Lexus RX 300

tarik · February 2001

Hi gang,

Back after a long and quiet time, but now I've got to tell...

Our (read my wife's) black/beige RX has been an extremely comfortable, reliable and beautiful means of transportation for 1 1/2 years now, but lately is has almost driven us crazy.

1) Rattle around glove box came back. It has been fixed once before, now repaired again.

2) The newly developed howl from the sunroof turned out to be the sunroof's contoured rubber edge, which started to sag and become "wavy", sunroof replaced.

3) This &%$@*# sun shade rattles every time you shut a door. I know that the cabin air is being compressed, but this happens in any given car. I noticed the '01 models don't do that any more! Dealer is replacing the entire sunshade assembly with the '01's right now, we'll see.

4) Nerve wrecking occasional rattle from left rear, about where the seatback is and where the cargo cover attaches. First I thought it was the cold, but the car has been in the shop for ONE WEEK now, and after taking apart and "felting" everything in this area, they now replace the last window on the driver's side. I can't imagine this to be the culprit, but the window was dirty anyway... ;->

We had a brand new ES300 as a loaner ever since, and I could get used to it's crisp handling and near zero lean in curves. But the engine is quieter in the RX, may be because of all the wind noise around it, ha, ha!

Still love the RX, if they caould just quiet it down a little.

Tarik

wwest · February 2001

Hmmm...

Let's see, have I got this right ...?

Lexus puts a USELESS metalized object (logo)between your face and an EXPLOSIVE device and you think that's okay, did I get that right?

Now, for each and every time that EXPLOSION occurs, and granted that shouldn't be very often overall, that LOGO will NEVER become detached and come flying into your......

wmquan · February 2001

As Drew has pointed out, a lot of manufacturers put their logo on their steering wheel, despite the presence of an airbag. I would think that by now, if it was truly a problem, you'd have a lot of news reports about people with mirror image logo imprints on their foreheads.

Rather than worry about the logo, one would be better served by learning to drive with their hands at the four and six o'clock positions, and learning not to pull a hard turn with your hands too high up on the wheel (switching your hands as the wheels turn, instead). There's a greater likelihood the airbag will drive your fist back up into your face than getting an "L" tatooed on you.

mooretorque · February 2001

Wmquan is correct re hand placement. There is also the not infrequent nuisance of bilateral radius/ulna (both forearm bones) fracture as the crossed forearms are driven back into the torso or face.

I'm all for side curtain airbags but front airbags (unless "depowered") are designed to prevent a 180# unrestrained (which means "moron not using seat belt and shoulder harness") person from hitting steering wheel/dashboard. That's what DOT requires, so that's what car mfgers gave us. Too bad for those who weigh considerably less and too bad for those improperly place extremities that come into the line of fire.

Honestly, I am not a Luddite, but IMHO we would all be better served by properly used and designed (i.e., that are NOT designed to gradually allow several inches of slack to develop after being initially tightened) belts.

Sorry about the tirade; I feel better now.

adpcs · February 2001

My salesperson is telling me that the Value Package ($1500 discount) is only on a limited number of cars. In other words, once they run out of the inventory of cars that have it, they won't be getting anymore. Does anyone know if this is true?

tonychrys · February 2001

Baloney. The VP is the most popular configuration of how these cars come into the country. It's hard to find one without the VP at a minimum.

You don't happen to live near the gulf states, do you?

arturito · February 2001

i've been getting quotes for a new fwd lexus rx300 01 model in at least two instances the dealers said if they dont have the color i want in stock they'd have to charge me more for transportation- to the tune of $275 more in one case- for a so called dealer exchange is this a common business practice? from my point of view i feel like im being penalized for their not having stock on hand i'd be interested to know how you all have handled it before i finalize the deal thanks a bunch for your response

