Lexus RX 300

tonychrys

kkuet

thanks a lot for all of your help. i just talked to greg and everything is correct in regards to the price. the difference of the price was a $446 on advertising fee. i didn't hear of that one before. is that legit in NJ? did you have to pay that too? again, that's for all of your help

tonychrys

Yes, some dealers will break this out. Lexus is doing a lot of TV ads in the Northeast, no doubt the dealers are getting charged for this.I would still pay no more than $1000 over invoice, that covers the ad fee and gives the dealer $550 profit plus dealer holdback.

BTW, since you are considering out-of-state, why not just buy from a neighboring state and drive the car home? Many dealers will pick you up from the train/airport and take good care of you. A few hundred mile drive and pickup is easily done in one day. Just a thought.

TC

ststephen0

I recently read on the Lexus site that the 2001 rx300 has an emerald tinted headlight. It stated that it was the same as they put on the LS. Since I have never seen this tint on the LS...I wondered if anyone else even noticed it on their 2001 RX300.....is it on the HID (as I have) or the regular stock headlighs? I cannot say I really notice any greenish tint on my HIDs.

tonychrys

I think you are hitting refresh on your browser and making double posts. You need to exit and re-enter the discussion.

malhokc

ststephen0

Which website is this posted.

RXSilver

kkuet

tonychrys, thank a lot for your help, i appreciate it. the one thing that i really want are the HID and no one has it in the midwest (except possibly chicago, i'm looking right now). for some reason, certain options are very regional. were there a lot of rx equipped with HID in NJ?

anyhow, good luck with your car and update us on how it does. thanks.

ststephen0

saw it on www.lexus.com in the "news/articles" section.

tonychrys

Like many Japanese buit cars, it depends on which port of call the shipment comes in. I know of at least 3 ports in this country: NY/NJ (Northeast), Gulf States, and LA. I'm not really sure where a "Michigan" car would come from.

When the cars hit a port, the company (Toyota) has a huge area/warehouse/lot where they do further "prep" of the cars before they are trucked to the dealers. The Gulf States port is notorious amongst Toyota buyers because of the extra "stuff" they add on to the vehicle to jack up the price.

Anyhow, the dealers with the best ratings (volume, CSI, meeting high quota goals) usually get first pick of what comes into port. I talked to a number of dealers and the two ways that the AWD is coming into this country is usually a)Value Package or b) Value Package, HID, and wood sterring wheel. That's why I'm surprised that you can't get your configuration.

Good Luck,
TC

harryrogers1

My RX300SE was delivered to my home this evening 6.30pm (UK time). It's Platinum Ice with Beige leather interior. It's pouring with rain and its dark, so we will have to wait till the morning before we have our first ride in it. Typical UK dealer problems, the tow hitch came with only one 7 pin connector (should have 2) and the sales guy didn't know what the extra key was for. Its apparently a detachable tow hitch and he (and I) didn't know of this. Apparently I'm the first in the UK to have the RX with a tow hitch (they have only been here for three months). Had a play with the CD player and Radio. Very good. Can't wait for the daylight. Hope Tonychris..
your enjoying yours.

tonychrys

Well, my wife has mine now .

But I must admit, the Nav is a blast! I didn't think it would work as good as it does. I do IT for a living so it takes a lot to impress me. I actually don't mind now having spent the extra $2k.

The first thing I ordered for it are Husky Liners for the front, back and cargo area. We get slush and snow around here.

Next thing to get is the gold badges, they look awesome against the black

Next, an A-bar for the front protection and a rear bumper guard for the back. Full wrap-around brush guards are too tacky IMHO

Maybe side-step tubes for my 3-year old.

Enjoy!

simba2k

Thanks to all inputs about RX300. I'll pick up my tomorrow. Good luck to all.

mas1944

Love my RX300....but..anyone else notice the horrendous turn radius. Need a 4 lane road to make a I turn

I

tonychrys

Uhh... Something tells me someone didn't do their homework. The wide turning radius is a pretty well known fact (and detriment). When they redesign the RX in a couple of years (using the same platform as the new HighLander), the turning radius will be reduced.

