Uzcanadian

Hey all. I realize I’m not going to get much sympathy here but just wondering if anyone else feels the same way way. I’ve been into cars my whole life and even work on the periphery of the field currently. I’ve owned many brands over the years but always like Toyota and Lexus which is why I’ve owned three of them in the last 10 years. My previous Lexus was a 2nd gen rx350 that I loved even though I had to do a number of repairs in the last few years. Anyway this winter I took the plunge and bought a very lightly used 2017 rx350 with only 30k miles from the dealer and I have a terrible case of buyers remorse that is shown if no sign of going away 3 months after the purchase. I am not elderly - in fact I only turned 40 but I find the electronics and technology in this vehicle a constant source of annoyance and frustration. I bought the stand model hoping to avoid as much as possible but it’s still full of gadgets I neither want or need. My second major criticism is about how this car drives. I know it’s no Mazda miata but this is the most uninspiring drive I’ve ever had. My 2nd gen Rx was not a great handling unit by any stretch of the imagination but I felt like I still had some semblance of road feel. This thing is just numb and feels like a big cumbersome barge. The 8 speed transmission also doesn’t help with the experience either but hoping they can install some new software at least for that when it goes in for the fuel pump recall.

I am a bit stuck as I don’t feel like taking a massive bath by trading it in but having a car I like is important to me.

I’m not trying to trash the car but only offer my honest experience. Has anyone else felt similarly?

lgb0250

Most of us have had some form of buyers remorse over the years. I could lecture you on test drives, etc, etc, etc. But, that would be a waste of time at this stage. See what your vehicle is being bought for by the major players such as Carvana and Vroom. They will give you a price almost immediately and then you will have an idea of what your vehicle is actually worth at this point in time. Then you can shop intelligently for a new ride. Don’t compound one problem by creating another. Used vehicles are bringing premium prices right now. This won’t last for much longer. Then again, you can always suck it up and keep it a few years before bailing but if you can’t stand it it’s probably better to cut bait and run.

Freds430

The RX is the #1 selling luxury SUV . It sells more then 40% more then the #2 the Mercedes GLC. Point being one does not dominate the market that the masses think has a boring ride and that the masses find the technology and electronics a constant source of annoyance. A second generation RX is between 12 and 17 years old and you mentioned you have to spend money on repairs in the last couple of years. Too Funny! We are on our sixth Lexus and have not had one in the shop for anything other than routine maintenance. It is impossible to read your comments without asking did you not test drive it for an extended period. The 2017 ride in the RX is worlds better than our previous 2015 and 2010.

Every time I think about our 2017's, an ES and RX, not having Android Auto or the top infotainment system, I remind myself 9 out of the last 10 years #1 in reliability the other year #2, # 1 in customer loyalty, #1 in customer satisfaction, the lowest depreciation and by far the lowest in cost to maintain in the luxury class it reminds me of my great choices. No auto is going to be perfect for everyone. Every 30,000 miles it cost be under $700 to maintain both vehicles.

Cocal

The electronics are a PITA all car manufacturers are adding them more & more as they become a selling feature and not a useful one necessarily.
For the second point it's the nature of SUVs and the bigger they are the more pronounced this un-inspiration is and why I prefer sedans, but alals my wife does not. Also today people are buying cars like appliances, how many cup holders, USBs phone plays or connex are there. Very few care about braking & handling performance.

pbm317

From winter to now, unless you massively overpaid, you could be able to dump it without much pain as used car values have risen quite a bit, would think especially for something low mileage like your 2017.

Carvana exists to some extent in Canada, should be easy to get a bid from them, as others have said.

Maybe try something from Mazda? Although those have some horrid user interfaces with the radio/infotainment as well.

mikemu30

Mazda CX-5 - rented one last week while on vacation. Plenty of those owners must have buyer's remorse - what an awful vehicle. In any event, we bought our 2017 RX new, 55K miles on the clock now and it's been pretty perfect - living room couch on wheels. It's no sports car for sure. OP should test drive an ES if the desire is for a sportier smoother sedan ride.

ravenuer

If you consider an RX350 as a luxury car, it doesn't get much better than that.

