Pensivern

I'm about to trade in my 2003 RX300 for a 2013 RX350-test drove it and ready to buy but am completely at a standstill when it comes to choosing an exterior/interior color combo; I know it's a personal choice but I would really like to hear some feedback from folks who have this model and are thrilled with their choice. My only dislike for exterior colors are red or silver and I don't want a black interior . Exterior colors I'm considering: nebula grey, cashmere satin, starlight pearl(?), I love the saddle tan interior but am afraid I may tire of it because its such a distinctive different color..... Yet I think it might look sharp with any of my exterior choices.....OR should I go parchment with the starlight pearl or agate pearl..... It seems to make the interior much roomier but will it show dirt too easily? I know I'm obsessing about something relatively "shallow" but would like opinions from other 350 owners (particularly women) Thanks!

dctex99

I love my Satin Cashmere with Parchment....I too could not stand generic white or silver, or the common Black interior put on many less expensive vehicles! I take care of it and it always looks great and the interior is noto Solid Parchment, but has other complimentary angled colors!!

kitlz

Welcome to CL, Pensivern. I'm one of those silver/black RX owners. It's a combination I've grown to love. Both the interior and exterior don't show dirt. Less concern about swirls or jean stains on the seats. It keeps my OCD at bay, LOL. Not having what everyone else does was another factor thought it has grown in popularity. With that said, my second choice would have been nebula gray with light gray interior. It has just enough contrast so it doesn't look monotone. Reminds me of a color Lexus used to have on the RX Coach edition years ago. I like the wood color too. Saddle is new for the '13. I haven't seen an RX with it yet. It would probably go best with starlight pearl or stargazer black.

Good luck with your decision.

LexRexBlue

Because they switched the carpet and mats of the parchment interior to gray it doesn't show dirt nearly as much as before. My black interior carpet shows more. I thought I loved the new saddle but it has too much black and the brown isn't as good a tone as the BMW one. I understand its better on different Lexus models.
My suggestion is to actually go to the dealer and see all the different color combinations in person. It makes a huge difference. You can also take pics with your phone to review them. I'm a color person and wouldn't buy a car if I didn't like the color choices. Good luck.

Pensivern

Thanks for the feedback; I spent alot of time staring at the color combos yesterday at the dealer but I guess another visit where I just sit in the interior for awhile is in order. I really wanted to like the saddle, but it's a little Rusty in color, I wish it was a softer cognac/caramel hue.

I think the parchment interior is the prettiest but I'm craving a deeper color exterior; How does anyone feel about a nebula grey exterior with parchment interior? Is that breaking all the rules not pairing a grey tone with black or light grey interior? Once the previous poster mentioned the parchment having grey mats, I thought it could pull the look together......please continue with any thoughts, it's back to the dealer tomorrow.

MachineMan

We chose the Nebula Gray Pearl with Black interior. The exterior does not show the dirt like black. (Traded in a 2003 black/black Audi allroad quattro.

I recently had a 2012 RX loaner with parchment interior that had 2000 miles on it that showed a lot of dingy grayness to the color in many locations. I had a new 97 Benz E320 with parchment inerior and that was always a challenge to keep clean. Black interior is hard to go wrong with. My second choice would be the light gray interior.

Besides everyone knows Nebula Gray Pearl is 2% faster and gets 3% better fuel economy.

mac12

A couple of weeks ago we bought the silver lining metallic with black interior. While the salespeople were explaining the features there was a nebula gray parked right beside of mine and it really looked great. It had the chrome 19 in. rims and had an incredible pinstripe in lighter gray with the Lexus logo in one of the two stripes. The pin striping is one of the things that Sewell Lexus can do. I think that it had light gray interior. This is the second RX I've had and both had the black interior. After there is a little wear on the seats I think that the black shows less of the creases than other colors. You won't be disappointed with the RX regardless of which color you choose.

UCSB

My advice is since you have waited 10 years to upgrade, just take your time ... even if you need to think about your options for a few months. Color is important and you don't want to regret your decision. If you are shopping by yourself, ask someone with good taste to go down with you to discuss your options. Sometimes just talking through your options is helpful.

I am very careful with my 450h and my parchment interior looks absolutely perfect after two years ... probably not typical. Can't really help on the exterior. I went with Starfire Pearl. If I was buying a 2013, I might go with the Claret Mica with Parchment. My Subaru Outback is in a color they call Steel Silver, but is just slightly lighter than the Nebula Grey. I have noticed that it is much more difficult to keep looking as clean as the Starfire Pearl. I also own another Lexus vehicle in the Cashmere Satin. It is a nice color. Very easy to maintain. Personally, I would stay away from the blacks. The RX is a large car and takes some real work and time to wash.

dentate

Pensivern - Like you, I also took a long time to decide on colour for the 2013. We are also similar in our distaste for black interiors - or dark ones. I traded in a 2010 Smokey Granite with Grey interior and really wanted another grey interior until I checked out the 2013 grey interior - which except for the carpet, headliner, seats and armrest on the door, it is black--and the contrast between the grey and the black is just too stark to me - so that let the grey interior out--was hoping for either silver lining or nebula grey pearl with it...The saddle interior is mostly black as well....So that left parchment--which I do like. In Canada, Parchment will allow 3 exterior colours only--Cashmere satin, Fire agate (dark brown) and Starfire pearl...In the end, I went with Starfire and Parchment--picked it up last Tuesday and love the colour combo. I believe in the USA, Lexus will allow you to order Nebula Grey Pearl with Parchment--which is a combo I might have considered if it had been allowed here, although I have not seen one in person. Lexus Canada really does make some bizarre marketing decisons - such as no parking sensors except on the top 2 packages and the same with the Blind Side Monitoring and not permitted here on the F-Sport either! One would think that both should be permitted a la carte on all packages in the interest of safety. I am tempted to replace my 2009 RX with a Canadian-built American imported one and there are lots of RX's being re-imported here and price difference is just one of the reasons!! Lexus Canada, Wake -up!!!

dentate
Oshawa, ON

LexusNN

iTrader: (5)

I would go with the nebula grey and saddle, beautiful combo and a up and coming popular interior. It is love hate but I love it

Pensivern

Thanks for the ongoing responses; I keep flipping back and forth.....I do keep getting drawn back to the saddle interior as its different and I know I can toss my gym bag and other "stuff" in there without being as cautious as I would with parchment. Plus it's sporty yet classy. As far as exterior I still love the grey nebula although hubby thinks grey "is so boring" and thinks stargazer black would look more striking in contrast with the saddle......but black is so harsh, not sure I "see me" driving a black vehicle. Another thought was star fire pearl as its feminine.....not sure about pairing it with the saddle.....any thoughts on this combo?

VVRX

Actually, the Saddle works really well with the Star fire Pearl as long as you do not mind a predominantly black interior.

UCSB

I have Starfire Pearl with Parchment. I saw a 2013 Starfire Pearl with Saddle on my Lexus dealer's lot. I thought it was a bad combination (my apologies to any member that may have this combo). It just looked like an odd combination. I don't like the Starfire Pearl over Black combination and this had all the negatives of that combo. There is just to much black in the saddle interior. You would have to see it and form your own conclusion ... all things color related are subjective.

Pensivern

I wound up going with the stargazer black with saddle interior.....now I'm second guessing myself as my gut has been saying nebula grey with the saddle for a less harsh but still complimentary combo, and much easier to keep clean than black. It's not too late to change my mind......thoughts? ( other than I may suffer from OCD )

mac12

Definitely the gray over the black.