I took the 2010 RX350 on a test drive
02-21-09, 12:04 AM
#1
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I took the 2010 RX350 on a test drive
Indeible- Impossible to remove, erase, or wash away; permanent
Impression- An effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of experience.
Indelible Impression- An effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of experience that is impossible to remove, erase, or wash away; permanent.
--------------
After test driving a 2010 RX350 late Friday afternoon at Lexus of West Kendall here in Miami, that is what I was left with, an indelible impression.
I have tested many luxury and non-luxury SUVs here in the United States and even under more demanding conditions when I lived in Mexico City. Add to the fact that even with my own 1999 RX300 which is modified in large part due to what I had to deal with south of the border, I come to expect something, call it a feeling, of what an SUV should feel like or extending that further any vehicle.
Whether it was opening door, sitting inside of it, using its controls and most important in my case...the engine and vehicle performance, I think Lexus has a real winner. I don't look at every last nook and cranny, I look at the vehicle as if a friend told me why don't you take a look at it and take it for a spin.
When I first walked in I had already met a very nice salesman, Quince, who caught the eye of my RX300 outside (I can't begin to tell you how many people notice it's a bit different from a regular RX300), but after walking through the door and laying eyes on a brand new RX350, I couldn't help but feeling like a young boy in a candy store, and notice there was a definite difference over of course my RX300 but even the last generation of RXs.
This vehicle truly needs to be seen in person to really understand it's difference from the previous generation. The photos I have seen before just do not do it justice enough (maybe it's the angle that they were shot at), but you get a real sense of depth seeing one close up. The image in my mind was like a wave cresting and then crashing into the ocean.
Now over the years, I really have not enjoyed the rear as much in the 2nd generation as my own 1999 RX. However, I think that the symmetry of the lights on the back with the rear looks a lot better. When I saw the one I test drove pull away after I left on the test drive, I could see the improvement. Definitely more in line with what I like.
The front of the vehicle reminds me a lot of an idea I had once about what an evolved RX300 would look like (this was of course before the 2nd generation came out). Seeing it in person, I think you got it pretty close to the way I thought it might look.
I spent some time in the dealer showroom looking it over, and here are the things that stuck out initially to me.
-When I first sat inside of it in the driver's seat, I am a person who likes to sit up close to the wheel, use lumbar support to its fullest and generally keep the seat mostly upright. It's the first vehicle I have sat in that I didn't feel I had to adjust anything, although I did try putting it into a few different positions. It really has a good contour on the seat and my girlfriend also expressed the same feeling with the passenger seat and the rear seats we sat in.
-Another thing was the gear shifter and it's placement. It may look odd at first, but the thing I noticed how much better I could access areas such as the radio and A/C controls of course with my RX300 but also with the RX350. The controls such as A/C radio all appeared to be within hand's length (and I and my girlfriend have small hands).
-One thing that I realized shortly after sitting in the driver's seat for about a minute is that reminded me a lot of sitting in my RX300. By that I mean didn't feeling like I was sitting in a large SUV or a tank (that's somehow the feeling I had when I drove an MDX, the X5, the FX, the ML) and I'd rather it have the feeling like I'm in an X-Wing fighter from Star Wars, because that is the way I feel in my RX300. I had that feeling in this new RX350 and I have to say I didn't have it when I test drove a 2009 RX350 last year, it felt larger and I have been in a last generation RX350 quite recently, too.
Now shortly thereafter I took it on a brief test drive and put it through a few paces just like I'd put my own RX300.
Before that I had the chance to briefly fool around with the navigation, radio and a/c controls. I didn't get into this system intensely, but enough to understand I could as I mentioned above very easily get to the controls without having to move my hand off the gear shifter. Moreover, the navigation screen although embedded further back than you might expect, very easily comes into view when you take a look at it for the first time. Call it an optical illusion, but it came through easily enough for my eyes just as if it were closer up such as in my RX300 where its screen is located. Yes, the navigation mouse is very easy to use. My girlfriend was getting a kick out of using it and wondered why the cordless mouse we have at home on our computer doesn't move across the screen as well as this one in the RX350.
