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Lexus RX 330

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  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    Check their website and contact them on any problems - it might not be the RX.

    www.homelink.com

    good luck
  • txagstxags Member Posts: 7
    Hi mine was built in Japan. I was told that most of West coast Lexus dealers get RX's from Japan.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Is Intel "manufacturing" those processors or have they just found another way to print money.

    American manufacturing has never been the problem, QA, Quality Assurance at all levels is. Put quality engineering first, stylists second, and then give both of those veto power over the damn bean-counters.

    Just ask Craig Barrett.
  • myk_amyk_a Member Posts: 70
    I've got almost 1500 miles on my Japdian (OR Canese - Japanese car made/assembled in Canada) RX330. Hadn't had that problem.

    The ride's great/smooth. No noise other than the wind and the tires (Michelin 18") on some pavements. This is expected of such a tire set-up.

    For weeks I've been in denial that my RX was from Canada. Given that I've had no problems so far with quality, I'm slowly accepting that fact.

    Anyone else with me?
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    to get a Japan-built RX but not because of concerns over QC; I think Toyota would take care of that.

    My concern was over paint quality because of the different environmental laws in Canada vs. Japan.

    Our '01 RX300, black exterior, had no top clear coat because Toy/Lex for some reason applies none to some of their black vehicles. After 3 years and 45k miles of non-garaged use, the finish looked brand new after a detail and I wanted that same paint quality on our RX330. It will be interesting to see how the paint on Canadian units holds up over time.
  • doctord13doctord13 Member Posts: 22
    Has anyone seen/bought the MULTIPANEL ROOF package - have not seen any posts, and not normally the way our dealer gets them in, but looks intriguing - anyone know the scoop?? I would prefer no roof rack (who really climbs up there anyway), and like the idea of the open air!

    Finally decided after much to do that the RX 330 was the best out there - was going to wait to check out the BMW X3, but wont be available until after 2/1 - so whats the point!
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    I have someone in the neighborhood with the multi-panel RX330 roof; I asked them about rattles (this was a few weeks after they took delivery) and they claimed there were none. That was about 4 months ago.

    Anyway, I seem to recall that Lexus stopped making this option available on RX330s, even on customer-ordered units.
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    I'm looking for input from RX300 owners who have moved up to the 330... Is the 330 rear seat wider than the 300's? My wife has an RX 300 and it BARELY fits a front-facing car seat (toddler) and a rear-facing car seat (infant) right next to it in the middle seat. I'm wondering if the 330 offers a bit more room.. all I would need is 3-4 more inches to make a trade up worth it. I'll be test driving them early next year but I'm still curious.

    Thanks!
  • cotmccotmc Member Posts: 1,081
    If you really want 3-4 more inches of rear seat width, I recommend that you check out the MDX.
  • gteach26gteach26 Member Posts: 576
    MDX, but IMHO its styling (inside and out) doesn't seem as nice as the Lexus models.. I'm also thinking about the larger GX but we don't need the rock climbing ability and yes, we're flirting with minivans as well but my wife doesn't seem to like any of them and, except for the '04 Sienna minivan, neither do I.
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    04 Quest.
  • lok888lok888 Member Posts: 1,788
    No one seems to know more details about this. I would think Lexus has already discontinued this option due to a rattle, safety (roll over) or even mechanical reason. I saw only the Sky View large sunroof ($2000+ option) on '98 Benz ML430 once. It was like disappeared the next year or two.
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    I've seen the one...and when it was open, the stacked panels were a bit of an eyesore up on top the rear roof area. Have to believe there could be a bit of wind noise at speed.
  • billbroxbillbrox Member Posts: 41
    Anyone heard the rollout date for the RX Hybrid? I was told '05....very intriguing and enviornmentally responsible.....The only questions are price and techno curve.
  • myk_amyk_a Member Posts: 70
    Bring your front-facing rear seat to the test drive. This way you can actually see how it fits and whether it's easy to attach/detach. You can never be too sure especially when spending on a big ticket item.
  • tailhook2003tailhook2003 Member Posts: 7
    If anyone is interested in FLA dealer pricing, I just picked up an RX-330 fwd w/Premium pkg (and power rear door,sensory wipers,wood wheel and knob, wheel locks and cargo mat). Price was $3000 off list and no $699 prep. fee. Total out the door was $38342(tax,tag,title and registration). The dealer is County Line Lexus of Hollywood FL. They gave me the lowest price of 5 or 6 FLA dealers that I e-mailed. No haggling and the car was in within 2 weeks.
  • jjsanijjsani Member Posts: 14
    Since Lexus does not cover scheduled service visits, can anyone tell me what to expect to pay for the maintenance service visits. I'm assuming there's not much to do at the 5k mark, but maybe at 10k and up.
  • myk_amyk_a Member Posts: 70
    The first 2 scheduled services are complimentary (no charge). That's at 1,000 miles (or 1 month, whichever comes first. Again at 5,000 miles (or 7,500, whichever service schedule you'll be following).

