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Lexus RX 300

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  • gsenthilgsenthil Member Posts: 154
    The local Costco quotes $130 for the 235s, while TireRack has them for $85. Even with shipping the cost for 5 tires shipped is $480, and Costco would mount them for $9 each ie, $45 for all 5 wheels. I am looking at a total of $525 installed.

    OnlineTires has them for $70 each so should be about $450 for 5 tires. Has anyone tried them yet?

    According to their (Costco) compatibility guide (some Bridgestone software) they said I could also upsize to 235 or 255/65 but the guy said the 255 would rub while turning because of the width. I am gonna try another Costco to see if they will install the 255s for me. Unfortunately the 245 is not an option :(

    It seems Costco is going to have a similar promotion like earlier in Jan again but TireRack's price is too tempting. I will go to the local Discount Tire and see if they will trade in my old tires AND pricematch.
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    cdnrx, what tires are on your RX?? OEM is from both Goodyear and Bridgestone. The Goodyear Integrity is a limp noodle of a tire that has two advantages: cheap and quiet. But it has very poor road feel and rolls over like an old dog thanks to flaccid sidewalls. There have been tracking/pulling issues in the past that ONLY corrected when the tires were replaced (and I am one of those owners). Almost ANYthing is better than those Goodyear rubber bands. The OEM Bridgestones are a great improvement, also.

    As you may note from other posts, Michelin CrossTerrains are quite popular and deservedly so. I replaced wifey's Goodyears at 26k with the CTXs shortly after that worthy was introduced and her vehicle was transformed, even with stock size.

    Have the alignment checked as well as tire pressure (regardless of what's on the car). If you do have the Goodyears, the only real "cure" is likely replacement. It is definitely worth it.
  • trmgatrmga Member Posts: 50
    Have 32K miles on '01 RX and have started to get brake squeal on left front wheel when easily applying the brakes. Took it to Lexus dealer yesterday and they had no problem hearing the squeal but could not figure out what was causing it. Disassembled the brake assembly and found nothing. I asked why they didn't try a new brake pad and the guy says brake pads are not a waranty item. I explained that they sure as hell are if they are defective and only have 32K miles on them. He agreed. The noise disappeared after they reassembled brake assembly but came back today althought not as bad. Only hear it when brakes applied very lightly. Anyone had this problem? Any idea what might be causing squeal? Thanks.
  • exc3exc3 Member Posts: 4
    Regarding your post, you stated that your dealer replaced your whole seat belt mechanism. Is the new seat belt tension less than before? Are you still getting nicks? Did they replaced your nicked pillar? Thanks for the info. I don't think they will covered the area under the door handle scratched by jewelry as posted by ruski.
  • kmhkmh Member Posts: 143
    Allow me to add clarification. The dealership, I believe, replaced the seatbelts in question. I'm not sure they replaced the entire assembly. I apologize if my post gave that impression.


    But the belt actually has more tension or "spring" when retracting. I think that's where the nicks came from originally because the old belts didn't retract all the way and got caught in the door.


    And, no, they didn't replace the pillar. I wish they would've though. As for the scratches under the door I've noticed them, too. But I only wear a wedding band so I can only conclude they come from my wife's jewelry. hmm. Maybe this means I can buy her less gems so as not to scratch the RX. :-)

  • landdriverlanddriver Member Posts: 607
    "Is the Highlander built in the same factory as the RX300?"


    My understanding is that they're built in the same factory, "side by side." I think its supposed to be Toyota's best factory, or otherwise recognized for excellence.

  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    At 29k or so, took '01 RX to dealer to replace front brakes which were quite noisy.

    Informed they replaced front pads and either resurfaced rotors or replaced them (forget which) at no charge whatsoever because of a TSB on this situation.