TC

ruski

thinking about changing my own oil (no time to stop by a dealer)

anyone know the oil capacity off the top of their head?

chelsea90

Can you reccomend a salesperson? Is that in Bridgewater?
Thanks

morganchiu

Okay, initially tictoc2 posted his PL success story here and tonychrys was able to duplicate that result. I was very interested as tictoc2 is in our area. (I'm in Bethesda.) When I tried it last Friday; however, PL did not come back with dealers when I offered $300 over. One dealer wanted to do business with $2000 over.

Since tictoc2's original post included the fact that he dealt with Rockville Lexus (thru PL) and his salesperson's name. I printed tictoc2's post and went to Silver Spring Lexus for luck. Although I could tell the GM wasn't very happy about the way I pushed the deal, but they just couldn't let a customer walk out and go to Rockville. So I got the same deal from Silver Spring. I honestly think it is a great price without haggling. My salesperson is very couteous and helpful.

Here's the summary:

2001 RX300 AWD/NAVI/HEATED SEATS/SPOILER/CARGO MAT/TOW HITCH/WHEEL LOCKS - $38700 + Destination + Tag + Tax + Luxury Tax (4% of $700 + Dest.)

My wife insisted on the blue, so we're now waiting for one that is on transit. Silver Spring gives free 1K miles and 5K miles services plus Lexus loaners /or pickup and delivery within 30 miles. (Not sure if every Lexus dealer does this.)

There are two ways you can use this info. Shop other dealers for a even sweeter deal. Or hop to Silver Spring for the exact same price. You're more than welcome to work with my salesperson. If you have additional questions, please email me at [email protected].

Regards,

Morgan

tonychrys

You got a great deal - about $200 more than mine, which covers the tow hitch difference. Like you said, the GM wasn't happy, but trust me, they made money.

All Lexuses include the 1k and 5k service for free. It's in your documentation.

Happy motoring!

TC

edgeworth

Armed with your helpful information, I am ready to go out and find a good deal. I plan to try priceline.com first. Do the prices you mentioned include destination? i.e. $38.5K for tonychrys and $38.7K for tictic2. I am assuming the priceline.com offer price includes everything the deals gets. I only have to add taxes and miner charges for title and registration. Is this right? Thanks again.

tonychrys

Exactly. The PL bid/accept will include eveything except tax, title, license, reg, etc.

There was absolutely no bait and switch when I picked mine up. The price I paid was the price I bid, plus 8.5% tax, plus about $200 to cover title, docs, registration and new plates, and luxury tax.

TC

ashokn

I am looking for a good price on 2001 RX300,
4dr 4WD, with the following options in SF bay
area

Navigation system pkg
Cargo mat
wheel locks
golk pkg
all season tires/chrome wheels
one-touch pwr tilt/slide moonroof
w/sunshade, pinch protection
nakamichi premium audio system

Priceline gives me the following quote
Invoice MSRP
30,970 35,655
Navigation pkg 4649 5370
cargo mat 47 76
wheel locks 31 52
gold pkg 199 299
all season tires 850 1,700
Moonroof 800 1000
Nakamichi audio 1277 1630

Destination chg 545 545
Advertising fee 500

Total 39868 46327

The color is Burnished Gold Metallic/Ivory

I offered 40,000 without much success.
Any suggestions?

ststephen0

As far as I know you cannot get the Nakamichi with the Nav system. Therefore your price is reduced. You should have no trouble getting this car for $40k or less. I got mine back in mid-November for $40,000. Good Luck!

lexusfan

Something that may seem obvious, but I didn't consider it until I thought it through...

A few ways to minimize turn radii:
1) Turn wheels as far as possible while waiting for traffic to clear.
2) Advance *slowly* into intersection, then turning steering wheel quickly, and as far as possible, while accelerating.
3) Turn wide (in opposite direction) during turn. This is least effective because it is limited by oncoming traffic and cars in adjacent lanes.

I have found that these methods prevent having to make three point turns, unless of course the road is so narrow that most cars would have trouble turning anyway.

gdanczyk

The best prices you'll find in the San Francisco area are at Lexus of Concord. If you want a better deal, call Theresa Reefer at Lexus of Riverside at (909) 346-5301. She'll give you a price right over the phone when you call. She'll then Airborne Express a contract to you, and then you'll sign and return. She'll flatbed truck it to your house or business for around $400.