-One other thing, and this is an enormous pet peeve of mine for any vehicle, is looking out the rear window. I'll never buy a vehicle I cannot see easily out of the back, much less like renting or driving in. I like the rear window in my RX300 and noticed quite easily I could see just as well out the back (despite the different angle of the window) of the two vehicles. For some odd reason, and I'll have to sit in an 09 RX350 again to notice, but I liked the way I could see out of this one. It's distinct from my RX300, but I could still see quite well and didn't feel I was losing something as far as the rear view the more I looked out the back and even looking away and then looking back again.
Now to the test drive,
Here are the things that struck me:
-It's really quiet, regardless of how fast you are going, and you don't hear much of the outside world either. It actually reminded my girlfriend of when we test drove a Camry Hybrid not too long ago and she noted how quiet it was from 0 to 10 mph, and I had to remind her this wasn't even a hybrid model.
-Right off the turn out of the parking lot I floored it and took it about .5 a mile on a twisting road at full acceleration for the first few second and then held it at 3/4's acceleration. You know I am picky with my RX300 and nothing quite will be like the way I did my own (it's unique to me), but this RX350 came very close to the way I have my RX300 rigged up and the way I'd have to have it in another vehicle. It most certainly did not have the .5 second pause or so I had when I test drove an 09 RX350 last year, despite both having an electronic throttle unlike my RX300. You won't hear the roar initially as when I'd floor my own RX300, but the vehicle is already underway when I floored it and the roar comes about a tad later or so. That's completely fine. What's important to me is to get going when I floor it and not pause because of any type of emergency or on an on ramp...and yes even at a drag strip if you so choose as I did with my RX300.
-Probably the most vivid impression I came away with was when I took what I can only describe (and twice) a high speed turn on this twisting road and did not use the brake. This scared the hell of my girlfriend but I wasn't getting any bit nervous myself like I sometimes do in my RX300 back in Mexico or even on a circular highway on ramp here in Miami (and I am supposed to be used to these on ramps having grown up here). The vehicle kept me solid to my turn and I could not feel the vehicle trying to push me or pull me one way or another, such as I have felt with certain other vehicles such as BMW. In my own RX300, I had to learn over time how to use the brake or even pull off the accelerator. With this RX350, when I brought the steering wheel center again, very smooth, I didn't notice a single flinch by the vehicle here or there. I did notice this flinch when I tested the 2009 RX350 up in Virginia last year and put it through a similar turn and this time I took the turn at a higher rate of speed. I have tested other SUVs (I have done this same test in the Infiniti FX45, BMW X5 3.0, Acura MDX, Mercedes ML350, etc.) and there is always a flinch to it, some more than others. I didn't believe it when I took this 2010 RX350 the first time I went down the road, but the second time I did this I even switched from the outside to inside lane (right to left) and still no flinch (meaning like a jerkiness in the wheel or some sensation telling me the vehicle's suspension/handling system is trying to keep me on course). Nothing, nada, not a single peep. I'd love to take this thing out on a track like Nuremberg myself (I bet that driver had a lot of fun testing it) and see if I could get it to flinch. I had this smile on my face after doing this for the second time. By comparison, I took my RX300 on this same stretch after we left and tried it and I did have to use the brake coming around it.
-The shifts in gears were smooth even though I was expecting to feel a gear
-The braking is very smooth, it doesn't jerk back, that I've come to expect on any vehicle I have tested.
Now, I have to admit, I'd probably have to have one for a while to truly see what it can do over time and to have an individual experience, but I haven't had this much to be happy about in a test drive in a while, especially for an SUV, and I am difficult guy to impress with any vehicle.
I have to say with my own RX300, I have been quite happy during my 7 years of ownership and still feel very happy about how it fared down in Mexico for 6+ years. It would have been very interesting to have one of these 2010 RX350s and take it back in time and see how it might have fared.
Impression- An effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of experience.
Indelible Impression- An effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of experience that is impossible to remove, erase, or wash away; permanent.
--------------
After test driving a 2010 RX350 late Friday afternoon at Lexus of West Kendall here in Miami, that is what I was left with, an indelible impression.
