I̵ I am a delighted owner of an Indigo Ink Pearl 2001 AWD RX 300! Picked it up on May 25th from Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly VA. It has: Premium Package Plus, Ivory Leather Interior, Spoiler, Cargo Mat, Cargo Net, Wood Steering Wheel and Shift Knob, AM/FM/Cassette/6 Disc CD Changer, Roof Rack and Heated Seats.
Question for someone. Is $37,800 (EXCLUDING tax, tags, etc.) reasonable for the DC/MD/N. VA area?
Seems like the wrong time to be asking if you got a good price. What if someone says they got it for $1,000 less. It is still a great car. Enjoy it and don't worry about what might have been.
Just got mine last week in Maryland for around same price. I used Priceline. Best counter offer I've got was $37600. For me color and SS edition was important to me so I took the offer.
I apologize for not writing my message clearer. $37,800 is not what I paid for my RX. Just had a hard time talking the sales consultant down from that price to $37,700. So, I was curious. It is a great vehicle and I am enjoying it.
Yea, one of the side-effects of producing outside of Japan is a compromise on the paint processes used. The Japanese govt is more tolerant of the older, more robust paints used in the past on cars.
I've gone on record that I'm not happy about the RX being produced outside of Japan. This is not a negative comment towards Canada, but just recognizing the fact that the current Toyota plant where it is produced is one of the best in the world according to numerous awards and surveys. Look at all the problems Mercedes and BMW had when they started to manufacture in the USA. The only saving grace for these facilities is that they are not staffed by UAW workers AFAIK, which I can't stand. But that's another story/rant.
Yes, you're right. But it's like when they put a good TV show on the air that gets great reviews, then they move it to another time slot just as folks start watching it. The point: Why mess with a good thing?
But of course the reasons are exchange rates, escalating overseas shipping costs, and other tariffs.
I just bought (after much research) a BlueVapor RX, AWD fully loaded with Nav for $38.5 from Lexux of Riverside in S. Cal. Did the deal over the phone and internet and it was the most pleasant car buying experience I have ever had. They were honest and straight-forward. Call Cory Williams at (909) 354-4101. I took a vacation to Disney and drove the car back to Seattle, but Cory can arrange shipping. He got me exactly the car I wanted with no hassle. The only time I had to spend at the dealership was to learn all the workings of the RX! I love this vehicle! Mileage on the trip back was 20mpg.
I'm looking to buy an RX 300and this will be may first luxury vehicle. Any idea what I can expect I pay for scheduled maintenance like oil changes, etc. Also, how frequently do oil changes and minor/major services need to be done?
If you are doing normal driving, then a 5000 mile oil change interval is perfectly acceptable according to the owners manual.
Service at any luxury class dealer can be pricey. In terms of oil changes, folks sometimes take their vehicles to the lower level cousin dealers, i.e., Toyota = Lexus, Nissan = Infiniti, Honda = Acura, in order to get a cheaper price for service.
You can go to the lexus.com site and email/call them for a recommended service schedule.
Any thoughts on either cleaning process or source for inexpensive replacements for the air filter behind glove box. I haven't even called Lexus yet but if it is like everything else they probably charge a super premium.
Does anyone have any experience with repairing a minor windshield crack? We were driving our RX home from the desert when a small rock pinged the windshield. The resulting damage is just minor ding, but it looks like it could form a big crack if left unchecked. So, before I spring for the expense and hassle of a new windshield, I'd like to try repairing it. Plus, the thought of the windshield being torn off and replaced is a little scary.
If anyone has any experience with windshield repair, either the do-it-yourself kits or the mobile repair, I'd be interested to hear about it.
On Friday I went to my local dealer in the North East who treated me so well last year when I bought my 2000. We spoke about Trading in my 2000 w\ 6400 miles for a 2001 with Premium + Plus, Wood and HID. I walk away from their offer of my car and $5500. I will try a couple of other dealers in NY and NJ. I know I can get more if I sell my 2000 privately, I wanted the convenience of Trade-in and little tax. If I don't get the price that I want I will just spend some money on toys for my 2000.