Bay area prices stick because of all the dot com millionaires going in and paying retail prices in cash.

tonychrys

Can't get Nak and NAV together. Though I haven't seen/heard a lot of RX300 Nak's, my opinion is that Nav is a better option. The base stereo that comes with the RX is pretty darn good.

I have never heard anyone rave about the Nak on the RX300, most say wait for the Mark Levinson option to come out on it.

TC

edgeworth

My offer of $38,500 was accepted via priceline.com by a local dealer. It is the version with MSRP at $42,601 (4WD, Nav, cargo mat, spoiler, heated seats, wheel lock, roof rack, no tow hitch). I believe it is the same as tonychrys' RX300. This price is about $1,000 over invoice. I probably could have offered a little less but I just wanted to get it done. The out-of-the-door price is about $40,604 (5% MD tax, $20 luxury tax, $179 misc t/t/l).

Now, what do I look for when I pick it up? Do I test drive it? Do I kick the tires? Do I check if anything is loose? What do I do if something doesn't look/feel right? Suggestions from experienced buyers would be appreciated. I am picking it up Friday morning.

bingo9

Congratulations! did you get it from Silver Spring dealer and who is your sales person? Does the price ($38500) include destination charge? What's the no Tow Hitch mean? I saw there are Tow Hitch ($303) in POI and Tow Hitch Receiver ($248) in Option. Can you elaborate on that? tax.

I suggest you still need to check and test the one you are buying just to make sure.

tictoc2

We didn't test drive our RX when we picked it up at Rockville. We had drove one at another dealer last summer, so we were familiar with the feel & options except Nav. Seth spent all the time we needed to answer questions and show us the Nav. He was great! You probably don't need to kick the tires , however if you have never driven the RX, it may be a good idea to test drive yours. Your sales person should take care of anything that doesn't look/feel right. The $38700 we paid included dest. The only additionals were tax & tags. We took it out in snow last weekend and it did great. Hope you will enjoy your new toy!

tonychrys

Congrats!
How does it feel to get $4000 off of MSRP on a great vehicle?!

We never test drove our exact vehicle until we picked it up... which is good. Afterall, would you want to buy a vehicle that's been test driven by several customers? Ours had 22 miles on the Odo, which is normal according to the manual since it was test driven at the factory, US port, and dealer.

Things to look for when picking up:
* A quality Lexus dealer will have it ready at the specified time. It will have been washed/cleaned that day. Ours was pulled inside to the service area for our final inspection.
* Take as much time walking around the car, look for blemishes, scratches etc. Do the same thing for the inside. A good Lexus dealer expects this.
* Ask questions, afterall, you're paying for exceptional service when you buy a Lexus.
* I would not hand over the final check or sign anything until you test drive it and are ok with it. The likely hood of anything being wrong is almost nil, these are quality vehicles.
* Make sure you get the complete handhold/explanation of the vehicle. Lexus requires them to do this.
* Make sure you inspect it outside on the lot also. The paint will reveal different things in the sunlight. Ours is black and is prone to swirls and "spider-webs" if run through an auto-car wash. Always hand wash a dark color for long term beauty.
* Last and most important- enjoy the ride home.

Good luck,
TC

edgeworth

I test drove several other RX300 but not the one I am buying. Apparently this one just came in a few days ago. Like tictocs, I am buying it from the Rockville Lexus. Like tonychrys, I can't wait to get my burnish gold RX300. I think I am going to still test drive it before handing over the check. The dealer told me that they provide free car wash every Saturday 9-3, which is nice because I go shopping near the dealship frequently.

I must say that I was not interested in the navigation system originally, because I am pretty good at reading maps and finding directions, and because the cost seems high. But I happened to test drive one with the navigation system and the sales guy showed me how it worked just for fun. I can't get my mind off it afterwards. I am looking forward to driving the RX300 and playing with the navigation system. Thanks again.

edgeworth

I suggest that you go to a dealer to test drive the car and to find out exactly what options you want. You then go through priceline.com to get the price you want; most likely you will get to Rockville Lexus because they seem to be the low cost, large volume place. $38,500 includes destination, which is $545.