I have tested many luxury and non-luxury SUVs here in the United States and even under more demanding conditions when I lived in Mexico City. Add to the fact that even with my own 1999 RX300 which is modified in large part due to what I had to deal with south of the border, I come to expect something, call it a feeling, of what an SUV should feel like or extending that further any vehicle.
Whether it was opening door, sitting inside of it, using its controls and most important in my case...the engine and vehicle performance, I think Lexus has a real winner. I don't look at every last nook and cranny, I look at the vehicle as if a friend told me why don't you take a look at it and take it for a spin.
When I first walked in I had already met a very nice salesman, Quince, who caught the eye of my RX300 outside (I can't begin to tell you how many people notice it's a bit different from a regular RX300), but after walking through the door and laying eyes on a brand new RX350, I couldn't help but feeling like a young boy in a candy store, and notice there was a definite difference over of course my RX300 but even the last generation of RXs.
This vehicle truly needs to be seen in person to really understand it's difference from the previous generation. The photos I have seen before just do not do it justice enough (maybe it's the angle that they were shot at), but you get a real sense of depth seeing one close up. The image in my mind was like a wave cresting and then crashing into the ocean.
Now over the years, I really have not enjoyed the rear as much in the 2nd generation as my own 1999 RX. However, I think that the symmetry of the lights on the back with the rear looks a lot better. When I saw the one I test drove pull away after I left on the test drive, I could see the improvement. Definitely more in line with what I like.
The front of the vehicle reminds me a lot of an idea I had once about what an evolved RX300 would look like (this was of course before the 2nd generation came out). Seeing it in person, I think you got it pretty close to the way I thought it might look.
I spent some time in the dealer showroom looking it over, and here are the things that stuck out initially to me.
-When I first sat inside of it in the driver's seat, I am a person who likes to sit up close to the wheel, use lumbar support to its fullest and generally keep the seat mostly upright. It's the first vehicle I have sat in that I didn't feel I had to adjust anything, although I did try putting it into a few different positions. It really has a good contour on the seat and my girlfriend also expressed the same feeling with the passenger seat and the rear seats we sat in.
-Another thing was the gear shifter and it's placement. It may look odd at first, but the thing I noticed how much better I could access areas such as the radio and A/C controls of course with my RX300 but also with the RX350. The controls such as A/C radio all appeared to be within hand's length (and I and my girlfriend have small hands).
-One thing that I realized shortly after sitting in the driver's seat for about a minute is that reminded me a lot of sitting in my RX300. By that I mean didn't feeling like I was sitting in a large SUV or a tank (that's somehow the feeling I had when I drove an MDX, the X5, the FX, the ML) and I'd rather it have the feeling like I'm in an X-Wing fighter from Star Wars, because that is the way I feel in my RX300. I had that feeling in this new RX350 and I have to say I didn't have it when I test drove a 2009 RX350 last year, it felt larger and I have been in a last generation RX350 quite recently, too.
Now shortly thereafter I took it on a brief test drive and put it through a few paces just like I'd put my own RX300.
Before that I had the chance to briefly fool around with the navigation, radio and a/c controls. I didn't get into this system intensely, but enough to understand I could as I mentioned above very easily get to the controls without having to move my hand off the gear shifter. Moreover, the navigation screen although embedded further back than you might expect, very easily comes into view when you take a look at it for the first time. Call it an optical illusion, but it came through easily enough for my eyes just as if it were closer up such as in my RX300 where its screen is located. Yes, the navigation mouse is very easy to use. My girlfriend was getting a kick out of using it and wondered why the cordless mouse we have at home on our computer doesn't move across the screen as well as this one in the RX350.
-One other thing, and this is an enormous pet peeve of mine for any vehicle, is looking out the rear window. I'll never buy a vehicle I cannot see easily out of the back, much less like renting or driving in. I like the rear window in my RX300 and noticed quite easily I could see just as well out the back (despite the different angle of the window) of the two vehicles. For some odd reason, and I'll have to sit in an 09 RX350 again to notice, but I liked the way I could see out of this one. It's distinct from my RX300, but I could still see quite well and didn't feel I was losing something as far as the rear view the more I looked out the back and even looking away and then looking back again.
