2 thumbs down on new RX330
#16
Lexus Champion
Originally posted by lexguynj
Don't get me wrong, the previous generation looks great too, but this new generation is a great step up and you can't deny how many improvements have been made and how sweet this new generation is. I believe Lexus did a great job on this new generation.
Don't get me wrong, the previous generation looks great too, but this new generation is a great step up and you can't deny how many improvements have been made and how sweet this new generation is. I believe Lexus did a great job on this new generation.
...But that aluminum dash...I'd like to see a wood kit for it.
#17
Lexus Champion
I just saw a new 4 Runner Sport Edition (03?) with the same aluminum bezel around the center console. I would also prefer to see wood to better distinguish it from the standard Toyota line. Isn't that what differentiates the luxury from the rest?
#18
Lexus Test Driver
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Originally posted by Arty101
I just saw a new 4 Runner Sport Edition (03?) with the same aluminum bezel around the center console. I would also prefer to see wood to better distinguish it from the standard Toyota line. Isn't that what differentiates the luxury from the rest?
I just saw a new 4 Runner Sport Edition (03?) with the same aluminum bezel around the center console. I would also prefer to see wood to better distinguish it from the standard Toyota line. Isn't that what differentiates the luxury from the rest?
#19
I like the metallic look for those reasons. Hi-tech, modern, etc.
That look usually means brushed aluminum or stainless steel.
Unfortunately in the new RX, it's really plastic coated with a metallic
looking enamel. When you tap it, it feels and sounds like plastic.
And you will feel it because it's the front console is also the control
panel for the stereo and A/C. In fact, the console feels like the front
panel of an Emerson/GPX/Tozai/Coby/Yorx/Sampo bookshelf stereo.
In other words, it feels unsubstantial and cheap. If that's the case,
I'd prefer the oldfashion "wood" interior.
That look usually means brushed aluminum or stainless steel.
Unfortunately in the new RX, it's really plastic coated with a metallic
looking enamel. When you tap it, it feels and sounds like plastic.
And you will feel it because it's the front console is also the control
panel for the stereo and A/C. In fact, the console feels like the front
panel of an Emerson/GPX/Tozai/Coby/Yorx/Sampo bookshelf stereo.
In other words, it feels unsubstantial and cheap. If that's the case,
I'd prefer the oldfashion "wood" interior.
#20
Pole Position
Whoa! I felt exactly the same way...
Originally posted by LexusPia
............
4) High engine noise: Lexus is renowned for its quiet ride and low engine noise even during heavy acceleration but they must've left out the insulation on the RX330. During high acceleration, the engine noise from the RX330 is astonishingly high as compared to any of the Lexus we have ever driven including the old RX300. The rep said a number of people have noticed it and complained about it. This is really surprising to us long time Lexus owners (and to the dealer) because this high engine noise is so unLexus like...............
............
4) High engine noise: Lexus is renowned for its quiet ride and low engine noise even during heavy acceleration but they must've left out the insulation on the RX330. During high acceleration, the engine noise from the RX330 is astonishingly high as compared to any of the Lexus we have ever driven including the old RX300. The rep said a number of people have noticed it and complained about it. This is really surprising to us long time Lexus owners (and to the dealer) because this high engine noise is so unLexus like...............
Surprisingly, just about an hour or so back I posted about this unacceptable engine noise in the MDX forum, and then I come here and see this post mirroring what I just felt .......At least I know I'm not imagining things!! .......see link below:
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showt...threadid=10996
#21
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This new generation is a sportier looking model (especially with the 18" wheel option) than the previous generation. It finally can appeal more to guys, since the previous generation had an image of being driven mostly by women and soccer moms. It was cute, bubbly and practical back then.
About that engine noise - the new Sienna with the same engine made the same noises, and my drive in an RX 330 confirmed that this is one of Toyota/Lexus's roughest engines of late. It's not so much the volume level, but the rough, unrefined sound quality that bothered me.
I was told that stubby antenna is for the Lexus Link (read: OnStar) telematics and/or communication with the nav system satellites, not for radio reception.
#23
Pole Position
To everyone who have negative feelings about any new car including this. Why don't you wait and purchase it next year? Many cars get many more improvements in their second year. If being the first one on your block to own a new model is important, then there is no way of avoiding the new car quirks..
just my .02..
just my .02..
#24
My wife and I also went for a test drive and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to drive 3 new RX330 and 1 new RX300 as comparision. The 3 new RX330 include one with the standard 17-in wheels, another with optional 18-in wheels and one with Performance package that includes the 18-in wheel and air suspension. My wife will be the primary driver. Since my mom has a 2-yr old RX300, we are very familiar with the RX. Here are our observations:
Seat cushion: I believe LexusPia mentioned that his wife had problems with it. Well, my wife who is 5'5" has problems adjusting the driver seat cushion to a comfortable position. She has no problem in the old RX300 and dealer confirms the new seat is indeed deeper on the 330 than the 300. I think Lexus lengthened the cushion to accommodate tall drivers which of course creates a problem for shorter people. Not sure why they did that because the old seat was extremely comfortable and accommodating for short and tall people. Since the majority of the drivers are women, I believe Lexus is making a mistake for making this cushion longer.
