I am coming out of a 2001 RX300 2WD. I loved it. No problems. I have looked at the new ones, and was told if I plan to keep the car, as I am going to buy instead of lease I should buy the AWD, for added safety and re-sale value. I know they have made some changes to the '04 model ie;shorter turning radius etc. Is it worth the extra money for the AWD and is there an advantage to going to the 18" wheels, instead of the standard 17"? Are there any inherent problems with the new model? I test drove the VW Tourag and not too impressed. Seemed stiff, and steering was very touchy. any comments.
Trust your instinct and don't deal w/ these people. You should also write Lexus and tell your story. There are plenty of honest Lexus dealers around. Find one.
wwest: You don't live in California. So you're basically making stuff up about AWD resale value. FYI, often times needs have nothing to do with what really sells. AWD DOES have resale value in California.
We have the '04 RX 330 and only use 89 octane, since the manual recommends it for increased performance. We figured for a vehicle in the $40k range, we want its best, smoothest performance, for the longest time possible, and saving a few nickels and dimes on gas (about $1.90 per tank at most) just doesn't make sense in the big picture. I also heard somewhere that it's not a good idea to keep switching grades of octane. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
I agree with xsfo. I live in CA and the RX 330 is my third SUV and they all have been 4x4 or AWD. In fact, we still have our other AWD. I think there are many people out there who would not buy an SUV unless it was AWD or 4x4. This is specially true if a person is shopping for a used SUV. I noticed that many used AWD RX's go for at least $2k more than the FWD ones. Brand new, the option is only $2200 more, so it is well worth the investment just for the resale value, to say nothing of the added safety for going up to the snow, or just driving in the rain, which can get pretty nasty on a slick, windy highway. Go for the gusto. Go for AWD!
About the 17" v. the 18" wheels. The 18's just look so much better! And if that's not enough to convince you, I can practically guarantee that you'll find it easier to sell an RX with 18 inchers, several years down the road.
P.S. I used to know a Robert White who was a teacher in San Francisco around 1985. Used to drive a Volvo. Are you that Robert White?
I was told by a Lexus Salesman in the LA area that dealers there do not "order" AWD and only reluctantly accept the factory allotment. Having lived in the bay area for a bit it all made sense to me.
Personally I agree that 2WD SUVs make no sense at all. But then there's the truly male segment that will never be seen in a soccer mom minivan and a 2WD SUV is a manly substitute.
If you believe a car salesman is a reliable source of info, then I can see why you believe AWD vehicles don't sell in Southern California.
For anyone who would like objective information on this subject, look at the "Blue Book" or use the car value calculator here on the edmunds site and check the value for the same vehicle with and without AWD in SoCal. I haven't checked, so I don't know the answer, but these sources can provide actual data as opposed to baseless conjecturing.
AWD does add value to resale. But WWEST is somewhat correct in that dealers in SOCAL sell more FWD than AWD, at least in my experience in buying my 96 4RUNNER LTD (4WD) and now my RX 330 (FWD).
I live in the San Diego area and local Toyota/Lexus dealer had more FWD available. When I asked why, the explanation was that most buyers don't want/need AWD or 4WD in the SOCAL area. There was also a post from an LA area Lexus dealer on another RX330 board where he listed his allocation. He only received about half as many AWD's than FWD's (This was back in the spring).
I WAS one of the "Why buy an SUV if its not 4WD/AWD?". After 7 years with the 4RUNNER, just didn't use the 4WD enough to justify the AWD RX. Used the HI 4WD when it rained but just doesn't rain that much around here. Now with most cars/SUVs coming with stability and traction control, I think AWD becomes less of a necessity, especially here in SOCAL.
If you want AWD, get it! I just didn't need it and the $2000 less in price and 2 MPG increase are also other considerations. Just my 2 cents.
Unless you expect to encounter snow and/or icy roadbeds a RWD SUV (or minivan) with VSC/Trac/ABS/BA, etc, will likely yeild more than satisfactory traction performance.