Now to the test drive,
Here are the things that struck me:
-It's really quiet, regardless of how fast you are going, and you don't hear much of the outside world either. It actually reminded my girlfriend of when we test drove a Camry Hybrid not too long ago and she noted how quiet it was from 0 to 10 mph, and I had to remind her this wasn't even a hybrid model.
-Right off the turn out of the parking lot I floored it and took it about .5 a mile on a twisting road at full acceleration for the first few second and then held it at 3/4's acceleration. You know I am picky with my RX300 and nothing quite will be like the way I did my own (it's unique to me), but this RX350 came very close to the way I have my RX300 rigged up and the way I'd have to have it in another vehicle. It most certainly did not have the .5 second pause or so I had when I test drove an 09 RX350 last year, despite both having an electronic throttle unlike my RX300. You won't hear the roar initially as when I'd floor my own RX300, but the vehicle is already underway when I floored it and the roar comes about a tad later or so. That's completely fine. What's important to me is to get going when I floor it and not pause because of any type of emergency or on an on ramp...and yes even at a drag strip if you so choose as I did with my RX300.
-Probably the most vivid impression I came away with was when I took what I can only describe (and twice) a high speed turn on this twisting road and did not use the brake. This scared the hell of my girlfriend but I wasn't getting any bit nervous myself like I sometimes do in my RX300 back in Mexico or even on a circular highway on ramp here in Miami (and I am supposed to be used to these on ramps having grown up here). The vehicle kept me solid to my turn and I could not feel the vehicle trying to push me or pull me one way or another, such as I have felt with certain other vehicles such as BMW. In my own RX300, I had to learn over time how to use the brake or even pull off the accelerator. With this RX350, when I brought the steering wheel center again, very smooth, I didn't notice a single flinch by the vehicle here or there. I did notice this flinch when I tested the 2009 RX350 up in Virginia last year and put it through a similar turn and this time I took the turn at a higher rate of speed. I have tested other SUVs (I have done this same test in the Infiniti FX45, BMW X5 3.0, Acura MDX, Mercedes ML350, etc.) and there is always a flinch to it, some more than others. I didn't believe it when I took this 2010 RX350 the first time I went down the road, but the second time I did this I even switched from the outside to inside lane (right to left) and still no flinch (meaning like a jerkiness in the wheel or some sensation telling me the vehicle's suspension/handling system is trying to keep me on course). Nothing, nada, not a single peep. I'd love to take this thing out on a track like Nuremberg myself (I bet that driver had a lot of fun testing it) and see if I could get it to flinch. I had this smile on my face after doing this for the second time. By comparison, I took my RX300 on this same stretch after we left and tried it and I did have to use the brake coming around it.
-The shifts in gears were smooth even though I was expecting to feel a gear
-The braking is very smooth, it doesn't jerk back, that I've come to expect on any vehicle I have tested.
Now, I have to admit, I'd probably have to have one for a while to truly see what it can do over time and to have an individual experience, but I haven't had this much to be happy about in a test drive in a while, especially for an SUV, and I am difficult guy to impress with any vehicle.
I have to say with my own RX300, I have been quite happy during my 7 years of ownership and still feel very happy about how it fared down in Mexico for 6+ years. It would have been very interesting to have one of these 2010 RX350s and take it back in time and see how it might have fared.
Last edited by Lexmex; 02-21-09 at 03:06 AM.
02-21-09, 11:56 AM
#2
Thank you Lexmex for sharing your detailed impressions of the new RX! The comparisons with your RX 300 are very interesting, and the test drive impressions as well. From what you wrote about the cockpit design, it does seem that there is something to the discussion about how the 3RX uses a 'driver zone' concept to make command and control more user-friendly. 
My impression was similar, I felt that the 3RX was designed with better sightlines in mind, although I felt that the pushed-forward screen and other features also created a sense of a larger cabin (or maybe it's the 2 inch wider stretch). The comparison to an X-Wing is particularly apt, in the movies that cockpit of that starfighter seems snug yet rather comfortable and useful.
