So does that mean that BMW does not care about dependability and longevity and they are built for pure performance? The average new BMW on the road today is a slug. And I am not just talking entry level models either.

 

Slug in what sense? Those engines are rated lower then they actually output. N20 vs the lexus 2 pot is BMW clean sweep. Now what I can take the slug comment might be steering feel and overall chassis performance. Back in the day, even the lease special was tuned for handling, and optional adaptive systems was really not that required. Now to experience handling on a BMW the adaptive suspension is a must.. Which really turns up the options list very quickly.

In addition some of the equivalent competitors of the the RX which is the X5, can be had with adaptive roll control, stable around the corners via hydraulic assist vs just altering the viscosity of the fluid which is Lexus AVS.

To the original point, the amount of carbon buildup (necessitating intake cleaning), regular transmission services would be far more extensive then what a Lexus would require since
1) Carbon deposits wont be a problem with dual injection type
2) transmission probably is designed like a tank

 

No slug as in my LS blew the doors off of some new BMW in the 6 series. Not sure if they are 4 or 6 cylinder but it was hardly worth the gas. The LS is a family car. LOL. Just giving you trouble as you seem to compare everything to your old bimmer.

 

^ No sweat, just gots to compare the latest and greatest from Lexus with titanium standard of the world To be fair, I`d like to know the competition before I purchase a vehicle, rather then figure out whats out there once my johhny hancock is on the title lol

 

We bought the same car just after its release (luxury edition - 2WD non-f-sport). The racket upon initial acceleration is unbelievable. We went to our dealership the day after we bought it (Keyes Lexus in Van Nuys CA). They had the car for an hour, returned it and said they saw nothing wrong. After a month or so, I had enough of the noise and wrote the Lexus Customer Service. Finally, I spoke with a representative who called Keyes Lexus and confirmed there was nothing wrong per their tech. He suggested I take it to another dealer. I went to Lexus of Glendale (CA) on 2/2. I know one of the service consultants well. He arranged for one of their tech guys to drive it with me. Immediately he said he felt the vibration in the wheel and the gear selector - and hear the noise. He told me that they have been getting a lot of complaints about this! When we got back to the dealership, he checked for bulletins on it - found nothing. The Consultant (friend) said to call him the next day that he was going to do more digging. He called me 2/3 to say that Lexus is aware of the issue but does not have a fix for the problem. He will call me when he hears something. This is a gorgeous car - love the technology and looks, but hate driving it with this vibration. I have a new Denali with the Vette engine. It is as quiet as a church mouse (unless you put your foot into it). Why Lexus let these out of the factory with this issue is beyond me. I would tell people - do NOT buy one until this has been fixed. If it is a drive train design issue, it may not be fixable. If I could undo the transaction and get back my money and older (quiet) EX350, I would do it in a heartbeat.

 

So is this an issue with the 2WD model?
I just don't have this with my 4WD and I was expecting more "noise" with extra stuff going on in the drive train vs FWD.

 

I noticed this on my AWD non-Fsport 350 as well at some gears during acceleration. Especially in normal or eco mode, when the RPM is around 1500 during acceleration, I feel the steering wheel and gas pedal have a lot of more vibration. It is much better in Sport mode though when the RPM is higher (most of the time around 2k or higher). Complained to dealer a few days after picking up the car but no response, will bring it up again for the next visit.

 

The eight speed tranny is programmed for best gas mileage as it is constantly trying to keep the RPM in the 1250-1500 range. If you apply a bit more gas I hear the noise at lower RPMs but it goes away as it gets higher. You either have to get agressive with the throttle to get it to shift down or my favorite is to knock the shifter over to manual and it will drop a couple of gears. I love the sport mode but keeps the RPM a little to high for regular driving.

It would be nice if there was a setting between normal and sport. I am coming up to my 5K in a few weeks and will mention it to the dealer. Hopefully Lexus will get an update out to remap the transmission but that would damage the mileage numbers and make the EPA/CAFE very unhappy.

To me the 4RX drives best when the motor is cold and the programming bumps the RPS up a bit until the engine is warm. It is that sweet spot between sport and normal.

 

Thanks for your feedback. Please keep me updated as to the resolution on this issue. I continue to have the same experience with my vehicle as well. I have not been back to the dealership due to the distance (100 miles involved).
I plan to do so within next 4 weeks.

 

You would think if this was inherent in the design that a reviewer would have picked it up by now.

Just go to Youtube and there are tons of video reviews on this car.

Mind appears to be fine and I went from a 2014 ES and the 2016 RX is just as smooth (at highway speeds even a tad more so since there is less wind noise)

Good luck with the dealer.

 

Chiming in my experience as well, when I test drove a 2WD version I distinctly remember this vibration and unrefined rattle. However, my wife and I were set on purchasing the F sport from the get go, which comes in the AWD trim, and I feel nothing but buttery smoothness with the transmission and drivetrain, especially at slow acceleration. In fact, it is so quiet it almost seems like the 450h.

I surmise with enough upheaval, there will be a TSB to address it. No way that Lexus will tolerate a high complaint response rate without doing anything about it. I just hope it comes quick and a sufficient fix implemented. Unlike the airbag recall, this may come at a higher cost to Lexus, but for the amount customers pay for this vehicle, it better be covered! I feel bad for those afflicted with this issue and hope you continue to push the issue with Lexus service departments!!

 

To the OP,

When you do bring it back, make sure you test drive other 4RXs to see. Try F sport vs non F and 450h vs 350 and certainly other 350s.

I can't compare since I have a 450h F sport. But I think if it is a specific issue with your car, you won't have it in other RXs. If it is a design issue, then you will notice and feel it on other RXs you try out.

This way when you come back and post your experience, we can have more info.

 

I have driven plenty loaned RX units over the years and even owned an RX and never has this vibration, studder or "howl" on any of them. Love the vehicle, but will like it even more when the dealer addresses this.

 

Just curious if those experiencing said issues have less than 1k miles?

I was rather surprised at my new car's behavior. It had funny idle speed (and vibrated slightly at idle), didn't shift very smoothly and, while it didn't vibrate upon acceleration, just performed weirdly at times when shifting driving modes between normal and sport.

Well, I talked to a Lexus master tech about these issues and he told me this: our car's ECU takes a long time to learn. Sometimes on the order of 1k miles and even then, it is still adjusting the algorithm to adjust to each driver's behavior. The longer it goes, the more data it has. This includes idle speed, throttle behavior and transmission.

He suggested I continue to drive normally and not over rev or maintain high revs until 1k miles. BUT he also mentioned not to drive so conservatively that my car never sees a variance in engine speeds. His advice was to vary my throttle and engine speed enough where it can see enough variance without any excessive over revving. And above all else, don't race or maintain high-revs (regardless of gear) for extended periods of time until after 1k miles.

Well, I have 1.2k miles now and all of those issues are gone. Transmission shifting is much improved, idle speed is better, but SPORT mode is still weird. The only thing I can think of is maybe the car doesn't have enough data in SPORT mode simply because I haven't driven in it much, so that's my next task.

 

My 4RX has 4250 miles and I am seeing the RPMs too low at times and requires too much throttle to get it to downshift. Also stuttering or slight misfiring under light to medium load under 2000rpm.

Not the way I remember my previous RX units.