    So go back to your dealer and ask him to check TSB log on this situation. If they refuse, give Lexus a call and ask them to intervene.
  • rlui1rlui1 Member Posts: 93
    All this talk about seat belts reminded me of something. What's that unlocking noise that the seat belt assembly makes when you turn off the ignition?
  • jrdowneyjrdowney Member Posts: 96
    I've been following this board for some time. Thinking about an '01 used RX300. Currently have an '89 Acura Legend and used to own a Ford Explorer. Seems the RX combines the look and feel of both. I know it's not a 4WD vehicle but should be ok for mild off-road to the head of a bike trail, etc. Would you recommend such a purchase? Anything to look out for (besides engine sludge isssue).

    Thanks,

    Jim d.
  • gsenthilgsenthil Member Posts: 154
    Jim- How much are you getting the 2001 for? From what I have seen there is not much of a differnce between 2001 and new 2002/3 purchase especially with the end of the model year.
  • cdnrxcdnrx Member Posts: 4
    I had BFG's but replaced them with 235 Michelin Cross Terrains today. I hope this solves the wandering problem. The BFG's sucked in snow so I was going to replace them anyway. I went for the slightly wider 235's over the stock 225 primarily because of posts on this site. I will comment once we have had an opportunity to drive with the new tires. Thanks.
  • jrdowneyjrdowney Member Posts: 96
    Just starting to research prices. I would expect to get under $30k for a 2001 and have seen several "listed" around that price. What can I expect for a new vehicle?
  • clpurnellclpurnell Member Posts: 1,083
    should be had for around invoice because of the new model. Also there is 500 dealer cash right now. So a nicely loaded fwd 33k and a awd 34.5k
  • theciathecia Member Posts: 5
    I've read a lot of posts regarding these two tires. They both have a lot of proponents. (Everyone agrees that the Goodyear Integrity is a low budget tire on a high budget vehicle.) But which tire is the best? Tire Rack has a wonderful website at www.tirerack.com that gives detailed specs and rates all the major brands and some that you never heard of before. Go to http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/highwayas.jsp for ratings of about 50 SUV tires. The MCT rated 2nd place, several notches above the BDHL. The top spot by a very thin margin went to Yokohama Geolandar H/T Y816, which costs less than MCT or BDHL. Still, I'm going with the MCT's. So many satisfied drivers and the Michelin reputation can't be wrong.
  • theciathecia Member Posts: 5
    Thanks for the info fortek #6682 and #6686 and wwest #6664 and #6684. I guess I'm a little too conservative (or cheap) to make big changes in the suspension of the RX. I like the way it drives except for the excessive body roll when cornering. I think switching from Goodyear Integrity to Michelin CT will help with that. Also I'm going a size up to 235/70/16 instead of the original 225/70/16. Do you think I'll notice better stability with that, or is that not enough to make a difference? Also, if I use a 225 spare, which is 0.4 inches less radius than a 235, is that a big enough difference to cause damage to the suspension, say in a 100 mile trip?

    By the way, I'm pretty sure that the factory offset on the RX is +38mm. That's the answer I got from Clint at Martin Tire Co in El Paso, and from a couple of local dealers in Kentucky and Tennessee.
  • gsenthilgsenthil Member Posts: 154
    are for $70 at OnlineTires.com and $85 at TireRack.com
  • bradsteilbradsteil Member Posts: 6
    I went to Costco last weekend and they quoted me $140/tire which included value stems, and balancing. I called NTB (National Tire and Battery) and they wanted $160/tire and then another $14/tire for value stems and balancing. BOTH stated that there is a back order the Michelin CTs and it would be several weeks.

    I saw that someone had a quote from tire rack of $85 but when I went that site I got a price of $138/tire and around another $10.50 for shipping. What is the size that you did to get the $85/tire? I found that the 225s are the size for the RX300, burt I see some 235s mention in previous postings. I would think the 235s would be the same or slightly higher $s since they are a slightly larger tire.

