sethym

Well this has been an interesting thread, and I agree with you LuvRX330, that it's all a matter of personal perspective, and that some think the legroom or stereo are sub-par, but many think they're just fine. Thanks to those who are responding directly to one of the issues I raised (as opposed to how I raised it, or whether I should have raised it at all!). Since andreys is right, there's no perfect car, it's apparent that if I don't like the stereo I'll just have to pay for aftermarket products, and for myself/others who experience the legroom as cramped, we'll just have to get used to it, since it cannot be modified. Responses to my other points have been worthwile - it seems quite a few RX owners are unhappy with road noise, and I got a very good response about the cars heat & stuffiness, and the choices Toyota made about cabin airflow that cause this, on another Lexus forum.

I would say to andreys and others who say if you don't like several things about the RX, you don't have to own one, exchange it for something else, that that's a pretty naive statement. First, many of the flaws aren't noticed until after you've owned the vehicle for a while, there's only so much you can discover in a 20-minute test drive around the dealership. Second, returning a vehicle you've decided has too many compromises is no easy thing, and no matter how you cut it, you're gonna lose thousands of dollars in the process. Like any other tire-kicker, I drove so many vehicles in this price-range, and did my best to compare everything on each one and choose the one I liked best. And as I said at the start, I love the RX overall, so perhaps this was the best I could do. and I'll find a way to live with the few nit-nits that bug me. Probably the one thing I wish could really change is the road noise, but no one has mentioned a fix for that. Other similar-priced mid-SUVs - Honda Pilot, Volvo SC90, Nissan FX - were much quieter against the road, but they had other compromises that bothered me more than the RX.

kingofire

Ok, My dad has the ES350 and I have a 06 ES330 and the seats in my car are waaaayyyyy more comfortable than his and this issue has been brought up in the ES350 forum. I've got to take an RX350 out for a spin again and pay close attention to the seats. The ES350 has definately less road noise than the RX350.
The BEST tires for the least roadnoise hands down are the Goodyear Assurance Comfertreds. They are bit pricey @140 a pop but the tread life is rated for 80k miles and boy are they quiet!!! The only con? to get them rated at 80k mile tires they use a lot of rubber and weigh more thus decreasing your mpg's!! Try them out!!! wanna go cheaper but get just as close to the comfertreds? try Yokahama Avid's.

NeverSatisfied

Hmm, can't really help you on this one... I had the 17" Michelins, which were pretty quiet, so I thought, until I drove a 330 loaner w/ 18" Michelins, and they were much quiter & smoother than my 17's. I've heard mixed reviews between the Goodyear & Michelins. But I can vouch for Michelins longevity!

Tom H

I don't think there is much to do about the road noise. It either bothers you or it doesn't but I think we just have to live with it. After investigating it a little I'm convinced the noise is coming from the rear wheel wells. There is basically little or no damping where the rear springs mount to the chassis. The only thing separating the mounts from the interior is the attachment plate itself and the thin plastic cover on the interior of the vehicle. The carpet on the inner fender well does little to absorb the sound. If you tap on the plastic covers you will hear the hollow drum-like sound that it produces. Essentially, the sound generated via the tire/spring combination is being transmitted through the spring mounting plate and amplified by the plastic cover. I'm sure its true that different tires will produce different noise levels as any extra noise produced by the tire gets amplified. I don't think there is much that Lexus can do other than installing vibration isolators under the spring mounts but even this would only dampen a limited bandwidth of frequencies and contribute to a less controlled ride. I'm sure the same noise exists in the front mounts however the cabin is isolated from the wheels via the engine compartment and the firewall, which is heavily insulated. Just my .02 on the issue. BTW, the Highlander is the same.

The G Man

I think you guys are taking Lexus' logo " in pursuit of perfection” a little too seriously. There is no such thing as a perfect car. Keep in mind that the RX is Lexus’ entry level luxury SUV. The ES is an entry level as well, but you can’t compare a sedan to a SUV for ride and comfort. In the end, when you add up all the plus and minus, the RX will come out on top of any other luxury crossover.

hyiu

I'll throw in my $0.02 cents of opinion...

I'm only 5'10, the left leg room is ok for me... (I drove a few 5 hr ski trips and such already...) I guess if you're tall, or if you prefer to stretch your leg, that left pedal piece could be in the way...

on the other hand, in an emergency situation, I think the natural response of a person is to "step hard" on both legs.... in this case, one foot on that left fake pedal, and the other on the brake... and this "might" help "balance the driver"... (I always thought that's why it is there...) of course, this is not verified, and I could be completely wrong...

voice command of the nav is BAD... that I have to agree...
I think they're trying too hard. maybe less keyword, but better at recognizing the keywords will make it better... at times, it is WAY OFF...

audio... I think this is a very personal thing, and I think everyone have different requirement on this. Some like louder, boomier music, others like softer, more natural sounds... I think the stock lexus system is doing not bad on this. but I'm no audiophile. Just like a lot of people think Bose when I say I bought a good hi fi equipment.... and noone heard of Wadia....

road noise... I own American, Legend, and Volvo before... compared to them, Lexus (SUV) is a bit more quiet (given SUV is harder to keep quiet because of the style). I find it acceptable. I think if you prefer quiet rides, go for ES or of course LS. But I like the extra space for my trips...

and I think road noise, handling, and tires are all related.
(also, with bad road noise, audio will also sound worse than it is...)
I guess try different tires to find out if there's something that will suits you better....

all in all, I'm very happy with my car.

Ron_Texas

I agree with the G-Man I drove them all before buying the RX-350, each day I like it better and better. The noise level depends on the roads, on some it makes no noise, others some noise but overall I can live with it. Could the vehicle be better? You bet, just like a Mercedes could be better too, it appears that some people want the unobtainable automobile, one that can do it all, never break, quiet as a vault and cost next to nothing to operate or buy, sorry not in this life .

Tom H

My volvo XC70 was definately quieter in terms of road noise and it essentially has the same body format as the RX. Volvo just took another route to treat the noise. Don't misunderstand my posts. Actually I'm beginning to like my RX more and more each day. It has many very fine qualities. I do wish that at some point Lexus/Toyota would look at Volvo's very ingenious approach to folding the second row seats fully flat without crushing the seats. They really do this well. You can place 200 lbs on the seatback when it is down, leave it there for three months and not cause any damage to the seats. It also affords a completely flat cargo area. I don't recommend you try this with the RX as those destroyed seats will be very expensive. I think all SUV manufacurers could benefit from this approach.

In terms of the stock audio system, I have have played music, worked in sound and owned several recording studios since I was a kid (more than 40 years) starting in the vacuum tube days. I think the stock system is actually quite good. It is has a full spectrum of sound and is very flat across it's range. This is unbelievably difficult to accomplish given the interior geometry of a car. It is even more difficult when you then have to consider making that sound as uniform as possible at all the various seating positions. This system is done very well. Some people equate good sound to loud sound. This may be where the system falls a little short as it really doesn't have enough brute force to overcome road and air conditioner noises. Still it's very high end for a stock system. I'm very pleased with it and would only upgrade for the fun of doing it, not out of dissatisfaction. When I take mixes of acoustic and Jazz/rock from my studio to the RX they transfer very well.