harryrogers1 · February 2001

I tried towing my caravan (trailer) with my new RX300SE this morning and after about 10 minutes I stopped and had a walk around the outfit. There was a very strong smell of what could be described as burning rubber coming from the underneath of the car. I checked the wheels to see if any of them was notably hot including my caravan. They weren't. I continued my journey back home for another 10 minutes and the smell was still evident. I wondered if it might be a poor electrical connection to the trailer. We have two connectors here in the UK. One for the road lights and one for accessories such a 12v supply to the trailers fridge. Later on after everything had cooled down. I connected the electric hook up to the trailer and ran the engine for 15 minutes. (Without driving). No smell, so assumed that the smell was some form of overheating in the engine or transmission. I am towing well within the limits stated by Lexus for the UK. My trailer laden is about 1600 Kgs. The limit stipulated by Lexus is 2,000. I rang Lexus UK and am waiting for them to come back to me. My car has done 400 miles. Any similar experience from the experts over in the US.

clee4 · February 2001

In my owners manual as part of the not required but recommended break in period, they suggest not to tow anything for the first 500 miles. They also state that you should not exceed 55 mph for the first 1000 miles.

tonychrys · February 2001

If the dealer you are working with doesn't have the model/color you want, two things can happen:

1. They can look at their incoming allocation and say, "If you are willing to wait X amount of days, we'll have what you want." In this case, there should be no dealer mark up since they are not going "above and beyond" their normal prep and delivery procedures. In fact, one could arguably get a better discount since the vehicle will be coming off the truck and going straight to the customer. This means it's not sitting on the lot costing the dealer money (dealer holdback).

2. If the dealer doesn't have what you want, and you CAN'T wait, then the dealer has to do a locate and swap. This usually involves flat-bedding or driving the vehicle depending on the total distance. This does in fact cost the dealer time/money and is not unreasonable for them to be compensated for it. The problem is that aren't as many Lexus dealers per square mile as say Ford dealers, so swaps end up costing more. Two Ford dealers within 10 miles of each other usually don't charge the customer anything for swaps.

The whole key to getting the car you want at the price you want is your willingness to possibly travel a little bit. If you are willing to drive within a 75 mile radius of your home (and you are in a major market), you should be able to find a Lexus dealer that has what you want.

TC

dcrain77 · February 2001

Just got 2001 RX300 ($39,000 includes dest, AWD and NAV) from Rockville, MD Lexus. Great dealer and wonderful car. But this phone thing is a real problem. The Motorola hands free kit looks awful and has a long cord hanging down from it. And it appears to be awkard to use. You can't just slip the phone into a holder. The instller tells me that everybody puts it on a bracket over by the glove box. Would anyone please share your experience getting a Startac or Timeport installed?

Thanks,
Doug

tonychrys · February 2001

I don't have a hands free in my RX yet, but I know what the installer is talking about. The bracket he is talking about is made by Pro-fit and is the #1 hands-free mount used by most high-end installers.

It either mounts to a screw hole just inside the left of the glove box, or, under the center console bezel on the right.

This link actually shows how the mount is installed (you'll need the Acrobat reader):

http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/Adobe/LX-70-99.pdf

TC

tarik · February 2001

Oliver,

should you contemplate to get the ProFit bracket for the RX, try to mount it differently than shown in the instruction. The suggested location is far too low, and can be very painful to the passenger's left leg/knee. Of course, you need to watch out for yourself, but I don't know what they were thinking, the bracket is made of thin sheetmetal and has a sharp edge. The relocation of this thing will be my next project.

Take care,

Hurt before Tarik

dcrain77 · February 2001

TC,

The Pro-Fit holder looks kinda cool. But the problem is the ugly, large Motorola OEM cradle/cable for the Startec that will attach to the Pro-Fit, I think. Seems like it will turn the RX300's very pleasant interior into a taxicab look. A really nice cab. Have you thought about installing it in the center console/cup holder box?

Doug

dcrain77 · February 2001

Tarik,

Thanks for the tip. From the picture, I thought the bracket went up pretty high, above leg level. I'll look again. But didn't the instructions say it bolts into only certain positions under the wood trim?

