RX's cargo room is pretty useful. Don't forget you can move the rear seats forward 1-4 inches depends on the cargo room you need also depends on the comfort your rear passangers need. With Rear seats in the backward position, RX's cargo room is still larger than JGC. With the rear seats in forward position, RX's cargo room is nearly as much as ML.
One of the big pluses over over SUVs is the RX rear seat moveability. Pull them up and lots of cargo room. Push them back and you have the roomiest rear seats in the class. I just took, in the rear area, a Lazy-Boy chair, a golf bag, and two suitcases.
Surprised to see $950 incentive on Edmunds for Non value package RX's. That tells me that a these are not selling very well right now. I saw 30 at the dealer in Tulsa. Lease is $499 with 1,000 down 39 months on fwd loaded models. Not bad. INKy
I came across an article in a Dupont magazine that stated a company called DENSO will introduce a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) in 2001. The article reads: “The system will be the first to offer complete digital U.S. map coverage”. They claim to have successfully merged two mapping databases to create a single new database covering all U.S. Highways and urban and rural areas, Previousl6 DENSO navigation systems featured only U.S. Highways and urban areas. Geographic Data Technology, Inc of Lebanon, NH. and Navigation Technologies, Inc (NavTech) of Rosemont. IL supplied the two original databases for the system. Currently, DENSO navigation systems are available in the following North American vehicles: Lexus 400, Lexus GS S3edan, Jaguar S-Type and Cadillac Device and Seville.
For economical reasons, why can auto manufacturers develop a CD driven display to use already existing software like Delorme Street Atlas?
the MSRP of the RX300 i'm looking at is $44,400 w/ the nav package, tow package, htd seats, roof rack , wheel locks + cargo mat. $40,000 is the best price I can negotiate so far. I emailed CaptFM about that price he supposedly paid but i'm skeptical about the reality of that price. I have yet to hear from him w/ the details of the dealer etc.
At the dealer, I noticed that only some of the RX 300's w/ the value+ pkg had a pkg discount of $1,500 printed on the window sticker. Thus, 2 identical cars had a $1,500 price difference. I did NOT see any discount on the window sticker for the nav. value pkg. What's the deal?
Has anybody else noticed that their RX300 needs to be re-aligned frequently. It appears that my 00 RX300 AWD needs to be aligned every 3,000 miles. It constantly pulls to the right.
I'm aware that the rear seat moves and that is what makes the back seat nice. With my tenage (grown) kids we need to have the seat in the rear position. I would like to take both my kids and the luggage on vacation. Our current minivan which is aging has more interior room - just not as quiet and as well appointed. How about it- any whole families using these on trips?
I've been lurking these posts for over two months and am ready to lease a 2001 RX FWD. The deal that I've got is $2990 cap cost reduction plus first month's down for $399/mo plus tax. This is for 12000 miles a year and has a MSRP of about $37,500. Is this a good deal? Should I ask for a lower cap cost reduction? All suggestions are greatly appreciated. Has anyone done better leasing elsewhere? Thanks
rharris2: My 00 AWD was fine until the dealer rotated the tires at 5K service. Whatever the dealer did with the tires required one new tire at the front and a new valve assembly on the other tire (I described the whole experience in an earlier post a couple of weeks ago). Since then I noticed that the car pulls to one side and my gas mileage is down. I am planning to bring it back to the dealer to have the alignment checked in a few days. I also remember reading some earlier posts complaining of the same problem you have.
'This is better than the 499 deal with 1000 cap reduction that I quoted a few posts ago. Remember, security deposit, acquistiion fee are possible additional charges. Your deal have those? INKY
I own a 00 RX300 and it has about 7000 miles on it. All of sudden, my car's mileage has gone down from 19 to 16.X. I have been seeing it for the last couple of weeks. Any clue why it has started happening. Haven't contacted the dealer yet. And there is no major change in the drive or the driver.
The other week, I posted a question about owners' experiences with taking the RX300 off-road (since my wife and I envision occasional backroad weekends). I got no responses. Not one.
Since perusing this Forum makes it obvious that it's filled with bright, helpful folks, I figure: a) my post got lost, shuffled or bounced, or; b) NO ONE here takes their RX300 off road, or; c) it was something I said.
