Pros: Material quality, design, comfort, car-like feel, interior versatility
Cons: Power only adequate, no FX35 in the handling department, no third row, some features gimmicky
The Bottom Line: If your top priority is luxury in a $40,000 SUV, you've found the right vehicle. For a third row or driving thrills, you'll want something else.
Few people take SUVs off road. Instead, they want them for their high seating position, cargo and people hauling abilities, and rugged (non-minivan) image. At the same time, conventional SUVs’ ponderous handling and rough ride, due to their truck chassis, are unwelcome. Noting most SUV buyers’ true needs, Toyota and Honda designed vehicles that combined SUV bodies with car chassis. Toyota created the RAV4 off the Corolla, and Honda created the CR-V off the Civic. Now, everyone else is doing the same thing. But at first it was just Toyota and Honda, and only for the Japanese and European markets. Americans were not seen to desired such small “cute utes.” But Toyota’s U.S. dealers asked for the RAV4, and eventually Toyota obliged them for the 1996 model year. It sold better than expected here, so Honda followed with the CR-V in 1997.
The two then set about creating car-based SUVs tuned more precisely to American tastes. Toyota was easily the first to market, introducing the Camry-based Lexus RX 300 five years ago as an early 1999. It was an instant hit, soon becoming the best-selling Lexus model. Since then everyone else has joined the fray. For 2004 Lexus introduces the first second-generation upscale car-based SUV. What have they done to stay ahead of the pack? I took a look to find out.
Lexus RX 300 Reliability
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Styling
A few months before Lexus launched the RX 300, Mercedes introduced the similarly styled (but body-on-frame) ML320. Who copied whom? Although the similarity might be sheer chance, Mercedes has a much longer lead time and displayed show cars based on the ML well in advance of the vehicle’s introduction. Lexus has also repeatedly knocked-off Mercedes’ styling. So I’ll hazard a guess that Lexus copied Mercedes this time around. Of course, Buick then knocked-off elements of the Lexus for its Rendezvous, so I guess what goes around comes around. (Hyperlinks like these lead to my reviews of these other vehicles.)
Of the three similarly styled SUVs the Lexus was to my eye the most attractive. The Mercedes looked plain and downscale in comparison, while the Buick’s proportions need work. Despite a decent amount of ground clearance, the finely detailed styling typical of Lexus clearly identified the RX as meant for comfortable commutes on the pavement. Of special note: the RX introduced clear-lens tail lamps to the U.S. market.
Inside, the original RX struck me as gimmicky, with many controls making us of a centrally-located flat panel display.
For the second-generation, Lexus has taken the same basic character in a more extreme, sportier direction, mostly courtesy of more steeply raked rear pillars that are blacked out to appear even more steeply raked than they are. The front end has a racier slope to it as well (leading to a bit much front overhang). The sides are fuller in the BMW X5 idiom, with clearly defined flares around the wheel openings.
All in all, the new RX catches the eye in a way that the old one did not. It’s a much bolder, tougher looking vehicle, at least with the optional 18” five-spoke alloys (you want them). The first one had a toyish look to it. This one does not. Aside from the changes to the styling, the new vehicle has more presence because it’s larger, with six inches more length and an inch more width. (Wheelbase grows by four inches.)
The main element of the exterior styling I do not like is the tail lamps. Where the old RX had red circular lamps behind a clear lens, the new one has entirely silverish lamps. On lighter-colored RX 330s this looks okay, but on the dark ones I always find it jarring.
It so happens that even though the RX 330 has only been on sale for a few months a lot of them have been catching my eye. Even up here in domestic-leaning Michigan it seems to be selling very well.
Inside the new RX is flat-out beautiful. The quirkiness of the original is gone. The interior styling is not entirely conventional, but it is entirely tasteful. Especially welcome: the dash now flows cleanly down into the center console, without the econo-car-like gap of the original. (Those who prefer this gap because it provides a place on the floor to put stuff can slide the center console back a few inches.)
The most noticeable interior design element is a U-shaped titanium-colored trim piece in the center stack. This piece melds perfectly with the functional controls, displays, and vents it encompasses. Unlike some recent excessive applications of such trim, it lends the perfect accent.
More subtle is the beautifully shaped fold-down rear armrest. Yes, the rear armrest. From the style and design of this piece, with its storage compartment covered in organically contoured leather and its cupholders covered by a subtly curved wood panel, it’s possible that more thought went into it than some manufacturers put into the entire interior. Lexus has always been thorough, but the new RX interior takes thorough to a new height.
More traditional elements are also handled very nicely. Leather covers the armrests and door panels as well as the seats. It is very soft, rich-feeling leather. Glove leather. Why isn’t leather in other cars nearly this nice? I would suspect Lexus had neglected durability, but then it has a well-deserved reputation for durability. Even though I’ve driven much more expensive vehicles, the only leather I can recall as nice as this (nicer, actually) is the optional stuff in the Lexus LS 430. Most other leather feels like vinyl in comparison.
