Lexus RX 330

s852

When you post messages here with a salesperson's name and phone number to buy something, it looks like spam or you are getting a cut of that person's commission or something.

avery1

I think most of us can determine if something is spam or not. Also, we get to know many of the people in this forum and that will help us decide about the content of a post. I, for one, appreciate it when someone can facilitate getting info on something. Lighten up.

jeffmust2

...since I employ Documentation-Challenged Americans to make RX330 Sunshields in my basement.

I used to employ orphans on sidewalks near Lexus dealers to sell them but the cops started rounding them up and the legal bills amounted. Pure political discrimination if you ask me.

Then I went on Ebay but talk about taking a cut...so that marketing idea died out.

Yup, Town Hall is my dream Get Rich Quick Scheme!

(and, for those of you with zero sense of humor -
This Is A Joke)

cfgross

4649: E-mail me at cf144@netscape.net. I will send you a .txt file that has all of the C-Best settings. It is not specific to the RX330, but most of what is there applies.

Craig

JPham

visually, there is no difference.
If you look at the VIN, if the fourth space is a "G" it's a fwd model. If it's an "H", it's an 4WD.
You can also look under the car for the telltale (black) driveshaft on the 4WD that redirects power to the rear wheels.

passater1

The RX-330 has three outlets also: dash, below and in front of center console, in the rear cargo area at LH side.

wwest

I am aware that the RX330 does cruise at a lower RPM than the RX300, but I cannot believe it is due to the 5 speed transmission.

With the advent of lockup torque converters automatics could finally be equipped with a true overdrive. But even so, the engine/tranx output/input final drive ratio is still very close to 1:1.

So I would assume that any substantial decrease of engine RPM from the RX300 to the RX330 at equal speed must be due to differential final drive ratios, right??

wwest

CD's are wonderful!

120db dynamic range and virtually limitless bandwidth relative to audio reproduction.

But.

The average ambient noise level in an RX at cruising speed, say 55MPH, is above 70db.

That means that in order to hear the "low" music passages they must be reproduced by the system volume elevated to overcome the noise level. The problem is that will put the high passages at 190db.

With permanent hearing damage beginning to occur at 140db even moderately high level musical passages could do some serious damage.

What the market apparently needs is CD's especially recorded, processed, for automotive use, compressing the dynamic range from low volume content to high volume content to within the 50db range useful in a typcial automobile.

stever

Names and contact info like phone numbers in messages does look like spam and encourages more of the same. Plus the hosts don't have time to verify that stuff - sometimes we don't always have time to hit all our boards every day. A link to the aftermarket company is ok.

In topical stuff, Automotive Luxury 101 — How to Create a Luxury Nameplate

Steve, Host

tomtomtom

One of the things between a good and bad system. Bad system cannot reproduce good/tight bass but a good system can.

jeffmust2

...here's their website:

http://www.calcarcover.com/

You can use the "Contact Us" button to email Shaun 'cause he's the only guy there that knows about the new RX330 unit.

Sheesh - guessing some folks Just Need to Get a Life.

edwin8

I bought a Lexus RX330 they did not have a demo that I could drive When the RX330 came in I drove it home it had a bad roar in it. I drove it back the next day and the service manager drove it and said that they know about it and are trying to repair it. Don't buy one until 2005
when they fix the problem.

jeffmust2

Sorry to hear about your RX's problem.

I think it's related to a factory defective exhaust manifold that has been documented here in the past; there are replacement parts available for your dealer and it should have been corrected BEFORE you took delivery - so your New Car experience was not ruined. They should have known by the VIN number and/or assembly date if your RX was subject to the TSB/recall.

I would talk to the General Manager (not the Sales Manager) at your dealership about what they can do extra for you in the future to balance the scales. A full detail coupon would be acceptable in my book.

If he/she is no help, call Lexus Customer Service or better yet write them; the address is in your owner's manual.

