Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
In my parts of the woods, changing your own oil is a hassle (I use to do it myself back in the late 70's when I could just dump it somewhere). Now you have to drain it, contain it, and then pay a disposition fee to get rid of it. My time is money and I could care less about the "satisfaction" of doing it myself, I did all that crap in high school. I need the time now to sand and refinish my wood floors .
Second point: Watch out for the "jiffy lubes" out there. I've read numerous stories on Edmunds about how the so called "techs" have screwed up simple oil changes, from putting too much/little oil in, to actually cross threading bolts on other parts and causing lotsa headaches and hassles. Again, my time is money.
Third point: Yes, common sense tells us that the price the dealers charge to do an oil change is obscene. But at least you know you are going to get it done right, and if it's not right, they fix it on the spot. Plus, this change the oil every 3000 mile myth that folks have bought into lately is stupid, it's nothing more than the oil company profit increase. On my old straight six and V8 engines back in the 70s we use to change the oil every 10k miles. If you look in the Rex owners manual, 7500 mile oil changes are acceptable with 5000 mile for extreme conditions. My point being it won't cost you a fortune taking it to the dealer every 7500 miles during the normal maintenance.
As Dennis Miller would say, "that's just my opinion and what the **** do I know?"
So you think a Lexus dealer would pay a skilled, highly paid "technician" to do a simple job like change your oil? I suppose they are the one's who wash and vacuum the car after servicing it too.
The reason NONE of my Lexii' have EVER been back to Lexus for an oil change, ANY service, is because the second time I took the 92 in for that someone forgot to drain the old oil out before putting the new oil in. All it would have taken for someone to discover this was an experienced person taking a quick look at the dipstick.
After I discovered it the next day (smelly was a clue) the service manager did offer to fix it.
I admit that I really don't like changing my own oil, but if I do it I know for certain that Mobil 1 is used, not some cheap stuff bought in bulk, maybe even recycled, that the service manager decided to save money with, and I know the job has been done correctly, by an experienced oil change "technician" who also happens to have a very serious interest in extending the longivity of the car.
Here in the Seattle area many retail automotive shops will accept used oil at no charge.
It's all personal experience, which differs. Sounds like some folks have a local mechanic who knows their stuff and is reliable. It also sounds like their local Lexus service place is unreliable (at one time, things do change). Whatever makes you happy and works for you. The only point I will stick to is that I won't change my own oil anymore, it's not worth the few bucks I might save.
Now remodeling my home is another story...
Of Course the service manager at Lexus told him that nothing they could or would have done could have caused the rear main engine seal to fail.
$1200 later he had a new rear seal.
I still don't know if Lexus was at fault in this instance but later I did learn that if the oil sump is over-filled it will sometimes damage the rear seal.
My RX is the 2001 (Jan ) RX300SE and is Platinum Ice with Oakham interior. (pic of interior from the Lexus web site)
http://www.btinternet.com/~harryrogers/interior.jpg
The only extras I had fitted was the reversing sensors and the removable tow hitch and twin electric outlets. Quite a neat arrangement.
With the hitch
http://www.btinternet.com/~harryrogers/withhitch.jpg
And with it removed (note the two electric outlets fold away).
http://www.btinternet.com/~harryrogers/withouthitch.jpg
Have done a couple of K miles so far and it tows my caravan (trailer) with no problems.
http://www.btinternet.com/~harryrogers/300back1.jpg
We are off to Spain and France at the end of May until early July and will let you know how we got on.
Just another example of that "shoddy" work typical of Lexus. Just think, that got by the Quality Control Department and then they had the nerve to deliver his RX without the left side doors. Harry did you pay less for that? Enjoy your trip.
My RX must have been built by the folks at Mazda. I have not had any problems with mine, 01 with 3K miles.
Harry
Unbelievable stuff.
I guess that every country in the world has these.
We also have that programme on our TV here in the UK and it features mainly car chases in the US by the cops chasing 'hooligans' filmed from helicopters and in car videos.