I've read the positive things said about the Michelin LTX and Cross Terrain and I was wondering how the Bridgestone Dueler H/L compares. It has excellent ratings at tirerack and placed ahead of the LTX in Consumer Reports. Note that this is NOT the Dueler H/T that comes on some RX's from the factory (those seem to be a competent but not great tire). Does anyone have experience with the H/Ls ??? They are about $35 per tire cheaper than the Cross Terrains. How do they compare in ride, noise, and handling (wet and dry)?
Well, I hate to admit it but I guess I MUST have been driving with a lead foot. This past weekend we took a 200 mile road trip (round trip) on mostly highway (85% highway, 15% city) and I very carefully paid attention to what I did. I made a point of accelerating moderately and setting the cruise at 65 (instead of driving 70 - 80 and speeding up and slowing down). To my surprise after filling up today, I averaged 21.45 miles per gallon even with a round trip to work today!
I am amazed! I never would have thought the difference would be this great between driving with a heavy foot, always accelerating strong from a stop and driving moderately and trying to use cruise on the highway. This has been very informative and a great relief since I was beginning to think people had to be making up the 20+ mileage for any SUV. I have decided to start driving more moderately and benefit from the 5 - 7 additional miles per gallon possible with a little constraint.
In regards to break-in periods, my wife and I also own a BMW Z3 and when we drove it home from the dealer I asked (again) if he thought we should be careful and drive moderately, this is what he said...
"You can pull out of here and do 90 all the way home, these cars do not have a break in period on the engine...".
This really surprised me the first time he said it in the showroom but to this day (the car is at 38,500 miles), it still runs like a champ. Though we didn't do 90 all the way home (just felt like it), I certainly did ignore any special treatment in regards to acceleration and general driving (I did try and avoid hard stops, however).
You can probably say that Lexus and BMW are 2 different manufacturers with different philosophies but I am a firm believer in that newer cars (engines specifically) do not require any special treatment. In the "old days" the tolerances on machined parts were not as accurate as today. Some may argue that car manufacturers could produce the same tolerance in 1980 as they can today, I would point out while possible, it probably did not occur with the same regularity as today nor did they have the same quality control (computers) in place back then to catch the occasional "out-of-spec" part.
Everyone should do what they feel comfortable with but I for one drove my RX pretty much the same from day one as I do today (with the exception of avoiding hard braking which I believe will possibly warp the rotors). Granted we only have 1,800 miles and it could fall apart tomorrow but I truly believe that the days of the break-in period on modern engines are a thing of the past.
Lexus is probably trying to cover all angles and say "hey, the thing probably doesn't need it but it certainly can't hurt". In my opinion, driving following the letter of the break-in advice will result in an engine that was never stressed enough in the initial 1,000 miles but that's just my opinion...
A lot of folks don't realize how the EPA gets those MPG ratings. It's by doing steady, under speed limit driving. Also, fuel burn is not linear, meaning it takes more fuel at lesser efficiency to maintain a car speed at 65 then it does at 55. To quote the EPA "Avoid high speeds. You can improve your gas mileage about 15 percent by driving at 55 mph rather than 65 mph." Makes a world of difference and I encourage folks to do their own experiments on at least one full tank of gas like Jack did.
More information on how the EPA MPG figures are determined can be found here. Warning: extremely dry and mind-numbing reading.
I paid $21 each at www.irontoad.com. Mine was quite dirty at 15,000 miles and not really cleanable. Easy to change in the glove compartment, just remember how you got the thing out!
We got our new 2001 AWD RX in April 9. My wife drove it for 650 miles in 6 weeks. Last long weekend, we took the RX to central Oregon for a 600 mile trip. This is the first time I got to drive the car for a longer time. The other car I drive day to day is a 9 years old Buick LaSabre about 100K mile. The RX handles well on those winding mountain roads and much better than the Buick (I would expect that). But when the car downshift gear in a uphill climb, I can feel the jolt from the transmission when it shifts gear. Although not terrible, but it was worse than I expected and much worse than the Buick LeSabre. When it upshift, I can feel the shift a little. Maybe GM does have a very good transmission, I never felt anything except different engine humming sounds when the Buick downshift or upshift. Generally if I did not watch the tachometer, I would not know it was shifting gear. I would expect the RX should be as smooth as Buick. I am going back to 1000 miles service next week. Is some transmission jolt normal for RX??
