tomsawyer

Hey Everyone, I am in the process of wanting to purchase a used RX 350. I currently own a 2005 X5 4.4 w/ 87k, I'm the original owner and meticulously cared for. However, now it seems every 2 weeks something's going wrong with the truck. As such, I'm thinking of getting rid of it and switching to an RX. This would be for my wife to drive and, trying to eliminate headaches, I'm not in a position to purchase new so I was think L/Certified.

There are a few dealers here in NJ that have L/Certified RX 350's for sale. I guess my questions are:

• Is there one year better than a certain year?
• Like all cars out of warranty, they all break down. The X5 is killing me. Will the RX be the same after the warranty?
• Do you think it's better to by a L/Certified with some of the original warranty left, plus the certified warranty or because it'll be cheaper, get one with just the certified warranty?

Guys, any advice you can give I'd really appreciate it. I'm kinda shell shocked from the X5 so I don't want to make another mistake.

Thanks to all who answer!

phlorida

I've only had my RX a few months so I cannot answer your specific question but I can offer you this. I had a great experience with an LS CPO that I kept long after the warranty period so I sought out an RX CPO this time. I would never own another BMW past its warranty period.

vlad_a

You came to the right place. For long term ownership, Lexus/Toyota is your best bet.

When it comes to buying new cars, Germans buy when the old one is broken down and Japanese - when they feel like it.
Hence why one is built to outlast warranty period and the other, 200K+ miles.

My last Lexus was almost 12 years old when I sold it. I could have kept driving it, if I wanted to.

mcomer

The 2010/11/12's were nice with Bluetooth for both phone AND audio, USB jack, wider than previous years
and myriad other small perks. I would personally pay more to get a 2013/14/15 with HD AM & FM plus
Surround Sound (previously only on Mark Levinson >$$'s) systems. LED Daytime Running Lights appear
for the first time, LED foglamps if equipped with Navigation. 2014's on have Siri Eyes Free for Apple users.

Droid13

I agree with mcomer, and suggest a 13-15 year model, just because they are the mid generation updated models. I don't think any year is any more or less reliable though, but the earlier models may have been slightly more prone to squeaks of various kinds. My '10 just passed it's 8th birthday, over 100,000 miles and so far all's good.

tomsawyer

Thanks for the replies guys! Can I throw a monkey wrench at you? I've been reading about the 450h and wanted your opinions as compared to the 350. I've never thought about owning a hybrid but the things i'm reading here on CL entices me. There aren't many of them around (L/Certified) as there are the 350's but nonetheless, I wanted to ask your opinions.

And, so you have some context, I know there are some members on here that calculate cost of ownership, gas prices, etc. But, I really don't go to that length. I also own an 2003 LX470 which I purchased used. Long story short I got screwed. Needed a new tranny and A/C compressor and rear a/c line. But now that its going, I really enjoy it. But again, repairs repairs repairs. That's why I'm going certified.

Now, I imagine my wife would be driving the RX mainly back and forth to work - next town over. Gotta be no more than 5 miles. We definitely need AWD since we live in a very hilly area. You think it worth going for the 450 or just leave it at the 350?

Thanks again!

vlad_a

You gotta drive the 450h. It's a whole different experience. I wouldn't even consider owning a 350. Extra gas savings is the cherry on the top.
AWD for sure, as it's a bit more dynamic, having rear motor and all. Having a hybrid and a manual car in my garage, I forgot how much I dislike vanilla-flavor automatics.

Freds430

A wise choice hopefully. Lexus is rated by Consumer reports as #1 in reliability. J D Power has ranked Lexus #1 in reliability for 6 years in a row. Lexus is the third least expensive maintain behind it's cousins Toyota and Scion.

JT4

You can't go wrong with a Lexus for long term reliability.. And as others have already said go for a 13-15 if you can, you won't be disappointed. Good luck..

Droid13

For me the gas savings was the icing because, as you point out sometimes the hybrid premium offsets gas savings, but on used models the premium can be much smaller. The cake part for me was the overall smoothness (no gear changing, especially no downshifting required). Some people hate it, I love it. My primary has been a hybrid for over 10 years now. The AWD is, I suppose more correctly called assisted FWD, because the rear is driven electrically only and the motor in the back is ~68HP. Certainly makes dealing with wet and snowy roads a better experience and the electric control makes snow driving much tamer (Canadian 450s only come AWD and rightfully so). For raw AWD omph and steep hill climbs, the 350 is probably a bit more capable. The 450 has a lower center of gravity thanks to the extra weight of the hybrid system, some have said the 450 handles better because of it, I'm not sure, it's been a few years since I last drive a 350.

BenRX

tomsawyer, I was in your situation in 2014 and transitioned from a 2011 BMW X5 5.0 to a 2015 RX350 F-Sport and I'm glad I did.

There is a drop in performance, but the Lexus outshines the BMW in reliability, which was my main goal.

For better reliability, better gas mileage, and overall better peace-of-mind, the Lexus wins.

Personally, I always choose most current model with least amount of miles. Good luck with your search.

lexusrus

X2. Get the mid cycle refreshed model years. We have a 2013 RX450h. But ours is FWD with "F Sport APPEARANCE Package" fully loaded.

Drives way better than the regular RX350. The refinements are at levels MUCH higher than the regular RX350.

You gotta try it!!!! Especially now gas is cheap so the dealerships are basically selling the RX450h at the same price. This is ESPECIALLY good if you do a lot of stop and go City traffic.......save even more on gas!!!

tomsawyer

I know you guys can tell I'm shell shock from the repairs on both the X5 and the LX. If I did go with the 450, which all of you seem to encourage, should I be concerned about the complexities of the hybrid system and the repairs for same? Hey, I realize anything can happen to any car but I think you get my drift! Towards same, not that I would be buying one, but are the 400h's reliable and do they have a good reputation?

CChoiVA

Can't really comment on the 450H since I don't own one. But knowing that its made by Lexus seems like a safe general bet on all their models that they are more reliable then compared to other manufacturers. I currently own 2015 RX 350 and the ride is smooth and comfortable. Previously I owned a 2001 Chevrolet Trailblazer which started having issues around 150K miles. My brother owns a BMW 335i if I remember correctly which he got from the dealership. It currently has 120K miles on it and it seems like he's always fixing something on it every other weekend.

lexusrus

I have confidence in Toyota and Lexus hybrids. These have been around for a LOOOOOONG time. All those Toyota Prius hybrids taxi's you see at major airports and major metropolitan areas share the same design and platform as the RX450h. These generally go to 350K miles without much problems. Why don't these taxi's use a Chevy Volt, Nissan hybrids, or Kia/Hyundai???

Personally I would go for a "L Certified" RX450h from a Lexus dealership. This way the total included warranty is 6 years from the date of the vehicle was first put into service. PLUS this is UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY for the duration!!!!

Even if the hybrid batteries go bad AFTER the above warranty, you can replace them at reasonable cost bc there are so many out there.