Good luck - I know you will enjoy the 330 when you get it back and put some miles on it.

rx4me

Does the exhaust manifold problem that people mentioned on this board apply to all 2004 Rx330's? Or were only the early production 2004's (first 3 months or so) effected? I should be taking delivery of my rx330 in the next week or so. Should I assume that I will receive a recall notice in the mail? Also, should the sales person have been obligated to mentioned this to the customer prior to purchase?

jeffmust2

Those are good questions to bring up to the service mgr at your dealership PRIOR to taking delivery. No reason to get caught taking delivery of a vehicle that has to go right back in for relatively major surgery. Ask your sales rep and service mgr to check the VIN and build date of your RX330 against their list of recalls and, if it needs a retrofit, get it done before you take initial delivery. Should only delay it by a day or two.

cotmc

I'm let to believe this was a problem only on the first few months of production.

The build date on our RX330 is "06/03" according to the label on the B Pillar at the driver's door. (Coincidentally, we purchased this on June 30th.) According to my Lexus service advisor, the exhaust manifold problem was already resolved by that build date.

If anyone discovers a manifold problem for any RX330 with a build date of June or later, please post that information here in this forum.

cotmc

Jeff's post made me think of a certain entrepreneur here in Scottsdale that took advantage of our local gasoline crisis earlier this week. According to our local newspaper, this young man found an open station at 4:00am and filled up dozens of 2-gallon jugs with gasoline. He later proceeded to sell them near a busy street corner. By mid-afternoon, presumably before any police had discovered this "golden opportunity", he had made a net of $800!

I'm guessing some people are not going to understand how this could have occurred. Well, here is a quick synopsis. A gas pipeline rupture nearly 2 weeks ago had caused the Phoenix metro area to fall into a gasoline "problem". (According to certain local politicians, this was only a "problem", not a "crisis". We must not describe it as a "crisis"!) Nearly all stations ran out of gas by Sunday, leaving some people stranded with empty tanks. As gas was trucked into the area, some stations re-opened to 1hour+ lines at $2.30/gallon or more. There was talk of some stations selling at over $3/gallon. The situation has much improved, but the experience has provided us with further validation that we made the right decision by purchasing a relatively fuel-efficient SUV like the RX330.

lenscap

In the RX 330 brochure it shows buttons on the left side of the steering wheel (for the radio). The right side is blank. Yet in the September issue of Motor Trend their test car has buttons on both the left and right sides of the steering wheel.

Can anybody tell me what the functions are of the right-hand side buttons?

sng

Hi All,

I just bought a new RX and was asked if I wanted to purchase a paint protection system for the car. It would cost me another $500.

Any advice is highly appreciated!

stever

Ripoff.

In my opinion, of course :-)

Steve, Host

wco81

That's disappointing for a luxury make. Is it wind noise, road noise, not enough insulation between the engine and passenger compartments?

Surely the Lexus sedans couldn't be that loud?

As for compressed dynamic range content for cars, I remember prerecorded cassettes were recorded that way. Even classical tapes would be recorded with the equalization set to make the sound more bright.

Really, as some of gets older, maybe absolute fidelity in a car is not that big a deal. Personally, I'd rather have an easy interface to plug in an iPod instead of shuffle around CDs.

Some aftermarket stereos have line input jacks in the front for MP3 players. I'm hoping that becomes more common.

But there was talk that OEMs are planning bigger and better things for OEM stereos, including support for DVD Audio and MP3. Apparently in Japan there are already OEM systems with surround sound music playback.

wwest

Statement applied only to RX. I doubt if the LS or even the GS ambient would measure that high.

tomtomtom

We are paying at least $2.24 for preimum in the San Jose area without crisis.

With $500, you can give your car a very nice detail job every year for the next 3 years.

jeffmust2

Don't know where the 70db spec came from since that poster doesn't own one...but I do know that the RX330 is quite a bit less noisy at speed than our '01 RX300. Even my lousy old ears can figure that out.

Consumer Report's evaluation, Sept03 issue, page 54: "The (RX330's) well-detailed interior is as plush and quiet as many luxury cars." And their tested model was the AWD which is probably a bit noisier than my FWD.

