sharmila19

Thinking about buying a TX - never purchased a suv before.
I have driven Rangerover, Lincoln navigator, Cadillac escallade and infinity q80 ford expedition Xl and GMC Yukon.
All were rentals while on vacation - for our family of 4 - two teenagers about the head to college in a couple of years.
I own ES 350 UL 2014 and absolutely love it.
Now lately developing some back pain.

This car will be for wife. Due to stop sale - unable to test drive.
My criteria - is to spend the minimum while getting the best bang for the buck.
I am thinking that 350 AWD Luxury vs Premium but if the extra for the hybrid would be worth it then would be willing to consider it.

While I could afford the car, I think value for what I get is the most important factor.
The main criteria is -comfortable seats - I am about 5-11 170 lbs. Wife is tin¥ 5'1 with 100 lbs
Kids are 6 ft and 5 1/2 ft.

What would you choose ?
Would this car be able to take >150 k miles ?
Is maintenance reasonable - like ES?

Again - I am grateful for any advice.

sheetmetalfab

I’m picky about vehicle seats.

the TX premium has been the best Lexus seat I’ve found.

only reason to get the hybrid is if you want more power. The fuel economy will never pay off.

did a 10k mile road trip with zero back pain.

better than the 2023 GX
better than the 2024 RX
better than the 2008 is250
better by far than the 2010 LX570

sharmila19

Thankyou ! This is very encouraging...

Phyn

This is kind of selling me! I've been back and forth between the RX and the TX. The TX is rarely in stock here at my dealership, at least the Luxury trim and beyond. They have a few models around with a base trim, but I've gotten to test drive a RX Luxury trim, and found it comfortable. My problem is that I currently have a big dog (sitting around 85 lb) and I'd like to have a kid in the next year or so. So I figured having 3 rows could be really nice, to be able to fit the dog, a kid, and potentially another friend/family member.

sheetmetalfab

the TX rides smoother than the RX.

fits 2 adults and 5 kids age 12-18 very well.

I would never put an animal in any of my vehicles though so I can’t help with how that works.

coolbrazz

Coming from owning an 2016 & 2020 RX350. The 2024 RX350 rode & drove small for some reason, just didn't like it. The TX had a very smooth ride and drove well. Don't expect it to handle and perform like a BMW X5 type of SUV but more like an luxury cruiser type. You'll have plenty of luggage space if the third row seat is down, and plenty of leg & head room. As for Lexus service and car issues. I had zero problems from the dealer or with either of the RX's I had, but only put around 30k miles on my last 2. I understand all Lexus dealership aren't equal. I just happen to have a very good one in Raleigh, NC. I just came back from an 500 mile trip to the mountains and it was a comfortable drive. I only got 23mpg but only have 3500 miles on it so far. It's better than the 18 mpg I had around the 900 mile mark. The jury is still out on TX's first year model durability.

UTME06

I don't have direct experience with your other options, but we have been happy with the TX. It fits me and my wife very well (5'10 and 5'8). She also had a comfy seat requirement and is not a fan of my F150 and previous Explorers because the arm rests are/were too wide. The TX back and 3rd row are huge and will fit a 6'er easily.

The jury is out on Toyota's turbo engines, but other brands have been doing it for years and unless Toyota has completely given up on their history of quality there is no reason to believe that these engines won't be fine for 200k. BUT, change that oil... turbo engines run hot and have tiny holes for oil delivery.

I would recommend the TX overall. Mine is a premium 350 AWD. Beautiful interior, comfortable, and surprisingly powerful enough to feel like a luxury car even with that relatively tiny engine. The only subjective complaint I have is that there is basically no interior lighting (this comes with objective consequences when you can't find your chap stick in the center console after 7PM).

Some personal preference comments...

GM lost me on their decision to nix Apple car play and Android auto. I wouldn't consider any of their vehicles with that kind of anti-consumer, pay-for-a-service-you-already-pay-for-that-isn't-nearly-as-good approach.

Based on our similar seat requirements and a long history with Ford, the Expedition or Navigator probably won't fit your wife... however, our 1B choice was the Nautilus. No third row, but it's actually a couple inches wider and has similar cargo area. The interior is designed for a smaller frame and the giant screen is actually great and didn't seem to be a gimmick but a well thought out feature. It also has hands free driving (subscription based, but you can easily negotiate a three year included) and even Ford's hands on assist is immeasurably better than the Lexus implementation. I recently got a Ford with this feature and if I had experienced with it before we purchased, it would have put the Nautilus over the top. (it's definitely the one that got away for me ; but we are also very happy with the TX).

No personal experience with Nissan products, but have seen a friend's Murano go 300k (it ran fine but the driver door handle fell off which basically totaled it) and then saw the new one he got and it was amazing inside. But fugly outside!
I did 7 years in Audis... unless money is no object, you pay more up front and repairs are a solid 5x every time with European brands. Pretty sure the dealership charged me $100 every time I drove by! Range Rovers look awesome, but there are so many great options (in your list) that won't cost $2k to calibrate your collision sensors after hitting a racoon (true story).

You can't really go wrong with your list (unless you spend $200/yr so your navigation works with that GM garbage ). If there is no rush, wait for the TX airbag issue to get fixed so you can test drive them all.

Excitable Boy

I too am value oriented. Not cheap. I'll spend good money for things that are important to me. As an outside regional sales manager for the past nearly 30 years in the Southwest US, I've always driven a mid size SUV since I too my first rep job. I spend a fair amount of time in my SUV and often have to transport executives from our vendors, take a few guys to lunch or haul some big speaker samples. I've owned a couple of Explorers from the late 90s, some early 2000s Grand Cherokees and four Honda Pilots which I drove since 2007 until I bought my TX in May. .

My TX500h F Sport is the best SUV I've ever owned. When I finally decided that I wanted to replace my past Pilot, I looked at a few SUVs. I really wanted to love the Acura MDX SLine. It checked a lot of boxes, but I hated the tech and the weird touch pad interface. I looked at the Genesis GX80 and while plush, I didn't like the driving experience. It felt like driving a small city block around. To me, the TX F Sport strikes a really nice balance between utility and something that's not boring to drive. It's got a great feature set, lots of room, a great sound system (Mark Levinson) and comfy seats.

I'd recommend the TX, especially in the Hybrid version. It's not perfect, but it's damn good.