RX 350 First reactions:
I fell in love with the RX 350 browsing the web site. Returning to Montreal from Sweden in July 2009, I rushed to the dealer and ordered the 2010 RX 350 in Matador Red, with Beige interior and the Ultra-package.
I only received it last week, the last day of November – a good 5 months lag between order and delivery. Meanwhile, the dealer did provide me with a GX 470 to drive around – the only complaint being the dealer was very uncommunicative with respect to delivery dates. After all, I wanted the RX and not the GX.
Now that I have it, I am thrilled with it and I wish I could say it was a 10/10 based on expectations. I have to give it a 7.5/10.
Why the lower score?
1) When I ordered the car, the description of the Ultra package included the radar cruise control. The dealer was not able to give me a detailed listing at the time of order, and when I did get the car, I was surprised that it was missing from the RX350 option list but was available in the RX450 option list. Surprising as the RX450 is more tuned to city driving rather than highway. Annoying in that the feature was something I really wanted. The dealers reaction on this left me with a bad taste too.
2) The Nav system interface that got great reviews – Personally, needs a lot of improvements for it to be usable for both the techie
and every day Joe.
Audio system:
a) Pre-sets for FM – visible 2x 6, but no visible method to set them. No clean method to navigate them via the mode
button on the steering wheel either.
b) Pre-sets for Satellite – 3 x 6 Visible only when selecting the Text mode – so you lose the music description. No visible
method to set them.
c) USB media – poor access interface. cumbersome to select folders and file.
Would have been good if they had a tree display. No capability to create a playlist. Does not access the media on my
Blackberry
d) Seek button on the steering wheel – scans through 4 presets – I expect to flip through each station or sat station as I
go up or down.
e) Scan button on dash – also scans through existing presets. To do a proper scan, one has to activate it through the
Nav screen menu. After the 4th station, the display disappears and the scan button on the dash stops the scan.
Did not have the time to check if the HUD shows the channel. But given Lexus wants the drivers full attention, this is
very distracting and poor as in interface, when a standard stereo has this down pat
Phone access via NAVI
a) While the numbers were easily imported into the car from my Blackberry, it did not import the address. The address
system for the NAV is separate from the phone book – don’t ask me why? There are a 1000 phone number limit for phone
and only 100 for Nav locations.
b) If you are in the middle of a phone call, and turn off the motor, the call you are on gets disconnected.
c) If you are in the middle of setting up a call on the phone and the parking sensor is activated, after the message, the call
set up is dropped and one has to restart.
d) Deleting numbers – painful. One has to select the name of the contact to delete, but one cannot look at the number in the
same step before deleting. There is no option to tag and delete – which would have been user friendly.
e) Voice selection – pretty good – not a 100% though. Limited voice tags (10) for the difficult to analyze names.
f) Bluetooth setup with Black berry – easy and quick
Navigation:
a) Biggest irritant – address input via mouse is disabled with the car is in motion. No known option to override. I can see all
inputs are disabled, random enabling disabling is just irritating.
b) Select street address – you have to be perfect with the spelling. Lists are only shown when there are a few – so far 5 or
less. Should learn from Tom Tom which lets you scroll through all to find the one you are looking for.
c) Once a route is selected, canceling the route is a multi-step process – which I find irritating.
d) Finding a POI when you are being directed -
1) if select along route is chosen, it could not identify gas stations between Kingston and Montreal
2) if select near here is chosen it gives a list of up to 5 and you can select one of them – which shows up on the
map, it does not show you all of them with respect to where you are. However, when driving if you see an icon
of a POI you can click on it to get the details – including phone number
e) Voice
1) String to voice – very poor. Lexus can do a lot better. Street names sound alien
2) Only one voice – should learn from Tom Tom where one can choose from 5 to 6 voice options.
f) Zoom mode – One has to zoom in using a function that is naturally hidden and then it stays at that zoom level until one
changes it. I think a lot can be learnt from Tom Tom.
g) Time estimation and speed limits
1) Time estimation is based on what one sets for city, residential and highway.
2) Speed limits for streets are not part of the database – which I find is strange given that a 400$ unit from Tom
Tom does.
Tires:
Seem like when one changes summer to winter and winter to summer tires, dealer has to re-program the tire sensors into
the car. Looked for a set 1 set 2 switch – with no luck yet.
The compact spare is really irritating – if one has a flat front, one has two change two tires, put the spare on the back and
the one on the back to replace the flat. I think there is a lot of room for improvement from a practical perspective.
Fuel consumption:
1) At 100 Km/hr on cruise control – 9L / 100 Km
2) At 110 Km/hr on cruise control 10.5L / 100 Km
3) At 120 Km/hr on cruise control 12L / 100 Km
What I love so far – in no particular order:
1) The growl of the engine – it is different from other cars and it sounds like a hot babe
2) The handling is beautiful – nice cornering, and stiff suspension
3) The quiet, great sound and video
4) The seats – amazing
5) Back up camera – just great. Side camera is aces too
6) Self leveling headlamps, and the swivel. It is very good for curves and turns.
7) Key-less go. I have a key fob in my wallet and everything else is automatic. Would have been nice if the trunk too was
activated by it.
8) Thoughtful 110 V power outlets for a laptop in the back and one in the trunk
9) Cup holders – well placed.
10) Excellent ventilation system
I think this is a great car – and hopefully the dealer and Lexus will clean up the irritants in the interface. Would gladly volunteer as an alpha tester.