Is better than RWD for accelerating or just simply cruising along. But the instant you lift the throttle on a slippery surface the dynamics change, RADICALLY.
In that instance the resulting engine braking at the front will oftentimes result in unavoidable loss of control.
For southerners, north of the snow line another story altogether. If you wish to brag about better FWD traction on snow and ice roadbed conditions then you must accept the "flip side" of that equation. For most of us 2 + 2 does equal 4.
"Flip side" being a literal translation for many former FWD owners.
"Flip side" is once again a wildly exaggerated implication. I understand the base point being made, but there's no need to grossly overstate to make that point. It definitely undermines the credibility of the underlying, truthful assertion.
You obviously haven't seen many suburban roads on the eastside of Seattle this week. You might write it off to bad and/or inexperienced drivers or the fact that FWD predominates the market but the fact is that there are one hell of a lot of FWD passenger cars in and around this area now for the last two days that or either in the ditch or more "upset" than that.
SUV....And that's why I advocate rear torque biased AWD/4WD, reserve the front tire patch for directional control.
I live on the Eastside of Seattle. In fact, not that far from where you live (we live in neighboring suburban cities, actually).
So yes, I've seen some vehicles with problems.
But what you point out as "one hell of a lot of FWD" vehicles out there demonstrates my contention that your claims of FWD or FWD-biased AWD as being hazardous to be wildly exaggerated. Certainly highly misleading and more for pointless rhetoric than they are for the real world.
This week, in those suburban roads you've mentioned, I've seen FWD, AWD (including FWD-biased ones), and RWD vehicles stranded (a few BMW's, usually). For every FWD vehicle stranded, there are easily dozens that are not in the ditch or "upset" as your claims would have it.
Sure, you can attempt to argue that perhaps some of those RWD BMW's stranded still had the sport package tires installed. But the bottom line is that neither RWD, FWD, or variations of AWD are a panacea in these conditions.
Gee whiz, I drove around this week in my FWD sedan and somehow I miraculously avoided the pitfalls of "hazardous FWD." With the overblown statements made in the last several years, one would have thought I would have gone into the ditch at least four times, what with my hazardous FWD. Along with tens of thousands of other FWD vehicles in the Seattle area.
Are FWD or FWD-biased AWD as capable in extreme conditions? No. Are they "oftentimes" resulting in an unavoidable loss of control? Are they hazardous? Of course not, that's just wild exaggeration.
I've always wondered how Williard and I could drive the same roads, but somehow all the FWD and FWD-biased AWD vehicles around him slide into the ditch only when he's driving.
And in actuality, his company's offices are in my town. Just for laughs, I just asked Yahoo Maps for driving directions, and it's 2.4 miles away from my house.
2.4 miles allegedly littered with FWD and FWD-biased vehicles, by the claims made here. Darn, my FWD Saab went about 1.7 miles of that path the other day when it snowed, but I have no idea how I survived.
Local news tonight showed some fun on Seattle streets. The worse was an Outback locked up and slowly sliding into a pickup. Must not have had studs like my Outback. Not that anything helps much on wet ice.
The drivers were a bit upset that the locals were busy filming the spin-outs instead of flagging traffic down to stop.
Y'all don't pick on Willard too much; he's got enough on his plate with car trouble this week.
Are you crazy? With all that engine braking and torque steer, you're literally playing russian roulette on that snow and ice! I think you should be responsible, not only for yourself, but also for your family, and trade in that FWD Saab for a nice little RWD car, such as a BMW M3. Not only will you be free from the perils of engine brake inducing rollovers, but your BMW salesman will thank you.
2-3 inches around Seattle Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, less than that Thursday night/Friday morning. More on the way. I know that sounds wimpy to folks in climates where a big snow is a couple of feet. But around here, it's not as much the inches of snow as the ice. Freeways iced up pretty badly (lots of black ice), as a lot of suburban roads did (and a lot of them are on hills). Lots of snow can be found if one heads to the central/eastern part of the state where they get heavy snow in winter.
