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You will owe me big time afte this one. I found you a better price on the RX, now I may be able to help you with your Trade-In. The only thing left is for me to open my check-book take care of paying for your new RX (Sorry but that will NOT be happening !!!)
You will not be disappointed if you buy @ Ray Catena, but you will lose some $$ if you Trade-In there.
I wanted to Trade-In my 95 Accord w\ low miles (But the bumpers were a mess from parking in NYC streets) and Ray Catena was no where near the Wholesale value on it(Offered me $4800).
I went around to a few Honda dealer's in Jersey ( Planet Honda ) where I bought it offered me, $5500
On my way to Difeo, I stopped by a Honda dealer in Bound Brook ( I have to double check for the exact place but it was on Rte 22 before Difeo). The guy offered me ($7500), It was dark so maybe he did not get a good luck (Hint, Hint, wait till it's dark) at the car. I was expecting that or a little more from a private sale. I ended up keeping the Accord as the work horse and the RX has been pampered ever since.
I also went back to RC to Trade in my 2000 RX w\ 6K on it for a 2001 last summer but unlike others on this board the $7K difference for a 2001 did not make sense to me, so I don't have HID, Wood Wheel, or VSC but I do have an extra $7K in my pocket and no regrets (just a little jealous when I see the HID's )
In conlusion, I will look for the contact name and # for the Honda guy on Rte 22 and will post tomorrow.
should Lexus notify the owner of the problem, it they found it during routine oil changes? Can you assume that there is "no problem" if you have done routine maintenance as specified by Lexus/Toyota?
You said: "I wanted to Trade-In my 95 Accord w\ low miles (But the bumpers were a mess from parking in NYC streets) and Ray Catena was no where near the Wholesale value on it(Offered me $4800)."
This is exactly my situation! Literally word by word, I have a 95 accord with low mileage (64K), it has scratches on bumpers from paking in NYC and RC offered me around 4500-4800 on the phone. But I'm taking my accord tomorrow for a cosmetic paint job, i was promised it'll shine like new. Btw, I can recommend you a russian mechanic in Brooklyn who does great job for half price (downside: speaks no English).
Danrx, do you remeber where on rt. 22 this Honda dealer is? Is it on 22 west, opposite to Difeo?
And I'll appreciate if you can get their number. Just in case you remember some more info (for example, how to get rich) here is my e-mail:
vadimzin@msn.com.
As to HID, I'm not sure I 'd select it as an option if I had a choice (it comes as a part of a package). Are they really that great? Those babies are expensive though, (about 1,000 to replace?) and I still have to park from time to time on those NYC streets.
thanks a lot again,
VadimZ.
Thanks.
tidester
Host
SUVs
You can e-mail me at dprosa@hotmail.com for more info.
Tidester, thanks fo the warning, Did not mean any harm.
By the way, I think most of the cars in the North-East come with the HIDs so the price diff that you will pay will be minimal + resale will be better. I sometime drive my friend's 2001 w/ HIDs and those babies are sooooo worth it.
I would LOVE to have another Lexus but have to have some room in the back for my work. According to the specs the RX has almost 78 cubic feet rear cargo, seats down. While the new Explorer claims 88 cubic feet, it seems gigantic compared to the Lexus.
I'd love to convince myself the feeling that the RX300 is small is some kind of optical illusion. By the numbers the Lexus ought to be fine, but when I sit in the driver's seat and look back, I find it hard to believe the cargo volumn is just 15% less than the Explorer. Where the heck do they get these numbers? My gut feeling is the "midsized" Lexus is about half the size of the "midsized" Ford Explorer.
Any thoughts? Inside and out the car looks (size-wise) more like a Toyota RAV than a midsized SUV. Tell me I'm wrong. Absolutely love how it drives, rides, and runs; and that Lexus quality feel goes without saying.
BTW, we have a 99 RX plus 2 boys, 5 and 7.5, and so far have had no problems carrying all the requisite junk for multinight trips by a family of 4.
Good luck!
To me, the Exploder has a lot more room with the seats in place. The RX, with the seats up, isn't very big. But the RX seems to gain a lot more space when the seats are folded down. I'm not sure if it's true, as I don't have the exact numbers of cubic feet with seats up/down in both vehicles. But we fit a ton of furniture (in boxes) in the RX with one of the seats folded down (the other side was holding our toddler in his car seat). It amazes me how much it can hold given it's smaller external dimensions compared to the Exploder. It comes down to better engineering of space by Lexus (as well as better engineering in all other areas).
We were cross shopping the Acura MDX and RX. While the MDX had a bunch more space in the back, it had a cheesy interior, was loud inside (road noise), etc.
The RX suits us fine. We have an 18 month old, and another one due in 1.5 weeks. I don't see it being too small for us.