I especially appreciate the use of soft leather on the door armrest. I drive with my left hand, and a comfortable armrest for my left elbow earns big points in my book.
When Lexus first introduced the LS 400, it was a bit short on wood, with just a few pieces on the center console and window switch panels. The new RX suffers no such shortcomings. Just the right amount of wood is precisely inlaid into the center console and entire length of the door armrests. If you want more, a wood-rimmed steering wheel and wood gearshift knob are optional. I’d pass. Wood on steering wheels can be unexpectedly hot and slick in my experience. The vehicle I drove thankfully lacked this option.
If the IS 300 compact sedan and wagon had an interior this nicely finished, it would be a much more appealing car. Sadly, it seems Toyota won't be upgrading that cars odd, plasticky interior until they redesign the entire car in a couple of years.
The RX 330's instruments are large, round, and aside from the electroluminescent graphics Lexus amazed the world with back in 1989 thoroughly conventional. In my book, conventional in instruments is good. Save the wacky stuff for something I don’t have to look at and actually use all the time.
Typical of Lexus, the controls are very well designed, both good-looking and easy to figure out and use. The RX I drove lacked the nav system, so I cannot comment on its ease of operation.
Accommodations
The driving position is SUV-high, significantly higher than in recent crossovers like the Infiniti FX35 and Chrysler Pacifica. The view forward is excellent. That to the rear is hampered a bit by the racily sloped pillars and high tail, but extra large side mirrors compensate somewhat. A rear-view camera is included with the nav system, but the vehicle I drove lacked this feature. I personally tend to see this as gimmicky, but the RX always had a bleeding edge quality to its content, and if it wants to stay out front such a camera is expected these days. (Gotta keep up with Infiniti.)
On the other hand, if I had to live with the RX's poor rear visibility--low objects are especially hard to see while backing up--I might see the camera as less of a gimmick. (At least one owner has mentioned in an Epinions review that they wish they'd ordered the camera.)
The front seats are very comfortable, and even offer a moderate amount of lateral support. A wheel that tilts and telescopes makes finding the perfect position easy.
The rear seat is comfortably shaped. Split 40-20-40, the outside portions recline. Reclining them could be easier, as the control is on top of the seat, but I can easily imagine the usefulness of this feature on long trips. The rear seat slides fore-and-aft, so rear legroom can be traded for cargo room. Even in their forward position rear legroom is adequate. The only thing I would like is a slightly higher cushion for better thigh support.
A rear-seat entertainment system is available, but was not on the RX I drove. No doubt useful for small trips. A bit overpriced at $1,840, though. Others I’ve seen lately are much closer to a thousand.
The rear seat folds in three sections. Potentially only the center section can be folded, allowing two people to ride alongside some long cargo (e.g.. skis). Folding the seats is easy, a single step. No need to fold the cushion separately or remove the headrests.
Notably still lacking is a third row seat. Lexus has chosen not to match Acura, Buick, and Volvo in this respect. In my mind it could be the largest limitation of the RX 330.
The rear hatch is easy enough to open and close. But for those who want life even easier, a power hatch is available (and included in four of the five option packages.) It would make opening the hatch with my hands full a bit easier, but then when I go shopping I tend to put my bags in a shopping cart. If I can get out my key fob, I can just as easily open a hatch. Maybe I’d see the point better if I owned one? Otherwise, $400 I’d rather not spend. My neighbors will have to get their jollies elsewhere.
Cargo space is very good. Lexus actually claims the new RX offers ten more cubic feet than the old, for a total of 85. This would put it ahead of the Acura MDX by a couple feet, and other competitors (aside from the Volvo XC90) by a few more. To me it doesn’t look quite that large, but still large enough. There are a couple of small storage compartments under the floor.
On the Road
The new RX looks sportier. By forgoing a third row, Lexus has reinforced this positioning by limiting the utility of the SUV. But does it drive sportier?
To give the RX 330 the best shot at being fun to drive, I tested one with the “Performance Package.” It turns out that most of the stuff your $5,455 buys isn’t performance-oriented. Yes, the package does include those 18-inch alloys. But these wheels, albeit perhaps not in a graphite finish, are a very reasonable $215 option with any of the non-sport packages. It also includes a manual-shift feature for the automatic transmission and (I believe) slightly stiffer suspension settings. What the remaining five grand buys is leather, power tilt-and-telescoping wheel, moonroof, roof rack, height-adjustable air suspension, HID headlamps that swivel a bit when you turn, rain-sensing wipers, and power hatch. What most of this stuff is doing in a performance package escapes me.
