Does anyone know why the 07 Camry V6 which costs about half as much as the RX350 gets the new 6 speed auto and the 07 RX350 still has the old 5 speed tranny? I thought Lexus was suposed to be ahead of Toyota in drivetrain among other specs.

 

I agree... although it's still an excellent car, the RX is falling behind other models as far as innovation is concerned. But, it's been pointed out that it seems Lexus is not pushing the RX as far because it's part of a saturated crossover SUV market. Lexus is putting their effort into other models that can be market leaders rather than "one of many". That's too bad... that's not my definition of "pursuit of perfection", but I guess it's a philosophy that makes money.

 

rxd, I certainly see your point, also could the reason not be that presuming the RX is a heavier vehicle it needs the 5-speed. Not sure but I thought the old 300 I have is just 4 speed, at least it seems to shift that way.

 

I am still upset at Lexus that they took this long to get a more powerful engine into their RXs.

 

Falling behind innovation? RX 400h has the most tech of ANY SUV ever made! Gen 5 Nav.

I am sure Lexus has a very good reason for holding onto the 5 speed. The RX 350 will be sold for years before the RX 350 debuts with the new 6 speed.

Lexus wants to continuosly update things, not everything at one time. This keeps people in showrooms. The 3GS 430 has a new 6 speed auto but the same 4.3 engine as before. So when sales fall, the GS 460 will re-energize things.

The RX is the best selling luxury vehicle offered, they will be fine.

 

Sorry... you're correct about the 400h... I should have noted that my comments pertained to the conventional 330/350.

 

I agree that the RX400h has the most tech of any suv right now. Since I own a 2006 one I can agree...however I was disappointed that it didn't have the GEN 5 navigation system... ....oh well I will get to use it when my GS450h order comes in...

 

Perhaps it's the because RX is one of the best selling SUVs, and I think the best seller of the whole Lexus lineup, and they are already selling enough not to worry about losing customers.

Besides, IMO, the 5-speed tranny is nice enough. Smooth shifts, you can't feel it, although the 6-speed might be nicer.

@parula---I don't get what you mean when you say " also could the reason not be that presuming the RX is a heavier vehicle it needs the 5-speed". If you've noticed, Mercedes has begun putting 7-speed trannies into all the new models, including the ML, and the upcoming GL, and the R. They are all about the same range in weight (with the exception of the GL being heavier) yet they all have the 7-speed.

 

[What Do I Buy Next?
Thinking of the new RX 350 or Cadillac SRX.
What are the plus & negitives???

 

I thought closer ratio gears help out heavier cars more than lighter cars. Heavier cars needs more power delievered to the wheels because they have more mass to accelerate. Closer ratio gears mean less rpm drops assuming same shift points, and higher RPMs usually give more power delivered.
Lexus can put the old 5 speed tranny and 2GR-FE into RX350 because they knew they could get away with it. Most RX owners simply do not care how many gears the tranny has or whether RX gets the state of the art engine.

 

lol, I can see that 272hp isnt enough anymore :-)

RX350 should be pretty quick and smooth. There is no reason to be annoyed for all the wrong reasons...

 

that the performance is outstanding with the new engine and the reprogramming of the 5 speed auto produces very smooth shifts without any hesitation of the past. Excellent fuel efficiency rated at 19/24 in the AWD. The quarter mile is rated at 15.7 seconds. What are you turning, LexMex? The Gen 5 Nav is a big improvement with Bluetooth II. Drive one and the quiet interior will block out the rest of the pack...

Rock

 

Quick comparing to what? Over RX300 ,Yes. Over FX35, no.
Let's keep in the Lexus family. How do you explain IS350, a 2527lbs sedan with lower load limit gets 2GR-FSE, with peak HP at 305; and 6 speed sequential shift transmission for a MSRP of $36030?
RX350 weights 4090lbs and tows 3500lbs, costs $39495, yet gets the 2GR-FE and old 5 speed tranny?
Doesn't it take more power to accelerate a heavier vehicle, let alone a SPORTS Utility Vehicle?

Just because Lexus offers RX350, does it mean it MUST be a great product. This is not a religion. The fact is the engine and tranny, two most important and costly features are not state-of-the-art products, not even in Lexus' family.

 

When I asked the question, I got the following answer:
The new Camry 6 speed auto is a simpler, lighter transmission than the previous 5 speed. As a result, it does not have provision for a 4 wheel drive option therefore is not suitable for the RX350. Futrue RX models will have the CVT from the RX400h which is more adaptable to the heavier SUV installation.
Steve

 

last year so they must be doing something right. Not many are out there racing their RX's. (LexMex excluded) The RX350 probably could perform past the handling capabilities of the SUV. They are rock steady reliable though which is more than can be said for the Infiniti FX series. BTW the RX outsold the whole Infiniti line by itself so not only is it a religious experience but a mass religion...The IS350 gives 306 horsepower with exotic dual injection. It is not speed limited to 112 MPH either. The RX350 does have the new dual variable valve timing that gives it the 270 horses that it needs. It does have more torque to offer and a new limited slip center differential. No more timing belt as it has the new 3 chain setup. The FX35 however has only a cult following.... The RX350 is in the middle of its design cycle compared to the Camry, ES350, IS350 etc. The Gen. 5 Nav is state of the art with its VGA touch screen that blows away the FX35 graphics. Even as a refresh it is the standard by which crossovers are measured....

Rock