If c) I apologize. If b), If a), let me ask again, is the RX300 capable of a little sloppy fun, or does its off-road capability pretty much extend to gravel driveways and curb cuts?
The reviews that I have read say that this is not much of an off road vehicle. It has no low range transfer case and the ground clearance is minimal. It is essentially a high luxury minivan. All the bells and whisles you would expect from a company like lexus without the ruggedness.
I have two tall teenagers and I am 6' 4". We go away to the country for a weekend with an ice chest, one suit case each and misc stuff and we fit. I guess it just depends on how much stuff you need to go away.
Offroad, if you mean dirt trails and mud/snow it is good. Better if you put on more agressive treads. If you "offroad" in the sense of pushing the vehicle into very challenging conditions I woulkd recommend a Land Rover Disco II. Otherwise the Lexus is quite sufficient and certainly much more comfortable. I take mine down rough dirt/rock trails where I go mountain bikeing all the time with no problems and I only have FWD.
Looking for opinions or experiences with using a synthetic oil (Mobil-1) in the RX300. Good,Bad, or Otherwise. Others have told me don't start using it until about 12 k or 15 k miles, if its good for the engine why wait that long.
I have the front wheel drive version and certainly wouldn't take it off road except on relatively level, smooth, and dry surfaces. My experience at mountain vacation property where the approach road is steep and surfaced with gravel and several sections of ribbed concrete has been extremely disappointing. This vehicle has great difficulty on this road in a one inch layer of wet leaves.
When negotiating level snow covered paved roads the vehicle is very unstable. Part of these difficulties may be the standard tires and lack of the traction control option. I'm skeptical however that replacing the tires would produce significant improvement. Ironically the front wheel drive sedan (also without traction control) I replaced never exhibited these characteristics in this environment. Anyone else out there with similar experiences?
I have driven on sand, very rough & loose dirt roads, snow including on steep hills with paved and unpaved roads-all without any problems. I don't try to climb over large rocks, transverse gulley's or climb large rough mountains. BTW my RX is a 4WD '00.
Remember the RX was never intended for heavy duty off-road use.
I will use Mobil l in my RX. You generally don't want to break an engine in with synthetic oil, but I would say that after 5000 miles you should feel free to do so. I will change at 5000 mies, but you could safely go quite a bit longer.
There is really no need to put any money down on a lease, including cap cost reduction, acquisition fees or first month. All of these can be rolled into the lease. The result, of course is a higher monthly payment (about 33.00/thousand depending on the lease factor). You should negotiate the greatest number of miles/year, the highest residual and the lowest lease factor (these days about .003 which translates to about 7.2%). Good luck, hope this helps.
Let me try this again. My first post disappeared somehow (#81).
Anyway, I would like to know if I negotiated a good deal on a lease for a 2WD RX300. Options: Nav. value pkg. (w/lthr, moonroof, 6cd, HID, etc.); wheel locks; cargo mat; rear spoiler.
Total drive-off is $4500. Residual is $26800. Monthly pmt. is $399 + tax.
Let me try this again. My first post disappeared somehow (#81).
Anyway, I would like to know if I negotiated a good deal on a lease for a 2001 2WD RX300. Options: Nav. value pkg. (w/lthr, moonroof, 6cd, HID, etc.); wheel locks; cargo mat; rear spoiler.
Total drive-off is $4500. Residual is $26800. Monthly pmt. is $399 + tax.
That's a very good deal. What was your MSRP? I actually just leased a white/tan RX yesterday at Nalley Lexus in Atlanta and was very pleased with their service. Our saleswoman was Debra Gulliver. The deal I got was one with MSRP $39651 minus $3500 off with residual at $25,110, drive-off $3700 and 39 months at $424 plus tax.
Hey, im from new orleans, and im looking to lease a 2001 rx300 w nav etc, the lowest the dealer here will go is 40,000 for the 2wd version. which dealers did you guys go through? do you know if they could get one to me here? thanks in advance!!
Thanks for all the useful information that this forum and the others provide. My wife and I purchased a 2001 AWD RX 300 2 weeks ago.
