POC

My wife and I are looking at getting a 2000-2002 RX300. I'm also looking at Pathfinders and 4runners. Would the Lexus parts be more expensive?
Consumer Reports listed the PF and 4R in the best used SUV's.
Any input from anyone?
Appreciate any help.
Thanks,
Patrick

salimshah

First decide the real use. If you plan to be off the asphalt, then RX is not the right choice. The other two will outshine the RX. On the other hand if you prefer comfortable ride with enough cargo room and stepping of a vehicle with 'appeal' (imho) then RX is a winner.

Lexus labor rates run $100+/hr. For parts you may find some that are shared with other Toyota?lexus lines, but over all service is costlier and Lexus takes pride in their customer service [they have to extract more $$ out of customers].

You are talking about 8-10 yr old vehicle. Get is checked out and invest time and money in going over the history.

I am very happy with mine. The vehicle itself and the ownership experience.

Salim

POC

Primarily this will be the family hauler, grocery getter. But I've been into off-roading in the past. It's how my wife and I met.
Another thing that worries me is we live at least 60 miles from the nearest Toyota/Nissan (Bloomington, IN) dealer, and about the same from a Lexus (Louisville, KY). So I'm kinda concerned about service, I really don't want to drive an hour (at least) for service. Does Lexus "make" you use their service department, on a 8-10 y.o. vehicle?
I know every vehicle has problems. I read Consumer Reports "10 worst used trucks and SUV's". We've owned 3 of them, I never had a problem with my Sonoma, we replaced a tranny in the Blazer, the Durango was a disaster.
We have a Ford Freestyle now, and haven't had an ounce of trouble with it. If it was AWD we'd be keeping it. But where we live, we have to have something 4x4.
Thanks for your input Salim.
Patrick

salimshah

Call the service dept of Toyota. There are independents as well.
Salim

POC

I'm sorry, call them to find out what?

salimshah

My bad, I thought you have Toyota near bye and Lexus further away. Some Toyota shops have politely refused to service Lexus.

No one can insist on where you must go for service.

Salim

bob2200

If you see a Lexus in a nearby shopping center parking lot, you can ask the owner where they get it serviced. Or maybe check Craig's list for an independent Lexus mechanic in your area. If I lived that far from even a Toyota dealer, I don't think I would buy a Lexus or Toyota. Also, if you live that far from a Toyota dealer, I guess you probably don't even have Craig's list.

Parts for a Lexus are more expensive than Toyota parts. But, mail-order discount sources bring the parts costs down to reasonable levels. I spend half the year up in the Washington DC-area and we are fortunate to have many independent Lexus mechanics, as well as many dealers. The other half the year I spend in South Florida and there are dealers but no independent Lexus mechanics (that I have found anyway).

ExPatBrit

If you are cross shopping the unibody crossover RX is not in the same class as the other two.
The RX is primarily FWD with an occasional AWD capability. Great for bad weather etc but it's no full time off-roader. On road though it rides just a nice car.

The 4runner or Pathfinder are BOF (body on frame) SUVs that are RWD and a front transfer case for AWD. Going to be way better off-road. On road it will ride and drive like a truck.

Just depends where your priorities lie. My wife likes her RX but I have a 4wd truck that does great in the dirt.

Around here there are plenty of "Japanese car" independents who will service any Lexus.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Don't get the 1999-2001 AWD RX300 as the transmission failure rate is high. There was, apparently, a change made to the planetary gear for the 2002 model year which is more robust.

POC

Thanks for the info everyone!
I knew the difference in the RX 300 vs. the others RE: unibody/frame construction.
We looked at (2) 4runners, a Pathfinder and (2) RX300's. (Were going to look at another RX300, but when I got to the dealership they said, "It needs a new motor." So we left!
The 4runners were 2003's and both had body damage and upholstery (leather) with holes or cuts in it. They were at 2 different dealers too. The Pathfinder wasn't bad, but the brakes pulsed, and it got worse the longer we drove it. Then the salesman started downing our trade-in because we had to have some body work done, and he said, "I'll have to strip and repaint that whole car." BS!! 8/10 people that looked at that car would never know anything had happened to it. So he just flat refused the trade-in we were asking for. (Kinda reminded me of the guy on Pawn Stars...."ha ha ha ha...now, how much do you really want"). He didn't give us an explanation other than the body work. My wife said, "Let's go." So we got up and left, with him still trying to "explain".

We went over to a different dealer, an independant dealer who sells "Luxury" vehicles, (BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, etc.) They had an '01 and '02 RX300, both in White with gray around the bottom. The salesman was super nice. He asked how our day had been. Because we had stopped in earlier for just a second to see the Lexus(i?) but didn't stay but maybe 10 minutes. I told him it had been a horrible day, but didn't go into the details. He let us drive the '02 while he and the owner drove our car.
It was a dream to drive, not like the "trucks" we'd driven earlier. I drive a truck, and I've driven trucks since I was in high school (but even those cars rode like trucks!). This vehicle felt tight. It didn't rattle or squeak, it "felt" like a new car, even with 79K miles on it.
We started talking to the salesman (his name was Troy) about the trade-in. We told him what we wanted for it. He said he'd go talk to the owner. He came back out with a printout from an auction, and showed me what our car, with similar trim level and miles went for. Then he said he'd go talk to the owner. He came back and offered $2000 less than we were asking...but it was in line with the auction report, and I was ok with that. If the other guy had showed me some 'facts', instead of being a "weiner" we might have gone ahead with him. Although now I'm glad we didn't.


So now we've joined the ranks of the Elite, we bought a Lexus.
We love it.
Patrick

salimshah

Congrats.

Did you take my advice

You are talking about 8-10 yr old vehicle. Get is checked out and invest time and money in going over the history.



The sales experience is a short lived one .. day or two, the ownership is going to be the longterm item.

Salim