RX300
- Thread starter BIGdaddy
- Start date
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
Gotcha. Thought I had heard it was a car chassis setup. I know a few folks here at work that love theirs as well. Very much a "change the oil, fill the fuel tank" type of car.
dejablu311
Observer
I have been driving a front wheel drive version around for the past 6 months and it is very practical. The fuel mileage is much better then an AWD version but the transmission tends to lurch a bit from a start. The high center of gravity rocks it off its front tires and the inside tire starts spinning like crazy. Everyone who drives it does the same thing. It makes pulling out into traffic a bit of a gamble. The AWD version would not have this problem. The motors are known to have piston seal problems so regular oil changes are mandatory. The fact that it is more car then truck makes for a great ride and makes it very controllable when blasting down a gravel road. The interior quality is typical lexus for the time period...awesome. The cup holders are absolutely useless around turns but there are many of them for long trips. Even with my long board on the roof I managed 26 mpg on a 10 hour trip to Florida. I haven't hooked a trailer up to it yet but I have filled it completely up with fire wood and it handled the weight surprisingly well. It was still very composed on twisty roads and the brakes were more then adequate. Overall I think it is a great option for weekend camping trips and long road trips. Hope thishelps.
DanKunz
Adventurer
If you want to wheel a Lexus, get a GX470/460 or LX450/470. LX has a ton of aftermarket support and the GX crowd is catching up.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150905786088123&set=vb.602333122&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150905786088123&set=vb.602333122&type=3
Stick Figure
Observer
Containerized
Adventurer
For what it's worth, the Toyota Harrier (basically a raised-up Camry station wagon, which is what the RX300 is based on in the U.S.) is super common here in Africa, even in areas with no paved roads at all. No, they aren't great, but they're a tenth the cost of a Land Cruiser over here and they use Toyota parts. So that's enough to make them popular.
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
THAT's interesting. Thanks for the info!
thebrassnuckles
Explorer
The wife has an 05 RX330 AWD
it rides like a dream, I keep trying to convince her to put some all terrain on it and play, but she is pretty reluctant...
it rides like a dream, I keep trying to convince her to put some all terrain on it and play, but she is pretty reluctant...
BIGdaddy
Expedition Leader
Thanks for the response. What is her main hang-up, if you don't mind me asking?
Just doesn't have the desire to get out, or just not in her daily driver, maybe?
Do these rigs have any kind of skid plating with the AWD package? If not, I might be reluctant to damage the tender underbelly, too.
-B
thebrassnuckles
Explorer
It's her car, and I have my own to smash up
corax
Explorer
One thing to be aware of is that the RX300 has a pretty huge turning radius, just over 20' IIRC. The RX330/RX400h and later models cut that down to right around 18' - it might not sound like much, but it is noticeable. Out of the RX series, I like the interior & design of the RX300 best. The outside world is much more visible than the other models if you're the type to twist around and look out the side or rear windows. As has been said, regular oil changes every 5k miles are recommeended to prevent sludge build-up and the resultant problems that can create in the variable valve system (oil pressure driven actuators).