ilovelexus2007

One more thing: what is premium package consisted of?

Good value: if it includes Nag, Bluetooth, Mark Levinson Audio

Otherwise, no. (sorry, my previous post was assuming you have all those options).

"Nag" should never be included, not even as an option, we get that for free, many of us anyway.

I agree with wwest, the premium package you mentioned should not even claimed as an option. They just said it is an option to make it sounds expensive. So, are they telling me that without this option, you will get a 40K Lexus with no moonroof, power windows and leather seats? Please!

I was checking at my local dealership for an 2008 RX350, 4500 miles for $36.795. Fully loaded with Nag, Mark Levinson, HID Headlight, 18 in wheel, Woodtrim, Power life trunk, Leather & Power window (of course). Not a CPO though, but who cares, it's almost brand new, I think a carfax would do it. I think the price is unbelievable, if I don't have my 400h already, I think I'd get this 350 for this cheap price.

Only 1 model year different...but its an all new model.

Your argument doesn't make any sense...

That's my point, read back my post carefully!

"All new model" means it's an all new redesign, it doesn't mean it's an all new state-of-the-art technology compare to last year model. As I said, technology doesn't improve overnight, and the Murano is no exception. Don't believe everything Nissan said.

But like Messerchmidt said, never buy anything when it comes out the first year. There's always a price to pay for early adapters.

One more thing: what is premium package consisted of?

Good value: if it includes Nag, Bluetooth, Mark Levinson Audio

Otherwise, no. (sorry, my previous post was assuming you have all those options).

We are discussing the potential purchase of a certified 2007 RX350 AWD, with 12,750 miles, premium plus option package and apparent mint condition.(clear CARFAX report)

The dealership is currently firm at $34,995, I am thinking more in the $33,500 range. Am I just right, too hard, or too soft?

Appreciate any feedback, positive or negative.

Thanks,

-- JP

I think that is a very good deal. Is this from a Lexus dealer? Is the CPO extended to 100,000 miles power train warranty? If this is from a Lexus dealer, then it is a very good deal (their overhead cost usually high and their warranty is a manufacture warranty). If this is from a wholesale dealership, I think you can negociate down to $33,500 (they usually have less than fancy dealership and third party warranty).

Again, congrats! If I know back then what I know now, I will be in A MUCH BETTER SHAPE

We have had our Bridgestone Alenzas on now for approx. 13,000 miles and I have nothing but good things to say about them. They are quiet, handle very well (dry or wet) and provide a relatively smooth ride at 35 psi. An added bonus is their cost: $600 a set from the Tirerack (a bit more at today's prices, but not by much).

Thus far, they are wearing well and should last over 30,000 miles quite easily.

By the way, you can get a $100 discount via Tirerack; see:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/specialevent...reward_0408.jsp

Dave

Thanks for the great info and the $100 discount. Btw, how many miles does the orginal Michilen last on the 400h? Do we really have to rotate the tires every 5,000 miles like Lexus recommended?

RX400h, so who put in the Bridgestone tires for you? Does the $600 include labor or just tires. A Lexus service Mgr told me that they put in 4 tires for as much as $1000. Knowing they like to overcharge, I think it'd be better to shopping elsewhere.

Is it normal for my battery to ALWAYS stay at 3/4 charged? I've been driving freeway a lot lately using mostly the gas engine, so I guess it should give enough time for my battery to fully charged.

Please share your experience. If it's not normal, what should I do?

Why? Technology gets cheaper as time goes forward.

I had the RX400h, so it's a little bit better than the RX350. It has CVT like the Murano, in which the RX350 does not. The RX is more stable to drive in highway than Murano, nicer interior design, and definitely MORE quiet.

How can you say these things since you've never driven a new Murano by your own admission?

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that the 2009 Murano is better than the 2007 (which is only 1 year model different since they never released 2008 models), even so, the 2009 probably get a 10 if the 2007 got a 8-9. Technology from the same company don't improve the quality to superior over night, so you can't argue that the 2009 technology is much better, it's only BETTER.