    Can someone explain more about the $85/tire for the CTs, in that, I could only find a prices around the $138 - $160/tire.
  • lenscaplenscap Member Posts: 854
    The seatbelts are designed to lock up in an accident. This would prevent you from hitting your head on the steering wheel, dashboard or windshield. When you turn the ignition off you release the locking mechanism and allow for slack in the belts.
  • gsenthilgsenthil Member Posts: 154
    are for the 235/70/16 size not 225. Please read my post #6715 above yours
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    See post#6441 fot a price comparison at that time. I always thought it was strange that tire rack charged more for 225s than 235s. I guess it's supply and demand.
  • bradsteilbradsteil Member Posts: 6
    In regards to the 225 and 235 size for the RX, the 225 is what is currently OEM on the RX and if you change it to a 235, do I read that it does not require any change to the wheel or anything else? I am thinking for $55/tire price difference between the 225 and 235 size might make me consider changing the size to the 235 but wanted to validate that there is nothing to be concerned with (safety, etc.) with the 235 size.
  • cdnrx2cdnrx2 Member Posts: 3
    Just installed Michelin CT 235's on our 02 RX 4WD.The ride is significantly smoother and more controlled than the OEM Bridge"stones". I still feel the vehicle wander a little, but not as bad as with stock tires. What PSI are people inflating their 235's to. Door decal calls for 30psi, so I assume this applies for the larger 235's. To "bradsteil" the ride is vey stable with much better traction on wet and snow than the original tires. The OD is a little larger, but our dealer said there was no need to recalibrate spedo or transmission.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    According to a tire calculator your speedometer will now read 2.1% too slow.
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    Wifey's RX is on 225s and I run them at 35#. They now have 26k on them with no difference in wear between centers and edges. Lexus is overridingly interested in comfort for the RX, hence the 30# recommendation.

    Wifey thinks the CTXs at 35# are just fine from a comfort and noise standpoint and the handling is, of course, just that much better.

    bradsteil, I wouldn't recalibrate for 2%; between mechanical variance from mfgr and the difference in diameter that occurs between full tread down to replacement levels, you are well within acceptable range of variation. 2% @ 60 mph = difference of 1.2 mph.........I would not sweat it.
  • ravlravl Member Posts: 129
    Hey everybody! Ravl here...been awhile. I was knocked out by some quirk in my webtv system. I know, I know....but webtv's been good to me and I use it for newsgroups (and now here again!) only.

    Anyhoo, this tire size discussion. I'm curious why the width of the tire would have anything to do with changing the speedometer. I thought the height of the tire would be the factor in changing that. I, too, have been researching tires lately and understand the first number (235) to be width, 2nd number (70) to be height, and 3rd number (16, darnit!) to be wheel size. (I say darnit because this car screams for bigger wheels and wider tires.) I'd like to have 245-60-17. I just don't want to pay for it. :)

    Another question about the width--does going to the 235 cause you to lose any turn ratio? Does the wider tire cause more rubbing when going over bumps?

    BTW, I agree about the tire rack website. Isn't that one of the sites that allows you to 'try on' wheel packages on your car? It's great to be able to see all the different sizes of wheels as they would look on the RX. You can even get your color for the car model! The American Racing webiste also offers the 'try on' feature. Very kewl, IMO.
  • ravlravl Member Posts: 129
    I experienced the front brake squeal very early on-- at 2,500 miles! The dealer fixed the problem and it was gone for about 10,000 miles, but now it's back.
    When they took care of it for me the first time, they were sure to point out that it was a "good will gesture" on their part as brakes aren't a part of the warranty. So, IMO, if you got them to repair/replace at 20k something miles, then you have a good dealer.

    The reason I was given as to why they squeal so much now as to previous years, is the removal of asbestos as a brake pad agent.
    I think they just use cheaper quality pads and it shows.

    My squeal was the worst at drive thrus. Quite embarassing, actually, to hear a new Lexus squaling like a pig!
  • jiaminjiamin Member Posts: 556
    I think the 2nd number say 70, is the aspect ratio of rubber height to width. 70 here means 0.7 or 70%. I took my QX4 tire size as example. Its standard size is 245/70R16, the other size in the package is 245/65R17. I calculated the overall diameter and found they are slightly different.
  • avery1avery1 Member Posts: 373
    Anyone past 70,000 yet? I just did and am starting to hear some funny noises. Just wondering if they cut you off exactly at 70,000.