Needless to say, the RX330 is VERY popular around here and I don't think you'll find a few hundred of them at the body shop as some might imply.
cotmc:
Heh, reminds me of some past debates in other forums. Besides our Saab, my wife drove the MDX (also an FWD-biased AWD) through even worse conditions and was fine. Caution obviously helps, rather than blind theoreticals. She was on SR-520 here, which ended up first having a rolling slowdown to 30 mph and ultimately was shut down so de-icing crews could get on it.
Just picked up my RX330 on the 31st and had a couple questions. I thought the salesman said if you were in Park and had the emergency brake on, you could see the DVD on the Nav screen. He said the emergency brake was wired somehow to prevent transmission if it was not engaged. I couldn't get it to do that. Did he tell me wrong?
Also has anyone found a good place to buy the Clear Floor Mats - the dealers have them for around $100.
I will need a Cargo Carrier that clips to the roof rails (lost a lot of cargo space compared to my Explorer). Any suggestions of a model I can use and best place to buy. I want one that locks.
There was a post way back about paint protection film. The dealer tied to get me to install this for $1000. I’m thinking about it aftermarket however and would like to hear if anybody thinks it is worth it.
There we suggestions on the previous posts but I actually found the product page on 3m and they also have installers listed.
Any insight into dealers, how to go about it, how much you paid, or if it is useful will be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for the long link – here is the 3m page.
The number of vehicles, all inclusive, still on the road here is no indication of FWDs being hazardous in these conditions or not. Sure, lierally thousands, I'll even grant you even maybe millions, survived these past days without incident.
I would think that given the number of car models being converted back to RWD currently would be a more clear message than I can ever make.
For those of you here in the Northwest watching the news. For three days now I have seen newsreels of those SUVs sliding down skyline drive with all four wheels fully locked.
I suppose the drivers are adhering religiously to the ABS edict, "Apply brakes firmly, do not pump". The problem is, as you can see, that on a slippery surface all four wheels lockup simultaneously giving the ABS no rolling "reference".
I purchased the Yakima system for my RX330; we've used it several times in 4 months and it's rock solid but yet comes off the factory roof rack easily. Besides the twin mounting bars I have the smaller basket, the one Yakima recommends at their website. The other major vendor is Thule and they also make a quality product. Also, get the cargo carrier manufacturers spyder bungee-cord holddowns - far superior to the cheap generic ones.
Finally, since our Xmas trip involved a few days of driving thru heavy rain, I found some heavy 4 mil (don't bother with the 1-2 mil; they rip too easily) poly bags, 38"x64", that fit our luggage perfectly. I went down to the local homeowners Do-It Center to buy some nylon ties to seal the bags but, instead, noticed that they just started carrying some plastic ratchet-type "C" clamps that each look like half of a set of handcuffs. Bought the medium size for $2 each; they worked perfectly to seal the plastic bags once I twisted the poly bag opening end into a tight rope shape.
The number of vehicles, all inclusive, still on the road here is no indication of FWDs being hazardous in these conditions or not. Sure, lierally thousands, I'll even grant you even maybe millions, survived these past days without incident.
But that is exactly the point. Very grandiose and incredibly misleading comments have been made. With adjectives like "oftentimes." Countless sweeping generalizations like "FWD is hazardous" with little or no qualification.
No indication? In fact, it's a very valid indication of real world performance, as opposed to unsubstantiated and unsupported theories.
I would think that even the admission of thousands or "even maybe millions" of FWD cars making it through without incident would be a more clear message about the lack of validity of such overblown assertions.
Thanks jeffmust2 for the suggestions. Which model did you get? Does it clamp right on the rails or do you need to use U-clamps each time? What are the "twin mounting bars" for? Does the basket go under the box? Is it necessary?
I looked at the Thule brand at Sears today and they only had the RX300 on their charts, but said their boxes "Did not Fit". For those who have used these cargo boxes before, what dimensions do I need to check?
Does anyone know what the weight limit is for the roof rack? Thanks.
