We have a 17 highlander and really enjoy ( only gripe is a small rattle right side dash that may need to be seen about, and car has less than 500 miles)

A lot is important to me, but none more than cabin noise in a car like this. Have any of you who have the new RX test drove the highlander on the highway and found a difference in cabin noise?

Reason I ask is because the RX and highlander are almost the same car - same engine, same transmissin etc) Thanks for any help.

 

I had 2015 Highlander Limited. My 2016 RX is a lot quieter, and handles better. 2017 Highlander and 4th Gen RX is share powertrain, but it stop there. It's a totally different vehicle.

 

I can also imagine that their service departments are also very different. The OP would have a better chance getting the noise fixed in his Lexus than at the local Toyota dealer.

 

no offence but you can't compare Lexus and Toyota

 

I have a 16 Highlander. I used to have a '13 RX and have had a '17 RX loaner. The new RX was quieter for sure. The Highlander and the previous gen RX were very comparable in noise.

Not really. They share much, much more than just the powertrains. The bulk of the chassis/platform is the same as well.

The Lexus dealer is certain to have a nicer, more upscale atmosphere than the Toyota dealer for sure, but there is nothing about Toyota service that should make anyone think they can't fix a rattle.

Having both, I think there are some things that are better on my Toyota and some things that are better on my Lexus. Our Highlander feels a lot like our RX did, though the new RX is absolutely a step up in refinement. Our Highlander was actually more expensive than our RX was.

 

This is probably why there are some things better on the Toyota vs. the Lexus. Highlander may be comparable to old RX but compared to new RX I felt that they were not comparable at all. Unless maybe you are comparing them at the same price range.

 

The new RX is pretty great, and as I mentioned above, higher than the Highlander in refinement. When I had the '17 RX loaner, I really took notice of how improved it was over the previous version.

Had the new RX been available with the features the Highlander has, we probably would have gotten one, but the Highlander had several features/functions that weren't available on the RX at any price, and some of those features were very important to us.

Not disparaging the new RX at all. The Highlander just suits our needs better right now.

 

Toyota has been using K platform since 2000 on many different vehicles. 2001 Camry even use k platform. But It doesn't mean it's all same.

 

That's correct. I didn't say it was all the same. It's not all different either.

 

Out of curiosity, in terms of feature comparison what did the highlander have?

 

The biggest and most obvious was the 3rd row. That was a requirement for us this time around, and now that we've had it for a while, it's hard to imagine going back. It's been incredibly useful for suiting our family needs.

One of my wife's biggest requests was to have a panoramic sunroof. While you can get that on the new RX, we also use our roof rack extensively so the fact that you cannot get the cross bars with the panoramic roof on the RX was another issue.

Interior wise, we liked the Highlander's 3 zone climate control with separate HVAC controls for the rear seats, and the rear side window pull-up shades. We also liked the second row heated captain's chairs more than we liked a bench seat. By having the third row it did not hurt to lose the second row middle seat. Other niceties were the bigger cargo space (with third row folded) and the fact that the rear hatch window opens separate of the hatch. We also like that it comes with 2 years of service.

On the Highlander you can't get some RX features, like power folding mirrors, HUD, real wood trim, or HID/LED headlights. Those were tough to lose. But we were able to get things like radar cruise, auto high beams, lane departure alert, heated steering wheel, heated/vented front seats, BSM with RCTA, etc. My only real complaint with the Highlander is that I hate the touch screen navigation interface. Much prefer the RTI. Interior materials are, in general, much nicer in the RX, but in our family hauler I don't mind so much.

When my GS lease is up I may consider swapping it for a new RX. Then we'll have the best of both worlds.

 

Having been to the Toyota dealer many times to help out my neighbor, I found them to be rude and crude to my neighbor who's whole family owns Toyotas. My friend says the only good thing about Toyota service is leaving.

 

I agree.

Just bought a Toyota and man it was a 360 degree difference on how they took care of you than Lexus. I felt like they wanted my money and that's it.

 

If your local dealer (of whatever make) is rude then yes you'd want to go elsewhere.

Mine is great. Free cafe while getting service, kids play area, etc. There have been lots of bad dealer experiences at Lexus dealers posted on here too. That can and does happen with all makes.

 

Do either of them have or offer active noise cancellation? Toyota and Lexus are leaders in weight reduction and one thing their cars often come up short in is having substantial physical sound insulation. Other car makers are doing it too and IMO it is a race to the bottom on cabin noise. not saying ANC is the same as robust noise proofing.