lexuslover

Just wondering if anyone has driven cross country (or close to that) in an RX, and how did it hold up? How was the ride comfort after several hours?

I'm considering taking the RX330 to Chicago for one year (graduate school), but I don't know if I want to put myself through driving hell or put my new car through driving hell. Auto transport is an option too, but it is really, really expensive, and then I have to decide on open air transport vs. trailer enclosed transport (about twice the cost of open) . . . Will most likely be moving back to Cali after one year anyway, so the RX is not a must-have . . .

Any suggestions or advice out there ??

laterldf

We're leaving tomorrow on a trip to Wyoming & Montana that'll probably be about 4 to 5 k miles. Let you know in a couple of weeks (or less) how it went. later, ldf

gsenthil

Sep 2001 - Drove my 1 week baby with 2000 miles on it to Seattle from Phoenix. I started from AZ @ 104F through UT and ID and reached Seattle when it was 52F after 36 hrs. Distance ~ 1500 miles. Drive was very comfortable. I also had my RX loaded with stuff as I was moving and fying was not an option (1 week after 9/11). I stayed over with a friend in Logan UT overnight.

Nov 2001 - Drove to Salt Lake City UT from Seattle and back nonstop without any stops other than for filling gas.

Dec 2001- Drove my RX from Seattle to Phoenix and back thro OR and CA. Encountered a little bit of ice and /or fog in OR.

Tips- Make sure you have good music and/or company. Unfortunately I had to do all my trips alone but I had good music. The only exhaustion was from being awake for 10 hrs. Seats and ride are very comfortable. All the above trips were made on the stock FWD RX with Integritys.

Road trips are the best way to see this great country- more often for me getting there is more fun than being there. Cross country (coast to coast) has been a fantasy of mine. Take lotsa pictures! Time flies and all that remains are pictures and memories!

Lexmexico

I regularly make trips between San Antonio and Mexico City. However, biggest trip was the drive from Washington, D.C. to Mexico City.

Daddy-O

I drove 1000+ miles in 3 days for the East Coast Meet in Cherokee. I drove an 850 mile roundtrip to and from Smyrna DE in 3 days, too.

Lil4X

Three weeks and 6800 miles through TX, OK, KS, CO, WY, ID, WA, OR, CA, NV, UT, and home. My RX was only 2 weeks old when I set out, and although I didn’t know it at the time, a good part of my trip was undertaken in states where the RX was totally unknown – making me increasingly nervous about any needed service. I shouldn’t have worried, the RX performed flawlessly.

The silence and comfort of the RX make it an ideal tourer. Since I was traveling solo this time, I took plenty of CDs and books on tape to pass the hours. Snow in the mountain passes – where open – made the trip interesting for this tropical flatlander. The AWD worked well in all conditions except ice, where nothing works well. Some offroading spent exploring fire roads in WY and ID, was undertaken with the assurance of a laptop GPS system and a good cell phone. That same laptop with its jotto desk, 12v coffee pot, and phone allowed me to keep up with my business while on the road, and gave me the luxury of making sales calls from an Idaho trout stream.

Overall, the RX proved to be a great tourer – and I have made several long business and vacation trips, actually preferring to drive to destinations I used to fly to. Plenty of room for luggage, emergency kit, and photo gear (quite a lot in my case), allow me to travel with my family, business associates, or clients in first-class accommodations. OK, it's no Gulfstream, and the cabin attendant wants to stop at every restroom, but it's still a great way to travel.

With long-haul traffic largely confined to the Interstates, two-lane America is a wonderful undiscovered treasure. An extra hour spent on the scenic route is well worth the investment. It’s a great change from staring hour after hour at that ribbon of concrete that stretches to the horizon. Try it, you'll never drive the super slab again!

lexuslover

thanks everyone for posting their road trip stats and/or stories!

i feel a lot better about making the trip, but i may be pressed for time, leaving me with no other choice than to take the fastest route, which is probably 95% highway/freeway and boring as hell . . .

so the question is:

Which one would you choose?

(1) Drive the 2100+ miles in 3 or 4 days (with company) ,

(2) Pay $800 for open auto transport (like the way the cars arrive to dealers from port) , or

(3) Pay $1300 for enclosed auto transport for added protection.

gsenthil

Ive heard many horror stories about having your baby shipped by someone else. Ofcourse they are all second hand so I cant be sure. If I were you I would use the opportunity to take a 4 day family vacation and enjoy the road trip and at the same time be happy knowing your baby is always under your hands. Ofcourse you are not me and your priorities are different!

gp1200x

Bought a used RX300 n Dallas and drive it back straight through to Albany NY in 31 hours (around 1700 miles). Stayed awake by talking to a friend with a walkie-talkie who drive his V8 Durango back alongside. The Durango mileage wasn't too bad at first (16-17 versus my 19-21), but when we starting hitting long stretches at 85mph his truck sucked up the gas and his mileage dropped down to 12-13 (mine lowered to around 16-18 at that speed). NO TICKETS the whole way....never even saw a single cop.