I was looking on the internet for clear mats for my RX. The RX300 ones had a one piece for the second row and the RX330 has two separate pieces.
For those of you that have seen both models, was there a big change in the floor layout? Could I use the 300 mat in my 330? I prefer the one piece since the separate pieces always end up under the front seats.
Did the Console on the RX300 slide back and forth like it does in the 330? I'm wondering if that makes a difference?? Thanks.
"...Which model did you get? Does it clamp right on the rails or do you need to use U-clamps each time? What are the "twin mounting bars" for? Does the basket go under the box? Is it necessary?"
a) Yakima LowRider Clamps (4) - these clamp onto the RX factory side rails (not the movable bars)
b) Yakima 48" Crossbars (2) - these connect into the 4 Clamps; you can get longer ones but they will stick out too much
c) LoadWarrior Basket (if you don't get a box) (1) Main carrier unit; clamps onto the Crossbars
d) Loadwarrior Stretch Net (1) - one-piece spyder bungee net that holds cargo down.
You can eliminate the Loadwarrior open cargo box and get a gear or rocket box - those are the generic terms for the closed boxes that are torpedo-shaped that you saw at Sears. These also clamp onto the Crossbars and comes in different sizes. We didn't go that route because it's more difficult to throw large suitcases into a box vs. an open basket.
Of course, if you travel a lot in bad weather, that would be a consideration. Most of the gear boxes have side locks and open up along their length like a giant skinny clam.
As for what dimensions you need to check, remember that the RX is a fairly small SUV with a limited roof area - it ain't no Suburban or Excursion! Crossbars longer than 48" won't be very useful and our Loadwarrior cargo basket is 44" long - about the max that an RX can take. So if you want to use a cargo box, that's about max; on the gear boxes, check the dozen or so available sizes. I think the small ones are meant for ski storage.
Finally, I believe the total weight limit for the roof is spec'd at 75 kilos or about 165 pounds. You have to substract the weight of the Yakima/Thule pieces which, if memory serves, totaled about 30 lbs in my case. So that leaves 135 lbs for luggage to remain relatively stable.
And your gas mileage will suffer by at least 2-4 mpg with all that stuff on the roof.
Has anybody ordered and installed any Hidden Hitch (or equivalent) on their RX330? It appears that one can be purchased and shipped for around $200, with no drilling or modifications required for installation. I'm thinking of getting one for our hitch-mounted bike rack, which removes any concerns regarding the need for an electrical harness. Hitch-web.com appears to have hitches for the RX330 from Hidden Hitch, Curt, Reese, and Draw-Tite. Hitchesonline.com also has RX330 hitches from Hidden Hitch and Curt. (I'm sure there are several other hitch outlets to choose from.) I read somewhere that the hitch from Curt Manufacturing is less visible under the RX330 bumper than the Hidden Hitch. Anybody have any experience with this?
First, no need to swear in your post. Please refrain. Thank you.
Second, applying the insurance statistics on ABS is rather pointless and diversionary in this debate. You were the one who raised the bad weather conditions in the Puget Sound area. It isn't just the accidents that matter. Your assertion, which is being proven to be vastly overstated, is that FWD is hazardous, without any qualifications, and will "oftentimes" leave one in an accident.
It's quite clear that with the hundreds of thousands or millions of vehicles being fine in the aforementioned weather (your concession) that the accidents are not "often."
The real-world performance of the vehicles on the road this week fly in the face of "oftentimes" and demonstrate that "FWD is hazardous" is a tremendously misleading and inaccurate statement.
Plus let's also face the fact that there are also RWD vehicles (e.g. the 3-series vehicles I saw) that were pulled over.
I have a Thule Evolution 1600 which I have used for 1000's of miles with no problems. It also opens from either side. I tried a rear opening box and it appeared it would be very hard to load/unload. My box was purchased from REI which sells both Thule and Yamika and has several locations in Atlanta. They can also be ordered from REI.
