kiwi

has anyone compared the two? the gen 3 looks to be smaller. i have an gen 2 currently, but am thinking of upgrading to a 2009 or a 2010, just not sure which, and size would make a difference.

jay_man2

I've owned both, and the Gen 3 is bigger overall, and has more interior room. And the cargo area is much more spacious without the shock towers protruding into the space.

kitlz

kiwi, I have been in my 450h for about 3 months after 6+ years in the 330. I don't think it's smaller. On the outside, the 3rd gen is a little wider and I believe longer. The roof line is lower than 2nd gen. Maybe that's why it looks smaller. The wheel wells are a little more proportionate to the tire. The doors look bigger without the side protection. The lines are smoother and not as curved as the 2nd gen. No more quarter window in the second row. But Lexus kept the little rear window and brought back the tiny window up front from the 1st gen

Inside the dash and center console are wider and taller. The dash is easy to use and reach. The center console is big enough to store the 1,000 plus pages of manuals and a bunch of other stuff. No more arm rests. I don't miss them. The glove compartment has little shelves to keep things organized. The seats look thinner than the 2nd gen. They're ok. In the cargo area, the wheel well is lower giving a little more room. There's the rear seat release for the bigger stuff. That's a plus. I understand the big storage areas under the cargo floor are gone. Haven't looked yet. And yes, it's a donut, not a full spare.

I think the 3rd gen feels like a bigger vehicle. I sense it in the steering wheel. Maybe it's those 19s" It's probably a good idea not to compare the 2nd gen to the 3rd gen because they're pretty different. That's the way I looked at it. I'm pretty happy.

kiwi

so just to confirm, the storage under the cargo area has been taken away in the 3rd gen? i am ok with the donut.

last question before i go look at it in person, the hatch glass looks to have more of a horizontal slope, which would hurt cargo room, is that the case? my issue is that i use the cargo area alot, stroller takes up alot of room, and i dont want to skimp in that area.

i still find it hard to believe that the 3rd gen is larger than the 2nd, but i guess looks are deceiving

jay_man2

Like I said in my first post, the cargo area in the gen 3 in much larger and more useable than the Gen 2.

kitlz

I'll have to check the cargo area but I think mine's different because it's a hybrid. The donut, well, I only used the spare once in 12 years. I don't care that it's not a full spare. I'm just happy they put it inside again.

You are correct. The hatch glass has more of a horizontal slope. There is less roof over the cargo area. But it is taller since the tail gate mechanism doesn't take up as much headroom space. That almost qualified as a blind spot in the 2nd gen! The cargo area is wider and feels deeper and taller with the smaller wheel wheels. Now the tonneau cover doesn't automatically release when the tail gate is opened. I actually like that when I just need to toss something back there quickly. And check out what they did with the rear wiper. It's neatly tucked away now.

Here is a picture of my two RXs on the day I took delivery on the 450h. Not the best since the 450h is further away but the height difference is there. I can place more of my hand on the roof of the 450h than on the 330. Funny thing though is it really doesn't feel lower or smaller. I still need a stool to wash it

ziggy1

I agree that gen 3 looks smaller than gen 2, but actually it is slightly larger.
I think the illusion comes from the new styling which strikes me as beinig more "bulky" (but I prefer it). For example, the hood line on the gen 3 is higher than on gen 2. Since I had both, below, in inches, is the dimension info from the 2008 and 2010 model brochures:

length - 186.2 (2008); 187.8 (2010)
width - 72.6 (2008); 74.2 (2010)
Height - 66.1 (2008); 66.3 (2010)
wheel b 106.9; 107.9

lex

it is bigger and to me it looks bigger as well

Coffee87

iTrader: (1)

I just traded in my 05 RX330 for a 2010 RX450h this weekend. The storage compartments in the back are in fact gone. Never used those so no big deal there. There is more arm shoulder room and head room up front, but the back seat has less head room. The back seats recline to help with this, but if you have the tonneau cover in, it limits the amount they can recline if they are all the way back.

It's wider than the 2nd gen as it didn't fit the same in my garage. Overall, the dimensions seem to have been increased a little bit all around, but not much. As a driver, the seats are MUCH more comfortable and there is more room to spread out behind the wheel.

fastedit

I too traded vehicles this weekend. Went from an 06 RX400h to a 2010 RX350. The new car feels much wider on the interior and the seats seem more comfortable. Will know better after this weekend when we take it on a 5 hr road trip.

Unlike Coffee87, I loved the storage compartments. Held everything in place running errands. Got the dealer to throw in a cargo net, but its still not as nice as flip-up deck with bins underneath. If something spilled, the plastic caught it and clean up was easy.

DunWkg

Someone else pointed out this reference out to me. It has the answers to your questions. The original sales literature is available on this site.

http://www.toyotareference.com/lexusrx#RX

Hope this helps.

kiwi

great replies, thanks everyone, guess it comes down to price and mileage at this point.

just curious about warranty now, what is the warranty coverage? 4 year 80k km??

also whats the warranty on the hybrid system if i go that route??

Coffee87

iTrader: (1)

Basic warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles and they Hybrid System warranty is 8/100,000 miles.

Kulharin

It looks like overall cargo capacity of the gen 3 is less than the gen 2... is length behind the front seats roughly the same? On surf trips I often sleep in the back of my 2nd gen and I'm 5'10

Clutchless

I have no idea about the comparison you requested. I measured my RX from the end of the center console to the rear hatch and it is about 6 feet. The distance from the end of the center console to the folded seat is about 5 inches. So there is an unsupported gap of about 5 inches.
Diagonally it measures over 6 feet in the cargo area. I think you could sleep back there. Especially if you cut some plywood to fit over the floor and cover the gap area, then got a piece of foam.

I think you need to take a test drive and then a test fit with the seats down.