18-in tires and air suspension: The RX330 with the larger tires (no air suspension) seems to ride firmer and noisier on the road than the standard 17-in wheels. The one with the Performance option that comes with the bigger tires and air suspension gives an even firmer ride. It reminds me of the BMW X5. My wife wanted the air suspension and I wanted the 18 tires but after our test drive both of us are now convinced not to get either because the typical Lexus ride is not there anymore. The dealer said higher tire noise and slightly firmer ride from the big tires is a common occurence on any vehicles. The dealer said also the larger tires will wear out much faster because of the softer compound. Those big tires are not cheap!
Visibility: Like some of you have mentioned the visibility out back and the side is very bad as compared to the old RX300. We didn't have problem with the old RX but had a hard time seeing out on the new RX. My dealer said the new slanted rear design contributed to this problem.
Engine noise: We too have noticed this higher engine noise during high acceleration as compared to the old RX300. The dealer agrees the noise is much higher than normal and thinks something is wrong with these early production models since all 3 we drove exhibited this high engine noise. Normal acceleration is fine.
Transmission: Before we even started the test drive, our dealer warned us somewhat of the gears tend to "hunt" a bit in the new 5-speed auto transmission. Yes, we definitely noticed that but it is tolerable. Not sure whether that has something to do the final gearing ratio.
Our conclusion after our test drive is to wait a bit to make sure some of the bugs are worked out. On the whole it is a much improved SUV over the old one but there are some areas that can possibly cause some problems with some drivers. Be sure to test drive it thoroughly and if possible drive an old RX300 for a good comparison.
Seat cushion: I believe LexusPia mentioned that his wife had problems with it. Well, my wife who is 5'5" has problems adjusting the driver seat cushion to a comfortable position. She has no problem in the old RX300 and dealer confirms the new seat is indeed deeper on the 330 than the 300. I think Lexus lengthened the cushion to accommodate tall drivers which of course creates a problem for shorter people. Not sure why they did that because the old seat was extremely comfortable and accommodating for short and tall people. Since the majority of the drivers are women, I believe Lexus is making a mistake for making this cushion longer.
18-in tires and air suspension: The RX330 with the larger tires (no air suspension) seems to ride firmer and noisier on the road than the standard 17-in wheels. The one with the Performance option that comes with the bigger tires and air suspension gives an even firmer ride. It reminds me of the BMW X5. My wife wanted the air suspension and I wanted the 18 tires but after our test drive both of us are now convinced not to get either because the typical Lexus ride is not there anymore. The dealer said higher tire noise and slightly firmer ride from the big tires is a common occurence on any vehicles. The dealer said also the larger tires will wear out much faster because of the softer compound. Those big tires are not cheap!
Visibility: Like some of you have mentioned the visibility out back and the side is very bad as compared to the old RX300. We didn't have problem with the old RX but had a hard time seeing out on the new RX. My dealer said the new slanted rear design contributed to this problem.
Engine noise: We too have noticed this higher engine noise during high acceleration as compared to the old RX300. The dealer agrees the noise is much higher than normal and thinks something is wrong with these early production models since all 3 we drove exhibited this high engine noise. Normal acceleration is fine.
Transmission: Before we even started the test drive, our dealer warned us somewhat of the gears tend to "hunt" a bit in the new 5-speed auto transmission. Yes, we definitely noticed that but it is tolerable. Not sure whether that has something to do the final gearing ratio.
Our conclusion after our test drive is to wait a bit to make sure some of the bugs are worked out. On the whole it is a much improved SUV over the old one but there are some areas that can possibly cause some problems with some drivers. Be sure to test drive it thoroughly and if possible drive an old RX300 for a good comparison.
#25
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FWIW, the RX 330 I drove (18" wheels, no air suspension) was slightly quieter than the RX 300 that was driven for comparison, especially during fast acceleration. It still wasn't as quiet as I'd expect a Lexus to be though. I'd expect 18" wheels to hurt the ride (but help handling) some, since the tire sidewall height is reduced to compensate and allow the overall tire diameter to remain about the same. But larger diameter wheels and tires don't necessarily lead to more noise. Although high-perfomance low-profile tires tend to be noisier than comfort-oriented higher profile tires, there are some hi-perf low-profile tires that are very quiet.
The rear-side visibility problem is due in part to a styling trick that Lexus is using. They want it to appear that the rear window is very sloped, as on a hatchback. But actually sloping the rear window that much reduces cargo area height and perhaps rear headroom. So the rear hatch door and windows aren't actually as severly sloped as it first appears, especially on light-colored RX 330s. The hatch door is not as sloped as the triangular rear-side window or the hatch door cutout, and they've painted the top of the hatch door black and wrapped the window around to disguise this. The black spoiler also helps disguise the longer roofline. But this results in a very thick pillar when viewed from the inside.