I have 2 questions if anyone can assist:
1. The book says that our audio system (Premium Package Plus) has 7 speakers. I can only find six. Does anyone know where the seventh is? We have the in-dash 6CD system.
2. How can you find the money factor on a lease? And once you know the money factor, what calculation do you use to convert that to an annual interest rate.
Hey nascar3, your seventh speaker is located underneath the passenger seat. It's the subwoofer. Which might explain why the seat doesn't move many ways. Crank it up and you'll be able to feel it when you sit in the passenger seat. happy driving with your new rx.
I was conditioning the leather and plastic in my RX today and wondered if anyone knows whether the soft padded area on the doors under the windows is leather or vinyl. It feels like it could be either but the surface is perfect which makes me think it may be vinyl instead of leather. I don't know whether to put leather or vinyl conditioner on it. Thanks
My wife just leased a 2001 RX FWD from Cory Williams at Lexus of Riverside. MSRP before Lexus/Dealer/Loyalty discounts was $41K; the lease cap cost (including TMCC acquisition fee) was $36.2K.
As other posters have done in the past, I highly recommend Cory and this dealership. We were in and out in two hours, start to finish, and all the numbers quoted over the phone held up. Can't ask for much more.
December appears to be a big "push" month for Lexus dealers, at least on RXs. The MDX is making inroads. This month there are better money rates for TMCC leases and better discounts. The back lots are full of RX stock with more coming in.
Here's my question for you RX veterans - any tips on finding high-quality, all-season floor mats? We do a lot of hiking, plus dogs, etc.; wife doesn't want the MacNeil/WeatherTech deep-rib rubber kind. She does like the deep-dish "Catch-All" type made for American SUVs. Except they don't make one to fit RXs according to their website.
Have enjoyed my 99 RX300 for 18 months now with absolutely no complaints or problems. What a marvelous vehicle. It is my first Lexus and it will be hard to justify driving anything else in the future.
I do miss having a compass and interior temperature gauge fhough. Does anyone know of a way to add those 2 things without upsetting the interior decor. They do have aftermarket rear view mirrors that incorporate the above but am not sure whether they would work with the RX300.
which means that I am not getting another Pontiac Grand Prix GTP after the current lease is over
But she found an awesome lease deal at JM Lexus in Margate, FL - 0 down, 399 per month for 48 months. It is only FWD but after weighing the pros and cons of AWD here in Florida, and since she is not into off-roading anyway, FWD is OK with me. Plus I already had not let her get an SUV the last three times, so I finally caved in.
I am still getting used to riding in this vehicle. I think I get a bit sea-sick from the ride. It is a beautiful SUV, inside and out, but I don't think I like seating up high like that with a soft suspension.
I have a 2000 FWD Rx300 that I rarely take off road. I have been thinking of replacing the Goodyear Integrity tires for a more responsive tire. Discount Tire told me I could put on 255/65 H rated tires without a problem. Anybody have any experience with this. Thanks
I checked the maintenance schedule and I did not see any reference to replacing the oil at 1,000 mile. This means that the first oil change is at 5,000, is that right? I know Lexus will do the first 2 service for free but would there be any advantage or disadvantage to replacing the oil at 1,000 mile mark? Thanks.
I took my 01 RX (problem evident from time of delivery with 10 miles) to the dealer ( a very reputable and large Lexus dealership) to fix the right drift problem. After fixing, the RX still exhibited a tendency to pull to the right after 3-4 seconds at freeway speeds. The head of service who test drove the RX said that he there's nothing that they can do as the alignment specs said it's dead center. Tires were rotated to no avail. I insisted and the service mgr gave me a bunch of bull which of course I seemed to think I understood more than him. One example...most roads in America are built with the crown to the right. Yes, that's true, but at the very freeway that we're test driving, the crown (or tilt) was towards the center divider or to the left...and the vehicle was still pulling to the right.
Another example was when he said that the vehicle was just following the ruts on the freeway. Holy grail, with so many ruts, why was it following only the "right directional" ruts???
After all was tried, said, and done by the service manager, I still insisted that they look at it again and tweak anything. At that point, I was ready to go to Lexus corporate and demand an explanation why a $40,000 SUV would "normally" pull to the right.