I suppose you warned your passengers about the high-speed turn that you do on test drives? Hearing that reminded me of when I rode in a hot lap with the IS F on the track, we were holding on for dear life!
My impression was similar, I felt that the 3RX was designed with better sightlines in mind, although I felt that the pushed-forward screen and other features also created a sense of a larger cabin (or maybe it's the 2 inch wider stretch). The comparison to an X-Wing is particularly apt, in the movies that cockpit of that starfighter seems snug yet rather comfortable and useful.
I suppose you warned your passengers about the high-speed turn that you do on test drives? Hearing that reminded me of when I rode in a hot lap with the IS F on the track, we were holding on for dear life!
02-21-09, 12:09 PM
#3
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I have gotten to sit in the new RX350 and really liked it but not drive it yet as when one comes in it goes out. None are available for a test drive at one of the big dealers in the Northeast I have seen several on the road. I cannot wait to drive it but I guess patience and I will get my wish.
02-21-09, 12:18 PM
#4
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Thread Starter
Going back to the cockpit, I really felt I was climbing into a spaceship. That's the way I feel about my RX300, but it's a subjective feeling in my own RX based on what I know is under the hood, whereas the RX350 really brings that fantasy to life with the interior cockpit and all the things you need just a touch away with your hand really still on the gear shifter. I wondered why the gear shifter had been placed there and now I know perfectly why.
02-21-09, 07:51 PM
#5
Lexus Champion
Excellent review Lexmex.
We got a chance to test drive one and were both really impressed (in fact, I may even have to buy one for the wife....even though I want another sports car
).
It is such a large improvement over our current '05 that we were floored. The interior is leaps and bounds better. From the improved comfort of the seats and ventilation to the incredible remote touch to the excellent HUD to the rear seat release mechanisms it is simply better.
What I was even more impressed with was the driving "feel" of the '10. It is noticeably improved in steering/handling and suspension. We were disappointed that we weren't able to drive the "Sport" package (we drove an Ultra-Premium) as if it truly is an improvement over the standard handling we will be impressed.
I am not suggesting that it handles like a German SUV, because it does not, but it certainly appears that Lexus has closed the gap.
The one thing that we weren't really excited about was the "Ultra-Premium" package. We couldn't differentiate between the upgraded leather (they had a Sport and a Touring in the showroom, but not for test-drives), we have no use for Park Assist, and the ML while it would be nice, isn't a necessity. The only other upgrade is the Rear Seat Entertainment and there is no way it is worth the upgrade. All of the above comes with a price tag of $6000ish up here.
Imho, the Touring or Sport package has everything we need and want out of the RX, and like others have suggested, we don't see the value in the Ultra.
Overall, we think that the new RX is an excellent upgrade and should once again dominate SUV sales....and deservedly so.
We got a chance to test drive one and were both really impressed (in fact, I may even have to buy one for the wife....even though I want another sports car
). It is such a large improvement over our current '05 that we were floored. The interior is leaps and bounds better. From the improved comfort of the seats and ventilation to the incredible remote touch to the excellent HUD to the rear seat release mechanisms it is simply better.
What I was even more impressed with was the driving "feel" of the '10. It is noticeably improved in steering/handling and suspension. We were disappointed that we weren't able to drive the "Sport" package (we drove an Ultra-Premium) as if it truly is an improvement over the standard handling we will be impressed.
I am not suggesting that it handles like a German SUV, because it does not, but it certainly appears that Lexus has closed the gap.
The one thing that we weren't really excited about was the "Ultra-Premium" package. We couldn't differentiate between the upgraded leather (they had a Sport and a Touring in the showroom, but not for test-drives), we have no use for Park Assist, and the ML while it would be nice, isn't a necessity. The only other upgrade is the Rear Seat Entertainment and there is no way it is worth the upgrade. All of the above comes with a price tag of $6000ish up here.
Imho, the Touring or Sport package has everything we need and want out of the RX, and like others have suggested, we don't see the value in the Ultra.
Overall, we think that the new RX is an excellent upgrade and should once again dominate SUV sales....and deservedly so.
