| telstar |
Got a delema,
My lease expires soon on my 2002 MDX. Loved the car, but hated the dealership. I drove a 330 Lexus recently and was quite impressed. I know I am used to a 2002 with 65,00 miles, so a new car is much quieter and tight.
Has anyone else gone through the decision process and found reasons not to buy the Lexus. My primary concern is that 90% of the Lexus's are driven by women, but that that makes them bad. I just am curious.
My experience has not started off all that well with the Lexus dealer. Some pompus snot nose kid salesman who probably drives a Geo Metro came up to me and said:" We find that only people who cannot afford the Lexus don't buy the Lexus. "
I suggested another reason people didn't buy his Lexus was because some people don't like pretencious car salespeople. He remained quiet.
I must be expecting too much for my big stack of money, Great car and great dealer network. Does such a thing exist? |
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| xradman |
| We looked at RX330 prior to buying our MDX. If we did not need the third row seats or need to occasionally carry kids bikes in the back, Lexus would have been great. It felt more smooth and luxurious than the MDX, but in the end, utility won out. |
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| evoge |
quote:
Originally posted by telstar
My primary concern is that 90% of the Lexus's are driven by women, but does that makes them bad?
Ja, RX330 is girlie car. |
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| vcolangelo |
If you're buying based solely on Customer service, Lexus wins hands down and, while Acura's quality is good, Lexus' is better. I think your Lexus salesperson experience was an exception.
If the RX had 3 rows of seats, I would have bought it instead of my 03 MDX. If the new GS was ready when my wife was ready to replace her 1999 GS300, she would have bought it instead of her 04 TL.
Honda's been lucky to have the right product at the right time and that's the only reason I've put up with the lousy Acura customer service and the less than perfect quality.
I hope Lexus gets their RX/GS formats right soon, and when they do, I'm outta here.
vcolangelo |
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| Echo2625 |
Tough decision...
Lexus makes an awesome product..probably would have bought the RX 330 over the X but...
The RX 330 is ugly! Looks like a pregnant roller skate!! And yes, in my area 90+ percent of the drivers are women. |
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| msu79uh04 |
quote:
Originally posted by telstar
Has anyone else gone through the decision process and found reasons not to buy the Lexus. My primary concern is that 90% of the Lexus's are driven by women, but that that makes them bad. I just am curious.
I have been thoroughly going through the "decision process" regarding potentially trading my TL-S for either an RX330 or an FX35. First off let me say that I consider the MDX to be in a different "class" than either the RX or FX - the MDX is a 7-passenger family vehicle. We NEED that much room in our family so at least ONE vehicle must be able to accommodate all of us and all of our gear - to that end I still consider the MDX the best value on the planet for 7-passenger family vehicles :cool: :1:
But you asked had anyone "found reasons not to buy the Lexus" - the answer is yes. In my comparison with the FX the Lexus came up short. First off let me say that I was seeking an affordable sporty SUV. The affordable part eliminated the Porsche, BMW, and Volkswagons (among other reasons), pretty much leaving the RX and FX to consider (I do like the RX exterior styling). So where did the RX fall short:
1) They are everywhere! Everyone has an RX :eek: And yes the primary drivers are women. The redesigned center console slides back to accomadate a woman's purse, a feature the sales reps are quick to point out.
2) Believe it or not reliability was a major issue. The RX has had its share of problems. One need only browse the Lexus forums to see for yourself. Particularly troublesome is the transmission; there are many complaints of sluggesh acceleration, which is rumored to have been addressed in the '05 with a decrease in gas mileage as a side result (the '05 DOES have a drop of 1 in the EPA estimated mileage).
3) I do NOT like the interior styling very well. The V-shaped metallic trim in the center of the dash just does not look right to me.
4) In terms of sporty performance the RX does not even compare to the FX. Of course this may not be as much of an issue comparing it to the MDX, but I doubt that anyone would say the RX outoperforms the MDX to any significant degree.