    No price on the regular maintenance as I've not had any yet.
  • barbjackbarbjack Member Posts: 15
    For indiana97, Posting#2170 - I had the same problem with my HomeLink programming. Button #1 worked fine, but the other two would not program. I called HomeLink (1800-355-3515) and they said buttons 2&3 were already programmed and needed to be cleared before a new program could be put in. Apparently someone had programmed buttons 1&2 somewhere along the line before I took delivery from the dealer. They thought it may have been a practical joke and have had to help a number of people with this problem.

    They walked me through the clearing process anf then HomeLink took the new codes just fine. No further problems since.

    Hope this helps.

    Jack H.
  • barbjackbarbjack Member Posts: 15
    I have never been too impressed with "running lights" as they operate only the lights in the front. The rear is still unlighted and I feel there is a definite danger of being hit from behind. I put a small piece of black electrical tape over the sensor on the left side of the dash and the computer thinks it is night all the time. The lights come on when I start the car and stay on all the time. I did this with my previous JGC and the headlights lasted for over 80,000 miles and were still working fine when I sold the car.

    With the RX 330 I also set it so that the lights go out when I shut off the ignition and open the driver's door to get out. I park in my garage and do not need the lights to stay on for 30 seconds or so while I look for a house key, etc.
  • avery1avery1 Member Posts: 373
    One point to note is that the dealers typically tack on a lot more to their service packages than are actually suggested by Lexus. Look in the manual for what is actually suggested by Lexus at 15,000, 30,000, etc. and if you only ask for that you will save hundreds of dollars over the years.
  • avery1avery1 Member Posts: 373
    I should've said thousands of dollars over the years.
  • johngreisjohngreis Member Posts: 70
    How did you get your headlights to go out when you shut off the ignition and opened the door.? Was that done at the dealer with C-BEST settings?
    I had that done on my RX300 (Year 2000) and requested it to be done when I picked up my RX330 two weeks ago. However, on the new one it still says on for 30 seconds. I checked with the service manager and he said that that might be the way the new ones are. I'm thinking he is wrong.

    Thanks for your trouble.
  • barbjackbarbjack Member Posts: 15
    johngreis - I was afraid someone would ask me this. I did the change while I was at my summer home in Maine. I am now at my home in Florida and I'm afraid I left the instructions up there.
    My recollection is that I got it off this website and it was very simple. I will keep looking for the info and if I can find it, I will come back to you. Sorry.

    Jack H.
  • rgnmstrrgnmstr Member Posts: 226
    <<<<>>>>>>>.

