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I have a 2016 RX 450h non-F Sport. I知 really tired of the constant mush feeling, especially in the wind. This gets compounded if two people & luggage or just heavy objects are added to the cargo area. The car becomes miserable to drive any distance. I have 33,000 miles. Can the F Sport suspension be swapped over onto my model? What痴 different about it & is the difference worth it?
I take it this is your wife's car? Kinda seems like you bought the wrong vehicle for your needs. If I was choosing vs my wife, I'd gone w/ a SRT GC.....but most of all her g/f's have rx's. Main thing for me is the Toyota reliability & it super smooth for my wife. Possibly you shoild have checked out a Durango w/ a hemi or a srt version or even a Hellcat one.....
RX really not an SUV, more like a CUV. Get a Jeep, Tahoe etc if you need a workhorse.
Dear God no! A Jeep will beat you to death & then break down. Tahoe is nice, but WAY overpriced & the value drops like a rock. I want a vehicle I can keep for a while & I don’t need 4WD.
I haven’t found any springs, struts or sway bars that are not OEM spec. I have a call in at the custom spring company listed above. We shall see...
I take it this is your wife's car? Kinda seems like you bought the wrong vehicle for your needs. If I was choosing vs my wife, I'd gone w/ a SRT GC.....but most of all her g/f's have rx's. Main thing for me is the Toyota reliability & it super smooth for my wife. Possibly you shoild have checked out a Durango w/ a hemi or a srt version or even a Hellcat one.....
No, it痴 mine. There isn稚 a reliable pickup that I would buy right now. My last truck was from FCA & had to be bought back. FCA is the WORST company on the planet for customer service. Hell, they couldn稚 even get parts for the turd. I値l ride a bicycle before I ever deal with the morons at FCA!
Dear God no! A Jeep will beat you to death & then break down. Tahoe is nice, but WAY overpriced & the value drops like a rock. I want a vehicle I can keep for a while & I don稚 need 4WD.
I haven稚 found any springs, struts or sway bars that are not OEM spec. I have a call in at the custom spring company listed above. We shall see...
With GM, you can typically purchase for way under MSRP at end of model year but they are overpriced to begin with. Marketing scam suppose.
No, it痴 mine. There isn稚 a reliable pickup that I would buy right now. My last truck was from FCA & had to be bought back. FCA is the WORST company on the planet for customer service. Hell, they couldn稚 even get parts for the turd. I値l ride a bicycle before I ever deal with the morons at FCA!
Ford F series - isn't that the top seller in the US forever?
We have PLENTY of straight roads across most of Texas. The problem I have is both with loading two people & some luggage or with pulling the motorcycle trailer. The suspension is ONLY good for two people up front & zero cargo, which defeats to point of having an SUV. You should致e seen this turd, when I put 9 bags of solar salt (water softener salt) in the back. That痴 only between 360-400 lbs. The headlights were in the trees & it bottomed out on every little ripple. I think that痴 pathetic.
It sounds like something is wrong with your rear suspension. I can fully load my RX with dudes full of backpacking gear and the rear does not sag at all. My older RX (non F-Sport) didn't have sagging issues fully loaded either. I had a 200lb TV hanging off the hitch and it barely sagged at all. Might want to compare to a loaner or get it checked out?
I agree, the rear shocks failing is a common problem on our cars - especially 2010-2015. My F-Sport may be soft, but it has been loaded up with 5 people and cargo and did just fine. Try the Bilsteins B6s for a 2014-2019 Highlander before you give up (buy on Rockauto for cheap), I知 sure you値l be impressed.
I've had my RX450h AWD non F Sport for 3 years and agree with many of the above comments and gadgetman1's concerns. I have many of the same complaints but will offer some suggestions / thoughts:
1. When time to replace, upgrade to 255/50R20 tires from 235/55/20. In the interim (and afterwards) keep the tire pressure at 34 - 36 PSI cold. As soon as mine gets to 32 PSI (winter pressure drop, don't tell Tom Brady) it handles much worse. When my Blizzak's are on the handling (from the soft sidewall) is complete trash.