Hi folks: Here in NW CT we still need a 3w analog cell phone due to the few number of towers, the poor digital coverage and the mountainous terrain. Where are the installers mounting the external cell antenna on the RX? Does anyone know if the factory tinting of the rear glass has a metallic component? If so, that usually does not allow for the through-the-glass coupling. I have seen the Pro-Fit Intl custom bracket for the handset, are there any other brands/types to consider? Has anyone put any VHF/UHF ham radio transceivers in your RX, if so, please eMail me directly. My thanks to those that take the time to reply.
THe RX has a "learning" transmission, meaning it adjusts to the user's driving habits. My guess is that your wife drives different than you. At the 1000 mile service mention your concerns to the tech and ask that the learning mode be reset. This is usually accomplished by disconnected the car battery, there might be other methods I don't know about.
About to purchase a 2001 RX300 w/NAV package for my wife. The only reason I can imagine her needing AWD is our occasional ice storms here in Texas (not that anything really helps on ice). I'm amazed that the price difference for AWD is so little. Are there advantages, like resale value, to AWD that make it worth it or do the disadvantages -- extra maintenance cost, lower MPG, etc. -- outweigh it?
I purchase an AWD RX because we're in the Northeast, and after all the snow we got this past winter, I felt that it was a necessity (safety for my wife driving our 10 month old around).
Living in the south, I'd be a bit more inclined to get a FWD, as it DOES get better mileage.
I believe that resale is also dependent on the area. Trying to sell an AWD vehicle in Florida is difficult, which is the same as selling a FWD in the Northeast.
If you get lots of ice during the winter, it may be wise to get a AWD vehicle (but it won't help you to stop).
I vote for AWD. We live in Arkansas and even with the POS original Goodyears (now on Michelin CrossTerrains), my wife's 99 RX has incredible stability in the rain that is lacking in the FWD even with VSC. Tracks like on rails......my previous SC300 5 sp felt like pig on skates by comparison.
Audi doesn't use AWD, nor does Subaru simply because those buyers only drive in ice and snow. I submit that it's for allweather performance and not just ice and snow.
You may lose 1-2 mpg.....if that's a priority, cost wise, you don't need a Lexus to begin with. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but 2 mpg difference amounts to approx $100/yr in gas costs and, in a $35-65K vehicle (the entire Lexus range), doesn't mean squat, if you can afford the vehicle in the first place.
Well, in case you didn't know it, www.clublexus.com forums is a great place to find out about performance mods for your Lexus vehicle. A company called Swift Racing Technologies, which specializes in Toyota/Lexus performance, recently bought a RX300 to prototype new products for it. This message was recently sent to members:
--------------------- OK here is the ball game:
The 1st mod will be the High Flow ECU tuned intake system, very similar to the GS and IS setup. We are expecting at least a 20HP increase and about 1.5-2 mpg improvement. Available in 4 weeks.
After that will come two mild flavors of supercharged forced induction: Stage 1: 4.5 PSI non intercooled ~ +75HP Stage 2: 6.5 PSI intercooled ~ 120HP The FI kits will be available sometime in late August.
Thanks guys/gals I will keep you informed as time progresses.
PS. The HRE wheels can fit wider wheels without the need for spacers.
Muhammad I. Choudhury C.E.O./C.O.O. Swift Racing Technologies www.swiftracing.com ------------------------------
There you have it! Can you imagine anywhere from 20 to 120 extra horsepower for the RX?! Unreal.
I might me interested in that first thingie ( the high flow thigamajig). 20 hp increase would be nice, those turbochargers sound a little scary if you want to know the truth. If we install one or all of these things would it void our warranty.?
After reading some posts here and elsewhere, I've decided on some Michelin Cross Terrains for my wife's '99 and someone I met thought the RX is undertired and suggested going to 235's. Then, I saw one today with some 235 Goodyears on it and it looked fine. But I'm a little concerned that on a 6.5" rim, 235 is stretching it a little. Even if I did go 235, what noticable difference would it be from the 225's? I mean, I'm not exactly autocrossing in this thing. Any suggestions? Thanks.
spakchar: yes. Unless dealer takes a very liberal view of mods (some do, some don't). Also, it would only affect the powertrain warranty (if dealer so chooses).
tankertoad: 235 should be ok even on the stock rims but i stayed with the 225s when I replaced the Integritys on my wife's 99. Considering the car's mission in life and relatively low cornering limits, I don't think you'll realize any performance gains. Your steering feel, both straightline and cornering, as well as tracking will all improve remarkably just from the switch to the CrossTerrains. But I bet the 235s looked a little better!!! ("It is better to look good than to feel good!!")