I agree with you that technology will get cheaper, but only when it's mass produced or it's low in demand. So if you plan to keep your Murano for life, then you should consider buying it. But don't expect it to retain any value since it has been degraded when it's still brand new.

do not waste your $ on a pointless hybrid - pocket the cash and get the rx350. Burns a tad bit more gas, but its far cheaper, and I think - reliable

It depends on what kind of driving condition you'll be using your RX. If you live in big city where the traffic is always congested or you use a lot of local strees or you plan to keep the car more than 7 years, then a hybrid is JUSTIFIED.

But people like us buying an RX400h not to save gas, here are a few things different between 400h and 350.

400h means 4.0 liter, V8 equivalent power with the fuel economy of a V6 Camry. 350 means only 3.5 liter, V6 power, that's it!

400h has CVT

400h has much lower EPA emission

400h weights 300lbs heavier, much the vehicle a lot more stable when driving in freeway.

and finally....how many 400h do you see out on the streets? Not many. So far I've only seen 2 this whole year. I lose count of how many times I've seen the 350s on the road. It has become way too common that it reminds me of a Honda Civic or Toyota Camry.

I agree with most of you in respect that comparing the Murano and RX to be apples to oranges, but strangely enough, when I sold Nissans in '03-'05 the majority of people that were checking out the Murano, were indeed comparing it to the RX. They liked the sleek look of it and the way it drove. The styling on the Highlander and Pilot at the time, they called it bland and a bit boring.

Some for reasons I've always thought that the Pilot & Highlander are not mid-sized SUVs since they are 7-passengers vehicle, but I guess they can't be consider full-sized either. I also think it's unfair to compare these two to the Murano since the Pilot & Highlander needed to be in a boxy shape in order to have the space available to carry 7 people. So sometime, it may not be the most attractive SUV out there.

Conclusion: I don't think the Murano has any competition. It's not a luxury brand so its can't compete with Lexus' RX, Acura's MDX, Infiniti's FX35, or BMW's X5. It's smaller than the Pilot & Highlander so it would not fit in the same category. Maybe the Hyndai's Santa Fe might be the Murano's only competition.

OK, I just got my 400h back after driving the 2008 ES350 for a couple of days. I liked it but was so glad to get my 400h back. Neither the RX350 nor the ES are as nice. The RX350 tranny is nothing compared to the CVT of the 400h. I did enjoy the cornering of the ES though, a lot...it was great. I also loved the keyless entry and push button start. I have NO idea why they didn't include that in or RXes! I also liked that they got rid of the "I agree" part of the GPS and now I hate that I have to keep agreeing...I'm an agreeable person but every time? Sheeesh! The seats were nicer on the ES as well. But the acceleration on the freeway with my 400h is better than the RX350 and the ES350! I also got stuck in a lot of L.A. traffic as I got closer to home and it reminded me as to why I love the hybrid so much....it was all electric on a good part of the slow,stop and go of the freeway drive. I mean, I do wish that I could open 'er up more often but that's just not an opportunity that happens often out here. I do get to push it over 100MPH on the occasional wild Sunday morning when I drive a couple of towns away but on the way back....oh, boy....stop and go, an hour to go twenty miles is common and worse on week days...which is why I only take freeways on week ends out here. OK, that's my take on things. I haven't seen any pluses for the RX 350 except the wood trim...but as I said, I found a steering wheel on eBay and that solved that irritation/omission. Take care all....Rey in traffic town USA...L.A.

RXREY, what service did you get done for your RX that they give you a loaner for several days? I had an oil change last week and they only gave me a loaner for 2 hours for grocery shopping. They said they usually don't give out loaner for oil change unless you do a service that more than 5 hours or $500 or more. Stingy or normal?

Pho_Tai, if you don't mind I'm asking, how much did you get for your RX350? Which location?

Hey ilovelexus2007,

I was able to get the RX350 for slightly under $46k out-the-door in Indiana; still pricey though.

