gadgetman1

I’m amazed that you have an Acura dealer locally & not a Lexus dealer. I’m in the very same quandary myself. Acura, Lexus, Infinity & Genesis are all 3 hrs away from me. I had an Acura, but after 3 transmissions & wacko styling, I moved over to a Lexus RX 450h. It’s not a bad car at all, but everything is mush & it gets worse with more people/cargo. The car hasn’t been trouble free, but I haven’t had anything major & they will come pick it up & drop it off if needed. Porsche & Acura won’t do that & the Genesis dealer is still trying to figure out why Genesis is brand now, vs. a model. My local Chevy dealer will pick up & drop off if I request it. IMO, the 450h is much more refined than the 350. The 350 has a jerky, confused transmission & the so-called safety gear is primitive. The he 450h has a CVT, which I thought I wouldn’t like, but I do. Hope that helps a little.

mikemu30

Genesis introducing nice vehicles these days but the dealer network is limited.

Salvanv

I just traded my 2013 RX 350 for the 2021 model. It’s 6” longer (no 3rd row) which is just enough to make me feel like I’m driving a bus in parking lots. The old RX felt so sporty.
next time I’d consider the RX 300
my Lexus cars have been SO reliable!!

gadgetman1

RX 300?? No such thing in production.

JasDmw

Probably means the NX.

Salvanv

Sorry. I meant NX 300

websurfer

I guess many people will have this decision. I did test drive the MDX but I worry about reliability especially 1st year models.

We have 2 sedans (2020 GS and 2016 ES350) now plus an older van 2013 Honda Ody EX-L. We are probably not buying going to buy a Sienna van (not enough power) or Honda Ody (don't trust Honda quality). So we are thinking between the between Lexus or Toyota brands ourselves.

Given I've just purchased the GS, I don't want to take on too much bills.

If Lexus, thinking about RX350, RX350F Sport or RX450F sport. I heard that the regular RX350 is too soft? We had the RX350L as a longer vehicle and it drove like a clumsy bus and didn't have lots of power.

Toyota Highlander XLE V6 or Limited. The hybrid Highlander didn't seem to have much power if going onto freeways.

I don't want to sell the GS but trying to convince my wife to part with ES.

This maybe a similar dilemma to the original OP.

Thoughts?

Great thread btw.

gadgetman1

Have you driven an NX 300? It’s just my personal opinion, but the loaner one I had was an embarrassment to Lexus. It would’ve made a great addition to the Toyota Corolla line. It’s buzzy & cramped. It’s just not Lexus quiet & refined. It’s a great 4 cylinder engine & seemed to have decent pickup, but it’s a noisy, thrashing 4 cylinder. It would make a great commuter car. It doesn’t belong in the Lexus lineup. That’s just my opinion.

TechNut

I went from a 2013 RX 350 to an NX 300h. I liked the NX a lot, and it was truly a better size for just my wife and myself. Just be prepared for more road noise and a bouncier ride. The hybrid has plenty of power getting up to speed on the interstate but steep hills (there are a few in my state) are a real slog. I liked our NXh and over five years never had a single issue with it - even getting as high as 36 MPG around town. I just grew weary of the bouncy ride, especially compared to our ES. It really felt like Lexus had retained too much of the older Gen RAV4 DNA to ensure the NX didn’t take sales away from the RX. The 2021 model is expected to be all-new and may improve on these issues, but production will also be moved to North America.

My wife and I decided we didn’t want to wait to see if a new design fixed the things we weren’t entirely happy with, plus we didn’t want to take the risks of a new model in a new production facility. We have now moved back to an RX with the 450h. It is definitely a nicer, quieter riding vehicle.

Bottom line: while I wouldn’t want to discourage an NX, just be prepared as it isn’t like any other Lexus vehicle in terms of the attributes you might expect from a luxury manufacturer. I would certainly shop it against the new Toyota RAV4 as you can get a nicer riding vehicle with more standard equipment and options like heated rear seats that aren’t even available on the NX (for 8 - 10k less $$). We actually drove a RAV4 while shopping for our current RX and the current model is definitely a step up from the current/dated generation NX - although the body style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

TechNut

I cannot recommend the Highlander enough! We were ready to pull the trigger on a Highlander hybrid Platinum model. Great car and completely loaded with literally every feature as standard equipment, from HUD to pano roof to heated rear seats. This had as many features and options as a loaded Lexus, but it also came in at 53k with the only option being floor mats and destination charges.

Toyotanation had a number of complaints about wind noise from the Highlander driver’s window at highway speeds so I really listened to this during our test drive. I will say there was a very faint wind noise in the model we tested but probably not enough to complain about. But in general, the Highlander exhibited a little more road and wind noise than the Premium package Lexus RX 450h. The fuel economy of the Highlander was remarkable, (35 city, 34 highway if memory serves me) but that 2.5L engine was a bit noisy and struggled on an uphill on-ramp to the freeway. It did make it up to speed, but the Lexus did it much easier and was quieter.

As I mentioned, we were ready to pull the trigger on the Highlander, but it is larger by about two inches in every direction and has a third row that we would never use. We reached out to our previous Lexus associate and described the situation. We wanted to see how close we could get with an RX to the Highlander in terms of price/features. We ended up spending a few thousand more and lost leather, panoramic sunroof and HUD, but gained a quieter and more powerful vehicle with only slightly lower fuel economy. We prefer the NuLuxe anyway and as a bald guy I couldn’t care less about the sunroof.

websurfer

How is the Lexus RX 450h in handling, is it better than the Highlander or RX 350? I like the RX450h for low end torque from the electric motors but aren't sure about the acceleration though. I'm not pleased with the Highlander Hybrid though at low street drive is pretty good until you get on the freeway.

socaligs

iTrader: (3)

they are both great cars but frankly speaking, I recommend the RX. I had Acura before and although they are great cars it just does not meet the quality and the luxury attribution of the Lexus. I am about 6-3 and 235 lbs (athletic built) and have no issues as to comfort or issues with headroom. I would test drive both cars and weigh the pros and cons. Good luck.

TechNut

Wow - "handling" is a very subjective question. I found the Highlander Hybrid to be pretty good both on the freeway and on city streets. The RX feels a bit more "solid" if that makes sense. I suspect a lot of that has to do with the torquier drive train rather than the suspension. The RX is a couple inches smaller in virtually every direction yet about 200 pounds heavier. Both drove well and had plenty of power under normal driving conditions but I imagine steep grades would tax the Highlander. Our lighter NX struggled on steep hills so even though the new Highlander has more power, I would predict the weight would negate that extra horsepower resulting in poor performance in that environment. My test drives weren't long enough or aggressive enough to really compare cornering. I agree with your impressions of the 450h. The RX 350 we test drove seemed almost "jumpier" when you stepped on the accelerator but that may just be because I am used to Hybrid driving manners since our 2013 RX 350 was the last vehicle I drove with a standard transmission. The 350 just didn't feel as smooth as the 450h or the Highlander. I imagine the transmission and weight account for much of that difference.

websurfer

I personally prefer a less bumpy ride. Handling, turns and it should corner not give a feeling it will flip over if I turn too fast. That's my expectations.