Our '01 RX (AWD/Nav) which we picked up in April came with Bridgestone Dueler H/T's. Did Lexus change tire brands in the middle of a production run? We got the stock non-chrome rims, the dealer is in the Northeast (Massachusetts). We didn't request a tire preference.
I've read that the Bridgestones are better than the Goodyears. From driving the RX in the past month, I've been relatively happy with them. I drove moderately hard during a rain storm and was unable to get the RX to slide or skid.
Would it be worth the upgrade to Cross Terrains?
As for fuel, the RX can take 87-93. The higher the octane, the "higher" the performance and fuel mileage (and higher the cost of the gas). The computer will recognize a lower grade of gas and compensate so the engine won't knock.
Look back in previous posts. Some have done experiments with different gas grades and actually did get better MPG with 91/93 compared to 87. This may offset the increase in fuel prices. Some have seen better performance, and others have not.
Most of the cell phone antennas, including mine, are mounted on the front windshield on the passenger side, probably due to the titanium tinting in the back.
I have tried to see if Michelin LTX/MS 255/65/16 would fit on the original 16" rim. Guess what, it did! The RX looked great; a little higher, wider, and more muscular. However, because I have the front brush guard, the tires did rub against the metal of these gurards on sharp corners. I had to go back to the originals. For those of you who don't have these metal guards, I think it should work fine. No need for the spacers. There is approx 1/2" (front) and 1/4" (back) clearance from the struts. If you decide to get the tires replaced, don't forget to replace the spare also if you have an AWD. Being an all time four wheel drive,the diameter for all tires must be the same. There is approx 0.7" difference between the two. Also regarding the spare, even though it will fit in the back of the trunk, the cover will not close properly. You may need a velcro, or some other means. It shouldn't rattle, since it is carpeted.
AWD will tend to evenly distribute the engine braking torque when slowing or stopping on ice or slippery roadbed surfaces, versus FWD which will only apply engine braking torque to the front wheels in some cases making the difference between a "controlled" stop, or into the ditch.
While FWD is likely "perfect" for starting up or accelerating in snowy or icy conditions they have the opposite affect when slowing or stopping, the "extra" braking applied to only the front wheels due to the engine "braking" torque can often make the difference between a controlled stop with the front wheels maintaining directional "adhesion" with the roadbed or not, remember, ABS cannot "decouple" the engine.
The RX does "manage" the automatic transmission in some mysterious way to reduce the effects of engine braking and this likely helps in both cases.
Cadillac uses an over-running clutch so that engine braking isn't ever applied to the front, driven, wheels when slowing or stopping and "active" traction control to reduce engine perfromance on acceleration if too much torque is delivered to the front, driven, wheels.
I have driven my RX about 4000 miles; about 60% city and 40% highway. I use regular unleaded without any problems and am averaging 18.6 mpg. I had hoped for about a mile more mpg, but after break in, maybe I will get it.
I emailed that chudbury chap at swift racing and he replied that the tuned intake would cost $675. Can anybody give me a guesstimate of what my labor cost would be to install the thing. If it really does gain 20 hp and does not void my warranty, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I took my RX to the dealer for service yesterday and complain to them about the "Clunk" noise when shift out of park and apply brakes. I know this is a known problem so I just want to confirm with them. As expected, the service manager told me there's nothing they can do about it. To my surprise, when I pick up my car later that day, they actually replace my front brake pad and adding some kind of brake pad support to it. It's still making a little bit noise but it's a big improvement over the old brakes.
