koshak

Hey there,
Looking for a new vehicle for the wife and pulling the rest of my hair out comparing vehicles. She has always driven an SUV and we have narrowed it down to two -

a CPO 06-07 350RX or400 H

a 2010 limited AWD V6 Hyundai Santa Fe

Prices are about the same but she really wants an RX. I'm having a tough time passing up a new vehicle with better financing and long warrenty for a 3 or 4 yr old RX with 30 - 50k (even though it would be a Lexus).

thoughts?

Any other new or used SUV's in the sub 30k price range to consider?

If we go the Lexus route, is the hybrid worth the extra $ over the 350 for someone who doesn't do a lot of city type driving?

Thanks for any input

jadu

iTrader: (42)

have you considered the ford or mazda crossovers?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Hello. Welcome to the Club!

You'll get a lot of pro-Lexus people on here. I'll let them give all their points.

But let me show another side of the coin here. The Hyundai Santa Fe is nice, well built, and the warranty is top notch. However, it will depreciate significantly; most Hyundai's value will be about 50% of the MSRP within two years. Not a big deal if you're keeping the car for the long term, but you'll suffer if you try to trade/sell it.

Other SUVs that I would consider: Toyota Highlanders share the same chassis as the Lexus RX, so if you find a Highlander Limited (Hybrid or not), you sorta get the same car. Subaru Outbacks are excellent choices, and I would also recommend the Subie Tribeca. And if you're looking at the Santa Fe, you might as well look at the Hyundai Veracruz, which is Hyundai's copy of the RX330.

As for choosing a hybrid over a regular powertrain, I would only do it with lots of city driving. Real estate agents and couriers come to mind. Otherwise, save the $$$ for the fuel costs and lower insurance rates.

bnizzle87

I agree with PhilipMSPT. Hyundai vehicles tend to depreciate faster, and that might be a problem should you choose to sell after a few years of owning one. with the RX350/400h, both were crafted really well, and if its solely for the wife, then id go with that one. ive noticed too with the RX line, women have a little easier time driving them. my friends all drive the RX and swears its like a raised sedan for them. they all love the interior and how user friendly it is. and their kids can snooze away in the rear seats 'cause theres no noise at all in the cabin. though its higher up on the ground compared to a sedan or coupe, they have no problem with parallel parking, blind spots, or loading cargo. the rear cargo space is plenty for the kids' backpacks and all their stuff, as well as groceries and running errands. my mother and i were discussing just this very scenario, and she really wanted the RX, but i asked her to consider other options too. we laid out pros and cons between the RX, the mazda mdx, the toyota highlander, and the hyundai santa fe. it actually came down to the santa fe and the RX, as when we test drove the highlander and mdx, mom didnt feel all that great about driving them. we took a second test drive with both the santa fe and the RX, and because the salesman saw that we had asked for a second test drive and seemed really into it, he gave us a great deal on the RX 400h. im pretty sure it was just used for test runs, as it has less than 50 on the odometer. this was just last week, so when i call my mom ill see if she took the deal.

best of luck my friend, and most importantly choose wisely. though this is a lexus forum, there are other comparable cars out there, so definitely research. also, even before deciding on the car itself, see if your salesman will budge with the price. hope it all goes well for you and your wife!

LexFather

Welcome!!
1. Get what SHE wants. B/C as soon as something goes wrong with the Hyundai, etc, she is going to say "told u so/didn't want this" Save the future headache.
2. There is a connection with vehicles that make some people pick the "Want" over the "Need". So the Santa Fe might be logical to you but to her she wants a "Lexus".
3. I have driven the 400h many times as well as the 350 (do a search under 1sickreview) and as a hybrid owner I might be biased but I prefer the 400h. The fuel economy benefit is clear, its quieter, rarer and IMO looks better with the grill, round fog lights and different wheels.

Faymester

Hit the nail on the head right there.

bagwell

+1, make her happy - plus the RX is a great vehicle anyway.

P Weezy

iTrader: (1)

^^Lol at the smiley faces and 1SICKLEX's comment.

But the 400h, hands down

LexFather

mmarshall

Welcome to Club Lexus......and to CAR CHAT.

I'm a great admirer of the RX's quality, fit/finish, versatility, refinement, smoothness, and AWD weather-capability, and it's true that, in general, (most) Hyundais depreciate faster than (most) Lexus products.

But one factor that, IMO, is being overlooked is how Camry-based Lexus products (like the RX) could depreciate, deservedly or not, when the full effects of the current bad publicity move through the auto-sales market. Deservedly or not, the ES and RX could end up, at least in the short run if not the long run, with steeper depreciation than a Santa Fe.

So, a new Santa Fe or Veracruz could turn out to be just as good a buy as a slightly used Lexus. And, Hyundai's superb warranty, especially on a new one. trumps that of Lexus. The Santa Fe and Veracruz don't ride as quietly as the RX, and the engines aren't quite as smooth, but the difference is close, and both have well-done interior plushness/fit/finish.

(unfortunately, the Hyundai full-warranty is not transferrable outside the immediate family...only the 5/60 part.)

pagemaster

I would go with the new Santa Fa. I really would not want a 3-4 year old Lexus over a brand new car. Now if it was new vs new then the Lexus for sure. The Santa Fa is well done and I know an owner who has 60k trouble free miles on hers.

I would go with the new Hyundai.

joe80

i have 2008 santa fe 3.3 SE. has been a perfect SUV for me. i had a same dilemma 2 years ago. but i chose santa fe so i don't worry about anything for 10 years. i had 03 MDX previously and i got rid of it because it was reaching 75k miles. i've had some bad experiences with used cars, so i wanted to have a piece of mind.

but if you want to buy used, you can't go wrong with RX.

SLegacy99

After driving the 400h I would never be able to buy an SUV that wasn't a hybrid.

LexusChris

iTrader: (1)

The RX is a great used car, but the I think the new Kia Sorento makes a great new SUV, I would check out both and see what fits you best, however I would get the 400h vs the 350 since it is almost similar in price.

koshak

Thanks for the great replies -awesome forum!
I wish she'd consider some of the other models mentioned above but she thinks everything else looks too much like a station wagon or mini van.
I'd have never thought to suggest the Hyundia but after sitting in every small & mid size SUV at last months auto show (IMHO) it is def the best bang for the buck. 28k for loaded limited AWD V6 @ 3.9% is damn good but it's hard for me to preach practicality since my GX 470 & 01 C4 911 conv. have taken up the garage for the last 5 years.
I hadn't really considered a Vera Cruz because I thought it was significantly bigger then the RX. It looks more like the RX (and better then the santa fe) but with the 3rd row seat it seemed huge. May have to drive one but knowing she wants the RX badly & I like them too, it will probably be the pick.