If you need something bigger, did you consider the Toyota Highlander? It's the "extended" version of the RX, although without some of the luxury items of the RX. Then again, for around the same price of an RX, you can get a Toyota Sequoia. Over 100 cu ft of space in that puppy. That was my choice, but my wife, being vertically challenged, shot it down immediately.
-Craig
But basically I just wanted to get directions to one of the parties you mentioned above.
If you have chance and if you remember name/contact/directions, please e-mail me to
vadimzin@msn.com.
No more on this topic here.
Thanks
Here are some #'s on the diff in interior dimensions. These are by no means absolute, diff sites have diff #s for these but it gives you a reference point.
For me, I would still have to go sit and see for myself before making my final decision.
RX300 Highlander Explorer
front legroom
40.7" 40.7" 43.9"
Rear Legroom
36.4" 36.4" 37.2"
Front Headroom
39.5" 40.0" 39.9"
Rear Headroom
39.2" 39.8" 38.9"
front hiproom
55.2" 55.1" 55.0"
Rear Hiproom
55.2" 54.9" 54.3" rear hiproom
Front Shoulder Room
57.8" 57.9" 59.1"
Rear Shoulder Room
57.0" 57.0" 58.9" room
Passenger volume -
110cu.ft. 106cu.ft.
Interior Cargo Volume w/2nd Seats Up
39.8cu.ft. 38.5cu.ft. 46.6cu.ft.
Interior Cargo Volume w/Seats Folded
75.0cu.ft. 81.4cu.ft. 88.0cu.ft.
When I went and looked at the highlander it appeared as though the rear cargo space was the same as the RX, looks like I was right.
Rx you measured had a sunroof and the HL didn't, right?
Test drove and bought my RX w/o ever having seen the HID lamps turned on. The night I picked it up I had to use my lights to get home. Man oh man. These lamps are just one of the *many* features that make me love my RX more and more every time I drive it.
You will not be disappointed.
Dorothy
Do you guys have any problem with your RX ?
http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=38302
Any advice on how to troubleshoot the problem? Would the dealer have any methods to locate the source of the wind noise?
Thanks, Wayne
http://www.womanmotorist.com/ftrs/carlaw-v10-01.shtml
The experience noted in the above link is typical of what has happened with thousands of owenrs with these engines. I think the most important thing to take away from this information is how Lexus has chosen to deal with the situation, first they deny the problem, then they blame the owner, then after enough public and legal pressure is brought to them, they offer an inadequate resolution. The problem still exists.
And what about resale value on these vehicle now that the info is out? Why would anyone buy one knowing this problem could happen at any time, and there is no easy way to look inside the engine to see if the problem it there.
http://autonet.ca/AutonetStories/stories.cfm?storyID=4487
And I would advise anyone considering this vehicle vs any other to look at the overall reliability picture of the toyota/Lexus product line.
And I would still advise anyone needing REAL AWD to avoid the RX300 like the plaque.
Question for those of you who have not experienced engine sludge... Have you received the letter about sludge that Toyota claimed to have mailed out to all 3.3 million owners of the Toyota Sienna, Camry, Avalon, Highlander, Celica, Solara and the Lexus RX-300 and ES-300? I have been checking with my acquaintenances, and only those with sludge have received the letter so far.
I need some prices from you gracious readers.
% over invoice or a dollar amount would be great.
Thanks
The RX300 on the other hand is a terrific vehicle but its AWD aspect is in name only. It does use a VC for this purpose but its VC implementation is so loose and flaccid it NEVER rises to the occassion.
If you owned a JGC because you truly needed AWD then the RX is not for you.
Today I washed the 911 after having the wipers on for about three months. The water spray definitely beaded up in the wiper swipe area indicating that the PIAAs do leave some sort of residue that prevents water from sheeting on that area of the glass.
Any ideas about how Lexus will handle this admitted problem on a CPO car???? After all, they put the CPO sticker on it - and should've therefore known about any potential problems since they have the maintenance records - and made a complete inspection of the car.
I have not experienced any of the reported signs of sludging that have been posted, but I'm now quite concerned about the future since there is NO WAY I can prove the scheduled maintenance prior to my ownership!!!! Am I just getting nuts here? Or does anyone else getthis weird feeling from your CPO RX??
The adverse PR would be nothing short of devastating were that the case.
Also, I'm confident the vehicles with the sludge issue are not enough in number to cause changes to Consumer Reports recommendations....I think overall relibility will still be up there on the scale, especially compared with other makes (hope I'd right!). I'd buy another Highlander, or an RX 300, today if I had to replace my 2001 HL for some reason.
However, I've just used the dealer slop for my wife's RX; url (how we say it down here in Arkansas) changes on schedule, no sludge to date (41k on a '99 mommymobile).