00rxguy1 · February 2001

I just bought a factory wood steering wheel for my 2000 RX. Wanted to find out if anyone knows a thing or two about changing steering wheels. Or you guys think it would be better for me to have a professional do it. I didn't buy it at the dealer since it would cost me an arm and a leg. Bought it from a guy that sells factory wood steering wheels. he says some of his customers actually do it themselves. I guess it's not that difficult. Has anyone on this forum done such a thing before. Or know someone who's done it. Any feedback would be great.

drew_ · February 2001

You can't do it yourself since you have an airbag equipped vehicle. The driver's airbag swap (to the new wheel) needs to be handled by professionals; you could end up accidentally discharging the pyrotechnic device, thereby deploying the airbag. Serious injuries could result from this, so leave it to the pros.

Good luck!

Drew
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inky · February 2001

Did you pay $3,000 for it. Someone was posting that as the price?
INKY

tonychrys · February 2001

dcrain77 Feb 7, 2001 6:32pm

Oliver, I haven't given it much thought, but I need to! By coincidence, one of the projects I'm working on at work is hands-free options for all of our executive's vehicles. Where I'm from (NY/NJ area) many counties are now enacting "hands-free" laws that will carry hefty fines if you are caught holding a cell phone while driving.

There are two issues I'm addressing in my research:
1) the quality and functionality of the actual electronics, i.e., how easy is it for the end user to work and the how good it actually sounds.
2) Mounting/portability- my folks have put a restriction on permanently mounted systems, they want to be able to plug it in and out of different cars.

The OEM Motorola solution that gets permanently mounted I hear is pretty good because it provides "full-duplex" operation. But you have to have a professional installer do it. What's nice also is that I believe it auto-mutes the stereo when in use.

The biggest problem I'm finding is mounting these damn handsets. Ideally, you want the thing mounted as close to your normal driving line of vision as possible. For me, this means high on the console as close to the bottom level of the windshield. That way your eyes don't have far to go while glancing at the phone to hit a speed-dial number. I've tried different positions the last couple of weeks (in my station car, a '99 grand am, which sucks ergonomically) and I've nearly gotten into several accidents from my eyes temporarily glacing away from the windshield and looking down.

Tarik is right about the bracket mounting too low, you have the possibilty of some hurt knees!

I wish I had a better answer for you regarding the RX mounting, but I haven't had a chance to address it yet. My apologies for the "brain dump" but I figured I'd share my experiences with everyone in hopes it might provide some insights.

TC

arturito · February 2001

TC thanks for your comments i'll certainly put the advice into practice we'll see how it goes arturito

malhokc · February 2001

I have a Motorola phone installed on the Pro-fit plate. Looks very clean and professional, the wires are not visible, no drilling or screws. It does the interfere with the passenger seating. would recommend it if you are looking into car phones.

00rxguy1 · February 2001

Actually, I only paid $500 for it. This guy on eBay is selling those wheels for a swap with your steering wheel. He actually got good reviews from other buyers. Seems to me like he only sells Mercedes, Lexus and BMW wood steering wheel. I went to eBay this morning and it looks like he has another one for sale. His reserve price is $600 even though the starting bid is $100. he will send you back $100 once he receives your steering wheel back. It sounded like a good deal to me. If you are interested just go to eBay and do a search for RX300 it should bring it up. Oh and thanks Drew for the advice, you got a good point there. I'll let you guys know how the steering wheel thing works out.

harryrogers1 · February 2001

As the response to my problem re; 'Funny smell' was virtually zilch apart from clee4, (by the way thanks, I also read the recommended 500 miles bit and my dealer said it shouldn't present a problem), I was wondering how many of you RX300 owners in the US tow a caravan (trailer) or boat or what have you and how did you find it.

Regards

Harry in the UK

ahui · February 2001

I have been quoted by a saleman at the above dealer for a 2001 RX300 AWD, Lexus Value Package and HIDs for $37,380(Sticker$41,855, after Value Package Discount $40,355). I have not bee able to duplicate this sticker on any of the pricing sites. Is it correct?

He also told me that for 2001 there is no Nakamichi package. Anyone know what the correct invoice on the car is? Edmund's still lists a Nak package.

malhokc · February 2001

Just a clarification to a typo in previous post.