The service manager cooperated with me, asked that it be left for 5 hours, and guess what...they were able to fix it.
The RX now tracks the road like a straight arrow.
Moral of the story, RX FWDs when adjusted properly, have no alignment issues and will track straight on the road. Don't let service people fool you.
I live in the Dallas area. Does anyone know of December incentives being done on RX300's? Edmund's says the TMV on an RX300 FWD with the Premium Package is $35,551. Is this a good starting price to negotiate from (hopefully less) ?
I would think you would stay with the same size. I changed to Michelin LTX. an all season tire and they work fine. Michelin now has a special tire for SUVs, I believe it's called Cross Terrain or something. Haven't seen it or price it. To get an accurate price for tires, go to www.tirerack.com and find out what they charge. Lexus prices are outrageous. I saved over a $100 after shipping and installation.
I too am confused with the curent Edmunds TMV for the RX300. On 11/24, the TMV for a loaded AWD (MSRP $40,601 including the $1500 value package credit) was $38,800. On 12/3, the TMV was 37,000. This excludes the $500 customer loyalty credit. Does anyone know what the deal is. My dealer's bottom line is $38,600 and they say the current TMV information is wrong. I offered $36,500 (including $500 customer loyalty) and they said no way. It does seem low to me. Is there anyone in the know????
The dealer stated the fix as "adjust tie rod ends" to both the 1)drifting to the right problem, and 2)center the steering wheel problem. Note that problem #2 came about after dealer first aligned the tires.
Thanks for taking a look. The MSRP is $40,601 and broken down as follows: AWD Base Price: 35,655 Heated Seats 440 Cargo Mat 76 HID Headlights 515 Spoiler 280 Premium Package 4025 Wheel Locks 52 Wood Steering wheel 330 Accessory Crossbars 183 Destination Charge 545 Less Manufacturers value package discount -1,550
Edmunds TMV equals $37,000 less $500 customer loyalty discount - my offer was $36,500. With a 36 month lease, 67% residual and Lexus money rate of 8.56% the payment would be $530 per month. Their final offer is $38,650 less $500 for customer loyalty. They claim Edmunds TMV is wrong. TMV from 11/24 to 12/4 declined by almost $2,000. Thanks.
Comments
INKy
For economical reasons, why can auto manufacturers develop a CD driven display to use already existing software like Delorme Street Atlas?
At the dealer, I noticed that only some of the RX 300's w/ the value+ pkg had a pkg discount of $1,500 printed on the window sticker. Thus, 2 identical cars had a $1,500 price difference. I did NOT see any discount on the window sticker for the nav. value pkg. What's the deal?
INKY
Anybody else?
My 00 AWD was fine until the dealer rotated the tires at 5K service. Whatever the dealer did with the tires required one new tire at the front and a new valve assembly on the other tire (I described the whole experience in an earlier post a couple of weeks ago). Since then I noticed that the car pulls to one side and my gas mileage is down. I am planning to bring it back to the dealer to have the alignment checked in a few days.
I also remember reading some earlier posts complaining of the same problem you have.
INKY
INKY
Since perusing this Forum makes it obvious that it's filled with bright, helpful folks, I figure:
a) my post got lost, shuffled or bounced, or;
b) NO ONE here takes their RX300 off road, or;
c) it was something I said.
If c) I apologize. If b),
If a), let me ask again, is the RX300 capable of a little sloppy fun, or does its off-road capability pretty much extend to gravel driveways and curb cuts?
Thanks........Eliot
Others have told me don't start using it until about 12 k or 15 k miles, if its good for the engine why wait that long.
When negotiating level snow covered paved roads the vehicle is very unstable. Part of these difficulties may be the standard tires and lack of the traction control option. I'm skeptical however that replacing the tires would produce significant improvement. Ironically the front wheel drive sedan (also without traction control) I replaced never exhibited these characteristics in this environment. Anyone else out there with similar experiences?
Remember the RX was never intended for heavy duty off-road use.
from Lineback enterprises (they seem to
have an office in CA and in TX)?
I am trying to lease an RX300 via phone
and e-mail without meeting these guys in
person, hence the question.