2. Something is up with the softly sprung back end. On the highway, under heavy braking and cornering it can get squirrelly. Manoeuvres at 75 MPH compared to my old BMW X5 M sport feels almost scary. It's just too soft. Not sure if a sway bar and/or rear springs would fix.
3. I have driven the F Sport extensively. It is very slightly better, but absolutely not a game changer.
4. Looking at parts lists, the rear spring part numbers are different for the F-Sport. Of course there are also the magnetic dampers front and rear - but this does suggest rear springs may help.
5. Also looking at parts lists, front springs and both from and rear stabilizer bars are the same between f-sport and non f-sport. Hence my comment "not a game changer" from a handling perspective (same suspension geometry, same alignment specs, same tires, same front springs, same sway bars - you see that the massive shock upgrade and rear springs can only do so much - Lexus is marketed towards comfort and luxury).
6. I looked for sway bar upgrades and came up short. It's been a few years and believe an upgraded rear sway bar would make a big difference.
7. Similarly, I was unable to find rear shock upgrades or performance springs. They were either OEM replacement or lowering (not what I was looking for).
8. Lastly - it is not even close to my Macan GTS. The Macan GTS grips the road with its suspension setup, air and magnetic suspension, and 295 wide tires. It absolutely claws around corners. We won't even talk about the power and massive brakes. When you drive it you get constant feedback which takes more engagement - whereas the RX you are shielded from the experience.
9. One last thought. I respect the GX highly. It's a super all purpose vehicle. Do not buy one if you remotely care about handling and feedback.
Keep us posted with your mods. I'll ignore the shortcomings and keep cruising in my RX w/ 255/50/20 Pirelli Scorpion Verde at 34 PSI cold.
Something can definitely be done. You’d think the double wishbone rear suspension would help at the back. I like the idea of wider 255 tires, that’ll be a great improvement. There’s no way in hell my 19 year old Highlander beater should be smoking my “F-Sport” around corners with little to no roll. It also has Pirelli Scorpions, but in the skinny size of 225/65R17, but is now demanding some wider and grippier tires with the new suspension (3RX front sway bar, 22.2mm rear sway bar, H&R springs, new KYB struts).
I would put my RX350 one step above my buddy’s 2008 RAV4 4-cyl Limited (Light, but very soft springs + struts and huge body roll) whereas my Highlander would be around 3 steps higher in every way, including more oversteer. Feedback, while it is oriented towards comfort, is far greater with it being hydraulic. My RX has Michelin Pilot Sport A/S +3 and they were a waste as the car’s suspension can hardly keep up with these tires, however they are very comfortable. They suited my Highlander a lot more when I tried them on for a week, you’d have to do something extremely stupid to make them squeal.
The F-Sport RX and regular RX do indeed have the same size sway bars 3rd gen - (21mm rear, 26mm front) wheras the 4th gen has the same 21mm rear and a 28.5mm front. The only difference is in the rear with the F-Sport’s sway bar bushing brackets, they have this brace that connects the two. I don’t see this making hardly any improvement at all, neither seeing this before as well. This thread makes me want to try the Bilstein B6s and a larger rear sway bar even more.
The "bushing brace" - as pictured
Last edited by MattRX; 01-22-21 at 10:16 PM.
Reason: Added picture
I put 285/65/18 K2 BFG on my 13 and it drove great in the mountains and in snow with 4 of us in it with a week’s worth of luggage. Now my frame of reference was my 2013 F150 Platinum that I sold to buy my GX. That also had larger than needed tires. I really love how the GX drives and rides. When my wife’s loaded 17 GX was in for service, the dealer gave me a new RX to drive. Did not like it one bit, too soft and too spongy.
The quietness and silky smooth nature of the GX is one of my favorite features. Prior to my F150, I had a F250 with the loud diesel so now it seems like I’m driving on a living room couch by comparison. For a truck, the Platinum was very nice but it was still rough and loudish.
Hello, I am new to this board as I have just purchased a low mileage 2017 RX 350 from my wife's boss. Could not pass up the deal and look forward to it lasting many years. I love the vehicle, but as a long-time BMW owner I am used to a firmer, more responsive feel to the road. Do the F Sport models have a sportier feeling ride, and can I swap out shocks or suspension components to firm up this base model?
01-21-21, 06:48 PM