02-21-09, 08:38 PM
#6
Driver School Candidate
2010 Test Drive
I have owned both the RX-300 and RX-350, so my interest in the new RX was pretty intense. I have read what I could find and made a 3 hour trip to the closest Lexus dealer to drive the new RX on Thursday. The styling is pretty understated and on first sight not as dramatic as the change from the RX-300 to the RX-350. In fact, my first impression is that the 2010 RX is a little bland to look at.
The cabin does feel slightly larger with a few neat details that were badly needed. Most noticeable are the mirror controls on the door, the added steering wheel controls for climate, sound, and cell phone. The console is improved and the iPod (or MP3 player) connections are great as the wires can be out of sight. The seats are a bit better (wider-longer leg bolsters) than the RX-350 of old. The same crappy visors now include a slot for parking stubs, but otherwise seem out of place in a luxury vehicle. The console controls etc will all take some time to get familiar with, but the "joystick/mouse" device seems perfectly designed.
The back seat and rear hatch area don't provide a lot of surprises, but lower rear strut towers make the rear hatch area seem larger. A new way to fold the seats is also well designed.
Starting the vehicle is a breeze with the new push button start and "keyless" design. Have had same on my Toyota Highlander for 3 months and have grown very attached to that technology for more reasons that I will list here. Take my word for it, the keyless technology is awesome.
Leaving the dealer's lot and kicking up to 45 mph quickly shows that the new transmission gearing is right on the money. Smooth power up and through the gears. The RX is very quiet and steering feels improved. Running a few hills and corners quickly demonstrated how much that the engineers have improved the ride and handling. The RX is a much improved performer in every type of driving.
After my test drive, it was back to earth as I was quickly reminded that buying a vehicle is the least enjoyable part of the process. Even Lexus has not managed to improve upon that part of the transaction. I left the dealer ship with lust in my heart for the new RX, but anger over the sales process that sent me away without my new ride.
The cabin does feel slightly larger with a few neat details that were badly needed. Most noticeable are the mirror controls on the door, the added steering wheel controls for climate, sound, and cell phone. The console is improved and the iPod (or MP3 player) connections are great as the wires can be out of sight. The seats are a bit better (wider-longer leg bolsters) than the RX-350 of old. The same crappy visors now include a slot for parking stubs, but otherwise seem out of place in a luxury vehicle. The console controls etc will all take some time to get familiar with, but the "joystick/mouse" device seems perfectly designed.
The back seat and rear hatch area don't provide a lot of surprises, but lower rear strut towers make the rear hatch area seem larger. A new way to fold the seats is also well designed.
Starting the vehicle is a breeze with the new push button start and "keyless" design. Have had same on my Toyota Highlander for 3 months and have grown very attached to that technology for more reasons that I will list here. Take my word for it, the keyless technology is awesome.
Leaving the dealer's lot and kicking up to 45 mph quickly shows that the new transmission gearing is right on the money. Smooth power up and through the gears. The RX is very quiet and steering feels improved. Running a few hills and corners quickly demonstrated how much that the engineers have improved the ride and handling. The RX is a much improved performer in every type of driving.
After my test drive, it was back to earth as I was quickly reminded that buying a vehicle is the least enjoyable part of the process. Even Lexus has not managed to improve upon that part of the transaction. I left the dealer ship with lust in my heart for the new RX, but anger over the sales process that sent me away without my new ride.
02-21-09, 09:11 PM
#7
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i agree, i think the 2010 RX is bland to look at too. in fact, my gf (who is a normal, non-car fanatic, consumer) said she likes our RX400h better than the new rx... :/
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02-24-09, 08:25 AM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
I look at the new RX at the dealer the other day but did not test drive it yet. The exterior changes are an improvment in some areas but in other areas, I actually like the last gen better in some areas. The interior a bit improve except for the center concole, seats are more comfortable. The mouse thing is a cute toy but I prefer the touch screen. Overall, its not enough of a improvemnt to pay MSRP for. Wait a few months and stock will catch up and prices will drop.
Last edited by The G Man; 02-24-09 at 08:32 AM.
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