Uzcanadian

Well agreed, I should have test driven better I guess. I thought I did and took it practically as long as I could have from the dealer but sometimes it's really hard to see all the things you will find annoying over the longer term on a rest drive. Regardless, the fault is mine and I accept it. I guess it will be a learning experience and yes, I can take some consolation in the fact that used prices are up at the moment. As I bought it from a dealer, it wasn't a smoking deal but it wasn't a horrible price either.

artem123

I see potentially 2 outcomes from it. First, you take a plunge, trade it in or sell it, and get something you like, or, Second, which I personally took, just be happy with what you got! Despite many drivers loving it for what it is, in my opinion, Rx is not flying as high as many says. But hey, life is too short to sweat and lose brain cells over this!

Uzcanadian

I am a Lexus and Toyota fan and I did not come here looking for a fight by any means, but I cannot resist making the point that high sales do not necessarily indicate the best vehicle by any means (take the J body cavalier for example or some of the American trucks). I realize this isn't a completely fair comparison but my point is, that sales numbers do not necessarily mean greatness so anyone but the manufacturer.

I cannot comment on your Lexus vehicles but when I was looking for a my first second gen which I bought used, I viewed several that had leaking power steering racks (very common issue on a second get), and those had only around 100,000 KM. I expect any older car to have some repairs and basic upkeep, so I did not hold it against the car when the second one I purchased needed some of these common repairs but let's not pretend they are made of fairly dust.

Yes, Lexus vehicles have excellent satisfaction which is exactly the reason that I bought this one and have previous bought them. Modern vehicles are scary with their mountains of electronics and it seemed like the best bet and the size seemed about right. It seemed logical when looking at the facts and other options. Perhaps that was my problem, I was too logical and left out any passion.

Uzcanadian

Well that's the million dollar question, is what to get instead. This vehicle seemed like it made the most sense, which is why I bought it in the first place. I am almost thinking of just looking for a super low mileage older Gen that's as new, although I don't know if the wife will go for that!

Badhobz

Uz im more or less in the same boat as you. I had some buyer's remorse after the first month (should have bought a Japan-made 350L), but its getting better now.

I got the 4th gen rx after having a great experience with the 2nd gen 400h that I gave to my dad. I still love the 400h WAY more than this new RX but I was able to fix most of the issues I had with the car.

Pros
- I bought it for 47k tax in. Not a smoking deal, but for a fully loaded one with only 36,000kms on it, it's okay. It also is a certified Lexus pre-owned with 1 previous owner, full-service records, and no accidents or claims. It's the fully loaded executive model so I got all the tech I wanted (360 camera and thigh extension are the most important to me).
- Im pretty sure it'll be reliable over the long haul. Much more than a german equivalent. The 2grfks engine is pretty stout. I have the same 2GR (not the FKS) in my 2010 ES and its never skipped a beat.
- maintenance costs are quite reasonable on the RX
- decent gas mileage for a mid-sized SUV. Im getting 13L/100km in the city on regular gas.

Cons
- drives like meh.... but it's a crossover, not a sports car so whatever
- interior fit and finish are super cheap.... but I was able to remedy all the squeaks and rattles myself with some sound-isolating tape. Taking apart the trim wasn't something I expected to have to do on a Lexus.
- driver seat rail bolt creak, but I'm going to have the dealer look at it. I lubed it with some lithium grease but its still audible
- A trim piece fell off the sunroof by itself... literally fell on top of my dog's head. Looks like it was just glued in and will need to be replaced by the dealer.

Other than that, I went into the purchase with a few "key" needs in mind
1) has to be reliable
2) has to be quiet, refined, and comfortable
3) has to be an improvement on safety (360 camera, auto emergency braking, radar cruise, lane keep, etc)

I would say the 4th gen RX checks these 3 boxes. If you need your SUV to be a rocket or need it to handle like its on rails or even need it to have the latest tech, then its probably not a good fit.