In their round-up spec summary on page 59, same issue, the RX330 received the only "best" rating for low noise reading - and the other SUVs tested MDX Touring, FX35, X5 3.0i, XC90 T6) did not.

So there.

cotmc

I agree with Jeff. Our RX330 has a VERY quiet cabin at 70mph. It is probably quieter than our old '99 ES300. It almost seems as if there are some people commenting about cabin noise and audio systems who don't own this vehicle.

#noname

Thanks for your input on your RX-300 vs. 330 experiences. Since I just got a good deal on my a 2003 RX-300 a couple months ago, my wife has decided we'll keep it for a few years and then upgrade to the RX-330. However, it's great to have folks like you willing to share information, including where to buy needed optional equipment (sunshield) to make our SUV experience even better. Keep up your input.

Thanks,
Wes

cotmc

How did Wes post without a User ID? Are we able to post anonymously??

jeffmust2

My wife put 41k on her RX300 and she states that it was by far the best vehicle she ever owned - and that includes a V-12 Jag XKE and other enthusiast vehicles.

The RX300s "downfall" ocurred only because the local Lexus dealer was holding an open house to introduce the RX330 and talked her into a test drive the next day. That did it - her only real complaint, the turning radius, was solved; she "authorized" me to do the deal (we have such a Formal Marriage!) for the same payment as the RX300...no brainer.

Otherwise she would have kept the RX300 for a few more years. So enjoy your 2003 - you won't be disappointed in it OR the move to the RX330 down the road.

jeffmust2

eom

cotmc

Off topic:

Speaking of the Consumer Reports review, did you catch the CRxtra review of the VW Touareg V6 at CR's website? 0-60 in 11.9 seconds?? I have't seen anything that slow since William "The Refrigerator" Perry lined up at the Fullback position. No wonder the T-Reg finished below all the other tested SUVs. I would have liked to see them review the V8 model, which probably would have been at the same price point as the XC90 T6 and the X5 3.0.

bodble2

Sounds more like she's got you on a leash

bodble2

I was just looking at the C-best feature list, which cfgross was kind enough to send me, and noticed that there is a feature called "Car Finder". When set to "on", this apparently will turn on all the turn signal lights once when the car is unlocked using the remote. And this also apparently works only if the car was locked to begin with. Can anyone confirm that this indeed is how it works?

Also, how does this work in conjunction with the feature that blinks the turn signal lights twice when the unlock button on the remote is pressed. The two features seem to conflict with each other. Could it be that you can only choose one but not both?

bodble2

I read the list more closely. Actually it says the Car Finder feature turns on all the turn signal lights once when the LOCK button is pressed and the vehicle doors are locked and closed. I guess my question would still be how this feature is different from just locking the vehicle with the remote, which also blinks the same lights once?

sng

Does anyone here have a recommendation for what system to use and how much is a reasonable price to pay?

Thanks

serenoa

As the Host indicated, this is a rip-off and no price is reasonable. I will have had my RX300 for 4 years in Oct in the Florida sun and the paint looks like new with no "protection". I would look carefully at any Lexus dealer who would push this. My dealer never mentioned it on either of my purchases.

stever

I put wax in quotes because some of that stuff is really a polymer or other some such. None of it is worth $500 (or even $100, imho).

What I do is get a clay bar (~$10) and wash the new car, and then apply the clay. It's easy and does a great job of getting rid of rail dust (those "rust" spots) and other surface dirt. Then I rinse it and wax it.

Then I wash and wax when I get the urge (maybe 4 times a year for me). Every year or so I'll take the clay out of my baggie to get that ultra-smooth surface back again.

Lots more tips in Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts).