    In the day time?
  • rgnmstrrgnmstr Member Posts: 226
    Sounds like you got a decent deal. When I was looking a month ago the dimwit dealer in Baltimore said he would be happy to put me on the waiting list at full MSRP. When I questioned that he stated that the cars are in demand and people (read saps) are happy to pay. By the way what is a $669 prep charge? Is that similar to $500 gold packages and $400 rustproofing jobs that cost the dealer $35?
  • fsc1555fsc1555 Member Posts: 42
    how much is your sticker price ? is that 40,128.00 MSRP ? Premium plus pachage with additonal options like 2 level heated seats with rain sensing alloy wheel 18", wheel lock and cargo mat ?
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    So, what is YOUR life worth?

    No one needs to prove the value of DRLs to me, anything that I think will improve my chances gets my vote.

    My C4's DRL lamps and tail lights are wired into the seat heating circuit.
  • syksyk Member Posts: 4
    I would like to purchase an RX330 AWD with premium plus package (PT) and navigation system (NV). The lexus.com site lists several available configurations which include PT and NV, but they also include other options which I am not interested in purchasing. Is it possible to order this specific configuration?
  • tailhook2003tailhook2003 Member Posts: 7
    fsc1555, the sticker on my car at county line lexus was $39073(no heated seats)with the extras as listed in my prior.I paid $35999 plus fla tax. good luck with yours.
    rgnmstr,most dealers here in fl charge a prep fee from $400 to $600 for spiffying up the car prior to delivery. I didn't pay it, but I guess some do.
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    syk, there are certain "mandatory" options that will vary depending on your dealer and which part of the country you live in. By and large if you special order you should be able to configure the vehicle like you want, but my experience was some "options" become "standard equipment" even on special orders. I would check with your preferred dealer and push him as far as you can, so that you don't pay for items that have no value to you, at least to the extent this is possible in your area. I'm not sure which specific options you are referring to, but you shouldn't have to pay for add-ons like wheel locks and a cargo protector, for example, no matter where you are.
  • rgnmstrrgnmstr Member Posts: 226
    <<<<most dealers here in fl charge a prep fee from $400 to $600 for spiffying up the car prior to delivery. I didn't pay it, but I guess some do. >>>>>>>.

    Well, that's an outright hose job. $400 - $600 to wash a car.
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    Has anyone heard any late word on the 330 hybrid; available dates, mpg, etc. I imagine this car will be in high demand and, thus, very few discounts for quite sometime.
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    The RX400 hybrid is due to be in showrooms, depending on what report you read, sometime between April and August of next year.

    Your mileage will vary greatly depending on stop & go driving where the electric system is frequently in use vs. freeway driving where the gasoline system generally takes over at the higher speeds. I think Lexus has projected at least a 35-50% improvement over the RX330 mpg figures.

    As for pricing, it's wait and see at this point. I suspect that the mpg advantages and the power advantages (also TBD) will allow Toy/Lex to price the RX400 at least $3-5k higher than the RX330 - IMO. And, while RX330s can be had for $3k or better off the msrp, if the Prius is any guide, the RX400 will go for full msrp - or over - for the first year if not longer.

    So, if I'm in the ballgame with a $4k higher msrp and no $3k discount...that's $7k higher than a similar RX330 configuration. Plus sales tax and that's $7542 where I live.

    My wife drove 15k miles/year in her RX300 and will do the same in her RX330; she now averages about 18 mpg after 5k miles. That's 833 gallons/year; at $1.85 for regular, that's $1542. Of course this gas price can change in the years ahead.

    If the RX400 gave her 30 mpg, an optimistic 67% improvement, she'd still use 500 gals at $1.85 for $925/year - a savings of $617.

    If I'm right about the $7540 extra for the RX400 vs. RX330..she'd see a return-on-investment in just 12.2 years...ouch!

    And since the RX330 is plenty fast for carting dogs and Home Depot stuff around...that's why we went ahead with RX330. In 3 years hybrids will be more plentiful, there's won't be a big premium to buy one, the technology will be at release 8.0 instead of 2.0, etc.

    Of course, by then gas will probably be $4.00/gal!
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Will mostly be to own ggg-grandchildren.

