Yes, at the end of the day, when they see you in a Lexus, it tells them that you have good taste and good value.

 

i agree with that one. hyundai has said they are adding the nav system with backup camera to the veracruz in the coming months. picking on things like the veracruz doesnt have wood is stupid. i personally hate wood trim in any car including my RX, if i had my choice i would trim the car in carbon fiber or aluminum and get rid of the wood trim. not everyone has the $$ to spend or $$ to waste on a car just cuz it doesnt have a "luxury" label attached to it. man people need to get off their high horse, if automotive journalists whose job is to drive and test cars think its overall better, why the hate? Oh thats right lexus ownrs think they are better then everyone else, right?

 

lol, ive read most of your posts and as you refer to us as lexus "fanboys", i realize you must be one of those people on Autospies...

i think its interesting how you drive a lexus, yet you seem to hold a grudge on lexus and its drivers. Its all about having some brand pride, and backing up on the brand that you chose, the brand that you think is better which is why you bought the car in the first place and not some European counter part.

as i said before, its not only wood, its the fit and finish that i dont think can be matched by anyone else. And also, i stated that its the harsh reality that people judge you by what you pull up in, so its somewhat about image. People tend to respect you more, and class is almost everything in society. Im not on the high horse, im just in reality and i think most people are, or else nobody would need to buy luxury cars. We would all be driving some cheaper brand, because hey, nobody wants to spend more than they want. But if you do have the money, that premium that you shell out is worth it.

 

Hyundai is like an American car looks good in the beginning overtime, not really. Lexus RX is not high priced at all imo.

 

i used to be a strong supporter of toyota and lexus, but with the past two cars i have owned the rx300 and the current rx330 i am very disappointed with toyotas indifference to the build quality of the car. The bad tranny should not be in ANY car at any price, especially a 40K+ plus "luxury" suv. foryour argument that toyota builds great cars, is slowing changing, they have had a lot of quality issues and problems with reliability. IF they can't get build quality and reliability problems down right, what reason would you have to buy one? The whole interior build quality thing, heck audi makes car interiors better, so that argument is pointless also. and if you need a car to make you feel better about yourself or your "standing" in life...............

 

why does everyone say audi's interiors are the best...i personally think they are hideous. it might be ergonomic but that black plastic and the buttons are not classy at all.

 

I happen to like Audi's interior and performance, but its reliability is what drove me away. There is a lot more to a car than just features, if features are all everyone cares about, then Hyundai and Mitsubishi would be the top 2 selling brands. Lexus is in a diff. class because of its built quality, built material, the amount of money spend on research, reliability, customer service, ride comfort, road noise and a bunch of other reasons.

 

The Veracruz is a really nice vehicle, and it uses a lot of the same suppliers as Lexus. Here is a really good video review of the Veracruz from MyRide:

Hyundai Veracruz Video Review

For those on a budget, the Veracruz does offer a lot of bang for the buck (and don't forget the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty....even Lexus wont match that on my RX.....wonder why, shouldn't they stand behind their products even longer then Hyundai?)

James

 

plus the fact that its much cheaper.

 

oh man.... that video really looks good.
I might buy it and trade-in my RX330.... hmmm

 

The MT review was very fair. If you read it carefully, the Lexus is still regarded as the better vehicle overall in spite of the end rating. The end rating was influenced IMHO by the large price difference. Yes the Lexus has some features the Hyandai does not as does the Hyandai the Lexus does not. Hyandai put the bulls-eye on the Lexus, not the Toyota, just like they did with their upcoming RWD sedan. Look at the shapes of the their newer "upscale" vehicles and they are targeting Lexus.

The Lexus just came out on top in a CR review but just as the enthusiast magazines also point out, their chief complaint was mediocre handling. It's the price to be paid for a Lexus like ride although Lexus does themselves no favors with the stock Michelins.

To the vaunted Lexus quality, I have been pleased, but not enamored with the 04. NVH really is top of the class. (Rentals for work travel reinforce that once in an while) My rotors warped and were replaced at 30K miles (though were warped well before that). Nearly 20K later, the new ones have been fine. The big issue for me are the interior dash issues. Too many clicks, pops and other weird noises that, from what I heard when driving a courtesy car, were not fixed in subsequent years. It's tough to get into a 2005 Dodge Ram that doesn't have nary a dash noise and then get back into the Lexus and have those damn clicks and pops. It's been to the dealer twice for it. The second time was a major improvement (under threat of not accepting it back until fixed) but still not perfect.

 

^^ finally an owner that can admit that thier RX isnt perfect. but really though i dont get why people cant admit when another automaker makes a car that is comprable and cost less.

 

Hyundai is getting closer, but they are not quite there yet.

 

lol, nobody is saying that the RX is perfect. But we just wont admit that we bought something overpriced and a worse vehicle at that. Its just not the same, i dont think i would be happy with a hyundai as do others on this forum. Its a cheap knockoff, and who wants to be in a lexus wannabe?

 

well... If Hyundai can make an SUV that is better than RX, more durable and more reliable than the RX, have a comfortable ride, and cost less... sure, I'll take a look.

I bought the RX because RX has been around for years... its reputation is it is comparably trouble free and reliable. I also like the comfy feel in the car.

That new Hyundai is a brand new model.... give it a few years, and if everyone is driving it, and praising it... sure... I'll definitely consider it... why not ??

For me, my priority is 1) reliable, 2) comfort, 3) size.

However, after driving the RX with nav... if I buy another SUV again, I think I will definitely get the backup camera.... takes the guess work out when you park in tighter spaces in the city....

you never know... before there's any lexus brand... (or even Japanese car is popular in US...) luxury car used to mean Cadallic / Lincoln....

not that I say it would... but you never know... Hyundai might come up in the luxury lineup in some later yrs... lol.... (but don't hold your breath on it...)

from the look of it, it looks like this new model's features is quite attracting with its price tag... but if I can afford it, I'll still buy the RX... I don't think Hyundai is there yet... (my personal opinion...)