I did not get the tow hitch, because I have never wanted to tow anything with my car so far, and don't plan to do so. I understand that one can also use it to carry bicycles. But since I can also carry bicycles with RX300 with a back seat folded down, and I don't expect to carry bibycles that often, I decided not to get it. Good luck with getting what you want.

russman1

First of all, edgeworth, tonychrys and tictoc2, thanks for all the useful information, I think this discussion is great and has firmed up in my mind which vehicle to buy!

Question for you guys regarding priceline:

Would you find it effective to go to a couple local dealers lots on a Sunday, write down the exact specs for Rx300's we like and then put those vehicles, one at a time of course, into Priceline?

What do you think, would they be more willing to accept an at or near invoice bid for their existing inventory?

tonychrys

You can't enter more than one vehicle at a time into PL's system. They are very strict about that.

PL = Careful what you wish for. Meaning that if your bid is accepted, you are expected to pay for the car. If not, they charge your credit card a penalty.

My best advice is don't buy a Lexus the way you buy a Hyundai. Don't try to chop options off if you can't afford the car to begin with. You need to go to at least 2 dealers in your area to see how the cars are coming in configured. Don't forget, these things are built in Japan, you can't build to suit. Pick a realistic configuration at the dealer that you like and can live with.

Next, go to PL and reproduce that configuration using their tools. In terms of bid, most of us are able to get $1000 over invoice for the top-line configuration (Nav option). I firmly believe you could do better depending on your market. Be willing to travel at least 100 miles to get the best possible deal (select more than 1 county in your PL search option).

Feel lucky? Try $600 over invoice. You'll know in 24 hours whether it was rejected. If so, up it a little to $800. $1000 seems to be a slam dunk with most dealers on PL, since it's assumed that customers using the service will buy the car.

Good Luck,
TC

russman1

Tonychrys,

What I meant to say was by going to the dealers lots, I can record the 'exact' configuration of the stock they have on the lot and use those as the Priceline parameters. My thought is that they may be more willing and offer for cars they have in stock.

tonychrys

Yes, you are correct WRT to dealer stock. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Good Luck!

morganchiu

Like tonychrys said, if you're buying a luxury brand, expect realistic configurations. As far as supply and demand, dealers are more willing to deal on cars that have a tendency to sit on the lot for a while. That applies to cars "specifically packaged."

As Silver Spring Lexus told me, while some customers do look for barebone cloth-seat RX's, they just don't order many of them. In fact, only 1 was ordered and sold in the last year. But on the other hand, the Navi equipped RX's aren't exactly the most popular either. When I went in, they have more than 5 Navi Rx's sitting on the lot for over two weeks. According to the dealership, that wasn't good. They requested repeatedly if I could take one from the lot. I would have and negotiated for a little more discount if my wife practically fell in love with the blue.

So if you can afford the Navi, from what the trend indicates, buyers can get unbelieveable deals right now. I sure feel proud to be able to remain flexible between the MDX and the RX. I hear in the Bay area, $1500 market adjustment and a 13-month wait is no strage thing.

tonychrys

WRT to the color and sitting on the lot. One dealer was willing to undercut my PL bid after hearing that I got it, but it was for a silver one they had on the lot. We had our heart set on Black, even though we could have saved another $200 and bought it from a dealer that was closer.

I personally thought I was crazy for trying to snag a Nav at about $2k more than the PremiumPlus package. But I firmly believe a lot of "quality" cars will have this feature as standard equipment 4 years from now, so in effect, by getting it now you are protecting your resale value.

But in the end, I absolutley LOVE this option now that I have got it. Maybe it's the "toy" effect, but it's really cool (and useful).

TC

morganchiu

You like the Nav huh? The Acura 3.2TL we recently totalled had Nav on it. When we got it, it was the only DVD-based system on the market. The first impact on our life is not printing out maps and directions from mapquest.com anymore. We would just pick up and go In fact, my wife can't live without it. She moved from NYC to DC a year and half ago and just started driving on a regular basis. Because of the Nav, she is able to get to every place she wants to go but still remain totally clueless about where places are.