    A habitable planet.
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    Thank you for your response-it is most interesting. How many mpg did your wife obtain on the RX300?

    Also, does she/you like the 330 much better than the 300? I am thinking of trading my 2001 Rx300 when it reaches around 55-59,000 miles to maximize trade in which should be when dealers are discounting the 330 much more than they are now. I really like the smaller turning radius on the newer vehicle and the additional power. The question is-is it worth it?
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    By that measure we would all be putting 200,000 miles on today's cars.

    The question is....do you WANT it enough??
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    We got about 1-2 mpg less in the RX300 (approx 17 mpg) vs. the new RX330. IMO less rpm at high speed in the RX330 because of its 5-spd auto trans vs. the 4-speed auto trans in the RX300.

    As for comparing the two vehicles, I can sum it up with this - my wife likes the new one so much that she has mentioned several times that she wants to buy it when the lease expires. She never wanted to buy the RX300 because the turning circle bothered her and the handling was a bit sloppy - both problems are corrected in the RX330 with the 18" rims.

    As for better discounts in the future on the RX330, that depends where you live. Dealers in So. CA are getting about $1000-1500 over invoice so it doesn't have that far to fall unless there's some factory cash incentives on the way...and Lexus did that, if you recall, on the 2001 RXs purchased late that year.

    I counted up 11 major improvements - for us - in the newer RX compared to the older '01 model we had:

    Turning circle - BIG difference
    Better handling
    HID headlights - didn't have on our '01
    Power rear hatch
    Rear camera - not just a toy
    Nav (had this in '01 as well)
    Slightly better mpg
    Dual control HVAC - a biggy with us!
    Much better standard audio system
    Much better controls for audio, nav, hvac, etc.
    More power

    Your mileage will vary...
  • rparisrparis Member Posts: 368
    Thank you again.

    Since I work out of my trunk, I will miss being able to leave the trunk unlocked while locking the rest of the vehicle which I can do with my 2001 model since it has a key lock.

    I think my standard stereo is really good, so I cannot imagine they improved the basic radio that much, but I believe you!

    In the Ma. area they are presenty discounting the 330s minimally as they are selling all they have.

    For a combination of hgwy/city I am presently averaging 19.5 mpg
  • cotmccotmc Member Posts: 1,081
    We now have about 8K miles on our RX330. Had to pass a slowpoke on a two-lane highway over the weekend. He was doing about 60mph. (The nerve!) I pushed down on the gas pedal, crossed the dashed yellow line, and WOW -- he was in our rear view mirror almost instantly! We were both greatly impressed with the 60-to-80mph acceleration of our RX. It seems to accelerate much faster at highway speeds than our previous '01 MDX.

    Still haven't had the ECM update performed for shifting. As of Friday, the service advisor did not know about it. I faxed her a copy of the TSB. She called back and said the technicians had indeed performed one ECM update to an RX330, but "the general consensus" was that it provided no improvement to the shifting. Hmmm..., How does a sample set of '1' provide any general consensus? Besides, I'm guessing it takes a couple days for the transmission to re-learn the driver's driving patterns, right? I will probably have the update performed at 10K miles.

    Jeff: Good post/analysis on the hybrid. (#2205)

    Regarding #2209, isn't there a chance Lexus will come out with some sort of "Coach" special edition RX330 to help sell models through the summer season? Another way to move cars at the end of the model year is to offer a special reduced price for an options package. Both of these ideas are highly questionable for this first model year, however. Demand may not grow soft. Some dealers back east are apparently still maintaining near-MSRP pricing.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Last evening the wife and departed our home in Woodinville headed for an address on Sunset road in Bothel WA. We had been to that home only once before, about a week ago.

    The previous time the system had us turn left, west, at the intersection of SR-9 and Maltby Rd. Last night it had us continue straight ahead to 184th and then turn left. Shortly thereafter it signaled for a right turn, north, on Interurban.