Harry
Oh, why didn't say so. That's just California. Slow speed, helicopter filmed car chases are a pastime out there.
'99 RX
'92 ES
Just a warning to anyone who unsuspectingly wanders into Greenwich.
You do not have to buy all the toys to get AWD, it's what ever way the dealer orders their cars. Dealer can trade from one another to get what you want. I ordered my 01 in December and picked it up 01/13/01. There is a thing called an allocation. They know what is comming in on the boat and can request a certain package. True somethings have to be ordered together, just the nature of the beast. Lexus has done their research and knows what most people buy and that is the way they build them.
I know people who own the MDX and they like it just fine. It's a nice looking vehicle also. I am sure you will enjoy it for years to come. If you really wanted the RX, do not let one bad experience turn you away.
I do not know what the weather is like in your area, but here in VA, I'm going to cruise this afternoon. Enjoy.
Are there bad Lexus dealers? Abolutely, no product or service in the world is perfect. But given the numbers I've researched (JD Power reports and others), the folks I've personally talked to, my own persoanl experiences, and reading the posts in both the MDX and RX300 forums here, I'll take Lexus anyday. A few reasons:
* $34,850 is not for a fully loaded MDX (if the salesman told you that he is lying) but for a base MDX. Still a nice vehicle. But if you do your homework you can get a fully loaded RX300 for less than a fully loaded MDX. This is because of increased competition and the fact that the RX300 production line is fully mature and able to meet sales demands.
* Read through all the MDX messages and see if you don't see messages from owners that either didn't get a loaner car or had a hassle getting one. I'm not saying this would happen at all Acura dealers, but I've heard it enough times to make me uncomfortable. I've taken my RX300 to different dealers and I get a loaner no matter what, even for a simple oil change. And it's always a Lexus loaner.
* According to published reports Lexus is #1 in fit, finish and overall reliability. The MDX might turn out to be a fine vehicle, but only time will tell.
* There are safety features on a fully loaded RX that you can't get on fully loaded MDX which costs more.
* I visited several Acura dealers during my recent new car purchase. Everytime I felt like I was in a Honda store. Don't get me wrong, some of the salespeople were very nice (some weren't) but they were bound by the sleazy practices of the dealership owners which insisted on ADMs (additonal dealer markups, an old Honda trick) or overpriced after-market accesories that they slapped on the car as soon as it came in.
If you do indeed get the MDX I wish you many happy miles. It's a good vehicle with superior cargo space when compared to the RX300. If you'd like to take one more shot at getting an RX300 at a great price, and you are near Larchmont in Westchester county, let me know and I'll try to give you some help. Be prepared to tell me the exact configuration you are looking for.
Best of luck,
TC
The secret to staying on top once you get there is to find a way to compete with yourself and regretably Lexus is handicapped with a traditional US dealer network and the type of "cave-man" mentality that goes with that.
Digital Equipment Corporation (who?) did that for many years, you'll buy what we build/sell, we know what's good for you!
Dealer's don't want to book custom orders when they know they can sell everything that comes down the pipeline without any of the additional hassle/paperwork that goes with any custom order.
So who do you know out there in this segment that is hungry for sales, that you would consider a viable contender?
Frustrating question isn't it? So you get my point. I guess I'll go look at the new Q.
Will, I think it really comes down to demographics and personal experiences. It sounds like time and time again you've had undesirable experiences with your local dealer and service department. But in my part of the woods we have competition, and as you know competition is usually to the benefit of the consumer. When I was shopping for my Rex I had dealers bending over backwards for me. Even after I told them, "no, we're going to buy from the other dealer" they were still polite and helpful and were willing to order a car if I so desired.
And while you hate the Lexus Nav, it's still one of the best OEM systems on the market. The database is more complete than the one they offer on the Acura MDX and many other vehicles. And I suspect once they release the next DVD disk revision you will be a happier camper (I hope).
I don't discount your dissatisfaction, but this is definitely a case of YMMV.
