pierce

just curious...have they improved the turning radius in the 2003 models?

i test drove the rx300 again today...the handling seems pretty good in mind for a suv. and the turning radius to get into parking spots didn't seem too bad.

but i always read that the failing point of the rx300 is turning radius. wonder why?

Daddy-O

Nothing was changed on the 2003 RX. I believe just a couple colors or color combinations were discontinued.

I've no real issues with the turning radius. While it is larger than the last vehicle I drove, I've owned vehicles that were much more unwieldy...and larger (Ford E-150: 46.7 ft).

I'm used to my RX now and it's just a pure pleasure to drive, the turning radius is meaningless. My favorite feature of the car, though, is that every single person who has ridden in it has been effusive in their compliments due to their shared pleasurable experience.

Here's the data
Lexus RX 300: 41.3 ft
Acura MDX: 38ft
BMW X5: 39.7ft
Infiniti QX4: 37.4ft
Land Rover Discovery: 39ft
MB ML320: 39ft
Volvo XC90: 39ft.

pierce

thanks daddy-o. i didn't have much of a problem either with the turning radius. it's just that i always read about the so-called awful turning radius of the rx300.

compared to my 1993 honda accord...it's a big improvement. the accord has an awful turning radius...especially for u-turns.

Daddy-O

1993 Honda Accord: 36.1 ft.

The average of all the alternatives I posted is 38.7 ft.
Less than 7% difference. It was never a deal-breaker
for me...Actually, it was never a big deal.

DjXquizit

itz bad cuz it's front wheel drive..or rear wheel drive..i forgot which one

salimshah

It boils down to knowing the limitation of the vehicle you drive.

I once made the mistake of making (or thinking that I will make it) a "u" turn on a NARROW 2 Lane on-coming street. I ended up going over the curb and it was fortunatelty 3" high.

Once in a while I have to backup twice to ensure I do not scrape the parked vehicle next to my RX. Not a biggie for me.


Lastly, the "Turning Radius" term is used looslely. 41.3' is the turning diameter.

.... I also tried to convince people that Jan 1, 2001 is the start of the new millinium but only a few agreed with me.

Salim

rcf8000

The turning radius IS a big deal with me. Since the Highlander has a lot smaller turning radius, you would have thought that Lexus would have fixed the RX300 in this respect by now, but no such luck. I'll bet they fix it in the RX330, though.

Chuckieb

Hey, its a smaller turning radius than her 91 Celica, so it isn't much of an issue for me.

JohnsRX

i never thought the radius thing was a problem when i bought the car. But everytime i make a u-turn, and it pretty much doesnt matter its a narrow or wide road.......im cursing at the turning radius.........not at the car, mind u.....but im still cursing!=)

chatrathi

I think I can live with it, but this something that should be improved. My wife hates it because she has to be ultra-ultra careful when parking in tight spots.
But if you weigh the overall advantages to the vehicle, I think it can be overlooked.
What's funny is that when we went to testdrive the MDX, we mentioned to the salesperson that we just came from the Lexus dealer and we narrowed it down to MDX vs. RX. The sales dood then took us to a narrow street and had us do a U-turn to prove that it doesn't have to be a 3-point turn!! He was trying really hard to point out the difference. I personally felt that he was clutching at straws to make the deal

-chatrathi

pierce

that's pretty funny about the acura salesperson.

the turning radius is important to me...but enough for me to pick another vehicle. in general...i would think that a suv would not have as good of a turning radius compared to a car.

mdx is suppose to have a decent turning radius in the suv comparisons. but i doubt the rx300 is that much poorer. should be fairly close in day-to-day use.

rcf8000

If you take back-to-back test drives of an RX300 and an MDX the difference in turning radius is dramatic.

salimshah

38 vs 41.3 .... 7.9% [By DadyO's numbers]

Salim

satxrx

I can only think of one time I need to do a U-turn and the RX did fine. Sure I probably would done better in a smaller sedan but, hey, I'm in a pretty good-sized SUV and EXPECT a larger turn radius.

In parking lots, the turning radius has never been an issue, I try to park away from potential ding-makers.

However, I'm sure the RX330 (since it's probably built on the same platform as the current Highlander) will also inherit the slightly smaller turning circle.

As a sidenote, I took my RX out on a "country drive" yesterday. The winding uphill/downhill route had some momentary straightaways with short swithbacks and longer curves thrown in for fun. Man, it would've been really nice in a ride like a sports cars, ala 350Z, but I have to admit it was still pretty fun in the RX, too! Seems like sometimes we all get too caught up in the mods and specs, but really the drive is what it's all about! And the turning radius wasn't an issue there either.