Only one engine is available, a 3.3-liter V6. The new RX weights about 150 pounds more than the old one (for a total around 4065 with all-wheel-drive, still on the low side for an SUV). To compensate, the engine has gained 300 cc’s, good for another ten horses and twenty ft-lbs. of torque (new totals 230 and 242). Lexus claims a 0-60 just a bit on the good side of eight seconds. Perhaps it’s good for that. What I can say is that the amount of power seemed just adequate for this sort of vehicle. The Acura MDX feels stronger. The Infiniti FX35 feels much stronger. The Lexus is considerably quieter than either, and the lower sensation of acceleration that results is no doubt partly to blame.
The larger V6 remains smooth, silky, and quiet. The EPA ratings are fairly good for an SUV: 18/24 with all-wheel-drive, 20/26 without it.
Handling similarly falls short of thrilling. The RX does handle nimbly enough, feeling much like a tall midsize car. It lacks the sense of heft present even in other car-like SUVs. But the steering effort is too light and the level of steering feedback is too low for the RX to appeal to a driving enthusiast. Lean is moderate, which is to say considerably more than in the FX35. At least with the optional 235/55HR18 Goodyear Eagle RS-A’s the RX 330 will go through curves quickly when forced, but this retains the nature of a reserve capacity rather than the primary mission of the vehicle. An LS 430 is much the same way.
A note on the Performance Package’s air suspension. It can raise the vehicle for more ground clearance or lower it for sportier handling. Before anyone gets carried away, I should point out that the adjustments involved are quite small compared to those in SUVs from Land Rover, VW, and Porsche. High is an inch above the base setting. Low is half an inch below the base setting. Big whoop. I drove the RX 330 with the suspension set to “lo,” but doubt this made a significant difference. Once again I fail to see the point. If someone ever takes one of these off-road the extra inch might come in handy. But everything else about the RX 330 screams “stay on the pavement.” As for the low setting, why not just make it the base setting. If you’re not off-road, what’s the advantage of sitting half an inch higher? Heck, when my current car’s tires are low on tread I’m sitting a quarter-inch lower. It’s just not a significant amount.
Ride quality is very good for an SUV (i.e. vastly superior to the Infiniti, and noticeably better than the Acura). A small amount of bobbing was effected by some bumps, making clear that this is a vehicle with a high center of gravity and softish suspension, but generally body motions were well controlled.
As I’ve already noted, the RX 330 is very quiet for an SUV, significantly quieter than the competition from Acura and Infiniti. Some road noise was present with the Goodyear performance tires. Nothing objectionable, but some people might expect silence in a Lexus. The base tires are likely quieter.
Pricing
For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.
The remainder of this section dates from when the review was first written.
The all-wheel-drive RX 330 I drove with Performance Package, $540 heated seats, and $160 towing packaged listed at $43,155. Edmunds suggests virtually no discounting, which I don’t doubt given the number I’m already seeing on the road.
A word on that towing package: Order it and you can’t get the $600 dynamic laser cruise control that automatically maintains a safe distance from the car in front of you. I sampled this feature in an LS 430a few years ago. Pretty nifty. At $600 it’s a bargain compared to what others charge (i.e. three grand in a Mercedes SL). The Performance Package also limits your options: you cannot get the uplevel Mark Levinson audio system with it. Strange limitation.
Because I see little benefit from many of its features, I’d personally pass on the “Performance Package.” I might even pass on all-wheel-drive, but it’s kind of expected in such a vehicle and is very reasonably priced at $1,400. ($1,750 is the common, Audi-established price for all-wheel-drive.) Instead, the best value to me seems the $2,145 “Premium Package,” which includes leather, moonroof, power adjustments for the steering wheel, and roof rack. Add $215 for 18-inch wheels with performance tires and $540 for heated seats and the total comes to $39,900. So close to a nice, round number. Just a coincidence?
I’ll save detailed price comparisons for when other 2004s are out. Generally, an Acura MDX, Chrysler Pacifica, or Infiniti FX35 will run you a few thousand less. The Acura and Chrysler offer a third row, while the Infiniti offers a much sportier experience. Where the Lexus bests any of them is in the stellar quality of its interior materials and general comfort. The Nissan Murano has sporty styling and a similarly package to the RX 330, and costs much less, but its interior materials and ride comfort are vastly inferior. Know your priorities, and you’ll know which is best for you.
Final Words
The new styling may be sportier, but the RX 330 remains very much a Lexus, for all the good and bad that implies. It’s easy to drive, but not thrilling. A third row remains unavailable, but cargo space is plentiful. There are many new features, but some seem a bit gimmicky. Most of all, materials and comfort are first-rate. With the possible exception of the much pricier Range Rover, you cannot buy a better-appointed SUV. Even with the “Performance Package,” the RX is about relaxation, not exhilaration.
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 43,155
Model and Options: AWD, Perf Pkg, heated seats, towing
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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