The Pro-fit bracket placement DOES NOT interfere with passenger seating.

pbk77 · February 2001

ahui, who was your salesperson? From what you're telling me, that seems like a good offer. I got my RX in May from them, and with the comparable options..that's how much I got for mine.

tonychrys · February 2001

I'm almost positive you are not listing your full configuration. If you are getting a 2001 RX300 AWD Value Package with HIDs, I guarantee it is also coming with the cargo mat, rear spoiler, wheel locks and accesory cross bars. If you then throw in heated seats you get a MSRP of $40,271.

The price you quoted, for your area, seems competitive if it matchs the equipment I listed above. I think you could knock an additional $200 off the price depending on your dealer's supply of cars.

If the equipment listed above doesn't match yours, please advise and I'll take another stab at it.

TC

ahui · February 2001

I have been speaking to a guy named Michael Kim. Seems like a nice guy. Who was your sales person? How was your buying experience, and your subsequent ownership experience with them. Do they offer and unique services? Car washes, loaners?

00rxguy1 · February 2001

Just called the dealer regarding labor on swapping the steering wheel. Dealers says it will take an hour at $95. Hopefully things will go good and they will not have any trouble with the thing.

00rxguy1 · February 2001

This just dawned on me. It happened last month but the more I think about it the more I get upset. I took my RX in last month for the 10,000 mile service. My vehicle last month, only had about 8000 mile on it. I told the service guy that the vehicle was pulling to the right, again. I say again because the car was in there about 2-3 other times for pulling to right. Anyhow, the service guy told me that if it was their fault then they would not charge me for the alignment. If it was my fault then they would have to charge me $145 for it. They would not know until they actually get into it he says. I got into a small argument with the guy and tell him that the car is rarely driven and only has 8000 miles on it. Plus, it's been in here before because this is a recurring problem. Why should I get charged for it. He says that the alignment can be knocked of course if i hit a bump or something.. bunch of BS. And of course when I go and pick up my car, I got charged $145 for the alignment. I think that the dealer should of covered the alignment issue free of charge. For sure, I did not hit any bump.

tonychrys · February 2001

Steering wheel: I hope you are right, but I think it would take more than a hour to remove your old steering wheel, remove the airbag module, transfer it to the new wheel, attach new wheel and harness. I hope I'm wrong and please keep us informed how it goes.

Alignment: Arrgghhhh! I had a similar situation happen on the '97 Pathfinder we were leasing. Since day one I said to my wife, "this thing is pulling to the right." She'd take it in during the regular maintenance schedule and mentioned it. Twice they wrote it up, "Checked, did not find problem." When she brought it in for the 33K maintenance, but past the 36 month warranty, guess what they wrote on the service record??!! "Performed 33k maintenance, told customer alignment is necessary...."

Arrgghh!!!

In my opinion, you should not have to pay for it. Yes, it is possible that a severe bump could throw the alignment out, but one could argue that if you hit a bump that bad that the wheel rim would be deformed. I would make them "prove" it's your fault. Burden of proof is on them, if they aren't willing to cooperate raise hell with Lexus USA.

Just my 2-cents.

TC

ststephen0 · February 2001

Just a guess, but I presume the guy on ebay is not selling "factory wood steering wheels" but rather a "factory regular steering wheel" that has had the wood added/converted to it by 3rd party. Thus, the requirement to send in your old non-wood wheel.

brian121 · February 2001

Hello... first time poster. I have an AS 400 and have been considering an RX300 or Highlander. I want to drive both but have not yet done so.

I sent an mail to my nexus salesman and asked for a RX300 booklet. It arrived with a note saying that for the RX300, "we should act quickly because the value package will be gone soon".

Can any body explain before I call him? Hype?

Thanks...

clee4 · February 2001

Lexus has been discounting their RX's since about Nov. This was to compete with the ever expanding SUV sales. The premimum packages and the nav packages are reduced by Lexus, not dealer, $1500 off sticker. There may also be some pre discount RX's sitting on dealers lots waiting for some sucker to walk into the show room. I had a dealer in N. VA. try to pull that one, I just walked out when he would not match the discount package price. Do not know if the end is near.

aussiemagic · February 2001

My wife and I just took delivery of an '01 FWD RX300 with Navigation package plus, Indigo Ink with Ivory leather. OH MY GOSH! What a wonderful experience. Sewell Lexus in Dallas, Anthony was the sales guy. We wanted the spoiler added, he got it done before pickup today.

