FatherTo1

Hi everyone, I'm posting this to both the 2nd and 3rd gen RX forums. I'm usually active in the LS forums. We borrowed my parents' 2007 RX 350 for a roadtrip from California to Yellowstone. My wife really loves my Mom's RX and is considering upgrading from a 2006 ES to a 2nd gen RX.

However, the roadtrip experience has really highlighted the 2WD RX's lack of power on inclines and struggle to maintain 80 MPH speed limits through Nevada and Idaho. Is this common for other RX owners? Is the 3rd gen with 6-speed much better?

salimshah

The profile [wind resistance] of a sedan is very different from a SUV. If you are going to compare LS or even ES driving experience with RX you will feel the throttle response at higher speed to be noticeably different. With the six speed transmission the economy [optimum gear to gas] will be better and you may feel a bit more power as you push between gears.

If you really desire the oomph! in a suv, you may like to check the Porsche or even better the total electric. IMHO the era of gas driven cars is at the end. Not that I don't love the sound of V8 [my favorite is LC .. at this time my favorite Lexus], you get so many things for your $$$$$, that includes storage space, quickness, low-maintenance etc etc. Its time to start loving an electric motor and rechargeable batteries.

Salim

FatherTo1

Thank you, @Salim , I didn't think about the obvious difference in shape. The few times I drove my Mom's RX it felt peppy around town, but on extended freeway travel it really felt sluggish despite a recent tune-up and oil change before the trip.

I completely agree with you regarding going electric and sold the LS last year to get a Model S. As much as I wanted to take the Tesla on this trip, we needed the extra cargo capacity of the RX. Not to mention, the Model S lacks a spare tire but I ordered a Modern Spare space saver for it for future trips. Honestly though, the ICE car was the better vehicle for our trip from Sacramento, CA to Yellowstone. I did see a handful of Teslas at Yellowstone but we scheduled activities pretty tightly and having a quick-filling gas car saved us time.

I love the Model S, but my wife prefers Lexus and the RX. I would be driving during roadtrips but an RX in the future would be my wife's daily driver. She isn't into cars much and trusts Lexus. I couldn't convince her to get a Model Y.

RX in NC

My wife's 2015 RX350 is her third Lexus. She previously had a 2000 RX300 and later a 2004 RX330. None of them will set any acceleration records on the highway. But they were/are her daily driver and she has always been very happy with them.

I always found them somewhat sluggish and would not be happy with them as my daily driver. I much prefer my 2013 Subaru Outback 3.6R and my 1999 Dodge Ram 5.9 V8. They are both significantly quicker and faster than any of my wife's RXs have been, and much more fun to drive.

But if your wife is happy with an RX, so be it. Pick your battles wisely....

salimshah

The drag is not proportional to the profile but more like exponential. So you feel the drag impact lot more as the speed goes up. You would not feel the difference at low speed but as the speedo moves up the slugishness is very obvious.

Salim

MellonC00

My recommendation is get the 450H. The instant torque from electric motors help quite a bit. I don't like the delayed torque response on the 350.

salimshah

OP's problem is lack of power at higher speed.

Salim

Clutchless

The 6 speed transmission is so much better than the 5 speed that it transforms the driving experience. You need to drive one to see for yourself. I had a 2003 Lexus ES330 and hated that transmission. It was so slow to shift and select the correct gear such highway merging was actually dangerous due to the huge pause before the car would accelerate.
Also you are comparing a 2007 vehicle, I don't know how many miles are on it, but maybe it does not accelerate as well as it did several years and thousands of miles ago.

I recommend you drive both a 3rd generation 350 and 450h. I would skip the 2nd gen altogether as all of them are getting very old by now and will need more repairs. Besides the 3rd gen has more safety features, electric power steering vs the hydraulic power steering in the 2nd gen and all of the 3rd gen have the 3.5 motor.

I have always felt that my RX and even my new to me 2013 Sienna (92,000 miles) with the same drivetrain have plenty of power on the highway to pass folks and easily get up to over 90 mph. You just cannot be shy about putting your foot down to the floor on the gas pedal. It will downshift and take off.

mcomer

The 2007 was still tuned for Premium Fuel, RX's after 2011 use Regular.
What is/was in the tank for your trip? While Regular doesn't hurt the engine,
it just retards the spark advance to eliminate "ping", it does produce less power.

Second consideration. The fuel injection computer "learns" driving habits.
May we assume that Mom doesn't compete in the Freeway 500 every day?
The throttle response is likely programmed for somewhat more leisurely around
town driving and your change of pace was not fully served.

Disconnect the main 12v battery for 20 minutes, reconnect and keep your foot
lightly on the throttle as it relearns how to idle. Reprogram all the radio stations
and go fill up with some 93 or 91 (CA right?). When out of Moms' earshot give it
a couple of Wide Open Throttle bursts...come on, you did this in High School, right?

Now retrace a bit of your road trip and compare.

MellonC00

I think the electric motors help even during high speed because ICE RX's are too high geared IMO to save fuel. You can tell by looking at the 50mph to 70mph acceleration times. hybrid does this in 4.4 seconds while the ICE cars do it in 4.9 seconds. 0.5 seconds to go just 20 additional mph is night and day difference. Anyway, my butt dynanometer tells me that......

FatherTo1

@mcomer , good point about the RX adapting to my Mom's years of slow driving. I only filled it with Premium during the entire 2400-mile trip. The RX seemed to perform a little better during the latter half of the trip, possibly getting used to my acceleration demands.

@MellonC00 , I agree with you on the high gearing. I was surprised that a fully packed RX, traveling at 80 MPH speed limits, with elevation gain, was still exceeding EPA fuel economy ratings.