Also, would $38K be a decent price on an RX 300 with MSRP of $40,601. (NYC/LI area)
A. Rectangle - in vertical position.
B. Rectangle - elongated horizontal position
Anyone know which is on more recently produced vehicles? (I didn't check vin #'s)
Based on this web site, I purchased the Husky floor liners. They are great.
I use 87 octane with no problems.
So far I have found two or three "faults" with the vehicle. The interior map light should be directional. Everytime a passneger puts it on a nite, I find the glare very bad. There shold be either two or the present one should be on a swivel.
The antenna should have a control to limit the full extension to avoid hitting garage doors in case a driver forgets to shut off the radio.
I think there should be a trunk release on the remote so that only the trunk is released. I work out of my rear door all day and would find this convenient.
I would also like to see a "miles till empty" on the computer.
Overall, the car is great.
In greenwich who knows what the "good car salesman" are selling.
$38K for a MSRP of $40,601, is too much. I live in the NYC/LI area and I got my $42.5k Nav model for $38.5k back in January. I realize that Lexus raised the prices slightly about a month ago, but you can still do better. If you are looking for a good no haggle price try www.carsdirect.com or priceline.com. If you are willing to haggle a little bit, take the online price you get from carsdirect.com and go to the dealer in person and you will get an even better price if you are ready to buy on the spot.
Good luck,
TC
Good luck with your purchase and let us know how it goes. If you need the extra space then the MDX is a great choice.
And I would much rather have all of the GOOD human engineering aspects, font size, contrast, CONSTANCY, of the LCD rather than an informational display based on the Nav that clearly was not very well thought out.
Like you, I'm hoping for a future software upgrade that will resolve the Nav and the system's informational display issues. AND will/can Lexus provide the software upgrades to those of us who purchased older versions. Not a DVD MAP question, a base operational software question.
YMMV ??? What means this ?
The map light issue is especially irritating since there is a useless eyeglass container space that could have been used for a directional map light.
You may have maybe one or two Lexus dealers in your area to "experience". I just did a quick check and I have five Lexus dealers within a 40 mile/less than 45 mininute drive of my house. Competition is a great equalizer.
As far as the oil change situation, I just had one done on Thursday the cost was $31.75 which included a wash and vacume. IMO a fair price for the service I received. One thing most do not consider is the opportunity cost associated with doing it yourself.
The plastic clips on the splash guards are easy to remove and put back. There is one on each side of the splash guard. The center of these clips are the locks. You will notice a small cutout in the center. Take a small screwdriver and pop the center pin down. It comes down about 1/4" and does not come out! Once it is down you can put your finger nail under the outer part of the clip and pull it out. Just reverse the order when putting the clip back. Yes I do put enough oil in the filter to be adsorbed by the paper element of the filter.
If you are not sure of yourself, I agree with WWest that you should watch the Lexus dealer or someone else you trust to do it once so you can watch.
As far as doing this type of maintenance yourself, I do ALL of my own maintenance on my cars since I just don't trust the service people (including Lexus) for many of the reasons already stated. If they don't screw up the job something else happens i.e. dirt or grease on the floor mats, dings in the doors, etc. While my time is also important, my sanity and peace of mind is more important. However this is just my opinion and what do I know!
Dennis
Does anyone know of a reasonable oil-changing place in the East Bay? $60 for an oil change is ridiculous, I don't care if it is the dealer. Oh, by the way, it took 1 1/2 hrs, "Because we wash the car too". Never again!
Not sure how much tire rotations or "10 point inspections" are as we only have 158 miles on the RX, although the first service, including oil change, tire rotation, car wash, and other "inspection" stuff is free.
$60 for an oil change? I'd suggest looking elsewhere.
-Craig
Have you ever had your new car washed by those teeny-boppers gathering funds for their football heroes? When they are not doing that they work for Lexus in the Wash bay.
Even if you do let them use a flunky to change your oil then don't allow them to mess up your nice paint job with one.