Last year, the gov't allowed a more precise positioning for civil use. That has solved some of the problems in a very congested and maze-like area. Before the coordinates had an error range of 100 yards. When I get to the myriad of highways near the Newark Airport, the Nav would go haywire not knowing exactly which road I'm on and what directions to give.

mdx1

RE: tonychrys Jan 25, 2001 6:59pm

I don't believe having the Nav would increase the resale value after 4 years unless the Nav HW/SW can be updated to stay current. If I go out and buy a top of line PC today it would become pretty downlevel in 5 years if it does not become totally obsolete. This is the reason I did not get the Nav unit for my MDX since I plan to keep it for more than 5 years. I don't know if any extent warranty would cover the NAV unit after the basic warranty expires.

adpcs

I currenty own a '99 2WD RX and while I have been very happy with the car (except the rattles), I am going to sell it to get an '01 model. I am looking at the 2WD (don't need 4WD in Houston) with the NAV system package. I am looking for blue vapor with black leather. I talked to the dealer today, and she told me they could sell it near $1000 over invoice. (I had been there several times before, and when I went about 3 months ago, she swore to a maximum of $500 discount). So, my questions...

1. I am thinking about offering around $35,500 + TTL for the car with the spoiler. (Invoice is about $35,200). Am I crazy? MSRP is $40,571.

2. I am also interested in an extended warranty. How much should I offer? Maybe $36,000 total?

3. Is it difficult to use the stereo, trip computer, a/c, etc. with the NAV system on?

Any comments welcome.

Thanks.

tonychrys

I repsectfully disagree, and I am VERY familiar with resale values of PCs. You're comparing apples and oranges.

The Nav is a feature on a car, it's not a PC. It's just like side airbags. Almost every car in 4 years will have them. Would you buy a used car without side-airbags, if every new car for the same amount of money you were spending had them? I don't think so.

And the Nav on the RX300 is at least 2nd generation and uses DVD instead of CDs. ML320 owners are still fumbling for separate CDs if they decide to drive out of their region. And yes, the system is updateable.

Again, it's not meant to be PC. It's is extremely handy, and I've only had it for 3 days. The more I learn to use the advance features, the more I love it.

Yes, one could buy an aftermarket unit (the Alpine is VERY slick), but they cost even more (for now, about $3k installed) and don't tightly integrate into the car and it's systems.

For the use I'll get out of the Nav for the next +4 years, I think it was worth it. YMMV.

TC

russman1

How fast and 'on-line' is the GPS signal that you all receive from your NAV system. Meaning, when you start your RX and start driving, does your GPS receiver pickup the signal and lock into your location almost instantly or does it take a while?

tonychrys

It's there almost immediately. As someone else has already pointed out, all GPS users have benefited in the past year due to the US Govt's rollback on the "clouding" of the GPS signal from the satellite system. Accuracy is within feet, instead of yards the way it use to be.

TC

rparis2

I am planning on buying an RX300, but I have heard the turning radius is very large. Do any of the present owners have complaints about this?

Also, if the vehicle lists with destintation charges for $40601 what is considered a good price?

tonychrys

It's large (41 ft.) and documented in the brochure. Doesn't anyone do research anymore?

My wife has been driving the RX since we got it a few days ago and it hasn't bothered her.

TC

toydriver

rparis2
We have 12,000 miles on our '01 RX and I frankly have never been bothered by a limitation in the turning radius.

clee4

Let's not slam the door so hard on folks. I learned alot about the RX by reading other's posts and asking a few questions prior to getting mine. Not everybody has been to a dealer for a book or has had the chance to drive an RX. I've had mine for 3 weeks and have not been bothered by the turning radius either, so far. It's all a matter of what you expect from a SUV. No, it does not turn like a sports car or even my GS, but that is a trade off. I have been completly happy with mine so far. You guys going to PL are doing some great deals. ENJOY

parnola

I got an '01 RX in October - the turning radius bothers me slightly because I have to make a sharp turn out of my garage, but it certainly shouldn't be a reason not to get this vehicle. That's probably my only complaint against it.

rparis2

On the rx300 that lists for 40601, what is a resonable or good price to pay?

pat

clee4 - I agree with you. That's what Town Hall is all about, to share information with other folks. Coming here is doing research.

Calm down Tony. :-)

Pat
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