driver321

Hi. My name is James and I'm a Lexaholic! :-)

My wife's car was totalled two weeks ago. We have been in the process of looking for a used car since that time. She thought she wanted a ES300/330 until she drove an RX330.

We found an 04 RX330 and made an offer which was accepted. It has 75K miles, but is in mint condition inside and out. It almost looks like it's off the factory floor. It drives great and has a clean Carfax, 3 private owners.

The dealer is willing to sell it for $15,500 out the door.

The only problem is that I've been reading on the Internet where a lot of 04 RX330's have had transmission/shifting problems. Is this wide spread or a problem with ALL 04 RX330's, or is this isolated to certain vehicles only? The one we're considering didn't seem to have an issue for the few miles we drove it.

Also, it seems that the factory brake rotors on the RX330 are undersized.

It seems like a good deal, but I will take it to a mechanic for a once-over before we hand over any money.

Any opinions on this deal? Any suggestions on what to look for before taking the keys?

The car is in excellent condition, which makes it very tempting. Just want to make sure I'm not going to get in over my head with possible brake/transmission issues.

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

James

Scottydog

Cars are not moving off the lots these days to say the least. 15500 is an ok price, certainly not a steal. KBB and edmunds pricing are out of touch with the new economic reality. The problem is nobody can get financing for such money on a used car, so any sales are tending to be new with manufacturer financing. At that price it will likely be there next week or the week after if you come back and make another offer.

The brakes on my rx350 seem to stop well but who knows.

3 owners in 4-5 years is a lot of trades. I wonder why nobody wanted to keep the car. Have you looked carefully for any signs of body work, such as paint drips around the wheel well edges etc? Carfax is worthless imo.

The G Man

I agree with Scottydog, you can do better. Think about it, $15500 for a 6 year old car that has 75000 miles on it.
The RX330 has some transmission flare problem, it may not show up in a teat drive since the tranny may not get hot enough, but it is a known problem and although it is not widespread, it is not fixable. The other known problem with the RX330 is that they burn thru brakes. The RX330 uses the brakes as a electronic differeantial, which causes a alot of stress on the brakes. The RX350 went back to the old fashion mechanical system.

driver321

Thanks for the replies. I wondered about the 3 owners myself, and really would like a way to contact the last owner!

The second owner only had it for 2 months. The third owner put the last 40K miles on it.

I've found a certified 04 Highlander Limited for a little less than the RX with 50K left on a 100K warranty. Might be a better deal? Car shopping can be rather frustrating!

GQD_GS4

go with the highlander if it comes with a warranty. nothing like peace of mind...

The G Man

The 04 Highlander is about the most boring car you can buy, but if all you want is a point A to point B car and nothing more, then its fine.

driver321

Boring, yeah. But, 3rd row seating, good gas mileage for an SUV and better reliability compared to any other SUV I've found for the same price range. (Save the RX300/330)

Any other suggestions for an SUV around $14K with around 50K miles that is reliable and gets an average of 20mpg? (That rules out all domestic models.)

Scottydog

Have you looked on craigslist.com for listings?

driver321

Yeah. Not finding much within 100 miles of my location. (Columbia, SC) I'm trying to stick with finds close enough that I can take my wife there for her to drive it. It's going to be her car, so it doesn't matter if I like the way it drives or not!

Scottydog

If it's your wife's car get the RX, the ladies love them.

Look around and find the best deal you can, and in this market make low offers. A friend of mine just sold a RX300 with 95k miles for $8,000.

afpj

We have an RX330 05. It now has about 75k miles on it. We had some transmission issues, but are the second owners. The price seems a little high for the current economic climate as others have said. I still think our RX is a great car. My wife loves it, more bells and whistles than Highlanders we looked at. If you're still considering that RX, have your mechanic at the least look at the quality of the transmission fluid. If it looks fresh that's a better sign. If it looks and smells bad, then run away. Can't undo neglect. As far as the brakes, I agree the RX's were underdesigned, but still don't mind too bad as pads are easy to change. Good luck

intermec

$15K out of door means including Tax? If so I think it is a good price (IMO)

75K miles is nothing. I think RX330 is more up scale than Highlander (had an 01 before). As many said, I agree Highlander is boring but pretty realiable.

We are in the same case as you are. 1st, we looked at the ES330. Then we decided to look at something else, LS or RX. Since we had a Highlander before so we decided to go with RX for the better comfort and feature. We looked at one 04 for $15K with 90K miles. However one thing stopping us is we found out the rear seat in the middle is small and the center console from the front seat kind of stick out too far to the rear. We had a hard time getting in and out while test driving that SUV.

Anyway, we are on hold searching for our next car due to the poor economy. Wish you can move forward and enjoy your up coming ride.

meowmix52

get the RX, especially if it is for your wife. it's quieter than the highlander, smoother, and more luxuriously designed on the interior and the exterior is fit more for both genders. be sure to get a mechanic to check it out, other than that it's an average price, 15K.

SteveInCal

My wife has an '04 RX330 and she loves it. However, if it was me, I would look for a certified used unit at the local Lexus dealer. There are tons of 330's out there, so don't get too emotionally attached to a certain unit.

Grumpa72

I would do a search because my memory tells me that the transmission problems related to the 300s, aren't they?

My 05 330 has been flawless without one issue. We are at 46000 miles, first replacement tires at 44500 and the rotors are barely worn and are certainly not undersized. What technical manual did you see the rotor issue in? Or was this an owner's complaint?

RX or Highlander? Is that like steak versus hamburger? Both do the job, one just feels better?

My only issue would be the owner who kept it a couple of months. Ask the dealer to give you a year warranty!

Gary