore, thanks, will give it a try.

Which one? Looking to buy an extended warranty. Update: I've done some research on this board, in case anyone else has the same questions. Update 2: No longer considering an extended warranty but still interested in a good dealer for servicing. It looks like all the local NYC/NJ dealers are good except for Lexus Manhattan and Massapequa which just happened to be owned by the same group. Bay Ridge is also bad, though I've always heard bad things about Brooklyn auto dealers. good reviews Rallye Lexus NJ dealers generally have good reviews bad reviews Lexus of Manhattan Lexus of Massapequa

This forum is great. Just bought a used 2002 rx300 with 35k miles. Now I want to get into knowing everything about the car. Any recommendations on other great sites?

Just bought a used 2002 rx300. it has a loose side door panel. what can I do to fix it? there doesn't seem to be any oem parts available on the net. any suggestions?