Pho_Tai, thanks for the info. So you were able to get around 1K off the MSRP? I got about 2.3K off the MSRP from Minnesota, but I heard people on this board was able to get 3-5K off their MSRP, I wonder how they did it. (sigh)

ilovelexus,

I am just curious. Was the price you got an out-the-door price? And is your vehicle is an '08 RX400h?

If you meant the "out-the-door price" is the total price excluding tax + license, then yes. I got '08 RX400h for 48K, MSRP was $50,420.

I put my 03 IS300 in Auto Trader for 24k, and it sold in 10 days, buyer showed up with a certified check. We went to the bank, I cashed it and deposited it, we went to the DMV and turned in the tag and I signed over the title right there. Iv'e sold alot of cars that way.

What about test driving? Should I let them test drive my vehicle alone if they asked? I'm sure not comfortable with it. Can we tax the buyer on the price of the vehicle when selling private party?

Well, I've gotten the RX350 as a loaner.

I have the '08 ES 350 today and neither one compares very well with my 400h. It's not because I own the 400h, it's just a fact. Drive them yourself. The 400h feels like it has a lot more power especially on the freeway. I drive the same freeway from the dealership to home and with both the RX350 and this ES 350 they both feel like they hesitate a little on acceleration and on the sloping upgrade there's really no comparison. The RX 400h pulls you quickly and smoothly on the freeway and the upslope doesn't make one iota of difference to my "Princess". I also live atop a beautiful and high hill and the changing of gears was very evident this morning with the ES as was with the RX 350 and nothing that I feel with the CVT of the 400h. I was irritated by the rattles that I had when I first bought the 400h but then I found the causes,yes, more than one, and now it's perfect. I love that I get 400 miles per fill up (I get just over 26MPG for the past 2 1/2 years)... great, especially here in L.A. where gas is already $4. I have gotten 450 (27+MPG but not enough to claim that I get 27 regularly because I don't...) The only thing that I loved in the 350 that I didn't get was the wooden steering wheel...which I now have thanks to eBay! I drive mostly city but a good amount of freeway also from time to time...but here in L.A. , the freeways are like parking lots many times so my MPGs actually get better when I am on the freeways more often. L.A....I love this city but I can't imagine not having my hybrid here of all places! Many warm wishes, Rey Bustos in L.A.

I once got to 395 miles before filling 15.1 gallons to my tank. I read the manual somewhere, it said the tank capacity is 17.5, can someone confirm that?

I know what you mean, I visited L.A a couple of times, and driving from LAX to Irvine during rush hours or even before rush hours was brutal. The traffic was sitting still, I rent an Altima 2.5 liter and got only 17.4 MPG the entire trip. HORRIBLE. Your RX400h definitely comes in handy in big cities like L.A.

Actually, we bought our '06 IN '06 ... used, and paid with AMEX (same as cash because they require full payment each month) so we could get a ton of frequent flyer miles ;)

We've always had good luck w/ the autotrader/trucktrader method, when it comes to unloading our used cars.

Thanks for the info. But when I check Autotrader, and I only seen cars that sells for 30-40K range posted by dealerships, not a single one by private owner. I guess it'll keep it until 2020 if it didn't get good resale value :-).

Man, you must have got a really high credit line. My credit line was 10,000, but the Lexus dealer only allowed me to use $5000 on my card. But I did get back $50 cash back for using it, only 1% rebate..but well...it's still money.

Btw, anybody here has the Lexus Visa Credit Card? Are they worth having?

I currently have an a 2008 RX, but I'm thinking of getting the redesign 2010 RX when it comes out. Any suggestion of where to sale your vehicle when the market value of your vehicle is still 35-40K? I know if I was to trade in, it would worth 3-5K less, but when sell privately a vehicle that cost 35-40K, who has the cash to pay it up front these days? (I sold my last vehicle privately before, but it was only worth 6K, so people can manage it.)

Thanks.