Kathy, picked up the clear floor mats for $7.88 at Walmart. No Lexus logo on them, but for 100 bucks, I'd just as soon use these generic ones. The Lexus logo from the carpet mats is visible through the clear plastic, anyway, and your OEM mats will still be protected from rain, mud, and snow.
As far as needing a cargo carrier...Why?!! I own an Explorer as well, for towing and Home Depot duties. You're wrong about the cargo space. Check the vehicle specs. I can load more into the RX330, than I can into the Explorer. Did you know the RX rear seats can be moved forward to make more room for cargo? If you never needed a carrier for the EXP, you shouldn't need one for the RX. Save yourself some $$ and headaches.
What just happened here? I was reading and watching your very animated bantering back and forth, about frenetic FWD, and aberrant ABS; keeping score and enjoying it all. By my tally, wmquan was a point ahead, when wwest seemingly conceded with a gracious and gentlemanly admission of his opponent's "perfect correctness". Two points ahead for wmquan and he is the winner! But wait,is there depth in this sincerity or is it but veiled sarcasm? Could it be that the clever wwest has crafted a response so masterful, so diabolical that it denies the eloquent wmquan of any point to argue? What SEEMS like a gracious admission of defeat also happens to be the last word.
OOPS! Take one point from wmquan. Give one point to wwest. Gentlemen, we have a DRAW!!!
Nothing cleverful or masterful about the reply. In response to Williard's sarcasm, it's also painfully obvious that the presence of FWD vehicles on the side of the road is not certain proof that FWD is hazardous. Nor was the observed presence of BMW 3-series vehicles certain proof that RWD is hazardous either.
But let's also face the simple fact that if FWD was as hazardous as often claimed here, you'd face a pandemic of FWD accidents with every storm. One would find thousands and thousands of RX's littered across ditches every winter. Obviously, there's no such incredibly high rate, which easily refutes the claim.
Never mind that there are plenty of Volvos and Saabs running close to the Arctic Circle in Sweden, with allegedly hazardous FWD or FWD-biased AWD.
My main point, as it has always been, is that it's silly to make such unsupported blanket assertions that FWD or FWD-biased AWD is "hazardous." Now, I don't disagree that it's not as optimal under extreme conditions as a 50/50 split AWD. And the FWD and FWD-biased AWD won't perform as securely in those areas. But exaggerating (e.g. "oftentimes") or omitting qualifications to such lengths is irresponsible and misinformed or simply negligent.
As far as the ABS goes, I'm not even going to go near that quagmire.
We took a 2 night trip to the in-laws - had 1 small suitcase, 3 duffle bags, 2 bags of Christmas gifts, 4 lightweight coats, 2 sleeping bags and 2 pillows. The back was pretty full, although I kept everything under the cargo cover.
I want a cargo box for the roof for when we take off for a week with more luggage, 3-4 golf bags/shoes, beach stuff- chairs, umbrella, towels. We just don't travel light - sorry.
Actually, the cargo space was one thing my husband didn't like about the RX (and no key pad entry). He wanted me to get the Acura MDX, but I told him we could get a cargo carrier for those 3-4 times a year when we needed more space. Now I just need to find one that will fit the RX.
BTW, I bought a 7 1/2" Christmas tree yesterday and that big old box slid right in with one rear seat down.
Comments
Of what real use would a CA'n have for an AWD south of Redding? So why would dealers even stock them?
Don't let wwest confuse the issue.
About the 17" v. the 18" wheels. The 18's just look so much better!
And if that's not enough to convince you, I can practically guarantee that you'll find it easier to sell an RX with 18 inchers, several years down the road.
P.S. I used to know a Robert White who was a teacher in San Francisco around 1985. Used to drive a Volvo. Are you that Robert White?
Personally I agree that 2WD SUVs make no sense at all. But then there's the truly male segment that will never be seen in a soccer mom minivan and a 2WD SUV is a manly substitute.
If you believe a car salesman is a reliable source of info, then I can see why you believe AWD vehicles don't sell in Southern California.
