I've had this car - a Red '09 RX350 - for 2 weeks now and I must say I am glad I chose this car over the Acura I was contemplating.
I had been driving an Acura TL, and I am very pleased that the RX350 is much more comfortable & rides & handles much better than the TL. Most surprising, it gets about the same, or better, gas mileage, and I find it easier to park in tight spots than the TL.
I've done about half my driving on the highway averaging around 55 mph. For that stretch, my gas mileage was 27 mpg. The other half was around town, in heavy traffic, and flooded roads (where it took me 1 1/2 hours to go 6 miles), and for that driving it got around 15 mpg. I think both those numbers are pretty good.

BUT - that Navi / Information display! What did Lexus do - scour all of Japan for the 10 most illiterate, unintelligent people to design the system???

Voice "Recognition" is a misnomer, as there is no recognition - I basically have no accent but it cannot come close to doing what I ask. For example when I ask it to dial by a name, it responds to the name something like "1-9-0-5"

The Navi also has troubles - it takes me on the worst routes, and it often shows me coming to an intersection after I have already passed that intersection.

And I don't like the fact that if I want to keep the Info screen on the Audio screen so I can see what song is playing & who the artist is, well, I CAN'T! It jumps back to the map screen, or the Info screen if that screen had been up before switching to the Audio screen. IS THERE A WAY TO KEEP THE AUDIO SCREEN SHOWING?

One other issue - I wanted to sign up for the XM NaviTraffic, which I was told was available with the XM Radio. Well, the XM Radio works just fine, but it is not capable of using the XM Traffic.

 

Congrats. I've always been impressed by the mileage, especially on highways. I bypassed the NAV and have been happy with my Garmin.

 

Glad you are enjoying your new RX. I've had mine for four about four weeks and no issues yet. Just like sportsfan8, I had opted out of the nav and went with the Garmin.

 

alrighty, lets start with the nav. try scouraging around the menues when you have time as there is an option that prevents it from changing away from the audio screen. i would give you step by step instructions, but i have a different generation nav (older) that doesnt have the audio screen, i just know its there.

second, you need to recalibrate the map so that it shows where you are exactly where you are. again its burried deep in the menus where you can actually adjust your position.

about the worst routes, you will notice that it will almost always use main streets whenever possible even when there are shorter routes. however, when you do imput the address, again there are settings that you can select that affect the routes chosen.

and no, the RX does not get nav traffic. that is only available on the LS460 and LX570.

hope this helps, though i understand i didnt do much but explain that settings need to be changed.


edit: forgot to mention that, yes, lexus voice recognition is a waste of time. did you try speaking in a japanese accent?

 

Congratulations on the new ride! Glad you like it.

 

Under menu, there is a option that ask you time before switch back to map screen, just punch in never.

 

Thanks for the advice on the NAv screen, but I've spent lots of time in the Menus & have been unable to find anything regarding "time before switch back", or "transition" menu, or anything like that. The Setup menu only is about 2 1/2 pages. COuld it be they removed in in the '09?
I did manage to find the Calibration menu.

 

there is definately something labeled transition. keep looking

 

I looked again.
And again.

No Can Find.

 

If its a 09, its under menu and setup.

 

Nope - not there.
Not in the Manual - either the car manual nor the Nav system manual.

I think I'm due t bring it to dealer soon (1000 mi. ?) - I'll ask themto show me. But I'll bet the sales guy can't find it either!

 

its under the INFO nav button in my '04

 

on the 09 its under info then screen setting. there is a 'transition from audio/ac to map'. set that to off.

 

:b
Very funny on the Japanese part. I figured that one out too when I told it to go to 68 degrees and it went to 80 degrees and the heat started coming on. Thought my air had broke down. Tried Spanish and that didn't work. So I just stopped being lazy and turned it myself. Much less frustrating.

 

I say 'satellite radio 1' and the car responds with 'setting temperature to 70 degress' at least 2 out of 5 times.