I currently have an a 2008 RX, but I'm thinking of getting the redesign 2010 RX when it comes out. Any suggestion of where to sale your vehicle when the market value of your vehicle is still 35-40K? I know if I was to trade in, it would worth 3-5K less, but when sell privately a vehicle that cost 35-40K, who has the cash to pay it up front these days? (I sold my last vehicle privately before, but it was only worth 6K, so people can manage it.)

Thanks.

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.

I haven't test drive the 2009 LE Murano yet, so I can't really judge. But if the new 2009 Murano has better technology than the previous Murano, a reduce in price is definitely a red flag that you oughta think about.

I had the RX400h, so it's a little bit better than the RX350. It has CVT like the Murano, in which the RX350 does not. The RX is more stable to drive in highway than Murano, nicer interior design, and definitely MORE quiet.

Now, if you just want a base model, than you should get the Murano because the base Murano is like $10,000 less than the base RX350. But if you want a fully loaded, an RX350 fully loaded would only add in about $4,000 from the base, but the Murano would add in almost $8,000 from its base. (RX350 base cost so high because a lot of options had already put as standards). Not to mention you'd probably get really good deals on RX350 now since they are having a redesign next year. And finally, Lexus resale value is just remarkable. Nissan resale still way behind Honda & Toyota.

RX400, really? RX350 required premium fuel? I used to put 91 on my RX400h, but my dealer told me I can put in 89, where I live 89 and 87 are the same price, so I started to put in 89 since last week. I haven't calculate the MPG yet, but I suspect it's about 1 MPG less when I use 89 rather than 91. But I think that $.20 different per gallon is worth it.

For those who are still undecided about RX400h or RX350. Yesterday I drove about 15 miles circle around the lake, speed at 20-25 MPH, the gas engine was completely turned off during 95% of the trip. Man it felt GOOD! Imagine what the RX350 would cost you.

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.

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.

I know the exterior still looks the same, but what about the interior, engine? Any upgrade that worth buying the 2008 instead of 2007? My sister is looking at the ES350, but if nothing changes between 07 & 08, I think she will get an CPO 07 ES. Thanks

Pho_Tai, if you don't mind I'm asking, how much did you get for your RX350? Which location?

Hey ilovelexus2007,

I was able to get the RX350 for slightly under $46k out-the-door in Indiana; still pricey though.

Pho_Tai, thanks for the info. So you were able to get around 1K off the MSRP? I got about 2.3K off the MSRP from Minnesota, but I heard people on this board was able to get 3-5K off their MSRP, I wonder how they did it. (sigh)

Hey Toyotafan,

To make my wife happy, we just got our 09 RX350 this past Saturday 3/29/08. And since this is an 09 model, I am crossing my fingers that Toyota has fixed most if not all of the problems(relating to RX350) that are posted on this forum. I did the same research/comparison between the 08 MDX and 08/09 RX350. The RX350 we have is not fully loaded; it has Nav w/ the premium plus package(MSRP around $46396.00). So far it is a very comfortable car when driven on paved road. We had to purchase an 09 since the 08's are pretty much sold out and my wife only likes Silver for exterior color. Anyway, happy hunting.

Pho_Tai, if you don't mind I'm asking, how much did you get for your RX350? Which location?

Move the wiper lever up one notch and it will turn the wipers off :)

Thanks :-). I thought I moved the lever all the way up already, but I guess I didn't.

What are you using the numbers for? Buying or selling? Edmunds says their prices reflect actual prices that people are paying for cars based on the geographic area. KBB on the other hand is the ASKING price of dealers for used cars.

I'm not on the market right now, I just bought a brand new car. But I was just curious to see if I passed out on good deals on used car, and am I over/under paying for my own car.

A little off topic here, but I'm sure many of you have done a large amount of research before purchasing your new/used vehicle.

What did you think about Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds (if you used it)?

Which one is more accurate?

I found that the price on KBB tends to be A LOT lower than on Edmunds.