Thanks.
Anyway, I would like to know if I negotiated a good deal on a lease for a 2WD RX300. Options: Nav. value pkg. (w/lthr, moonroof, 6cd, HID, etc.); wheel locks; cargo mat; rear spoiler.
Total drive-off is $4500. Residual is $26800. Monthly pmt. is $399 + tax.
Thanks!
Anyway, I would like to know if I negotiated a good deal on a lease for a 2001 2WD RX300. Options: Nav. value pkg. (w/lthr, moonroof, 6cd, HID, etc.); wheel locks; cargo mat; rear spoiler.
Total drive-off is $4500. Residual is $26800. Monthly pmt. is $399 + tax.
Thanks!
Thanks for all the useful information that this
forum and the others provide. My wife and I
purchased a 2001 AWD RX 300 2 weeks ago.
I have 2 questions if anyone can assist:
1. The book says that our audio system (Premium
Package Plus) has 7 speakers. I can only find six.
Does anyone know where the seventh is? We have the
in-dash 6CD system.
2. How can you find the money factor on a lease?
And once you know the money factor, what
calculation do you use to convert that to an annual interest rate.
Thanks, Nascar
Tarik
Thanks
Although RX300 is not for serous off road, it can handle more dirt roads without problem.
As other posters have done in the past, I highly recommend Cory and this dealership. We were in and out in two hours, start to finish, and all the numbers quoted over the phone held up. Can't ask for much more.
December appears to be a big "push" month for Lexus dealers, at least on RXs. The MDX is making inroads. This month there are better money rates for TMCC leases and better discounts. The back lots are full of RX stock with more coming in.
Here's my question for you RX veterans - any tips on finding high-quality, all-season floor mats? We do a lot of hiking, plus dogs, etc.; wife doesn't want the MacNeil/WeatherTech deep-rib rubber kind. She does like the deep-dish "Catch-All" type made for American SUVs. Except they don't make one to fit RXs according to their website.
Thanks in advance for any leads.
Here's
I do miss having a compass and interior temperature gauge fhough. Does anyone know of a way to add those 2 things without upsetting the interior decor. They do have aftermarket rear view mirrors that incorporate the above but am not sure whether they would work with the RX300.
But she found an awesome lease deal at JM Lexus in Margate, FL - 0 down, 399 per month for 48 months. It is only FWD but after weighing the pros and cons of AWD here in Florida, and since she is not into off-roading anyway, FWD is OK with me. Plus I already had not let her get an SUV the last three times, so I finally caved in.
I am still getting used to riding in this vehicle. I think I get a bit sea-sick from the ride. It is a beautiful SUV, inside and out, but I don't think I like seating up high like that with a soft suspension.
Goodyear Integrity tires for a more responsive tire. Discount Tire told me I could put on 255/65
H rated tires without a problem. Anybody have any experience with this.
Thanks
Another example was when he said that the vehicle was just following the ruts on the freeway. Holy grail, with so many ruts, why was it following only the "right directional" ruts???
After all was tried, said, and done by the service manager, I still insisted that they look at it again and tweak anything. At that point, I was ready to go to Lexus corporate and demand an explanation why a $40,000 SUV would "normally" pull to the right.
The service manager cooperated with me, asked that it be left for 5 hours, and guess what...they were able to fix it.
The RX now tracks the road like a straight arrow.
Moral of the story, RX FWDs when adjusted properly, have no alignment issues and will track straight on the road. Don't let service people fool you.
AWD Base Price: 35,655
Heated Seats 440
Cargo Mat 76
HID Headlights 515
Spoiler 280
Premium Package 4025
Wheel Locks 52
Wood Steering wheel 330
Accessory Crossbars 183
Destination Charge 545
Less Manufacturers value package discount -1,550
Edmunds TMV equals $37,000 less $500 customer loyalty discount - my offer was $36,500. With a 36 month lease, 67% residual and Lexus money rate of 8.56% the payment would be $530 per month. Their final offer is $38,650 less $500 for customer loyalty. They claim Edmunds TMV is wrong. TMV from 11/24 to 12/4 declined by almost $2,000. Thanks.