At this point I don't think anyone any longer denies some 3L V6s have sludge; I also think the number is vanishingly small compared to the number of those engines that are on the road. Not that that's any consolation to one who is dealing with sludge. But I'd still play the odds and buy another in a heartbeat (and will when the time comes, making Lexus # 6 since '92).
I'm concerned about buying the RX300 and then watching the value plummet. I would buy the MDX, but the seats are a bit uncomfortable. Can't make up my mind.
Let me know.
thx.
I also have a 96 Pontiac Sunfire with 2.2L engine, a couple years ago, GM mailed me a letter saying that a few percentage of those engine has head gasket problem, and the head gasket warranty is extended to 7 years / 100000 miles. Last week, I took that car in to replace water pump (leaking coolant). After changed the water pump, the dealer told me that the head gasket was also leaking, and needed replacement and it will cost $1200. I told them the head gasket is still under warranty and they checked it up and covered that with the GM's warranty. I think Toyota should also do that to make their customers not to worry that much over the long term.
As I read more on this forum and engine sludge forum, I am getting more worried. I have been changing my engine oil every 3000 miles, but I would follow Wwest and switch to Mobil 1 oil as soon as possible. If there is a possibility of 3.0L V6 engine high cylinder head temperature cooking the oil, then it is better to play it safe by using Mobil 1. For 10 years and 100K miles, it takes about 30 oil changes at 3000--3500 miles change interval, it probably costs $540 more (6Q Mobil 1 at $22 at Costco comparing to $4--5 regular motor oil), it is a small cost comparing to the price of $37.5K I paid for the RX.
You mentioned an increase of 11" for the new model. That would make the next RX300 191.3" in length! To put this in perspective, the LX470 is 192.5", the upcoming GX470 will be about 188.5" and the Acura rival MDX is 188.5". So the 2nd generation RX300 would be almost as big as an LX470, bigger than the uprated GX470 and its rival the Acura MDX?
Wouldn't it make more sense for the new RX300 to be about the length of its poorer sibling the Toyota Highlander 184.4"? The Toyota Highlander uses the same sort of Camry base that the new RX300 would.
"The RX300 on the other hand is a terrific vehicle but its AWD aspect is in name only. It does use a VC for this purpose but its VC implementation is so loose and flaccid it NEVER rises to the occassion."
Truth of the matter is that the RX300 AWD does work, and works rather well for it's intended audience, which is pavement, be it dry, wet, sand, snow, dogs, cats, etc.
It is not, and has never been, targeted as a Jeep Wrangler off-road competitor as Willy always suggests. Hmmm.. Willy. Jeep Willy. Coincedence?
Again, our '01 RX300 drives through snow very unlike a front-wheel or rear-wheel drive vehicle. If it "never rises to the occasion", it would spin it's front tires and go nowhere. It's just untrue.
-Craig
So I AM NOT TALKING OFF-ROAD HERE!
Some of us live in areas where AWD should truly MEAN AWD!
I'm am very glad some of you are perfectly pleased with what Lexus choses to market as AWD, but for some of us the RX just doesn't cut the mustard.
The RX should really be marketed as "partial", or "maybe" AWD.
Lower gas mileage for sure and maybe too much polution?
I thought 4WD used to mean a simple, mechanical, 4 wheel drive system that requires the pull of a lever and possibly manually locking the front hubs. While AWD was not mechanical per say, driven by fluid viscosity. One axel slips, heats the fluid, and the other axel would get more power.
Today, just toss those terms out the window. The Ford Explorer/Mountaineer offers full time AWD, but as far as I know, it's mechanical (along with electronics).
Now, Willy, have you ever gotten stuck on pavement with your RX? If so, what were the conditions? Did you call up Lexus to pull you out?
-Craig
He further stated that Corporate Lexus doesn't reveal much new model info to them until about two months before it's debut.
I suppose I'm just being nuts - so I'll just jump off that (sludge greased) bridge if I ever get to it. I'm going to have the oil changed some time this week (after 3k since last one) and I'm gonna be real intent on grilling them about the sludge problems. Hopefully they will give me enough info to calm my fears. I guess I am also very concerned about the potential "bad name" that could be associated with the RX and other Toyota vehicles now that this problem is out in the open.
If they offer anything interesting - I'll post it here. But, they probably won't tell me anything that hasn't already been discussed.
Just hope they find a solution to this sludge problem. They're hopefully working feverishly because of the damage this could do to it's core client base.
WWEST: Not too sure if lowering the temp is going to be a viable solution. There will most certainly be a pollution problem if they increase it. Sounds like the temp was raised in the first place to get the emmisions into compliance to start with!
Thanks Again!
After all, its seems like they tried to ignore a bunch of sludge effected owners already! I don't think I'll play that game with them right now!
But - might be a good choice if they don't come up with something.
How far do you think we would get before the idea is ripped off by one of the big players?