I have a black Rex and it is extremely sensitive to swirl marks (supposedly no clear coat). I washed it this weekend (100% lambs wool wash mitt) and it was tought to clean. I love the Rex in black, but this might be the last car I get in black, though maybe I'll change my mind once I get Zaino on it and the maintenance get easier.
Never, ever, never take a black finish car to a car wash or let anyone else wash it. You will regret it over time.
did you checkout Watertown?
Thanks.
from the Lexus web site on scheduled maintenance
"5,000-MILE OR 4-MONTH INTERVALS 7,500-MILE OR 6-MONTH INTERVALS
30 days.*1 30 days.*1
5,000 miles or 4 months. *1 7,500 miles or 6 months.*1
*1 These service inspections are complimentary at your local Lexus dealer.
Mark
It's like folks who gush over the fact that they got the cargo mat and wheel locks "thrown in for free". Wrong. You can't get a Rex with a Package without these items, they are usually PIO (port installed options) at all locations.
I hope your mechanic checked the hub bolt for damage. If the wheel wobbled, then it could have damaged the hub bolts. For our information, did you rotate the spare into the mix, do you have Bridgestone or Goodyear, and do you now have any pull to the right?
A/C cycling rate depends almost entirely on the specific atmospheric conditions inside and outside the car. My guess would be it was still too cool to truly need A/C.
In cooler weather the condenser (heat exchanger mounted in front the engine cooling radiator) is highly efficient and the freon (oh, whatever!) high pressure switch point is reached very soon after the A/C goes on.
You described a 30% duty cycle and that might be normal for this cooler(?)time of year.
Additionally there are times, OAT below 60F, when Lexus runs the A/C primarily for dehumidification (optimal human comfort = about 40% relative humidity) purposes. The incoming airflow is cooled, chilled, really, to "sqeeze" out the moisture (think of a sponge) and then passed through the heater core and reheated to a more comfortable level before being blown onto your face and body.
So the compressor is run just enough to keep the evaporator chilled to just above freezing but the effect you feel in these conditions will oftentimes be realtively warm (dry)airflow exiting the system.
I agree with Clee4, Balancing is not needed unless you have a problem. What may have happened when you rotated the tires was the wheel was cocked and you thought it was tight. I always use a X pattern when tightening anything and especially lug nuts. For instance snug lug at 12:00 o'clock then 6:00 then 9:00 then 3:00 etc. When they are all snug then tighten in a similar sequence. This will insure that the wheel is flush on the mounting service.
I also agree with Clee4 that you should make sure that the wheel and lug bolts are OK. It does not take much wobble to cause a problem.
Dennis
As for the first two services being free. Yes, they mentioned that, but not as a "perk" to make the sale. Only after the sale was done, financing was done, everything was signed, we had the keys, and we were going through the car's manual to discuss the various features, were we first told that we had to come in after a month to check all the fluids, adjust whatever was necessary, etc. And then after 5,000 miles, come in for a free oil change/service. But it wasn't presented as a "we're the only ones who do this".
From my experience, Lexus of Norwood does not play deceiving games. They're a JD Powers/Lexus of Excellence dealership, something like 8 years in a row. Not sure if that means much, but they did mention that they're the only one like that in the Northeast. They also have the highest volume in the Northeast.
I did my homework before going there. I knew everything to know about the car, competing models, other dealerships, etc. I truely enjoy the car haggling/buying experience. Although I'm on their turf, I am (as the buyer) always the one in control (as everyone who buys a car should be). They have to kiss my behind during the whole process. If not, a simple jesture to walk out or go elsewhere does wonders.
I didn't check out Lexus in Watertown. I used to live in Waltham, and if I still did, I would have gone there. But living now in Ashland, Walpole (where Lexus of Norwood is located) is a bit closer. There is a Toyota dealership about 2 minutes away from me, so if I need something done in a pinch, that's always an option as well.
Overall, I was very pleased with them. They even matched my PeopleFirst loan rate of 7.25% for 60 months. If you go there, ask for Barry. Great guy. Tell him I sent you (I don't get any referals....).
-Craig