Lexus ownership and purchasing so far has been an awesome experience, and we got a killer deal, about $400 over invoice on the vehicle.

It's like a rolling dream!

tarik · February 2001

Oliver,

Correct, the bracket is supposed to be attached with an already existing screw within the dash behind the wood trim. But I will still try to find a way to mount it about four to six inches higher along the edge of the wood. A little bending might be involved, but it will surely save me some pain.

Whether or not you hit your knee depends to a great deal on the position of the seat and your height, I am 5'11". It could be that it has to do with my wife's driving style, who knows (please don't tell...;->).

TC,

Nothing to worry about, everyone appreciates the input you've give the group, keep going...

Tarik

mooretorque · February 2001

My wife has a 99 RX with 28k on it. Around 24k when I was driving, I noticed the vehicle pulling to the right, plus right front suspension noise plus a loss in straight line stability. Mind you, we're not talking about DWI-class weaving, just increase in attention to steering and tramlining/following road surface grooves and the like. Retrospectively, I felt like the steering changes had been noticeable before the suspension noise appeared.

The dealer found that the upper strut mount on the right had deteriorated allowing that point of the suspension to wobble around. There is no danger of the strut falling off but the handling will deteriorate more and more as the right front wheel assembly wobbles!!!!! This was all replaced and the vehicle re-aligned under warranty. Voila, my wife once again has Lexus ride and handling as opposed to the rather nautical experience we had been having.

I have not checked to see if their is a TSB on this issue but it may be worth another trip to the dealer to direct their attention to that part. Or have them contact my dealer (Parker Lexus in Little Rock, AR). Good luck.

arturito · February 2001

hey aussiemagic could you please be more specific like what is navigation plus and did you have to pay for advertising in addition to the invoice amount? i want a deal like that thks

melanjian · February 2001

dear hobbybass: did you look into a hood deflector
for the rx300??, cause i am also looking for one
too and i wonder what you think... the lexus dealer did not recommend one due to something
about changing the aerodynamics of the vehicle
and causing front hood vibriations

bearbull · February 2001

I have read the posts by those who have got good deals using Priceline. I live in the N Virgina area and I am interested in leasing a RX 300.

Is there anyway that I can use Priceline to lease a car as opposed to buying one?

Also, I have noticed that Lexus in Rockville seems to be the most competitive. Does any one know of a salesperson that they can recommend at that dealership who I can work with?

Thanks

brian121 · February 2001

There are some differences between the January and February Edmonds pricing info. It appears that the Base MSRP remained the same, the Invoice price jumped by $405, the Premium Package Plus invoice price dropped by $947, and other options stayed the same. TV dropped $587. Am I reading things correctly? Has there been a price drop as this would imply?

Does not seem to be match with salesman's advice to act before the Value Package ends!

Is it reasonable to expect, that as the model year progresses, what you can actually buy one for will decrease?

I would really like to buy around May. Can I expect to get a better deal then than now?

tonychrys · February 2001

What has happen recently is that Lexus has indeed raised the invoice cost on many of their vehicles. The RX300 has risen about $300 - $400. The MSRP has NOT changed. What this means is that the dealer's cost has gone up, so hence, your cost might go up.

Any dealer that tells you Value Package will end is trying to scare you. I just saw a brand new round of TV ads here in the Northeast touting the Value Package savings.

Whether you can get a better deal if you wait is anybody's guess. But let's be practical: when do you have to buy? Heck, if you wait until August I'm sure you can get a great deal on a MY2001. But is that practical?

I do computer technology for a living, and I always have one or two acquaintences who say "I'm not going to buy a computer right now because the price will just drop in a month." Guess what? The prices are ALWAYS dropping. It's a moving target. These folks still don't have computer because they are trying to "time" the market.