    Ravl-Can you email me about the web tv, pros and cons. I was thinking of getting one for my mom. avery1317@hotmail.com. Thanks
  • meraftmanmeraftman Member Posts: 5
    Welcome all, 1st time on,have read for the past several months and finally bought '99 on E bay. I think a pretty good deal. I live in Maine and drove in blizzard for the 1st time tonight. When cornering and step on the gas and the front wheels spin you can feel the rear wheels grab in a delayed, slow motion way spinning the car out,anyone else have this exp. Thanx
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Welcome to Town Hall (mecanoedude ). How was the eBay experience and how is the rubber on the Lexus?

    Steve, Host
  • thomcashthomcash Member Posts: 2
    I'm beginning to shop for an RX in metro Atlanta. Any news on what to expect for price, other than edmunds tmv (which says very close to msrp)? Jeez, for an outgoing model I would usually expect a deal. Most likely model would be fwd with value pkg and wood wheel.
  • meraftmanmeraftman Member Posts: 5
    Steve thanx for the welcome, E Bay experience was good,saved between 4 & 6,000.00 over what I could find locally,also got chrome alloys,very cool & somewhat unigue, fitted with new Bridgestone Duellers,seem fine so far.
  • ficklefickle Member Posts: 98
    Was the person/place you bought from close to where you live? How much did you spend on travel, etc. to purchase on ebay? I'm contemplating a purchase but since I live in Hawaii, everything is far away and I won't be able to do a live inspection. What are your thoughts/experieces with your purchase process?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Sounds like you did better than most, according to an article one of our editors wrote about eBay buying.


    Steve, Host

  • ranajoranajo Member Posts: 57
    We are plannng on purchasing a new 2003 RX300 in the very near future and as I research pricing, I am finding a lot of contradictory information on what I should expect to pay.

    We live in the Northern Virginia area - close to Washington DC - and I would really appreciate some guidance as to what might be a reasonable price to negotiate in relation to the MSRP/Dealer Invoice. I believe that there is a $500 dealer incentive in play at this time and the holdback is 2%.

    What would the best case scenario for pricing at this time and what should be the most that I should be willing to pay. I am looking at the AWD model with the Navigation System Package. I believe that the invoice price for the base AWD model is $33068 and the invoice price on the navigation package is $4667.

    Thanks for any suggestions.
  • meraftmanmeraftman Member Posts: 5
    Fickle, I bought from a mostly high end storefront dealer near Philly, about 400 miles from me in ME.They had over 500!positive feadbacks and my sister & brother-in-law looked the car over. It was also still under full warranty,36000 mi.It cost me $92.00 1st class on the train to get to Philly, a unique experience in itself. The retail on the car was over 31,000 and I paid 23,900. A little high but it does have the Nachamichi and chrome Alloys. The experience was a bit unnerving, wiring that much money to someone you've never met, but they were a legitimate, storefront car dealer. I looked at a few cars in TX & OK(on EBay) but that seemed a bit to daring and most were front wheel drive only or had 45,000-55,000 miles, to many for what I wanted. Hawaii might be a bit of a problem, but I'm sure there are specialists there that can give you a quote. My only experience with car shipping was when I had a stolen car found in NC and shipped back by the insurance Co. The shipper,(car carrier)did more damage than the thief! Good luck
  • t0677gt0677g Member Posts: 7
    Could you describe what funny noises you heard? My wife's RX is close to 70,000 and we start to hear some resonating noise and vibration in 4th gear only between 2200 and 1750 rpm and the outside temperature under 40. Thanks
  • avery1avery1 Member Posts: 373
    These noises are coming from what seems to be the suspension in the left front. I had the strut replaced under warranty on the right front but it was making different noises.
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    This is an update from a problem I was having a few weeks back (post 6645):
    I took my wife's RX to the dealer yesterday for 10,000 mile service plus to have a strange noise coming from the steering wheel column checked out It sounded like a rubbery, squeaky grind coming from within the steering wheel shaft. I demonstrated it for the service rep and he had heard it before. They "lubricated the steering wheel cable" and now the noise is gone. Also service experience was top-notch. The car came back sparkling clean inside and out.
  • rmorin2rmorin2 Member Posts: 110
    Our '00 RX300 has had for some time now a reverberating rumbling noise when idling in gear. When you put it in N or P, the noise goes away. Dealer has replaced exhaust system and motor mounts but the noise persists. It is much worse when the outside temperature is below 50 but will also occur at times during warm weather. Dealer is out of ideas. Anyone out there had a similar problem that was fixed? My wife bought this car because it was so quiet when idling. Other than this, it has been a great vehicle.
  • pdswaypdsway Member Posts: 14
    Hi...