The rear-side visibility problem is due in part to a styling trick that Lexus is using. They want it to appear that the rear window is very sloped, as on a hatchback. But actually sloping the rear window that much reduces cargo area height and perhaps rear headroom. So the rear hatch door and windows aren't actually as severly sloped as it first appears, especially on light-colored RX 330s. The hatch door is not as sloped as the triangular rear-side window or the hatch door cutout, and they've painted the top of the hatch door black and wrapped the window around to disguise this. The black spoiler also helps disguise the longer roofline. But this results in a very thick pillar when viewed from the inside.
#26
Lexus Champion
Originally posted by lexguynj
Maybe Aluminum and metals are the new luxury, since you see them in luxury items like phones, watches, computer lab tops, it gives off that hi-tech feel, such as with Titanium, etc......it makes things looks futuristic, where as wood trim is nice, but maybe it's so year 2000!
Maybe Aluminum and metals are the new luxury, since you see them in luxury items like phones, watches, computer lab tops, it gives off that hi-tech feel, such as with Titanium, etc......it makes things looks futuristic, where as wood trim is nice, but maybe it's so year 2000!
Just my 2 cents.
Art
#27
Lexus Test Driver
Originally posted by SC300Es
To everyone who have negative feelings about any new car including this. Why don't you wait and purchase it next year? Many cars get many more improvements in their second year. If being the first one on your block to own a new model is important, then there is no way of avoiding the new car quirks..
just my .02..
To everyone who have negative feelings about any new car including this. Why don't you wait and purchase it next year? Many cars get many more improvements in their second year. If being the first one on your block to own a new model is important, then there is no way of avoiding the new car quirks..
just my .02..
#28
two thumbs up!
Well, I'm happy to hear Lexus has designed a seat for the more average driver. Being 6'-1" I'm interested in testing this new model now. Maybe Lexus is trying to shed the soccer mom image. It seems a lot of posts are from husbands letting us know what their wives think. I'd be interested in knowing what they thought as far as comfort is for larger prime drivers.
Maybe Lexus should should offer different size seats as an option?
Well, I'm happy to hear Lexus has designed a seat for the more average driver. Being 6'-1" I'm interested in testing this new model now. Maybe Lexus is trying to shed the soccer mom image. It seems a lot of posts are from husbands letting us know what their wives think. I'd be interested in knowing what they thought as far as comfort is for larger prime drivers.
Maybe Lexus should should offer different size seats as an option?
#29
Originally posted by rogerh00
Well, I'm happy to hear Lexus has designed a seat for the more average driver. Being 6'-1" I'm interested in testing this new model now. Maybe Lexus is trying to shed the soccer mom image. It seems a lot of posts are from husbands letting us know what their wives think. I'd be interested in knowing what they thought as far as comfort is for larger prime drivers.
Maybe Lexus should should offer different size seats as an option?
Well, I'm happy to hear Lexus has designed a seat for the more average driver. Being 6'-1" I'm interested in testing this new model now. Maybe Lexus is trying to shed the soccer mom image. It seems a lot of posts are from husbands letting us know what their wives think. I'd be interested in knowing what they thought as far as comfort is for larger prime drivers.
Maybe Lexus should should offer different size seats as an option?
John
#30
MultiTasking Mom
I did not notice the changes to the seat length as much as the seat back. I feel like the seat is more "fitted" that before. But then again, I'm 5'7". I find the seats to be very comfortable. My back just feels a lot more secure against the seat, and I don't really feel like I'm sliding around as much . . . But maybe that's also because of the reduced body sway/roll in the 330.
I liked the seats in the 300 very much, but they definitely didn't "hug" as nicely as the new 330. I can tell that the seat length is slightly longer by feeling where it reaches the back of my legs, so I can see why shorter women might be annoyed.
From a woman's perspective, I know that comfort is pretty much #1 when it comes to women buying luxury cars . . . which is why I've always chosen Lexus over BMW and MB. Although I love the styling on those cars, the ride is quite harsh for me . . . I prefer the soft, supple ride of Lexus. But I give Lexus credit this time around to making a small step towards "fitted" seats for sportier feel.
I liked the seats in the 300 very much, but they definitely didn't "hug" as nicely as the new 330. I can tell that the seat length is slightly longer by feeling where it reaches the back of my legs, so I can see why shorter women might be annoyed.
From a woman's perspective, I know that comfort is pretty much #1 when it comes to women buying luxury cars . . . which is why I've always chosen Lexus over BMW and MB. Although I love the styling on those cars, the ride is quite harsh for me . . . I prefer the soft, supple ride of Lexus. But I give Lexus credit this time around to making a small step towards "fitted" seats for sportier feel.