Steve, Host

rx4me

jpham:

I'll be taking delivery of my RX330 sometime within the upcoming week. Am I taking delivery of a Japan built RX330? Also, will my RX330 be effected by the exhaust manifold recall that others have mentioned on this board?

rx4me

I'm curious to see what an RX330 that is equipped with the tow package looks like from the back. Since the hitch is currently unavailable, is there a cap with the lexus logo placed over that square hole? If anyone has photos, please post. Thanks!

alex0615

I just got RX 330 with towing package on Saturday. You can not see anything. According to dealer it has heavy-duty radiator, heavy-duty transmission fluid cooler and trailer wiring harness. They don't have a tow-hitch receiver yet. I didn’t want to buy towing package, but dealer didn’t have my color without it.

alex0615

What type of fuel should I use? According to owner’s manual “Select octane rating 87(Research octane number 91) or higher. For improve vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded gasoline with Octane Rating of 91 or higher is recommended.”

newlexusowner

I was hoping my RX330 had a Power inverter to hook up my laptop to 110volt. It doesn't seem to have one. When I read the owners manuel it showed a picture of the connection for the 110volt in the trunk area. Is this for Canada models? Anyone know?

jeffmust2

is only for the RX330s with the DVD Entertainment System in the back - it's for powering relatively low-volage 110-120v items like game players etc to plug into the entertainment monitor. This outlet doesn't come on non-DVD RX330s.

You can purchase a low-cost inverter that plugs into a 12v accessory outlet (I think the regular RX330 has 3 of these receptacles) and will power your laptop directly without the need to boost to 115v. Check with your laptop vendor and if that's a no-go try CDW - Computer Discount Warehouse - or PC Connection - all the mail order computer places have this kinda stuff.

JPham

1)yes and 2)no.

chrisjoo

I am thinking about getting RX 330 with the navigation system. I am wondering what's the minimum MSRP for AWD, Leather seats and Navigation system installed? Do dealers in D.C metropolitan area give any kinds of discounts at all?

jeffmust2

Go to lexus.com, pop in your zip code, and you'll be able to use the "Build Your RX330" 4-step feature with the option packages available in your region including Navigation; this will give you the MSRP. Then it's off to some dealers to get real world prices. Good luck!

grover6

Has anyone seen a photo of the multi-panel moonroof? Does it have a sunshade you can pull over the glass? I've looked on the Lexus site and couldn't find a photo of it.

rx4me

I inquired about the multi-panel moonroof with my salesman and was told that it's been discontinued.

asuncion

I have seen RX's with premium plus, navigation, heated seats and 18 inch rims MSRP for $43,880.00 in the DC metro area. Non-navigation RX's I've heard are being discounted up to $2,000.00 in MD. The RX's with navigation are in such high demand on the east coast that $500.00 to $1,000.00 off is a good deal. I suggest contacting at least 3 dealers in the DC area and negotiating both the final price and interest rate and see who would give you the best deal. Good Luck

reklawc

I have not driven the 2004 with 3.3 l. engine and 5 sp trans. but I am concerned that the new setup may not necessarily be an improvement. For example, the old engine/trans allowed for climbing rather large hills with no downshifting, and when using cruise control if you engage the accelerate feature the car will not immediately downshift as so many suv's do (particularly Honda Pilot/Acura MDX). This difference is due to the Lexus turning approx. 2600 rpm at 70 mph and the Acura turning only 2000rpm at 70 mph. I am concerned that the new 5 speed trans will have a higher gearing in 5th gear that will cause more downshifting etc. What is gained - slightly better gas mileage at highway speed at the expense of hill climbing ability in high gear and more responsive cruise in high gear? I would appreciate opinion from those who have owned or driven both. THanks.

wwest

Final drive ratios, engine/tranx output is typically 1:1, maybe a little better, 1:1.10, in overdrive with a lockup torque converter. The new RX330 touts a final drive ratio of 3.478:1 whereas the RX300 was significantly lower, 2.928 at the rear for AWD.

All that should result in a higher engine RPM at equal speed in the RX330 vs the RX300, yet it clearly is lower. The wheel/tire circumference is slightly larger, but seemingly not by enough to make up the difference.

But the bottom line is that you should, certainly, often see more "dropouts" from overdrive than with the RX300, and likely more downshifts from high (4th??) gear.

5 gears plus overdrive or 4 plus overdrive??