I have never written into a discussion group in the past, but I've been an avid follower of this board for 5 months. I want to thank everyone for their invaluable input and education, especially Tonychrys. Please excuse me if I get a little wordy. I purchased a 2001 RX300 AWD w/o Nav, but fully loaded ($40,601 list after pkg. discount) in March. My wife and I are extremely pleased with the vehicle and have absolutely no complaints. We traded in a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer, and the RX300 is by far the best car/suv we have ever owned. We purchased the car from Lexus of Watertown, MA and found the salesman, Steve Bennett, to be a knowledgeable, no pressure person to deal with. He put on no "dog and pony show", was real low key, handled everything himself, and had no hidden add-ons or surprises. We got a fair trade-in and a very competitive $37,500 cost. We also visited Lexus of Norwood, MA, a dealership that does 3 to 4 times more business than Watertown, and we found the experience to be the opposite with high pressure, a salesman who couldn't, or wasn't allowed to, make a decision, and a sales manager who got involved right away and tried to convince us we'd be doing ourselves a favor by buying a car from them. After 3 hours we left there without a solid price, but had enough information to realize that there would be about a $150 difference between the price they were going to charge for paperwork costs, and what we would pay at Watertown. This nice bonus goes right in the owner's pocket, and most people don't find out about this cost until they are closing the deal. I was educated by this discussion board about the Goodyear Integrity tires, and part of my deal was the agreement to swap out the Goodyears for Michelins as first choice, and Bridgestones as second choice. The salesman waited for over a month after we took delivery and checked all the RX300's delivered to the dealership and found that none were coming in with the Michelins, some had Bridgestone's, and most were Goodyears. They swapped out the Goodyears for brand new Bridgestones after we had over 1300 miles on the car. The first service inspection was done as a house call with the appointment set up the day we picked up the car. I took Tonychrys' advice and bought the Husky floor liners and these were great protection during this past messy NE Winter. Speaking of protection, I sent in an order to Zaino Bros. for their various polishing and cleaning supplies. I found them an easy company to deal with, and an email I sent to Sal Zaino for some information was answered in the same day. I'm just waiting for a warm non-rainy weekend to put the full treatment on the car. I've used the car wash a couple of times and I've been impressed with the results. Thanks again for the help and education. There is nowhere else that a consumer can get unbiased and truthful information, both pro and con, about a major car purchase. If any of you are reading this and trying to decide between a Lexus RX300 and other competing models, I can only say that we are not sorry we chose the RX 300. For the few people who wrote in and tried to compare the Highlander with the RX 300, and try to point out a large price difference, I advise you to look long and hard at the warranties and service, plus add in all the positives previously listed on this board that you won't find in the Highlander, and you will find you are comparing apples and oranges. When we were shopping around we test drove the Highlander and found it to be a good car. When we sat down to negotiate, we found that there was no negotiation. Supply and demand at that time led to sticker price and only fully loaded vehicles were being brought in. The salesman's attitude was if we didn't buy one from him, someone coming in the door behind us would. We ended up paying $1000 more for the RX300. End of story.
Sounds like you did your homework and things turned out great. I'm glad you and your wife found a vehicle that suits your needs.
Just as an FYI, I called Lexus Corporate about a month ago regarding the factory tires. The 2001 Rex only comes from the factory with either the Goodyears or Bridgestones, and get this: there's no way to tell which ones! Yup, they said they put both on in the assembly line, no rhyme or reason. So you did real good by holding out for the Bridgestones, I can't wait to get rid of these GY Integricraps.
After several months and several trips to the dealer, we think our rumbling noise at idle has been solved or at least reduced to almost imperceptible levels. At the last service, the dealer replaced all three engine mounts. This seems to have cured the problem but they said we won't know for sure until next winter. Apparantly the engine mounts are liquid filled and when the weather gets cold they tend to stiffen up and may result in a little more engine noise and vibration. All in all, Lexus did try very hard to make us happy and they did. I have nothing but praise for our dealer, Bobby Rahal Lexus in Mechanicsburg, PA and the service manager, Lynn Yoder.
------------------------------ The installation depends on your particular dealer, there are a few that are OK to do the install, however unfortunately most are still being cautious.
You will be surprised as to how strong the RX engine is, and the tranny is bullet proof as it is designed to handle in the neighborhood of towing +4,000lbs.
I can't wait to get our RX to the times of 0-60mph under the 5sec. range, makes me salivate every time I think of the 4WD doing a power launch. ------------------------------------
I have been reading a lot about owners changing their tires, I would like to know why and what am I not noticing about mine. I just got back from a 2000 mile trip interstate driving all conditions,at 75 mph onmy goodyear integrity tires and the car was great! What am I missing here, not being a technical person. I really enjoy the information on this site, thanks for responding.
If you are happy with the tires, that's all that counts.
