So after (literally) decades of only buying and owning cheap older vehicles (My current vehicle is a 1997 Ford Expedition) , my financial situation is in a such a way that I am finally doing something for me and taking delivery this week (hopefully) of a brand new 2017 RX 350 F-Sport (white with red interior) with every single option that is available for it.

I have lurked on this forum for years, following the trends of Lexus vehicles and the insight of the richly diverse owner group as a whole.

I have never in my life owned a vehicle with this many functions and features, let alone a brand new one with leather. Is there any recommendations (and if I am missing a key thread that can be searched for, let me know) for the care and feeding of this beautiful vehicle? My primary interests are:

1. Leather care: How do I best ensure the leather (especially the seats) stay clean, conditioned, and crack free for years to come? So many cars I see with leather look horrible because the owner has never done anything to take care of them since the day they took delivery.
2. Interior/Exterior detailing: Is there recommendations based on experience of what products are best to keep the vehicle looking not just clean but show room new?
3. Winter Tires: Is there a particular brand outside of OEM that people have had particularly positive results with? I am from Wisconsin so winters can be brutal.
4. Fuel Choice: While I know the 350 can run on regular. Have you noted significant performance increases or other changes as a result of using premium fuel instead?
5. Dog protection: This may seem like a strange one but as I have to very large and lovable black labs, what products have you used to protect the interior of your car when you do have to transport your pets?

I am beyond excited to be the proud owner and a proud member of this forum. Any insight, direction, or even just pointing me to the best existing threads, that anyone can provide will be tremendously appreciated!

 

Congrats! See below.

 

way to go!!! From what I see, all the ladies drive the white one's so that's a great talking point for the ladies.

Anyways, haha see the quote

 

^ This is the best answer, 303, ceramic coatings, two bucket wash with grit guards
Everything already heavily discussed on the detailing forums too

 

Congrats on your new RX!
If you are looking for a quality clear bra, consider 3M Pro Series. It's super clear and features a 10 year warranty.
Some 3M Certified installers also offer a guarantee against paint damage for protected areas. While I don't personally service Wisconsin, I would be happy to reach out to a friend for a recommendation for your area.
-Jason

 

@aznkorboi...The RX F-sport actually does have real leather. The F-sport Package also includes the features in the Premium Package which includes leather trimmed interior.

 

oh nice so the trim is all real leather and the steering wheel right?

 

With Lexus, equating a particular package with the material of the seating surfaces can be confusing because it is inconsistent from one model to the next.

For example, with the RX, the base has NuLuxe, the Premium Package and F-Sport have standard leather, and the Luxury Package has semi-aniline leather. On the other hand, for the NX, the base, Premium package, and F-Sport come with NuLuxe, the Luxury Package comes with standard leather, and semi-aniline leather is not available at all. For the ES, the base and Premiere (previously named Premium) Packages have NuLuxe, the Luxury Package has standard leather, and the Ultra Luxury Package has semi-aniline leather. Likewise, other Lexus models have similar inconsistencies with regard to package naming and seating material.

 

The steering wheel, shift ****, and butt/back perforated pieces are real leather. Basically most of the stuff you actually touch. The seat sides, headrest, console cover, arm rests, etc. are not leather. But since the leather is coated, 303 works great to protect the leather and fake leather.

 

First of all thank you to everyone for the responses! It is tremendously helpful and I am actively looking into a lot of products and processes people mentioned!

UNFORTUNATELY.... the bad news is the dealership I was going through just called to inform me that the RX 350 F-Sport they thought they had found for me was already sold by the dealership it was located at. They had simply not updated their records.

I called two other dealerships in the area and area wide searches all yielded the same zero results outcome.

Now it looks like I have to wait for the 2018 to come out which isn't a horrible thing thing I was really hoping to get it before the Wisconsin winter hits.

 

That sucks. Sorry for your disappointment.

 

1. Leather care, lots of good products to choose from. The auto detailing section is a great place for info. Almost any leather care product will give good results. Keeping it clean is a good place to start.

2. Again, auto detailing section has lots of great info. Since you have a white vehicle you will need to monitor the little "rail dust" or little orange dots around/behind your wheels. I find if you leave them on the car too long it can cause issues. All cars get them, just white shows them a little more than dark colors. Stay on top of it during the winter months...hard to do but well worth it come spring time.

3. Winter tires. check out the winter tire thread. Depends if you plan on wheel/tire set-up or changing them each season. I do the wheel/tire set-up without the TPMS for the winter rims...no issues. If you have 20" standard wheels, you can go to an 18" set-up for winter, if you go that route. I use 235 65 18 for the winter and stock is 235 55 20 (summer) Winter tires, you can get something for your climate/conditions, lots to choose from.

4. Fuel... I find using regular gives me the best most consistent performance for the dollar. Flipping between Premium and regular messes the car up.

5. Dog protection....a big blanket, clean slobber up sooner rather than later. Watch the paw/nail marks on the door arm rests...they can poke right thru the leather/vinyl whatever it is??

Good luck, have fun, enjoy!

 

The opportunity came today and I took it!

2017 RX 450h F-Sport - Ultra White / Rioja Red

Every single option available including:

• Panoramic Moon-roof
• Color Heads Up Display
• Panoramic View Monitor
• 12.3 Inch Navigation System w/ Mark Levinson Audio
• Cold Weather Package
• Tow Pep Package
• Triple Beam Headlamps
• Touch-Free Power Rear Door
• All Weather Floor Mats

Just took deliver tonight and had to post! My first new car (11 miles on the odometer) ever in my life and my reward to myself! Looking forward to many years with it!

Thank you to everyone in this forum for all of your help and insight!!

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Congrats and welcome!

 

Sweet, glad it came together for you.