For anyone who would like objective information on this subject, look at the "Blue Book" or use the car value calculator here on the edmunds site and check the value for the same vehicle with and without AWD in SoCal. I haven't checked, so I don't know the answer, but these sources can provide actual data as opposed to baseless conjecturing.
I live in the San Diego area and local Toyota/Lexus dealer had more FWD available.
When I asked why, the explanation was that most buyers don't want/need AWD or 4WD in the SOCAL area. There was also a post from an LA area Lexus dealer on another RX330 board where he listed his allocation. He only received about half as many AWD's than FWD's (This was back in the spring).
I WAS one of the "Why buy an SUV if its not 4WD/AWD?". After 7 years with the 4RUNNER, just didn't use the 4WD enough to justify the AWD RX. Used the HI 4WD when it rained but just doesn't rain that much around here. Now with most cars/SUVs coming with stability and traction control, I think AWD becomes less of a necessity, especially here in SOCAL.
If you want AWD, get it! I just didn't need it and the $2000 less in price and 2 MPG increase are also other considerations. Just my 2 cents.
OK, people stop picking on wwest. Except that I seem to remember from somewhere that FWD is better for traction in snow than RWD.
In that instance the resulting engine braking at the front will oftentimes result in unavoidable loss of control.
"Flip side" being a literal translation for many former FWD owners.
SUV....And that's why I advocate rear torque biased AWD/4WD, reserve the front tire patch for directional control.
So yes, I've seen some vehicles with problems.
But what you point out as "one hell of a lot of FWD" vehicles out there demonstrates my contention that your claims of FWD or FWD-biased AWD as being hazardous to be wildly exaggerated. Certainly highly misleading and more for pointless rhetoric than they are for the real world.
This week, in those suburban roads you've mentioned, I've seen FWD, AWD (including FWD-biased ones), and RWD vehicles stranded (a few BMW's, usually). For every FWD vehicle stranded, there are easily dozens that are not in the ditch or "upset" as your claims would have it.
Sure, you can attempt to argue that perhaps some of those RWD BMW's stranded still had the sport package tires installed. But the bottom line is that neither RWD, FWD, or variations of AWD are a panacea in these conditions.
Gee whiz, I drove around this week in my FWD sedan and somehow I miraculously avoided the pitfalls of "hazardous FWD." With the overblown statements made in the last several years, one would have thought I would have gone into the ditch at least four times, what with my hazardous FWD. Along with tens of thousands of other FWD vehicles in the Seattle area.
Are FWD or FWD-biased AWD as capable in extreme conditions? No. Are they "oftentimes" resulting in an unavoidable loss of control? Are they hazardous? Of course not, that's just wild exaggeration.
And in actuality, his company's offices are in my town. Just for laughs, I just asked Yahoo Maps for driving directions, and it's 2.4 miles away from my house.
2.4 miles allegedly littered with FWD and FWD-biased vehicles, by the claims made here. Darn, my FWD Saab went about 1.7 miles of that path the other day when it snowed, but I have no idea how I survived.
Just thank your lucky stars that you've pulled thru so far without major blood loss!
Happy New Year to all the folks in Seattle still drivin' with the four black rubber thingys pointed down...
The drivers were a bit upset that the locals were busy filming the spin-outs instead of flagging traffic down to stop.
Y'all don't pick on Willard too much; he's got enough on his plate with car trouble this week.
Steve, Host
2-3 inches around Seattle Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, less than that Thursday night/Friday morning. More on the way. I know that sounds wimpy to folks in climates where a big snow is a couple of feet. But around here, it's not as much the inches of snow as the ice. Freeways iced up pretty badly (lots of black ice), as a lot of suburban roads did (and a lot of them are on hills). Lots of snow can be found if one heads to the central/eastern part of the state where they get heavy snow in winter.
