This is my wife's car. She turned in her 2000 GS 300 and leased a fairly loaded RX 330 in hopes of having more room for all her "stuff". I have had the opportunity to drive this car during her business travels, as it is nice to take a break from my much larger Lincoln Navigators appetite for premium fuel, so I have several weeks of seat time.
She has stated that this car is not up to the quality of her GS 300. I agree. But its not about build quality- but more about engineering. This really is an economy car on stilts- a dressed up Camry and it shows. Simply not as solid as the GS. Not a surprise, but not encouraging, either.
After the first week of this car, I was driving it and noticed that the brakes were tending to "release" after a stop. I nearly rear-ended a car in front of me. I took the car in, and true to Lexus form, they took my complaint seriously. It turned out to be a faulty master cylinder, and since the car was a brand new model, the part had to come from Japan. During the week that Lexus had the car, I had a 2003 RX 300 to drive, so I am able to compare the new car to the previous model with some accuracy.
This brings me to the most serious deficiencies I see in this car:
The engine is loud and rough- though defiantly more powerful
The new 5 speed transmission cant decide what gear to shift into. Often there is a lag when robust acceleration is require- which is somewhat unnerving.
The power tailgate is a luxury I can do without. The car has to be (1) in park, (2) turned off, and (3) the doors must be unlocked to operate the power tailgate. This is HUGELY annoying! And it can ONLY be opened under power. Manual operation is NOT an option. Imagine being in the carpool line at school, cars stacked up behind you, and you want to drop your child and his latest project, which is in the back. OK, i know it sounds safe, but I think simply requiring "park" mode for the transmission would be enough.
The front passenger seat has only 4 way power operation- unlike the driver seat.
The power ports (cigar lighter, etc...) are not powered when the car is not running. No cell phone charging here, unless you have an hour commute.
More minor complaints:
Lexus needs to take a page from Lincoln on a few luxury items:
Change the seat memory operation- those buttons on the door are OK, but add the ability for the car to "read" the remote in the key so the seat can start adjusting to the driver as soon as the door is unlocked.
Add the ability for the radio and windows to operate after parking without having to place the key in an accessory position. Very outdated!
The vehicle should shut down all power accessories after 20 minutes, so as to avoid battery drain if someone leaves a door slightly ajar.
OK, I have been fairly critical- now for the good stuff!
It has comfortable seats, especially the driver seat.
It is versatile for a small SUV.
It gets better gas mileage than the RX 300
Ride and handling is "sporty", and its fun to drive
Looks are "sporty", though still pretty much a "chick" car (send your cards and letters to... ).
Great visibility
Great AC
Great storage
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): lease
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: RX 330
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