053xr

You did at least one thing right - bought a pre-owned! You're in a good place to sell privately today and probably break even (given the current situation).
On the other hand, no car is perfect - there will be tradeoffs no matter what make/model you go with: maintenance headaches, reliability, fuel economy, resale value, comfort, noise, build quality, etc.
Also, gone are the days when we held on to our cars for decades and I feel like next year or two will re-shuffle a lot in car buying and driving habits.
Until then - at least you're driving a very safe, highly reliable, (somewhat) efficient, highly desirable luxury car which will offer a great resale value when you're ready for the next step!

fleury777

So I actually had the same exact situation as you here. I picked up a CPO 2017 RX350 AWD with 29K miles last September, and had buyers remorse after. I’d say the remorse kicked in at about the 6 months mark.

I had the droning/vibration issue, engine ticking noise at cold start, interior squeaks and rattles, etc. The other big annoyance was the heavy body roll and uninspiring ride.

I brought the vehicle in for TSB applications and the fuel pump recall fix, so had the chance to drive the 2020 model as a loaner. The 2020+ model has less body roll with the stiffer chassis and thicker sway bars, and doesn’t seem to have the droning noise at low RPM, or at least not as noticeable.

I ended up selling the car to Vroom a few weeks ago, and was able to get a decent price given the sky high car prices now. I was initially thinking about just buying a new 2021 RX350 as a replacement, but then realized that the dealerships are barely discounting those vehicles now.

At this point, I’m just going to hold off on buying a replacement and probably go with a Tesla Model Y later in the year.

In my opinion, if you’re very disappointed in the vehicle, I’d say sell it to one of the online car dealers now to take advantage of the high used car prices and offers, and just move on.

coolbrazz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uzcanadian

Hey all. I realize I’m not going to get much sympathy here but just wondering if anyone else feels the same way way. I’ve been into cars my whole life and even work on the periphery of the field currently. I’ve owned many brands over the years but always like Toyota and Lexus which is why I’ve owned three of them in the last 10 years. My previous Lexus was a 2nd gen rx350 that I loved even though I had to do a number of repairs in the last few years. Anyway this winter I took the plunge and bought a very lightly used 2017 rx350 with only 30k miles from the dealer and I have a terrible case of buyers remorse that is shown if no sign of going away 3 months after the purchase. I am not elderly - in fact I only turned 40 but I find the electronics and technology in this vehicle a constant source of annoyance and frustration. I bought the stand model hoping to avoid as much as possible but it’s still full of gadgets I neither want or need. My second major criticism is about how this car drives. I know it’s no Mazda miata but this is the most uninspiring drive I’ve ever had. My 2nd gen Rx was not a great handling unit by any stretch of the imagination but I felt like I still had some semblance of road feel. This thing is just numb and feels like a big cumbersome barge. The 8 speed transmission also doesn’t help with the experience either but hoping they can install some new software at least for that when it goes in for the fuel pump recall.

I am a bit stuck as I don’t feel like taking a massive bath by trading it in but having a car I like is important to me.
I’m not trying to trash the car but only offer my honest experience. Has anyone else felt similarly?

Any vehicle around 2016 to present will have unwanted types of technology & safety features to protect us from ourselves. You will find out some of these features can be useful or just annoying and can be turned off.

As for the ride & drive it is a preferred taste in what one is expecting in an SUV everyone is different on what they like. If you rather have more of a sport handle the Jeep & Durango SRTs, BMW X-series, and the Porsche Cayenne will give you the performance drive & ride .

As for durability this is my second RX. I traded my 2016 with 30k miles for a 2020 and had no issues with either so far. The RX is rated one of the top most reliable SUVs out there in its price range. This does not change anything with your current purchase, but you have learned to take a closer evaluation on your next vehicle choice. Chime-in on your list of choices with the group we are all open-minded people here….