Needless to say, the RX330 is VERY popular around here and I don't think you'll find a few hundred of them at the body shop as some might imply.
cotmc:
Heh, reminds me of some past debates in other forums. Besides our Saab, my wife drove the MDX (also an FWD-biased AWD) through even worse conditions and was fine. Caution obviously helps, rather than blind theoreticals. She was on SR-520 here, which ended up first having a rolling slowdown to 30 mph and ultimately was shut down so de-icing crews could get on it.
Also has anyone found a good place to buy the Clear Floor Mats - the dealers have them for around $100.
I will need a Cargo Carrier that clips to the roof rails (lost a lot of cargo space compared to my Explorer). Any suggestions of a model I can use and best place to buy. I want one that locks.
Thanks in advance for your help.
There we suggestions on the previous posts but I actually found the product page on 3m and they also have installers listed.
Any insight into dealers, how to go about it, how much you paid, or if it is useful will be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for the long link – here is the 3m page.
http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/auto_marine_aero/automot- ive_aftermarket/node_GSYWQBNVHBbe/root_GST1T4S9TCgv/vroot_GSLPLPK- L4Xge/gvel_PKD7VS0CHGgl/theme_us_aad_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/o- utput_html
I would think that given the number of car models being converted back to RWD currently would be a more clear message than I can ever make.
I suppose the drivers are adhering religiously to the ABS edict, "Apply brakes firmly, do not pump". The problem is, as you can see, that on a slippery surface all four wheels lockup simultaneously giving the ABS no rolling "reference".
Finally, since our Xmas trip involved a few days of driving thru heavy rain, I found some heavy 4 mil (don't bother with the 1-2 mil; they rip too easily) poly bags, 38"x64", that fit our luggage perfectly. I went down to the local homeowners Do-It Center to buy some nylon ties to seal the bags but, instead, noticed that they just started carrying some plastic ratchet-type "C" clamps that each look like half of a set of handcuffs. Bought the medium size for $2 each; they worked perfectly to seal the plastic bags once I twisted the poly bag opening end into a tight rope shape.
But that is exactly the point. Very grandiose and incredibly misleading comments have been made. With adjectives like "oftentimes." Countless sweeping generalizations like "FWD is hazardous" with little or no qualification.
No indication? In fact, it's a very valid indication of real world performance, as opposed to unsubstantiated and unsupported theories.
I would think that even the admission of thousands or "even maybe millions" of FWD cars making it through without incident would be a more clear message about the lack of validity of such overblown assertions.
How does that relate to the fact that millions of ABS equipped vehicles are still out there on the road never encountering any type of accident?
It doesn't, only the accidents count/matter.
I looked at the Thule brand at Sears today and they only had the RX300 on their charts, but said their boxes "Did not Fit". For those who have used these cargo boxes before, what dimensions do I need to check?
Does anyone know what the weight limit is for the roof rack? Thanks.
For those of you that have seen both models, was there a big change in the floor layout? Could I use the 300 mat in my 330? I prefer the one piece since the separate pieces always end up under the front seats.
Did the Console on the RX300 slide back and forth like it does in the 330? I'm wondering if that makes a difference?? Thanks.
a) Yakima LowRider Clamps (4) - these clamp onto the RX factory side rails (not the movable bars)
b) Yakima 48" Crossbars (2) - these connect into the 4 Clamps; you can get longer ones but they will stick out too much
c) LoadWarrior Basket (if you don't get a box) (1) Main carrier unit; clamps onto the Crossbars
d) Loadwarrior Stretch Net (1) - one-piece spyder bungee net that holds cargo down.
You can eliminate the Loadwarrior open cargo box and get a gear or rocket box - those are the generic terms for the closed boxes that are torpedo-shaped that you saw at Sears. These also clamp onto the Crossbars and comes in different sizes. We didn't go that route because it's more difficult to throw large suitcases into a box vs. an open basket.
Of course, if you travel a lot in bad weather, that would be a consideration. Most of the gear boxes have side locks and open up along their length like a giant skinny clam.
