RXman4me

So I thought I would post my experience with my new to me 2017 RX350 (Eminent white, base 4WD with Nav and premium 20 inch wheels) now that I have owned it for a bit over 6 months. This is the first SUV I have owned coming from Infinti cars (sedans and a convertible). The RX only had 35K on the clock and is in nearly pristine condition. I only average about 9K miles per year although I have taken it on 3 separate trips of 300 or more miles since I have owned it. In summary, my pros and cons are as follows:

Pros: Styling - I know it is subjective and some find the front grill to be a bit too much but I like the current body style.
Ride - As smooth and quiet as one would expect from a Lexus.
Comfort - Very comfortable front seats. Plenty of leg room in the second row. Ample space in the rear for storage.
Maintenance - Clearly one of the cheapest luxury cars to maintain - especially for a DIYer like me. Oil and filter changes are a breeze. Scheduled maintenance items are very affordable and basic.
Gas mileage - OK for what it is. I only drive spirited on occasion and don't race to the next red light so I average a bit over 20 to 21 in mixed driving.
Driving aids - For the most part, they work well. The LKA works well on the highway, the parking sensors are extremely helpful (would like the 3D overhead view when backing but don't have that package) and rear cross traffic alert is very good.

Cons: Height of door panels - oftentimes at drive through ATM's or other such places, it is difficult to reach out to lower points outside the vehicle.
Handling - OK, I get it's an SUV designed to carry you in comfort but the handling is, in a word, lousy. I test drove a used SC 430 before I bought the G37 convertible and the G literally ran circles around it. I guess its a Lexus hallmark.
Infotainment - I'm OK with the mouse interface after I adjusted the sensitivity but the Nav system is No Bueno. On several of the long trips we have taken it refuses to re-route and insist on taking U-turns constantly to go back to the previous turning point. We finally gave up and turned it off.
Transmission - This is my absolute biggest issue with the vehicle (I know its been covered elsewhere on the forum). The mapping is simply atrocious in eco mode and only marginally better in sport mode. It defaults to eco every time the car is started up so you have to remember to put it in sport. At highway speeds with the cruise engaged and rolling hills, it is absolutely lost with no idea what gear to be in. When reaccelerating after slowing down (to make a right turn, for example), it sputters and kicks between gears several times even when applying a level throttle. It is, without a doubt, the worst feature of this SUV. I'm seriously considering moving on to something else (I typically keep my vehicles upwards of 10 years) even with the inflated prices of vehicles - both new and used - these days. Between the soft handling and the terrible shifting, I'm not sure its a keeper.

All just my 2 cents. Points and counterpoints welcome.

bamalam

Good review. Others on the forum know much more about the transmission issue than me, but have you reset the ECU and/or investigated whether applicable TSBs have been applied? My recollection is that some owners have had a better experience after one or both of those things have been done.

jimbosr1

You should be able to set sport mode as the default mode in the info system.

Lexspeed

OP, thanks for the informative review and observations. It's always good to hear others experiences. Your transmission issues do sound frustrating. In my short time of owning my 2022, I'll have to report an entirely different experience. Mine has three settings, econo, normal and sport. Mine defaults to normal. I mostl have drive in normal and sport. The gear selection and shifting has been butterly smooth and just right. This RX has the best auto tranny of any vehicle I've ever owned. Does the '17 and the '22 have the same tyranny? LOL Lexus has obviously made some improvements one way or another. Definitely get that checked out.

The RX's cushioned, near floating, suspension produces a luxurious ride. I've found this to be both good and bad, depending if I'm cruising on the highway or taking tight turns faster than I should be going. The RX is rather ponderous and not confidence inspiring on the twisties. But, I am pleased. I wanted a luxo-cruiser and that's what I got.

WisconsinB

I don't own a Lexus RX but a Highlander. I might be buying a 2022 RX, so I have been lurking here and would like to offer some advice. When I saw you do your own oil changes, thought that maybe you might want to consider doing your own transfer fluid change and rear axle fluid change if your vehicle is AWD. I changed the fluid on my Highlander after one year and only about 8K and the transfer case (which is located next to the transmission pan, don't mix them up) was black and the rear axle was also black. The color of the fluid is not a indicator of fluid life, but just thought I would mention that. There are a ton of articles on how to do those changes and really doesn't take that long with the right supplies. I changed the transfer case the next year and it was clear so skipped the 3rd year but did the rear axle each year and it was black each time. Only have 20K on the 3.6 year old vehicle. Like I said, color of fluid is definitely not a indicator of how long the fluid will be effective, but it is not that hard so it makes me feel good.

Cocal

Nope you can't!

ravenuer

You are correct. IIRC, ECO and Normal could both be set as default, but not Sport.

RXman4me

I tried to peruse the vehicle settings and didn't see any options for changing the default mode upon start up. Perhaps this was a feature added to later models?

Also, I believe the RX still uses an 8 speed tranny but I'm guessing there have been some software tweaks along the way to improve its performance vs the earlier models.

Cocal

Yes there have been updates for the tranny, mine (2017) had 2 and on the 2nd it made a substantial difference.

bamalam

Yep. Sport and Custom modes do not survive an engine restart sequence. This is documented in the owners manual. (Custom mode is an F Sport feature, as I understand it.)

777rx400h

[QUOTE=The gear selection and shifting has been butterly smooth and just right. This RX has the best auto tranny of any vehicle I've ever owned. [/QUOTE]
Ummm your Driving a Lexus RX350??

jimbosr1

My F sport you can set the modes, thought they all did.

RXman4me

So I take it you had those done at your local dealer? Did they charge you for those? Also, since you are in Canada. I'm wondering if that makes any difference. I'm guessing your was built in CA whereas mine was built in Japan.