lohimike

After driving new BMW 328i & Infiniti M37 ,I stopped by and drove new 2013 RX350. I was blown away at how quiet it is and how comfortable it drove down the highway. Quite frankly it would be my first choice for the exception that I haven't seen a male driver in one of these in the past three years. Most of these SUVs have pink ribbons on the hatchback or soccer moms.
I'm a 64 year old salesman and wondering if this is the right decision. I put a lot of miles on a car each year and I think this would last me for years to come.
Help me make the right decision!

mklemovitc

Mike,

My daily driver for the past 11 years has been an RX. It meets my needs to a T and I like the brand quality. I'm in the process of buying a special order 2013 450h which I fully expect to have for the next 10 + years, God willing.

I don't look at who else is driving one but pick a car based on my needs and likes. For me that's the RX.

If you want it to look more "manly" buy the F Sport or Sport appearance package.

VVRX

In my case it was all about quality and mileage so I chose the 450h. As for the male/female thing concerning the RX, where I live it's a 50/50 split. But it is not just the RX, most SUV's that I see, are driven by females regardless of make or model.

Sevn86

In my area its usually females driving the RX its about 70/ 30 split.

UCSB

I am a male 450h driver. I purchased my 450h for my wife. But, she hurt her back a couple of days after I purchased the car. The back problem was not caused by the car, but I realized that it was difficult for her to get in and out of the vehicle because of her height and injury. So I went down and bought her another car that was easier for her to use. I like the 450h and took it over; in addition to my sports car. I also added a Subaru Outback for my favorite activities and eventually gave my sports car to my son because I was not using it. In my upscale town, it seems like the overwhelming majority of drivers are women. But, I don't commute in traffic so my overall impression may be biased.

I enjoy driving the car. I find that people like the car and no one has mentioned anything about male or female drivers. It seems like a topic that is only discussed in internet forums. SUV's or CUV's are common in families and so logic would lead you to believe that they are frequently driven by male drivers in some capacity. Cars like the RX are pretty common mainstream vehicles that attract very little attention. My general impression is that no one really cares about what car you drive. This seems to be especially true of SUV/CUV's. I have always owned expensive cars; usually cars that were typically purchased by males. I have not noticed any difference driving this car in the past year and a half. You will not get any different reaction to the car than the BMW or Infinity that you previously owned (well ... maybe a little more positive reaction to the RX). What you will notice is that the RX has almost none of the sporty handling or driving characteristics of the sport sedans. This will be largest adjustment you will have to make.

If you like the car, it is a very safe purchase.

kitlz

All I'll say is read this thread for one of our previous discussions regarding this very topic

Cruiter

Mike, welcome to Club Lexus. Been driving the RX since my 03 RX300 and love my RX 450h. If you're comfortable in your own skin, then be comfortable in the RX. It's a great car.

BTW if you drive a lot in your job, the 450h model will get you mileage around 30mpg. That's what I've been getting on mine since I got it in June of 2009. Good luck

BertL

Mike, I've proudly driven an RX since 1999 and have my third one arriving in a couple of weeks. I've owned and used them as my daily drivers while living in 3 different States (CA, AZ, GA) and driven one of them across country when I moved back here to SoCal a few years back. I have never perceived some image problem owning them, even when I've hauled clients, bosses and friends around (yes, I've been in sales and exec mgmt too). If anything, all of the riders have been more into "you own a Lexus -- wow, look at that shine -- and look at this classy interior". I've never had a comment about "Why do you own a Mommy Mobile?", but then again, I have not run around with the well under 30 crowd for years (and really wouldn't care about their opinion on something like this anyway -- to each their own). I would suggest especially with the 2013 models and their more aggressive front end, the RX look eschewing the "wrong image" for a guy should not be a concern. Get a classic color combination and you'll be fine.

As Jim suggests, go green, get a 450h, save some mileage and dependence on fossil fuel, be part of the Lexus reliability family so you don't have to worry about THAT sort of problem when you've got an important work engagement, and be a trend setter with your Lexus hybrid. Good luck in your decision and welcome to the forum.

MX5NES350

I turned 39 in March. Male, married, no kids and love the RX. Do I care if more soccer moms seem to drive it around here? Nope. I see more males driving Acura or Infiniti SUVs but am comfortable knowing that I made the right decision for me

MEP7557

I am a Real Estate agent and I drive clients around a lot. They are always impressed with the RX. It's about a 50/50 mix where I live. Does not bother me who drives them, the RX has been the perfect vehicle for me, that's who counts.

Michael

brwilli

I'm 62 and owned and drove an Audi A6 and an Infinity G35X before buying our RX450h about 14 months ago. Very happy with the choice. Sure, the previous two (and Saabs before that) were sportier, but less reliable. RX is way more comfortable. As for other drivers, it seems like every G35X/G37X I see on the road is driven by women. Don't notice who is driving the RX's cause you can't see in thru the tinted windows Don't worry about others, get what makes sense for you--you'll be very happy with the RX, especially the 450h--smooth, comfortable, way more economical, and it has power when you need it.

sjr200

My wife has an RX 350 and I do think that the general perception out there is that the RX is a 'girls' car. Just like the Suburban is the ultimate 'soccer mom' car. However, you see a lot of dudes driving suburbans and other SUVs that fall into the 'soccer mom' category. So really, it doesn't matter. If you are happy with it, then that's all that counts. The RX is a great vehicle. My wife loves it. I enjoyed driving it around on weekends and had no problems with my masculinity . In fact, it was our first Lexus and the superior quality of the car led me to buy myself a GS 350 FSport last month over BMW + Audi.

Marqevans

Had quite a few RX's. Allways feel more masculine with a black one!

UCSB

One additional factor to consider is where Lexus is positioning the RX going forward. Without a doubt the 1st generation RX seemed designed and styled to appeal to women (right down to its minivan interior configuration). But, after that the RX began to evolve to where it is today. The 3rd generation (current RX) seems to have added a heavy dose of styling to appeal to males. It seems like a pretty gender neutral design. Looking to the future with the addition of the F-Sport version and the Sport Appearance package on the standard 350/450h, Lexus is pushing the car even further in the direction of a vehicle to appeal to males. There is little doubt that some SUV's are being designed with males in mind ... the BMW X5 might be an example. Lexus seems to be positioning the RX to take advantage of this trend. Lexus' latest commercials on TV (which are excellent IMO) for the RX, seem to echo this thinking. They characterize the new sport RX as literally turning a new page.

Anyway, the fact that you see more women driving the RX probably has less to do with the design of the car at this point and more to do with the fact that women are more likely to really need the utility function of the RX.

If you put a lot of miles on the car each year, you might want to consider a 450h with the sport appearance package. Also, in August the new Lexus ES hybrid will be available and it will get 40 MPG. If I was in sales and driving a lot, that seems like a nice option.

RX300CE

The only car for chick (female) is Volkswagen New Beetle 1998 or up, RX models for male/female 50/50, if you like RX go for it .