What some of us don't like about the GYs is that they are designed more for comfort than handling performance. They are made with a very compliant sidewall construction. What this means is that the wall of the tire (where the lettering is) has a lot of "give" and can flex. This allows the tire to absorb some of the road bumps and adds to the ride comfort. The downside is that this "flexing" also makes handling a little sloppy. The vehicle can tend to "wander" in high cross-winds, taking curves at high speeds, and other hard-driving situations.
For day-to-day driving I'm sure the GY's are ok. Some of us just want better and more predicatable handling under all driving conditions.
Its funny that the people on this board seem to prefer the Bridgestones over the GY's and on the Highlander board (basically same vehicle) people seem to prefer the GY's. Maybe I'll try the Michelins.
I have just over 12K miles on my 2000 RX. In the last couple of months I noticed that the car feels like the shocks/suspension are gone, especially at the back. It is almost painful to go over any bumps or potholes and I am also getting some of that thumping sound that people were talking about (although it is the loss of comfort that is most noticeable rather than the sound). Could the strut mounting/strut problem cause that? Or is it something else?
izabelajohn, bad strut mounts make for a thump from front/rear or both.......haven't checked to see if there is a TSB on the struts, but when the mounts on my wife's 99 RX were replaced, service also replaced rear struts. service techs comment to me was that "they" (don't know if he merely meant my dealership or Lexus in general) had started replacing struts at the same time as mount replacement since apparently the struts are going fairly quickly. 12k sounds a little quick, but that's really the only thing that would markedly degrade ride comfort without changing appearance of vehicle (broken spring would sag visibly at that corner). should be warranty replacment for you.
Comments
Question for someone. Is $37,800 (EXCLUDING tax, tags, etc.) reasonable for the DC/MD/N. VA area?
ycp - thanks for the feedback.
http://www.guideauto.com/CAN_EG/AutomotiveNews/suite.asp?TxtID=3626&table=Reportages&origine=1&Langue=2
Yea, one of the side-effects of producing outside of Japan is a compromise on the paint processes used. The Japanese govt is more tolerant of the older, more robust paints used in the past on cars.
I've gone on record that I'm not happy about the RX being produced outside of Japan. This is not a negative comment towards Canada, but just recognizing the fact that the current Toyota plant where it is produced is one of the best in the world according to numerous awards and surveys. Look at all the problems Mercedes and BMW had when they started to manufacture in the USA. The only saving grace for these facilities is that they are not staffed by UAW workers AFAIK, which I can't stand. But that's another story/rant.
Guy
But of course the reasons are exchange rates, escalating overseas shipping costs, and other tariffs.
I took a vacation to Disney and drove the car back to Seattle, but Cory can arrange shipping. He got me exactly the car I wanted with no hassle. The only time I had to spend at the dealership was to learn all the workings of the RX!
I love this vehicle!
Mileage on the trip back was 20mpg.
I'm looking to buy an RX 300and this will be may first luxury vehicle. Any idea what I can expect I pay for scheduled maintenance like oil changes, etc. Also, how frequently do oil changes and minor/major services need to be done?
Thanks!
Service at any luxury class dealer can be pricey. In terms of oil changes, folks sometimes take their vehicles to the lower level cousin dealers, i.e., Toyota = Lexus, Nissan = Infiniti, Honda = Acura, in order to get a cheaper price for service.
You can go to the lexus.com site and email/call them for a recommended service schedule.
If anyone has any experience with windshield repair, either the do-it-yourself kits or the mobile repair, I'd be interested to hear about it.
I am amazed! I never would have thought the difference would be this great between driving with a heavy foot, always accelerating strong from a stop and driving moderately and trying to use cruise on the highway. This has been very informative and a great relief since I was beginning to think people had to be making up the 20+ mileage for any SUV. I have decided to start driving more moderately and benefit from the 5 - 7 additional miles per gallon possible with a little constraint.
Jack Fetter
"You can pull out of here and do 90 all the way home, these cars do not have a break in period on the engine...".
This really surprised me the first time he said it in the showroom but to this day (the car is at 38,500 miles), it still runs like a champ. Though we didn't do 90 all the way home (just felt like it), I certainly did ignore any special treatment in regards to acceleration and general driving (I did try and avoid hard stops, however).