5) Cost! The RX costs too much compared to other vehicles. Toyota/Lexus is infamous in how they package their vehicles. You may be able to theoretically build one to your specifications on Edmunds; but try to duplicate it on Build Your Lexus. By the way both Edmunds and Lexus websites' now carry '05 pricing information. I can not get an RX in my region without some forced options. |
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| jrtiger |
| I looked at the Lexus RX-330 and the Acura MDX a couple of months ago and went with the MDX. The following is just my personal views on the two vehicles and others may disagree. First off overall I like both SUVs but there were some differences that pushed me to the MDX. I like the looks, both interior and exterior of the MDX better. I know a lot of people say that the fit and finish of the RX is better than the MDX. For me I do not agree. I know sometimes I use the two words together without thinking…fit and finish. I think the fit is about the same in both SUVs. I am picky and at least in my MDX I see no fit problem anywhere. On the other hand I think the finish with finer leather and real wood is noticeable better in the RX. I am an engineer by profession and so I like clean minimal lines and controls and I think at least for me the interior of the MDX is nicer. Not a big fan of the center console in the RX or the silver home entertainment like console located on the dash. When I drove both SUVs I liked the MDX better for handling and it seemed quicker and more responsive to me. It was over 100 degrees when I did my test drives and the air conditioner in the MDX seemed to do a better job of lowering the cabin temperature. I also liked the navi in the MDX. The MDX vehicle is also bigger and again to me seems it has a much more open interior space. I didn’t need the third row seats but like the room in the back of the MDX. I thought the RX had a better sound system, nicer seats, and the big one for me is that the RX was quieter on the road. I do not like the tire noise on some road surface when I am in the MDX! When I added it all up I am happy I purchased the MDX and the price difference between the two was not a concern for me. Finally I think that both are fine vehicles and I would most likely be happy with either. |
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| catzx6 |
quote:
Originally posted by xradman
If we did not need the third row seats or need to occasionally carry kids bikes in the back, Lexus would have been great. It felt more smooth and luxurious than the MDX, but in the end, utility won out.
Ditto for us, too. |
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| telstar |
I am surely impressed with the scope of knowlege and willingness to share that is here on this group. What a great way to communicate and share ideas. I am tired of groups just trying to piss off political oponents or slam other ideas, but here we truly share thoughts and personal experiences.
I did look at the FX. How do they hold resale value? Most Nissans are pretty low on the resale value list as compared to other Japanese cars. I am not sure about the FX and the Infinity line..
Thanks again for all the suggestions. I do not need the 3rd row seats, but still cannot make up my mind. I know there is not a wrong choice in these cars, but I still like the resale value of the Lexus. |
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| Sir P |
| Telstar, have you considered the new Lexus RX400H? It has the looks of RX330, plus some new nice features. The most important of them is the Hybrid powertrain (electrical motor and gas engine). |
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| emoss |
My Brother in law has had Lexus vehicles for 10 years, and loves them, so I took a look at the RX330 before deciding on my 2004 MDX Touring.
I found the ride to be much softer, but felt that the control was worse, due to reduced feedback to the steering wheel, and the body lean made me quite uncomfortable. The one item I really liked was the power rear hatch. I wish I could retro one on my X.
The deciding factor for me was the paltry cargo space. Usable space in the RX is slim to none!
BTW, I've had one Lexus (a '90 ES250), and 4 Toyotas (84 Celica, 94 Camry, 95 Avalon, and 99 Avalon)... They are excellent mechanically, but the ride, handling and body integrity of all of them deteriorated noticably over time, resulting in noisy suspensions, creaks and rattles, and sloppy steering. I consider Toyota to be the GM of Japanese carmakers!
In retrospect, my Hondas and Acuras (10 since '81) have all fared much better in these areas, and I have not had to return to the dealer with any problems on any of them, except for an AC problem on the 01 TL
Good luck with whatever you choose!
Ed |
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| sushix |
quote:
I did look at the FX. How do they hold resale value?
Not bad for FX but MDX still has the highest resale value.
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| emoss |
I worked in the leasing business for several years, and those figures are often misleading!
Generally, Infiniti's bring less than half after three years, and I believe that they are among the poorest marque in resale value. I expect the FX to fare poorly, as the public will probably grow tired of it within a year of two, and the "avant garde" styling will eventually appear as quicky and dated as the vehicle actually is.
EBM |
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| ghabicht |
MDX or RX330.......
I have spent the past few weeks agonizing over that dilemma. The looks of both vehicles are very subjective - I like both of them about the same. My Acura dealer just got in some 2005's on Friday, so I test drove one for about an hour (without any salespeople tagging along) on various road conditions. I really was amazed at the improvement in the ride and noise levels and power over my 2001. Still undecided, I asked the Lexus dealer for one of their loaner 2004 RX330's (the only diff. in the 2005 is the navi w/Bluetooth) and drove it over the weekend and really got to check it out.
Here are my conclusions:
The RX Pluses (IMHO):
1. Has a more luxurious interior (real wood, nicer leather).
2. Better sound system.
3. Nice ride and handling - great braking.
4. Power rear door is very convenient.
5. One touch up/down on all windows & moon-roof.
6. Nice assortment of cup holders - (I really like the one on the dash under the left air-vent)
7. Service dept. will pick up and deliver you a loaner.
The MDX Pluses (IMHO)
1. Has much more room - especially in the cargo area.
2. The 2005 rides incredibly better and quieter than my 2001.
3. Has less wind & road noise than the RX.
4. The navi & Bluetooth are accessible when driving (you have to be in "park" to program the navi or make an outgoing call in the RX).
