I have been looking to purchase a lexus rx, because of the reliability of the vehicle. I am in talks with a dealership for a 2003 rx300 with 68,000 miles for $13,000 with navi. Is this a good deal, or should I spend extra on a second generation 2004+?

The considerations I am taking in purchasing this vehicle is the reliability, and re-sale value.

I live in NYC so most of the miles will be city.

 

I started looking at the 1st gen but ended up spending more than I initially intended and got a 2004 with navi but more miles. Glad I did. Bought mine a few weeks ago with 28k more miles and not much more money than what you're looking at. Really a toss-up if mileage is a big factor for you. Warranty options go out the window when you get a vehicle with close to 100k. Mine is in good shape with a decent service history so I'm confident in my purchase and I really like the design and feature improvements of the 2nd Gen. Obviously I'm new around here but it seems the 2nd gen are somewhat more reliable.

 

I did the same about 3 years ago - I started looking for an RX, but quickly eliminated the 1st gen from consideration. I bought a 3 year old '04 RX. I thought I would like it, but would up loving it. It's one of the best SUVs ever. One friend of mine borrowed it while visiting for a weekend, went home and bought a new one ('09) for himself.
I would highly recommend an '04 or '05 (with Nav, which has the backup camera - not available at all on the 1st gen). The prices should be very reasonable, and resale for such a highly desired car should remain strong.

 

Thank you for the warm welcome and the help guys!

I could purchase an extended warranty on it since it is from a lexus dealership and it is certified pre-owned which means they put it through a 161 point check.

What are some of the improvements they made on the 2nd gen?

 

ValCapone, some of the improvements on the 2nd gen in no particular order include a few more horses, slightly improved gas mileage, power liftgate, bluetooth on '05+, and a smaller turning circle. One of the issues I had with my 330 was with the transmission shifting. Here is one of the threads on the problem:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ifference.html

Other than that, I felt the 2nd gen was an improvement and looked better. Now I really didn't really have many problems with my 300 or 330, only minor things all covered by Lexus. I had the extended warranty on both just in case. Getting one under warranty or CPO with low mileage like that '03 will be a bonus. But you're going to pay for it. Good luck.

 

I went down to the dealership for a test drive, and turns out that the navi is showing some kind of disc not read error... They won't fix it, but they are willing to lower it to 12k. Don't know if it's worth it, the turning radius is a bit of a problem with tight NYC streets where you have to maneuver quickly or risk a ticket. How much did the radius improve on the second gens?

 

It sounds like more than a disk error on the nav if they're willing to knock $1K off. Updates are like $200, replacement of the unit much more.

According to the brochures (yes, I still have them), the turning radius on the 1st gen was 20.4 feet, on the 2nd gen 37.4 feet. I recall the number on the first gen was in the 30's so I'm not sure where that number came from. I bought mine first year back in '98. The steering was definitely much better on the 2nd gen. It was easier to turn and maneuver.

 

This is a CPO and they won't tell you what is wrong with the nav and they won't fix it? Doesn't sound quite right. I think I'd keep looking.

 

A factory Nav system is clearly covered under the CPO warranty under electronics. I'd call corporate if this is the vehicle you want.

 

Do not confuse reliability with inexpensive to maintain. If you DIY, use a Toyota or independent repair shop you will save. However, if you have problems which require Lexus only parts it will get expensive. Goes hand-in-hand with buying a Lexus.

 

Get the 2nd Gen.

 

I have always been a big fan of the small turning radius, but have never heard anyone specifically mention it. However, when I got my '04, I was giving a ride to a friend who had had a Gen 1 for a few years, and he spontaneously mentioned that his RX had a very large turning radius and it caused them lots of inconvenience. This struck me as an unusual comment, and I have always wondered how bad the 1st Gen was in this regard. It must be both obvious in everyday driving and truly awful to generate so much negative comment.
Given all the other improvements to the RX in '04, in both performance, convenience and appearance, I would highly recommend the Gen 2 over the Gen 1.
As for the NAV, that seems like a dealbreaker for me. If they can't fix that before the sale, I'd keep looking around - there are plenty of RXs out there with operating NAV systems (esp '04 and newer). These guys are just trying to unload their problems on you with as little effort and expense as possible on their part. If this NAV problem is on the '03, then you should move on right now.
I'd let my feet do the talking on this one.

 

Are you SURE it's a Lexus Certified Pre-owned? It's my understanding a vehicle has to be 6 model years or newer to be certified. Selling a non-functioning nav system on a CPO is not an option.

 

The 2nd generation's turning radius is smaller than that of the 1st generation - by a large margin. I had both, and it is 'night and day'. I would suspect your numbers are mixed up or misapplied.
Re; the NAV -> if CPO, must be fixed before car is bought.

 

2nd generation.