    As I made the turn (two dings) I did note that the signage indicated I was turning on Interurban. About a mile or so north the system starting telling me to do a legal U-turn.

    What, HUH!

    I pulled over and restarted the system from the previosu address menu. Now it again wanted me to proceed straight ahead. But now, within a short distance it wanted me to do a sharp right turn, which I did, noting that I was again headed almost directly South.

    Then right turn, west, again on 184th, okay.

    Next it wanted me to yet again turn north on Interurban.

    Fool me once....

    Great are those who travel in circles because they shall become known as wheels.....

    Idiot machine.
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    Operator error.
  • borg1of2borg1of2 Member Posts: 90
    So, I absolutely agree with Jeff's analysis, because its all about the money to me. But in my equation, the she is a tree hugger and to her its worth spending more money to use less fuel, save the environment, blah blah.

    So, I guess I'll just have to bump up to the GX which doesn't have a hybrid option, so I can my new car in January next year.

    Thanks for the info. :-)
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    Or you could get the RX330...and get her a Segway at Brookstone!
  • lovemylexus1lovemylexus1 Member Posts: 101
    As you know, I had the ECM update done at my 1000 mile service. And as I have mentioned in earlier posts I didn't notice a HUGE difference the first day I drove it after the update.
    But just the other day I remarked to myself after a long trip that the transmission is shifting beautifully now. It is definitely much better than before.

    I am surprised your dealer didn't know about the TSB especially after all of the discussions in this group. But I will say that when I go to the Lexus site, they say there are no TSB's for my model. I know the NHTSA site lists a total of 8 TSB's issued for the 2003 RX330. One is the ECM and another is for dash rattles... which I intend to tell my dealer about at my next service.
  • cotmccotmc Member Posts: 1,081
    are what kept us from considering a Murano instead of the RX330 last summer. My wife thinks I am a bit neurotic regarding my aversion to rattles and squeeks -- probably due to that eye twitching problem that I develop!

    So far, we have no rattles inside our RX, and the rattle underneath the floor due to high-speed wind turbulence has been successfully terminated.

    Still keeping my fingers crossed...
  • lovemylexus1lovemylexus1 Member Posts: 101
    I share your aversion to rattles. I do believe the change in seasons contributes to the rattles and squeeks. Mine are noticeable louder now that the snow is starting to fly.
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    I haven't noticed any rattles in our RX, despite the very cold temperatures here in Minnesota this week. We got our first snowstorm over the weekend, and with the new Blizzak winter tires the traction was superb. While many other cars were slipping all over the place - we saw several hopelessly stuck in the ditch just minutes from our house - it was actually a lot of fun driving in those conditions.
  • buffnboubuffnbou Member Posts: 12
    I discussed having the update done on my Rx 330 at the 1,000 mile service and the service advisor told me that if I had it performed, I better like it because it was irreversible. Any comments/feedback on his statement?

    Have 1600 miles on mine-had my dealer put in Mobil 1 at the 1K mile service. So far so good, no dash rattle or clicking detected-the honeymoon continues! Taking our first road trip this weekend-anxious to see how it goes. At my last gas fill-up, a guy in a late model Suburban was grilling me on the '330 and said it sure was a beautiful car.

    BTW, check out www.cartalk.com for how to get rid of/minimize blind spots w/sideview mirrors-takes a bit of getting used-to, but really works!
  • scodianascodiana Member Posts: 7
    My new RX 330 (w/Nav but no RSES) is going to be delivered this week.

    I was told by someone - I think a salesman at a dealership, actually - that the laser assisted isn't available on the RX 330. This seemed odd to me, since all of the Lexus documentation says it's available.

    I was reading a review today from someone who just got a 330, and they say they have the laser nav. So - is it available or not? Does it automatically come with the nav package?

    I guess it doesn't matter - I didn't ask for it, so it's too late now.

    Sheri
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