Grumpy

We just took the RX down to New Orleans for a weekend and then drove the coast roads East to Panama City for a week.
Had 1500 miles on ODO when we started and put on about 1300 miles before returning home. This car was great, checked milage on first leg after 250 miles and with mixed driving got 22MPG.
When we bought we were concerned about the 'small' cargo area, but this trip proved that we had sufficent room for all of our stuff and we even bought a water fall for our sun room and had room to pack it also. Of course we had to lay both seat backs down.
Anyway we enjoyed the ride so well that we took trips each day exploring the coast...one day for lunch at Apalachicola and the next day lunch at SeaSide. Very comfortable ride.
Only thing that I noticed was strong winds on the Interstates tend to move the car around some. I have a son with a ML320 and he said his truck reacts with a strong wind on the highways also.
Anyone else experience being pushed around by strong winds at highway speeds?

hleo1

Yes, mine too... when strong wind blows, I can also feel the RX being "pushed"... I don't know if that's uncommon, but in my opinion, I think it should be normal since our vehicle is tall... never really drove the ML or X5 under strong wind on highway, so can't speak for those cars...

Goncookoo

hey guys,

I own a '99 RX and my parents own a '01 X5. Ive put on many miles on both cars and can give some personal opinions on this.

Overall, I think the X5 does a little better when it comes to stong crosswinds on the highway. I noticed less of the rocking when a stong crosswind hits the car in the X5. In the RX I do feel more of the rocking from side to side and compensate a bit more when a nasty crosswind strikes.

could it just be that the X5 is a bit heavier??? although i did watch this video tape that came with the X5 when my parents got it. it went through some of the innovations and gadgets in the car and some performance tests too. There was this one section where they said they designed the car in such as way as to reduce the affects of strongs winds on a moving car (cross winds). They showed the x5 running through a course with a strong fan blowing on a stretch of road and spraying water into the car laterally while it was drove through.

Hope this helps,

goncookoo

MrSypher

Yeah, I move side to side when crosswinds hit hard... It's normal, I think... It's just that from the side the wind can't pass through the RX, it's almost like it's hitting a wall. Just remember that if you had a van it would be much worse.. That's what I always think, because a few years ago I saw this caravan on it's side from crosswinds....:eek: :eek: :eek: ... It's normal, it's a SUV....
Well, anyway. Hope you had a good time on your trip, and glad you made it back safe....

Lil4X

Sorry to say that sensitivity to crosswinds is the price you pay for a large, tall, slab-sided vehicle. Your RX is far better than most SUVs. Many handle like large sailboats, tacking their way across two or three lanes. Aerodynamics and suspension dynamics have greatly improved crosswind performance. While heavy gusts still produce a little body roll, and a bit of pucker factor the first time it happens, they do not produce the instant lane change common to many SUVs. Several years of driving Suburbans, Travelalls, and a good-sized motorhome taught me to appreciate the little Lex.

What a great trip! Relaxed touring is probably the most overlooked strengths of the RX, glad you had the opportunity to enjoy it.

Grumpy

Lil4x,
I know what you mean about sailing the highways. We had a full size Dodge custom van from 1981 to 1989 and really did some highway tacking and broad reaching under bare pole.
We went to a 1990 Accord Ex from the van (empty nesters) and slipped down the interstates with ease. Hardly had to steer the thing.
The wind effect on the Rx 300 is nothing compared to that old Dodge van.

CAmsRX3

Speaking of high winds,
I was driving back from brooklyn last weekend over the verrazano bridge (top level) and I was in the right lane.. I felt the truck swerving a little bit and then there must have been a huge gust of wind because i ended up moving about 2 lanes over almost hitting the divider ..

Everyone in the car woke up and where asking what the heck just happened but i was just thinking about going home and changing my underwear....

I m very lucky there were no cars in the other lanes..

MrSypher

That is too funny. Glad you made it home in one piece, and not into the river.....