You can probably say that Lexus and BMW are 2 different manufacturers with different philosophies but I am a firm believer in that newer cars (engines specifically) do not require any special treatment. In the "old days" the tolerances on machined parts were not as accurate as today. Some may argue that car manufacturers could produce the same tolerance in 1980 as they can today, I would point out while possible, it probably did not occur with the same regularity as today nor did they have the same quality control (computers) in place back then to catch the occasional "out-of-spec" part.
Everyone should do what they feel comfortable with but I for one drove my RX pretty much the same from day one as I do today (with the exception of avoiding hard braking which I believe will possibly warp the rotors). Granted we only have 1,800 miles and it could fall apart tomorrow but I truly believe that the days of the break-in period on modern engines are a thing of the past.
Lexus is probably trying to cover all angles and say "hey, the thing probably doesn't need it but it certainly can't hurt". In my opinion, driving following the letter of the break-in advice will result in an engine that was never stressed enough in the initial 1,000 miles but that's just my opinion...
Jack Fetter
More information on how the EPA MPG figures are determined can be found here. Warning: extremely dry and mind-numbing reading.
Dr. Mark
dr.m.levine@snet.net
Thanks
THANKS
Living in the south, I'd be a bit more inclined to get a FWD, as it DOES get better mileage.
I believe that resale is also dependent on the area. Trying to sell an AWD vehicle in Florida is difficult, which is the same as selling a FWD in the Northeast.
If you get lots of ice during the winter, it may be wise to get a AWD vehicle (but it won't help you to stop).
This is all IMO...
-Craig
Audi doesn't use AWD, nor does Subaru simply because those buyers only drive in ice and snow. I submit that it's for allweather performance and not just ice and snow.
You may lose 1-2 mpg.....if that's a priority, cost wise, you don't need a Lexus to begin with. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but 2 mpg difference amounts to approx $100/yr in gas costs and, in a $35-65K vehicle (the entire Lexus range), doesn't mean squat, if you can afford the vehicle in the first place.
---------------------
OK here is the ball game:
The 1st mod will be the High Flow ECU tuned intake system, very similar to the GS and IS setup. We are expecting at least a 20HP increase and about 1.5-2 mpg improvement. Available in 4 weeks.
After that will come two mild flavors of supercharged forced induction:
Stage 1: 4.5 PSI non intercooled ~ +75HP
Stage 2: 6.5 PSI intercooled ~ 120HP
The FI kits will be available sometime in late August.
Thanks guys/gals I will keep you informed as time progresses.
PS. The HRE wheels can fit wider wheels without the need for spacers.
Muhammad I. Choudhury
C.E.O./C.O.O.
Swift Racing Technologies
www.swiftracing.com
------------------------------
There you have it! Can you imagine anywhere from 20 to 120 extra horsepower for the RX?! Unreal.
tankertoad: 235 should be ok even on the stock rims but i stayed with the 225s when I replaced the Integritys on my wife's 99. Considering the car's mission in life and relatively low cornering limits, I don't think you'll realize any performance gains. Your steering feel, both straightline and cornering, as well as tracking will all improve remarkably just from the switch to the CrossTerrains. But I bet the 235s looked a little better!!! ("It is better to look good than to feel good!!")
I've read that the Bridgestones are better than the Goodyears. From driving the RX in the past month, I've been relatively happy with them. I drove moderately hard during a rain storm and was unable to get the RX to slide or skid.
Would it be worth the upgrade to Cross Terrains?
As for fuel, the RX can take 87-93. The higher the octane, the "higher" the performance and fuel mileage (and higher the cost of the gas). The computer will recognize a lower grade of gas and compensate so the engine won't knock.
Look back in previous posts. Some have done experiments with different gas grades and actually did get better MPG with 91/93 compared to 87. This may offset the increase in fuel prices. Some have seen better performance, and others have not.
-Craig
I have tried to see if Michelin LTX/MS 255/65/16 would fit on the original 16" rim. Guess what, it did! The RX looked great; a little higher, wider, and more muscular. However, because I have the front brush guard, the tires did rub against the metal of these gurards on sharp corners. I had to go back to the originals. For those of you who don't have these metal guards, I think it should work fine. No need for the spacers. There is approx 1/2" (front) and 1/4" (back) clearance from the struts. If you decide to get the tires replaced, don't forget to replace the spare also if you have an AWD. Being an all time four wheel drive,the diameter for all tires must be the same. There is approx 0.7" difference between the two. Also regarding the spare, even though it will fit in the back of the trunk, the cover will not close properly. You may need a velcro, or some other means. It shouldn't rattle, since it is carpeted.