Where do you live? If you live in a part of the country that sees snow, then waiting till Spring might get you a good deal on an AWD version. The economy might get worse and dealers might have to move inventory. The dollar could get stronger against the Yen. These are all a lot of WHAT IFs, and you should buy a vehicle when you actually need it.

Just some advice from lots of personal experience.

TC

tod · February 2001

I, too, am confused by the pricing on the RX300. Different sources seem to list different prices for the Premium Plus package (among other things). In fact, it's listed twice in Edmunds with two dramatically different prices! Huh!?!!?

My dealer tells me there has been no spring price increase yet, but they anticipate one soon. They also say they have no idea when the $1500 Lexus rebate is ending. I would also like to wait a couple of months, but it sounds like now may be the time to buy. I just wish I knew for sure what the deal is.

I need to know what the Premium Plus RX costs before I can negotiate a deal on one, but Edmunds is definitely NOT making it easy to decipher. I feel I'm at a real disadvantage. Please, Edmunds, get your figures straight on the RX! Thanks.

tonychrys · February 2001

The option marked "VP" is the current correct pricing for the Premium Plus Package in the Edmunds pricing section.

brian121 · February 2001

Thanks for your response and thoughts. Actually, the prime reason for waiting until May is that my commute will be shorter then when I no longer have to drive my daughter to school on my way to work. I am now commuting in an old POS that I inherited that has lots of miles, won't last too much longer, costs me very little to operate, but will probably get me through a few more months. I'm trying to wait until May to "use it up" and get this extended commute mileage clocked on the old car instead of a new one.

At the same time, if I felt there was a great buying opportunity now that would be missed by waiting, I would reconsider. Seems like there is little downside to waiting. Hard to imagine a deal that would compensate for the $ saved by waiting.

By the way, I am in Maryland and have been talking to Lexus of Annapolis.

matt00 · February 2001

Hi,
I am interested in buying or leaseing a awd/nav RX300. Can you guys tell me what you have paid either in a purchase or lease.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Also, are you happy with it?
Thanks,
Matt

tazzidevil1 · February 2001

Looking at a 01 RX300 with spoiler/HID/heated seats/wood steering/cargo mat/wheel locks/croosbars/Premium plus pkg minus the discount/dest charge......
MSRP at $40601 with Edmunds invoice at $35636....
What can I realisticly expect to pay, local dealer has more than 5 in the color I want.Would 3% or $1500 over invoice be more than fair?

tonychrys · February 2001

If you search through the past messages you see that many of us here in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including myself, were able to get a AWD/NAV for about $38,500. This was approximately $1000 over invoice, but this was before the recent price increase to the dealers.

My wife, who originally thought we were crazy to pay this much for "transportation", simply loves the vehicle. I sleep better at night knowing that my family is driving a high quality vehicle with a proven safety record and features that could possibly save their lives in a bad situation. She is never intimidated about taking the car in for service or any reason because the Lexus personnel treat her with respect and answer any questions no matter how minor.

Whatever you decide, $600 - $1000 over invoice is not unheard of for the RX300 now because of the soft economy and increased competition from other SUVs coming into the market.

TC

gambiaman · February 2001

I purchased a canvas roof top carrier today for my 01 RX 300. It is 36" X 36" X 18" and would give me valuable extra space to carry items. I got ready to install it and my 01 model has roof rack bars but no small eyelets like my 99 RX 300 had on each size of the roof attached to the roof track. The 99 MY had 2 eyelets on each side. Does anyone know if the eyelets can be purchased from the Lexus dealer to install on the 01 MY? According to the cargo carrier instructions the carrier must be secured by straps across the roof and lengthwise. I did learn today that the roof racks are adjustable fore and aft.
Thanks for any help.

rmorin2 · February 2001

My dealer could not figure out what is causing the rumbling/reverberation noise in my RX at idle. A factory engineer is supposed to be at the dealership in the next week or so to see if he can figure it out. If anyone out there has had a similar problem please email me ASAP. Thanks,

rmorin@erols.com

Lexus RX 300

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