    I'm looking for a set of tires for my 00 RX so I checked out tirerack.com and placed an order for the Michelin Crossterrains at the 235/70/16 size. Then Emily (from tirerack) contacted me and warned that these tires will rub on the rear strut since they are 1/2inch wider (also 7/10ths inch taller fwiw).

    Anyone using 235 tires on the 00 RX300 ok? I'm guessing the rear strut clearance is the same for all years of the RX300.

    Guess I'll go with more Bridgestone Dueler HT's if I cant do this, they were decent tires and MUCH cheaper (but out of stock on tirerack.com). Any other places to look for tires?

    PDS
  • rmorin2rmorin2 Member Posts: 110
    My local Sears store matched Tire Rack's prices on the Michelin Cross Terrains in the stock size. I have had them for about a year and they are great. Nice quiet ride, good grip, and good wear.
  • kvsm3kvsm3 Member Posts: 32
    I also have an RX300 but I needed tires for my 99 Maxima SE. I went to Costco and got Michelin Pilot Sport A/S for $185 each plus tax. This includes mounting and balancing, valves, and lifetime rotation. Tire Rack is $175 each before shipping and mounting and balancing.So I did get a good deal.
    You might want to try out Costco. They are also able to order tires they dont have in stock.
    so give them a try.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    Just came back home after a week-long vacation and started my RX 300. Engine started and all of a sudden made very loud bang-bang-bang noise and something rattled under the hood. The whole SUV also shook pretty hard. Eventually the noise and shaking faded away. What the hell was that?
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    oh yeah, for a while the engine felt like it was going to die, I had to press the gas pedal a bit to keep it going.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    I just received a coupon from Costco in the mail today offering $60 off for a set of 4 Michelin or Bridgestone tires (1/20-2/2).
    I purchased 4 225 CTs from Costco during a sale a few months back for $492. (mounted, balanced,new valve,lifetime free rotation and flat fix)
    Tire Rack is a little pricey for CTs in the RX 300 stock size of 225. It would come to $684 once you add in shipping, mounting, balancing and valve using numbers from their website.
    Tire Rack does sell 235 CTs for less than 225 CTs. I didn't get the 235's because I didn't want to deal with the speedometer error caused by the larger size and I would also have to replace the spare which is a brand new 225.
  • landdriverlanddriver Member Posts: 607
    Since you hadn't operated the vehicle for an extended period, its likely you flooded the engine when you started it up. Unless if the problem persists, it isn't cause for concern.
  • mooretorquemooretorque Member Posts: 241
    Though I have stock 225s on wifey's RX, a number of posters on ClubLexus (and here on Edmunds also, if memory serves) have had no problems with clearance with 235s. And yes, all RXs from 99 on have same rear strut clearance which precludes anything larger than 235 or larger wheels/tires unless spacers used.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    flooded the engine? with what?

    And I thought I knew mostly everything about cars :)
  • landdriverlanddriver Member Posts: 607
    Engine flooding is a condition typically caused by excessive gas pedal pumping while attempting to start a car (a likely scenario when a car hasn't been driven for a long time as the fuel will have drained from the fuel lines feeding the combustion chamber, forcing the driver to repeatedly pump the gas pedal to re-prime the fuel lines), resulting in excessive fuel being present in the combustion chamber. Under this condition the combustion chamber will operate erratically, resulting in very rough engine operation for several seconds at least. Backfiring can also occur, and the engine may jolt about. (Not the type of thing you tend to see in those commercials for smooth-running luxury cars...)

    You may find this link somewhat amusing, as it drives home a related topic: Water in the Carburetor
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