5. Has a better navigation system.
6. Has On-Star.
7. More powerful engine.
Although I liked the quality of the interior and the sound system of the Lexus better, it doesn't make up for it's lack of cargo space and other advantages of the MDX. My conclusion is that I will be visiting the Acura dealer tomorrow for a new MDX. :4: |
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| phins2rt |
| Congrats ghabicht!!! I know you made the right choice!:29: |
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| saloveku |
quote:
Originally posted by ghabicht
MDX or RX330.......
I have spent the past few weeks agonizing over that dilemma.
The navi & Bluetooth are accessible when driving (you have to be in "park" to program the navi or make an outgoing call in the RX).
Although I liked the quality of the interior and the sound system of the Lexus better, it doesn't make up for it's lack of cargo space and other advantages of the MDX. My conclusion is that I will be visiting the Acura dealer tomorrow for a new MDX. :4:
Great post ghabicht. I think many of us go through the same thought process and decision making. A couple of comments though: my reason for leaning to the MDX is the more powerful engine.. it gives the X a higher fun factor when driving. I didn't know about the fact that you can't use the Bluetooth to dial out while driving... What a pain that is going to be for RX buyers!!! |
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| ghabicht |
| Picked up my 2005 MDX on Tuesday. After 4 days, I am extremely pleased with my decision. :D The new MDX is soooo much quieter and handles much better than my 2001. The new navi with voice commands is great and I really like the XM radio. (I think they give you the 1st 6 months free to get you hooked - it works!) Can't wait to get a bluetooth phone (I have to wait 3 weeks until my current cel plan is up). Will let you know how it works. I really think I would have been disappointed with the size of the RX330. :cool: |
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| G. COLTON |
| I looked at both the RS330 and the MDX. Never went back for a second look at the Lexus. The 330 is just too small in all dimensions. The third row seats mean nothing to me. I also prefer the active vehicle stability system of the MDX. The larger Lexus SUV's were more to my liking but the dwarback was the front seet bottom was too high off the ground. Made it too dificult for my son, who is in a wheelchair, to enter the vehicle. |
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| mdxrx8 |
We test drove a variety of vesicles before choosing the MDX; BMW X3, Nissan Murano, Ford Freestyle, Lexus RX330, and the Volvo XC90.
We narrowed the picks down to the Lexus, Volvo, and the Acura.
After test driving them a final time I pushed them harder in cornering over the same routes. The Lexus is a well engineered, well built, quality vehicle, but being pushed hard it rolled way too much for my tastes. This left the Volvo and Acura. The Volvo handled everything I threw at it well, but the 5 cylinder turbo is the only comparable priced model. So we choose the MDX for it's power, price, handling, good looks, and Acura's notable reliability. |
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| bdmd |
| Well, my parents have had their '04RX330 since September, and I just traded my '02MDX for an '05 MDX, if that says anything. Here's how I see it: considering the extra room/seating and included extras, you get more in the mdx for less money. Granted, I don't think you can beat Lexus customer service (I think they would wipe your a** if you asked them to), but I found the service at Acura to be acceptable over the past two years. When driving the 330, the plusses to me over the X were: arm rests, more comfortable seats, some better ergonomical features (auto tailgate for one). However, I felt the X improved in '05 with better seating. I felt the 330 handled no better and had no less wind noise than the '05X. plus, the rx looks like a mom/wife/sister car. I would have to say though, that the biggest difference is more room in the X. |
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| G. COLTON |
| You say the Rx330 cost more? The last time I checked the MDX was more expensive by about $2,000. |
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| ghabicht |
| When I was looking earlier this year, the dealer's selling prices were within $200 of each other - The MDX was the better choice for me....no regrets - I love my X :D |
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| bdmd |
quick "msrp" check on both websites for similarly configured "base" models:
mdx 38,032
330 39, 728
mdx--no 6 disc changer, no telescoping steering wheel, but more room, more hp, less money; also, that 330 price is for the non4wd model; for 4 wd, add $2500 or more. |
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| ghabicht |
I got a price from the Lexus dealer of $42,700 for AWD 2005 RX300 with premium package and navi. I bought my 2005 MDX touring w/navi, trailer tow pkg, caro mat, all weather floor mats, wood wheel & dash for $42,900.
:4: |
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