My 1st SUV

We have a 2002 RX 300 with 4WD in Vancouver Canada. We bought it at 50,000 miles this summer and it was in excellent condition with new Michellin tires. We have used 91 fuel only (from national fuel companies only) and the tire pressue is at 30 psi. We have taken off the roof rack, and don't keep any cargo in the back. My wife does about half highway and half city. Manual says mpg is suppose to be 18 City and 22 Highway. The only disappointment so far is the mileage we are getting. We are getting less than 16 mpg. I am measuring using actual gas pumped and odometer readings. The screen in the console is not that accurate as it says we should be getting 16.6 mpg. Any ideas or suggestions as to what else I should do before I bring it back to Lexus to check it out?

I have the same problem on my wife's 2002 RX300. She spilled coffee all between the console and driver's seat, onto the carpet. She now keeps a cup warmer in the cup holder in the centre console as the base to add stability and insert the tumbler into the cup warmer.

I'm planning on getting a 2002 RX 300 this weekend. It has extended Lexus warranty until Dec 2009. I went to the bedford link to review the TSIB. So unless I read them all and am aware of the problem and bring it to their attention, the service department will not do anything even if it is under warranty?

I have the brochures (North American version). The 2006 Hylander is 184.6 inches (185.4 inches for the hybrid). The RX300 is 180.3 inches and the RX330 is 186.2 inches and the RX 350 is 186.2 inches. Info available on msn.com auto tab also

We are thinking of getting the 2003 RX 300 (last model year). After reading the 18 pages of one thread started a few months ago talking about problems with transmissions (especially on 1999 first year model), I am getting concerned if it is just a first year jinx or whether it will happen across all years for the RX300. All the other problems I have read about (plastic keys breaking, moisture in fog lamps, glove box rattles, light bulb replacement, cheap tires, etc) I can take on that risk and associated cost. But paying the same price for a used 2003 RX300 as a brand new fully loaded RAV4 (or a base new Hylander), and then having to face a likely $5000 transmission problem within a year of buying is not an acceptable risk to me. If you own the 2003 model year, what major problems have you had and how many miles do you currently have. All comments are greatly appreciated.

Doomed to run hot under some driving circumstances. But the owner can at least partially mitigate the potential consequences by changing the fluid more frequently and checking the transmission filter screen for blockages every 2nd or 3rd fluid change. By contrast, planned obsolesence is engineered into most American car automatics built since the late 1970's (via inferior quality internal seals, inferior clutch friction material, inferior gear metalurgy, etc.) and no amount of fluid or filter changing will enable them to last 300,000+ miles like all Toyota automatics can. I would not be so quick to get down on American cars I had a 1995 Saturn SC2 with well over 300,000 miles on it before I sold it. That transmission had a twist on filter that could be changed easily. It did not shift as smooth as my 99 RX 300 but it never leaked or cost me $5000 for a new tranny. SIGH! And my wife was thinking of getting rid of her 1996 Saturn SL2 for a 02/03 RX300. After reading all these posts, I'm not so sure anymore!

Greetings from West Coast Canada. My wife is planning to sell her sedan and trade up to a compact SUV. We were looking at both the new Toyota RAV4 (I'm a long time Toyota owner) and the new Honda CRV-EXL. The RAV4 4 cyclinder was just not enough power and the V6 was a bit too much for her. Although the RX330 is too long for her, the RX300 is just the right length and of course more luxurious. We are debating whether to buy a new RAV4/CRV or a used RX300. I figure the budget is about the same for a 2002 or 2003 RX300. She plans to keep the SUV for a long time. I've been reading Montalvo's thread and I got a lot of useful info from there, the exception is that he is comparing a brand new Hylander to a new RX350 (two different budgets altogether) Some points we are considering are warranty, life expectancy, and future repair/maintenance cost differences between RAV4 and RX300. My guess is that there is not too much difference as both are built in Japan by the same mother company. I'm guessing that as the 3 or 4 year leases come up this year and next year, there should be more choice and better pricing on the 02/03. Finally is it worth getting a certified lexus. What is the extra cost compared to a non certified one. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks!