Lexus RX 300

sybele

Hi guys. Does anybody know if a 99'RX can be fitted with the mounting needed for a top tether attachment?

joanzie

Tonychrys, Please describe this to me a woman who does not know anything about cars and again where is it and what does it look like? I have no idea what an A-bar or a skid plate is and wonder do I have one?I have a 2001 rx that I just purchased at ray catena in N J. Thanks for all you input about the car.

rmichael99

We are looking at a 2001 Silversport here in NY and we have a question. The Invoice price for the Silversport is $34,490 both on Edmunds and Kelly BB, and the MSRP is $39,055. Armed with this info we talked to a dealer, and he insists the check that this dealer writes to Lexus for the Silversport is $35,957 (invoice). "I can show you the invoice . . .Don't rely on the internet . . . etc." Thereby offering us the Silversport for $37k and change. How could this be? A) Anyone can write up an invoice - B)Even if I add the $713 holdback to the $34,490, that is $35,203. I called around and other dealers could not go below $39.5 for the Silversport, so on its face the 37k price looks legit. I am not looking to gouge the guy, but still I want the best deal I can get. Any input? One more question, I am told that the suspension is a "bit firmer" in this model, but I will not notice the difference, and are there any options not included in the Silversport that I must have (I don't need nav) any feedback? Thanks in advance.

spakchar

IMHO, it sounds like a pretty good deal, don't think you can do much better. The silversport is a "limited availability" model and should go for a premium. A good rule of thumb purchase price for an RX is MSRP minus 10%.

mvs1

Just out of curiosity how much $$$ was the extra trim. Also, Tony beat me to it, its an after market add-on. In 99' the dealer offered this to me for I believe $650. No thanks. You can also buy this wood kits at http://www.wooddash.com/ & http://www.wooddashfactory.com/ in a variety of pieces, factory matches for around $250.

rick131

The local dealer has what appears to be a fully loaded 1999 RX300 with 23,000 miles for $30,900. How's that price seem? (It's a fixed price dealer - no negotiating on price.) And is there anything I should be aware of about 1999 models? Thanks.

h2ok9

IMHO, you should be able to do slightly better than $30,900--I don't what part of the US you live in, but here in So. Cal, you should be able to knock off about $1500-$2000 more off that price, depending on the dealer of course. That's the deal I was able to get on mine a month ago.

tonychrys

A skid plate is a sheet of metal (usually) that protects the underside of your vehicle. If you look under the front of your vehicle you will see a big black piece that starts from the front of your bumper, under the radiator, and curves towards the underside of the vehicle.

Why do you need one? Ever run over something in the road at high speeds and then hear it clunk around underneath the vehicle? There are a lot of things that could get damaged, like your drivetrain (the part that transfers the power from your transmission to your rear wheels), various linkages (mechanical connectors/controllers) and other stuff.

RC Lexus is a good dealer, I bought from their dealership in NY and get my service done at the NJ location (I work about 1 mile from it).

Enjoy the miles.

drew_

I need to find an RX to look under ;-) I've only really seen the rear axle in detail, probably because you can so easily see the RX's undercarriage from just sitting it in traffic.


Drew
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tonychrys

Funny you should mention that because I had the opportunity to view a RX and MDX side by side at a traffic light from the rear. The RX under-carriage clearance isn't as bad as the MDX, which is shocking (the MDX) at the amount of "stuff" that is hanging down.

After doing some research, I found out that manufacturers are allowed to define ground clearance by measuring down the center-line of the vehicle and ignoring everything else. This gives folks a false sense of "clearance" since there other things off to the side, like wheel linkage. Ever see the wheel links hanging down on an Escape? Saw one today, it's a joke.

I'm thinking of starting a topic "Ground Clearance Myths".

wwest

I just went out and looked under my 2001 RX AWD. What first looks to the eye as a "skid plate" is actually some sort of aerodynamic shield made of quite flimsy plastic or vinyl material.

It certainly might help to deflect some objects from damaging the undercarriage but it clearly doesn't rate as a skid plate.

hwj39

Was looking at the Priceline.com site and considering making the leap. However, the priceline invoice price includes $500 for "advertising fee". Is this a real cost to the dealer and something that should be added to the invoice price when deciding on a realistic offer? The Edmunds "TMV" does not include it.
Thanks

raybear

The fee posted is based on the national average.

Lexus dealers are charged an advertising fee based on a percentage of the cost of the car. This fee does vary regionally, but Priceline has attempted to be as accurate as possible.

bcjacob1

I posted this question previously w/o an accurate response (1 response directed me to 5 other responses, NONE of which answered the question)

Can the Nav system display the latitude/longitude/altitude of my current position? If so, how?

I can do this on my Acura nav very easily.

nycmaggie1

I saw it at the Manhattan dealer, but got it at Smithtown where I ended up buying. The retail cost was about $1,100 but we got it at cost, about $750 or so. I counted about 13 extra pieces of walnut: Around the radio buttons, i.e., below the screen; around the ac vents flanking the screen; behind the steering wheel on the dash board, e.g. a piece surrounds the side view mirror control; a narrow bit of trim surrounds the dashboard gauges (I forget what that's called); two bits of trim on the console by the ashtray; around the rear seat AC vent; and around the side AC vents by the front windows; and I forget what else. It sounds like a lot but it's what I fell in love with at the Manhattan show room.

As Emerill would say, "it kicks it up a notch...BAM!"

jasonww

I also was considering the Silversport edition, but from what I've been able to find out about the model, HID headlights are not available on the Silversport Edition. Seems like a major marketing blunder to me. I would think the majority of buyers who are interested in the Silversport would strongly want the HID option. The unavailability of that option is certainly enough to keep me from buying it.

And I have to say the dealership I went to in Atlanta was no help at all when I inquired about the Silversport Edition at their information desk about a month and a half ago. When I asked about it they told me they had never heard of it and didn't know what I was talking about. And this after it had been featured on the lexus.com website, no less. It's sad that I knew more about one of their models than they did. Though they didn't seem all that eager to assist me during my first visit there, probably because of my age (24, and entirely able to afford this car). Inexcusable.

But back to the Silversport- I like the grill, single-tone paint, and the sport-tuned suspension, and I'm not sure if I prefer the brushed aluminum... but it's all moot if HID's are unavailable. Perhaps I'm wrong about their availability, but not according to the information I've found so far. If someone knows otherwise I'd be interested in knowing.

--Jason

outrun

I was browsing the Highlander forum, and people were mentioning that Toyota didn't include a top tether anchor in the middle position in the rear seats (only left and right) in the Highlander. So I went home to check out my '01 RX. Sure enough, there isn't a center top tether anchor.

Reading the requirements of top tethers anchors from the nhtsa web site, SUV's with 5 or less seating positions are required to only have 2 tethers. Unfortuntately, Toyota/Lexus decided to save the few bucks it would have cost to put one in the middle (and probably the safest position).

Shame shame...

Anyways, is there a way to have Toyota/Lexus install one in the middle? Has anyone tried asking them? I would like some info before approaching my dealership with this issue.

Thanks..

-Craig

clee4

Go back to post #692, #689, in that area and read them. I will not take the time to reprint them here, as I could make a mistake real easy. You can read the LAT and LONG from the nav, but it is very complicated. I have done it and I think Tony has also done it, so how hard is it? Not for the faint of heart. If you can not figure how to from those posts, I would not try.

outrun

Not sure if this has been asked/answered, but does the DVD Nav in the RX cover the southern parts of Canada? We're planning a trip to Nova Scotia this summer. Just curious if we're going to be able to rely on it or not.

Thanks..

-Craig

tonychrys

It's not hard if you follow Clee's instructions. I couldn't do it right the first time because I didn't follow his instructions EXACTLY (I think I skipped the parking brake). Follow the instrcutions exactly.

You'll be able to drive around in diagnostic mode, but I don't think you'll be able to switch back to regular mode until you shut off the vehicle.

plumbstar

Getting the latitude & longtitude is easy. Just push the emergency button on the destination screen. The lat. & long. will appear as well as the address you are at.

clee4

Hey, thanks. I will try that tonight. Sounds good.

grayz

This is direct copy from nexus web site:

"Silver sport Special Edition: with Additional Options


Perforated Leather Trimmed Seats and Steering Wheel, Electrochromic Outside Mirrors and Inside Rear View Mirror, Electric Garage Door Opener, Memory Driver's Seat, 6 Disc In-Dash DC Auto Changer, One Touch Open/Close Moon roof, Brushed Aluminum Interior Jr
- Two-Level Heated Front Seats
- High Intensity Head lamps (HID)
- Rear Spoiler

$4,040.00"

According to this HID are available for Silver sport. Then again I'm picking my Black Onyx AS tonight and will let you know for sure...

-Gene

clee4

You just got to love this spell check.

stever

Yeah, we know . I guess grayz didn't get my email reminding him that he had 30 minutes to make any changes or fixes after posting a message.

Steve
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ststephen0

It is very easy to see your long/lat.....just go to the "Emergency" button on nav system...where you can find police, hospitals, and car dealers.....on that screen it lists your longitude&latitude......

ststephen0

Yes I too had gripes about atlanta dealerships.....They told me in 2000 that it would be 3-4 years before navigation was added....just a sales tactic to get you to buy now....4 months later I found out 2001 had nav. I bought my 2001 w/ nav from Macon, GA.....not as flashy in the showroom, but I got a great deal!!

auburn96

Just bought a 2001 RX and notice the doors did not lock when I engage it into drive like most cars I have had. Does the RX have this feature?

pschiffe

Reply to above, this has been discussed before; unfortunately "Speed-Sensitive Door Lock Function" is NOT available with the Customized Body Electronics System of the RX.

Pete

wwx

I am negotiating with the dealer on a 2001 new RX300. My bid price is 3% over the Invoice price which is recommended by an online auto-buying tip. Is that reasonable? Any advice will be appreciated.

mox1

I just bought one, and have seen several other postings. Presently you should not pay more than $500 above invoice.

bcjacob1

Being skeptical of the info on this forum (ie. having to set the parking brake to check lat + long. on the nav), I checkeed w/ the dealer and sure enough, auto locks are NOT available on the '01 RX

tonychrys

No one ever said "having to set the parking brake to check lat + long. on the nav", but setting the parking brake is necessary to get to the diagnostic screen that shows the real-time GPS data from the three satellites. Very cool if you ever try it.

I just came from the dealer this morning (5k service) and drive-away auto-locking is indeed not available.

clee4

Tony, one should not venture into uncharted waters, they might even learn something.

tonychrys

Speaking of learning something, I know a guy who is working on integrating DVD/video with the Nav screen. Of course it's an unofficial user mod, but will be very cool once it gets done. Will be no more involved than plugging in a custom inline wiring harness.

sgtglok

I just got slammed on the wrist on another thread for giving a link to another forum, ouch, so I hope this post is ligit - give a call to Ray Catena Lexus in NJ - they offered good quotes on the loaded RX 4WD (Silversport) - they said it made no difference to them, it if was a SS edition or standard. Local dealer at Bay Ridge Lexus's quoted pretty good too. I also called 2 dealerships in Long Island, their quotes were way overpriced! As for me - after 4 months of waiting, I'm finally going to see the truck I ordered - MDX!.. Yet, as I'm not finished with the purchase, I keep RX's quote/qualities in the back of my mind, so who knows...

wwest

At this point in time, if I were planning to buy an MDX I would want 4(?) months for the 2002 models. I can't believe that Accura will not include the HID and maybe even VSC in the next model year.

sgtglok

I don't see what is fuzz over HIDs in the first place - unless you drive in the suburbs often, where the night visibility is very low or just want to impress your friends, what is the big deal? Secondary, and mostly, here in NY, the TLs and CLs are a constant target for HID lights thefts (there even was an article in NYTimes recently), so I am THANKFUL the MDX does not have those as standard - Acura could still offer them as an OPTION though. Maybe in 2002.

outrun

I had HIDs on my '99 TL. Traded it in for a '01 RX with HID. I think they're far superior to light bulbs.

o They light up the road wider and longer
o The spread of light is far more even, without hot spots
o They use less energy
o They last longer

I also have a '96 Honda Accord with bulbs. There's no comparison.

Granted, the quality of HIDs vary among manufacturers. The ones Acura uses on the TL are probably the cheapest. The MB/BMW/Lexus ones are on the higher end.

Now, if someone stole an HID headlight, what would they do with it? The entire system consists of a bit more than a bulb.

-Craig

00rxguy1

I washed my rx the the other day and noticed some chips in the front. mine is white and there are about 4-5 chips. is this a common problems with rx's. i only have about 10,000 miles on it and already the front is chipped. my other car is a bmw and is also white but it has about 35,000 miles on it and it isn't has chipped up as the RX. is there anything i can do about it without changing the apperance. i guess touch-up at the dealer will work. but it isn't the same.

00rxguy1

speaking of HID i saw an rx with HID yesterday and it looked great. I have 2000 and was wondering if there are any conversion kits to change it. any ideas guys!

wwest

Well, each to his own...

I am 60 years old and am willing to readily acknowledge that my eyesight isn't what it once was. It is my understanding that as we age the first thing we begin to lose is "color range" in our eyesight, and this has a much greater affect on our night vision than in the daytime when the sun is providing FULL (COLOR)SPECTRUM light.

And that is the real advantage of HID, its light output is of a much wider spectrum than any other available artificial source.

Electric arc lighting (High Intensity Discharge, HID) has been used "forever" in movie projectors because of its almost full spectrum performance. HID has only recently become available in mobile applications as a result of our tremendous modern day advances in solid state electronics.

I don't buy HID to be seen but to SEE !!!

outrun

I forgot to mention what wwest just said. The spectrum of the HID is probably it's biggest advantage. It reflects signs much better at night. I believe it has more of the "blue" side of the spectrum compared to normal bulbs, which are heavy at the "red" (yellow) side of the spectrum.

Some of those fake HID bulbs out there appear to be "bluish" because they basically take a normal bulb, and filter off some of the yellow. While this may get you a more even spectrum, all you've done is dim the brightest part of the light, resulting in very little illuminosity.

The HIDs on the RX appear very close to white. I've seen some HID's that are very blue. Those on the GMC/Chevy mid-size SUVs are a good example.

-Craig

devlopper

Anyone from the Minneapolis area that recently purhased an RX300??? I would sure like to know what you paid. I'm in the market for a Highlander and thought I should check the RX first to see what kind of deal I could find. Any info would be appreciated!

Thanks!

bcjacob1

Tony, Let me know if your friend can connect a movie DVD to the nav. I also have an Acura TL w/ Nav + was told this cannot be done on that car since the DVD reader in the trunk of the Acura does not have some MPEG thing. I'd be interested if your friend can play DVD's somehow on the RX nav screen

Re: Acura cust svc, I asked them at the 800# how to display the lat/long on the nav sys. I asked this Q the same time I posed here. They were very plesant + responded in 24 hrs w/ a live person w/ the answer. Unfortunately, the answer was the same long way that was posted here at 1st - ie go into diag mode etc. When I told her about the "quick" way of going into the emergency screen + that I found the answer on here, she said sometimes you folks know more than they do

tonychrys

...it's done by adding an auxillary DVD/TV tuner unit, it's a Pioneer. The whole idea is to be able to do any function (use Nav, etc.) at any time, and also support all the Pioneer on screen stuff. What's involved is getting the right video mixer to inject/direct the Pioneer output to the Nav screen when desired.

wwest

You guys/gals are scaring the bejesus out of me !!

Don't we have quite enough trouble with people driving around not paying full attention while talking on their cell phone?

There is a reason, a VERY good one, why the Nav system doesn't allow many types of inputs while the vehicle is in motion. From my viewpoint it really shouldn't allow any adjustments whilc the vehicle is in motion.

Keep it up, the next thing you know the government will be stepping in to regulate these issues.

rkuehn

Anyone tried to order a Silversport without the sunroof? I need the extra headroom. Wonder if Lexus would provide a delete credit?

Also anyone tried to order a Silversport with tan interior? Don't care to roast in the summer, think black-and-tan would look good.

tonychrys

I really think you'd be hard pressed to find a SS without a sunroof. Almost every Rex that comes into this country has the Premium Plus Package at a minimum, which includes the sunroof. The SS is really a PPP model with different suspension and paint treatments, and oh yea, that aluminum dash.

I do agree with you that Black-and-Tan looks sweet, that's what I got ;-)

My only suggestion is ask your dealer to do a special order. If it's doable and you leave a deposit, then the dealer shouldn't balk at the idea.

wwx

Thanks for your kind advice on pricing, Mahesh! I found your 5/10 posting saying that you bought RX300 at $34,200. Does that include destination charge? What's the optional equipment? I appreciate any advice!