iatacs19

My parents wanted me to come along because they are interested in purchasing a Lexus RX330. They like me coming along and explaining all the stuff and value my comments. My mother actually really liked the RX330 and was ready to just go and buy it, but I told her we should probably test drive it first. This car is for my parents who are in their early 50's and want some luxury with space for long trips, it will be their main vehicle as well. Keep in mind that my parents don't need all out performance, more of a tourer.

Ok, to the test drive...
My dad drove with the salesman next to him. I sat in the back seat with my mother. I noticed that the RX330 rides pretty crappy. In the back the ride was choppy and it would sway a lot on simple turns around town. I was expecting more from Lexus to be honest. My dad said it drove fine from the front seat, but my mom was complaining saying how choppy and bouncy the ride was.

I am personally not a fan of SUV's so I don't really know what to say to my parents. I suggested my parents look at the Acura MDX tomorrow and see if the wider body can fix some of the swaying in the ride and the weight somewhat dampen the bouciness.

So, are SUV's just supposed to ride like that in general? Are my parents expecting too much comfort from an SUV? I mean the ride is no better than my older beater 1997 Maxima GXE... If you own an RX330 please let me know.

RX300-BV

Is an SUV even what your parent's need? I would recommend test driving a Lexus ES330 if you want a pure touring vehicle. The other thing to keep in mind is if the car will in general, only carry your parent's then the backseat comfort may not be that big an issue. I have a 2003 RX300 and I've never had anyone riding in the back seats complain about the comfort.

It could also be unrealistic expectations. Don't expect any of the car based SUV's to corner exactly like a sedan. The center of gravity in any SUV is going to be higher then that of a sedan.

Oh and next time, tell your mom to ride in the front during the test drive. The salesman should be the one sitting in the back.

iatacs19

My parents have an ES300 already, they bought it like 1 year ago I think.
My mother always takes the back seat to "test out" the car for comfort and such. So, I am guessing that the RX330's ride will be the best we will encounter as we keep shopping for SUV's??

parula

iatacs19, we only drove the 330 for about 15 minutes at the Lexus Luxury Redefined event and thought it was, and rode, great and would trade for it in a second for our 300, which we love except for the front windshield wind noise!

SUVs are a bit firmer, but Lexus softened the ride in the 300 from the 99 to the 03 I believe.

My wife has ridden in the rear of our 03 as have others and FWIW everyone was very happy!

How fast was your test ride driven, maybe that was the issue.

cotmc

The ride may have been choppy due to over-inflation of the tires. When we drove our RX330 home from the dealer, we also thought the ride was choppy. After allowing the car to sit overnight in our garage, I measured the tire pressure: 38psi! When I lowered the tires down to 30-32psi, the ride was significantly smoother. This was with the 18" tires.

iatacs19

We drove around town ~35-60mph tops. The test RX330 did have 18in wheels, never thought about the pressure... The dealer was nice though they invite us to take it for a longer test drive if it would help us change our mind. I guess we will take that extended test drive to get a better feel for the car.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

Hey, you should definietely take another test drive in the RX330. My mom had the previous RX300 and she is getting the all new RX330 because she loves driving it. Lol. Personally I love how the new RX330 rides and even handles alot better than my 2000 Infiniti QX4. Besides, our family went up north with my aunt's family, and I rode in her RX330 and it was the best car ride I ever had in a SUV and I love it since I was also watching a DVD movie with my cousins in the back with the rear enterainment system that they had. The RX330 with 18 inch wheels are part of the performance package and will get more firmer ride, i suggest you try out the 17 inch wheels one, and trust me the rX330 has the best ride any SUV can have and also the SUV corners better than my QX4 and the ACURA MDX, meaning it does a better job in cornering and does not lean as much. As a side note, the Acura MDX is a nice car, but I personally felt that the steering was flimsier than my Infiniti and the RX330 and the ride was a little more bouncy since it is longer and that 3rd row of seat was useless. Oh, I will be getting the all new 2004 Nissan Maxima, and I love the maximas.


Dave

JRB

If your parents like a cushier ride, definitely test drive one with the 17 inch wheels and tires, and as suggested make sure they are inflated properly (32 psi). When test driving the RX330 I noticed a big difference between the two tires sizes. Since I prefer a sportier look and crisper handling, I went with the 18 inch wheels and tires, even though the ride is considerably firmer. I would not call it choppy, however, and none of the reviews I've read have called it choppy either.

johnnieliu

"In the back the ride was choppy and it would sway a lot on simple turns around town."

The RX330 was one of the most "cushiest" vehicles we test drove. I agree that the suspension isn't that tight, thus the ride for us, front and back seat, was very plush. Compared to any FX35 sport and non-sport, the RX330 has a very "plush" ride.

If you want a very good handling SUV, go and test drive the FX.....very nice! However, the wife prefers the ride of the RX. Oh well, its her car.

w4rjd

I noticed the same thing on the first RX 330 we drove. Prior to ordering our RX we drove three diferent RXs, at different times. The first one had a croppy ride that I thought was due to the 18 inch tires Good Year tires. A week later adn many other test driven cars, we drove another one with 18 inch tires and the ride was smooth. When my RX arrived with it's 18 inch tires it too is a smooth ride. Not sure if it was the brand of the tires or the inflation, but there is one heck of a difference.

iatacs19

Thanks for your insights everyone. I truly appreciate your input a lot.

The test ride had 18in Goodyear tyres. In our state (NC) you can only get the 18in tyres from what we were told....

We test drove a Acura MDX today, again I went along, and it was no better. So we headed back to the Lexus dealership and went on that extended test drive. For some reason the ride was very good today, even in the back seat, the roll was more controlled and the damping was much improved. Much better experience overall. One gripe is that they won't discount the price any from sticker, we got rubber floor mats + cargo net + cargo tray as freebies.

So in the end....My mom decided that the RX330 was good enough and today put down a deposit for a 2004 RX330 + AWD + Premium Plus package. They said silver+black+AWD was scarce??? Will take about 1 month or so to delivery... So the wait begins.

parula

iatacs19, way to go, welcome to the club!

I really think you will love your car, play with the tire inflation a bit, I'll bet you find a level you like.

The wait will be well worth it IMO!

TexRB

iatacs19 - I agree your parents will love the RX330. I own an '01 MDX & had a 2001 RX300 (which we traded for the RX330. The RX330 is by far a much nicer & smoother car than the other 2. I woul dalos make sure they check the tire pressure - mine had 38 psi when I got it home & on the 18" tires it was pretty firm - but still smooth. Whe I lowered the pressure to 30 psi it was much smoother.

One thing - be sure to reset the tire pressure monitor if you lower the pressure in all the tires.

parula

i19, While I like a bit of a firmer ride, and resultant better handling IMO, I have found that tires soften over time. My 38 psi today will need 40psi in a year or two to equate the same ride - or such as I can determine. I find that the tires soften pretty fast. Over time today's low pressure may be too low, you need to decide. I for one put a little more air in and let the tire break in.

iatacs19

Damn! I think we will cancel our order at this dealer in NC and go about 1.5hrs to another dealer in SC.
The SC dealer is giving me $2500 off + $0 fees. The dealer in my town was asking MSRP!!! BASTARDS!!!! Now that I showed them this quote from SC they are telling me $2000 off + $549 documentation fees!!!! I think they are on crack!!! They want my parents to pay $1,000 for the exact same vehicle. I guess it's good to have a 150mile radius monopoly. I gotta thank the internet for this little $3000 savings! That's big screen TV we can purchase on our drive back from SC and put into the RX330's trunk.