As for what dimensions you need to check, remember that the RX is a fairly small SUV with a limited roof area - it ain't no Suburban or Excursion! Crossbars longer than 48" won't be very useful and our Loadwarrior cargo basket is 44" long - about the max that an RX can take. So if you want to use a cargo box, that's about max; on the gear boxes, check the dozen or so available sizes. I think the small ones are meant for ski storage.
Finally, I believe the total weight limit for the roof is spec'd at 75 kilos or about 165 pounds. You have to substract the weight of the Yakima/Thule pieces which, if memory serves, totaled about 30 lbs in my case. So that leaves 135 lbs for luggage to remain relatively stable.
And your gas mileage will suffer by at least 2-4 mpg with all that stuff on the roof.
Second, applying the insurance statistics on ABS is rather pointless and diversionary in this debate. You were the one who raised the bad weather conditions in the Puget Sound area. It isn't just the accidents that matter. Your assertion, which is being proven to be vastly overstated, is that FWD is hazardous, without any qualifications, and will "oftentimes" leave one in an accident.
It's quite clear that with the hundreds of thousands or millions of vehicles being fine in the aforementioned weather (your concession) that the accidents are not "often."
The real-world performance of the vehicles on the road this week fly in the face of "oftentimes" and demonstrate that "FWD is hazardous" is a tremendously misleading and inaccurate statement.
Plus let's also face the fact that there are also RWD vehicles (e.g. the 3-series vehicles I saw) that were pulled over.
Steve, Host
As far as needing a cargo carrier...Why?!!
I own an Explorer as well, for towing and Home Depot duties. You're wrong about the cargo space. Check the vehicle specs. I can load more into the RX330, than I can into the Explorer. Did you know the RX rear seats can be moved forward to make more room for cargo? If you never needed a carrier for the EXP, you shouldn't need one for the RX. Save yourself some $$ and headaches.
Could it be that the clever wwest has crafted a response so masterful, so diabolical that it denies the eloquent wmquan of any point to argue? What SEEMS like a gracious admission of defeat also happens to be the last word.
OOPS! Take one point from wmquan. Give one point to wwest. Gentlemen, we have a DRAW!!!
Nothing cleverful or masterful about the reply. In response to Williard's sarcasm, it's also painfully obvious that the presence of FWD vehicles on the side of the road is not certain proof that FWD is hazardous. Nor was the observed presence of BMW 3-series vehicles certain proof that RWD is hazardous either.
But let's also face the simple fact that if FWD was as hazardous as often claimed here, you'd face a pandemic of FWD accidents with every storm. One would find thousands and thousands of RX's littered across ditches every winter. Obviously, there's no such incredibly high rate, which easily refutes the claim.
Never mind that there are plenty of Volvos and Saabs running close to the Arctic Circle in Sweden, with allegedly hazardous FWD or FWD-biased AWD.
My main point, as it has always been, is that it's silly to make such unsupported blanket assertions that FWD or FWD-biased AWD is "hazardous." Now, I don't disagree that it's not as optimal under extreme conditions as a 50/50 split AWD. And the FWD and FWD-biased AWD won't perform as securely in those areas. But exaggerating (e.g. "oftentimes") or omitting qualifications to such lengths is irresponsible and misinformed or simply negligent.
As far as the ABS goes, I'm not even going to go near that quagmire.
Thanks for your patience.
Anyway, back to the RX330 ...
wwest = unsupported blanket assertions
Especially a canine that requires as much "stuff" as the two adults that are his traveling staff.
I want a cargo box for the roof for when we take off for a week with more luggage, 3-4 golf bags/shoes, beach stuff- chairs, umbrella, towels. We just don't travel light - sorry.
Actually, the cargo space was one thing my husband didn't like about the RX (and no key pad entry). He wanted me to get the Acura MDX, but I told him we could get a cargo carrier for those 3-4 times a year when we needed more space. Now I just need to find one that will fit the RX.
BTW, I bought a 7 1/2" Christmas tree yesterday and that big old box slid right in with one rear seat down.
Hybrid RX 330 anyone?
Automakers use Detroit show to unveil products to the world (Daily Oakland Press)
Steve, Host