Hello,
I am reaching out as I am currently looking at the RX350 and hoping to lease one in the very near future. I leased a 19' Audi S4 a few months back and ended up getting rid of the car as the exhaust was too loud, and was not really practical for my every day needs. I now have a 19' Jeep Grand Cherokee that a family member will be taking over in the next few months with allows me to get into another vehicle (not fond of the truckiness of the Jeep). So I am reaching out to get everyone's feedback on the 19' RX350. I am torn between the regular and F Sport, though i think the regular might be better as i would prefer a very quiet vehicle over appearance.

So again, any input/tips/suggestions/feedback that you can give would be greatly appreciated.

 

Audi S4 to RX 350. That's not even apples to oranges. The S4 is Audi's performance cars not including the ultra-performance RS models.They are meant to be loud, ride rough and handle well. The RX is NONE of those.The RX is like the Grand Cherokee just much nicer, more reliable and overall a better car. As for the "truckiness" of the Grand Cherokee, there is NO "truckiness" about it. It is a very nice SUV, it's NOT a sports sedan like the S4. You need to decide what you want a sports sedan or a SUV. Sure you can get a sporty SUV, some just look sporty (F-Sport) and some are very sporty (Cayenne Turbo). It seems to me you need to decide what you want first.

 

Thanks for the response! Yes, i 100% want a luxury SUV and is why i am really leaning towards the RX350. I have ruled out sports cars as they do not fit my needs/lifestyle.

As far as the f sport, is it true that they have a sound generator? The Audi S4 had that and was one of the reasons i got rid of the car as it was too much noise

 

If you can wait a wee bit longer, they are launching a 2020 RX in the 3rd quarter of 2019. There are already youtube videos from the launch a few days ago.

 

Yes the F-Sport has a resonator that generates a growl, hear it under harder acceleration. Extremely easy to replace the resonator with the non F-Sport one, here in Australia it cost $13.00 AUD and now no growl.

 

Have you actually driven each of them? If not, that would be step one for you. It sounds like you would prefer the regular RX, not the F Sport, especially since you consider the Grand Cherokee as "trucky"!

 

I also have a 2018 Audi A5 Sportback lol.

Before my purchase I looked and drove the following vehicles:

18 MB GLE 350 (2 months.... story on that later)
18 X5 35is
17 Touareg Wolfsburg
18 Cayenne

Jeep GC is basically the same car (shares a lot of components) as the GLE so keep that in mind.

Driving dynamic wise the Cayenne was at the top really drove like a car than a suv... handled fantastically.
Price was out the roof... 10K more than an equivalent MB BMW Lexus. Decided to pass on that for now.

Touareg basically being the same car as a Cayenne was also very good but VW badge on a car that cost nearly 60K (with the discount it was 44K)
wasn't a big fan of it.

GLE350 it drove OK but compared to other German SUV's its driving dynamics weren't good at all.... standard apple carplay and their BSM was probably the only class stand out feature it had.
Driving dynamic wise it drives the SAME as the RX350 so why pay more on maintenance for it... RX would be trouble free and cost minimum to maintain. GLE also had that window switch issue
that kept me annoying time to time.

X5 35i it drove great not as good as the VW Porsche brothers but miles ahead of GLE and the RX. Until I purchased my RX, X5 was the main car I was comparing with.
X5 had a massive discount when I was in the market so the cost was actually less than the RX...
At the end it is an SUV not a car so I let go the driving dynamics and chose to have the reliability and the good resale value.

To wrap it up

If you don't care about how it drives but more concerned with reliability, resale value, and ride comfort then RX is the car for you.
If you care somewhat about driving dynamics and don't mind paying more on maintaining and owning it X5 is the car for you.
If you are rich get a Cayenne.

 

You need to test drive both and see what you like more. Some people prefer the comfort of the regular RX over the F sport. If your going to get a regular RX, DEFINTELY hold out for the 2020, they fixed most of the issues the RX had, ugly and small wheels as standard, the grill, infotainment system, etc. If you think the Jeep was too “trucky” then go for the RX F sport. The regular RX is like a boat, I wouldn’t be happy in it if I came from a sporty Audi. The F Sport is a good compromise between comfort and sporty handling. The looks are just a bonus. Anyway, ANY RX is better then ANY Jeep based on the interior alone. Let’s not even get into the other reasons. RX F Sport is the best of both worlds. Even in normal mode (not sport +) it handles MUCH better then a standard RX due to the F sport suspension and wheels. That F Sport AVS suspension really changes the whole car. It’s really like a different car then the regular RX. Anytime I get a loaner RX I do slightly enjoy the comfort but always miss the handling and ride of my F sport. The f sport feels more like a car then the Jeep will, especially the handling. Put it on sport + and you’ll really be thankful you got the f sport.

 

As a previous F15 X5 owner, current Macan GTS and RX450h owner, I holeheartedly agree with fantasy521.

X5 will be quietest and most luxurious. Cayenne is big $$ in comparison.

If keeping for 100k miles and 6 years or more go RX. However, be warned it has zero fun to drive compared to Porsche. Just smooth, quiet and reliable.

 

Thanks again everyone for the input. I have not test driven either vehicle but will be doing so in the next few weeks. I am going to be open to both, but honestly would not mind the more luxurious ride compared to sporty in this car but do love the aesthetics of the f sport. I am also going to hold out for the 2020 as i agree the smaller wheels on the non f look very bland and i saw that they will be sharpening some features of the car which should look really nice.

My big draw to the RX is i do a lot of driving for work and would prefer a nice luxury car that rides very smooth and is quiet on the roadways. I also have a hearing condition called Tinnitus (which is a cold hearted *****) so the quieter the better hahah.

Thanks again for all of the input. Looking forward to hopefully enjoying and getting into a RX.

 

You do know Lexus offers a 20" wheel option on the RX right?

 

If you prefer the quieter and smoother ride DEFINITELY get the 2020 RX with the F sport “appearance” package. If you don’t care for better handling then don’t get the F sport performance package which includes the upgraded suspension, louder sound, cold air intake, firmer steering, etc..

 

Sit in both. The FSport seats were a non-starter for me. They are tight and uncomfortable and Im normal size - 5 11 and 180.

 

2019 RX350 owner here.

Cons:
1. Handles like a really well-made refrigerator on wheels.
2. 8-speed is a mess under moderate to heavy throttle.
3. Stereo is meh (all versions including ML system)

Pros:
1. Non F-Sport is comfortable - F-Sport seats were too narrow and suspension too hard
2. Quiet
3. Well-made/solid feel

The RX350 is what it is....it does not pretend to be sporty and it's not. Good vehicle if you're looking for quiet/smooth/comfortable/dependable but also has no personality and it's like an appliance. All this said I still like it for what it tries to be...

 

I can agree the 8 speed transmission has not been perfected yet. I honestly hated it at first but got used to it. Sport mode eliminates most of these issues.

Also agree that the standard RX is not fun to drive at all, just comfortable!

What you are wrong about is the F sport. It most definitely has personality and handles better then the standard RX and is fun to drive for a crossover. It’s not going to handle like a BMW of course, but compared to the standard RX it looks and handles WAY better! Not a sports car of course but it is sporty if you compare it to the standard RX. it drives like a different car from the f sport wheels and AVS suspension. If you push it around corners and do the same on a base model you will feel the difference. I had a GS and the standard RX was too much like a boat and boring for me. The f sport satisfies comfort and performance for me! Go take a nice long test drive in each, don’t let personal opinions steer your decision.