While FWD is likely "perfect" for starting up or accelerating in snowy or icy conditions they have the opposite affect when slowing or stopping, the "extra" braking applied to only the front wheels due to the engine "braking" torque can often make the difference between a controlled stop with the front wheels maintaining directional "adhesion" with the roadbed or not, remember, ABS cannot "decouple" the engine.
The RX does "manage" the automatic transmission in some mysterious way to reduce the effects of engine braking and this likely helps in both cases.
Cadillac uses an over-running clutch so that engine braking isn't ever applied to the front, driven, wheels when slowing or stopping and "active" traction control to reduce engine perfromance on acceleration if too much torque is delivered to the front, driven, wheels.
Can anybody give me a guesstimate of what my labor cost would be to install the thing.
If it really does gain 20 hp and does not void my warranty, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I was educated by this discussion board about the Goodyear Integrity tires, and part of my deal was the agreement to swap out the Goodyears for Michelins as first choice, and Bridgestones as second choice. The salesman waited for over a month after we took delivery and checked all the RX300's delivered to the dealership and found that none were coming in with the Michelins, some had Bridgestone's, and most were Goodyears. They swapped out the Goodyears for brand new Bridgestones after we had over 1300 miles on the car. The first service inspection was done as a house call with the appointment set up the day we picked up the car.
I took Tonychrys' advice and bought the Husky floor liners and these were great protection during this past messy NE Winter. Speaking of protection, I sent in an order to Zaino Bros. for their various polishing and cleaning supplies. I found them an easy company to deal with, and an email I sent to Sal Zaino for some information was answered in the same day. I'm just waiting for a warm non-rainy weekend to put the full treatment on the car. I've used the car wash a couple of times and I've been impressed with the results.
Thanks again for the help and education. There is nowhere else that a consumer can get unbiased and truthful information, both pro and con, about a major car purchase. If any of you are reading this and trying to decide between a Lexus RX300 and other competing models, I can only say that we are not sorry we chose the RX 300. For the few people who wrote in and tried to compare the Highlander with the RX 300, and try to point out a large price difference, I advise you to look long and hard at the warranties and service, plus add in all the positives previously listed on this board that you won't find in the Highlander, and you will find you are comparing apples and oranges. When we were shopping around we test drove the Highlander and found it to be a good car. When we sat down to negotiate, we found that there was no negotiation. Supply and demand at that time led to sticker price and only fully loaded vehicles were being brought in. The salesman's attitude was if we didn't buy one from him, someone coming in the door behind us would. We ended up paying $1000 more for the RX300. End of story.
Just as an FYI, I called Lexus Corporate about a month ago regarding the factory tires. The 2001 Rex only comes from the factory with either the Goodyears or Bridgestones, and get this: there's no way to tell which ones! Yup, they said they put both on in the assembly line, no rhyme or reason. So you did real good by holding out for the Bridgestones, I can't wait to get rid of these GY Integricraps.
Enjoy the miles and good luck.
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The installation depends on your particular dealer, there are a few that are OK to do the install, however unfortunately most are still being cautious.
Pricing:
HFI: $675 - 4-6 weeks
Stage 1 SC: ~$4,250 - 3 months.
Stage 2 SC: ~$5,750 - 3 months.
You will be surprised as to how strong the RX engine is, and the tranny is bullet proof as it is designed to handle in the neighborhood of towing +4,000lbs.
I can't wait to get our RX to the times of 0-60mph under the 5sec. range, makes me salivate every time I think of the 4WD doing a power launch.
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I can't wait....
What some of us don't like about the GYs is that they are designed more for comfort than handling performance. They are made with a very compliant sidewall construction. What this means is that the wall of the tire (where the lettering is) has a lot of "give" and can flex. This allows the tire to absorb some of the road bumps and adds to the ride comfort. The downside is that this "flexing" also makes handling a little sloppy. The vehicle can tend to "wander" in high cross-winds, taking curves at high speeds, and other hard-driving situations.
For day-to-day driving I'm sure the GY's are ok. Some of us just want better and more predicatable handling under all driving conditions.
Hope this helps, and enjoy the miles.