Got the RX350 but...
 

Hi~

I had a tread debating RX350 or X3 and decided to go with the RX350 (not me but my wife).

We test drove the X3 and RX350 last weekend and I loved the X3...Wow...what a ride and handling...it hugged the road beatifully. My wife liked the handling and power of the new engine. With prem. package, 18" rim and Xenon headlights came upto $45100 including tax + ttl. ($1000 discount).

While I loved the X3 my wife liked the smooth ride of the RX350 better. It was a little more spacious and more quite than the X3. Also it had more options as standard than BMW. FWD with NAVI came up to $43500 including tax + ttl. ($3500 discount).

Lexus didn't have the car we wanted so we put a $500 deposit for a mid-January delivery. Not having the car yet is making me wonder whether I should change my mind.

My concern is that RX350 will have a model change in early 2008 and a face lift within 3 months for the 2008 model. Of course, the price will not be lucrative as of right now but still kinda makes me wonder if I should jump on it or not. If I take a 2008 or 2009 it will easily take me around upper $40K.

Reasons my wife chose the RX are 1. my wife likes the comfortable ride, 2. Lot of options (Navi.), 3. reliability, 4. a bit spacious than X3, 5. power liftgate (she really loves this feature). 6. large discount ($3500 vs. $1000).

Why I hate the RX, 1. women's car, 2. plain driving, 3. single tailpipe, 4. newer model coming, 5. interior out of style.

Why I like the X3: 1. engine, 2. simple interior design, 3. double tailpipe, 4. full maintenance, 5. BMW!!!


***
What do you guys think about my situation?...I do need a car pretty soon and plan to keep it for a good 5~7 years or more.

Should I wait for the 2008 RX350 or abandon the LEXUS and go with the X3 (I think I already know the answer for this one...)?

Age: early 30's
Budget: $45,000 max including tax + ttl.

If this will be a vehicle that you and your wife share then I would certainly voice my concerns. If the vehicle is just for your wife and you may drive it to the store only because it is blocking your vehicle in, then I wouldn’t be too concerned. That would be a lot of money to spend on something you didn’t like. It could be worse, she could be wanting a mini-van.

I think you need to consider starting up a new forum--RXWorld. You came here for advice, we gave it to you, and because your wife wears the pants, you went with something you didn't want. If I go to the grocery store to buy chocolate milk, and I know I want the smooth, rich taste of chocolate milk, and I know how much the chocolate milk costs, I'm not going to buy regular milk because it's on sale for half the price of chocolate milk, no matter what anyone tells me.

Do you remember the Lexus commercial two years ago advertising headlights that turn around corners to protect you from hitting deer? There was a mock-panel of german engineers saying, "What are we going to do now?" For all german car owners (even VW), the answer is simple--continue to build the most quiet, powerful and breathtaking cars in the world and not get wrapped up in meaningless options that the Japanese invent to sell their cars every two years before they redesign them. . .

Very well said...need I say more? well then Lexus, Honda....need to advertise that they have adaptive xenons, Vtec engines and what not, while the Germans need not say anything as they know that their products do not need marketing sales pitches of gadgets to get it to sell. Their Vehicles are basically above and beyond the rest of the other non german manufacturers....Plain and simple

Advice, let your wife have the RX and buy yourself what you want.
Advice, find a Toyota RX forum and ask them the same question. With their answers you might feel better about owning the Toyota.

It seems to me that the answer to this question is entirely a values one... Do you value the car or peace with your wife more? This car is not for you, it is for her.

Many years ago I bought my wife an RX300 for most of the same reasons. I ended-up getting rid of it after 6 months because that smooth ride that everybody raves about made the car dangerous IMHO. Smooth ride=soft suspension=bad braking and accident avoidance. After 1 month of driving her BMW (an X5 in that case) she wondered what the hell she was thinking with that damned Toyota. Now she wont drive anything but a BMW!

From my perspective I elected to fight the battle and send my wife running around with my kids in a safe vehicle. Cars are fungible commodities, people are not.

As for the discount...try another dealer. I am confident you could do better!

Has anyone seen his PANTS?? You must be a newlywed!!!

Rx350
- R 50
__________
= X3

OK...I am sure every husband in this forum has lost his PANTS at one time or another... or at least every SMART husband. Give the guy a break.

I hear you on this one, you have to keep the wife happy. Word on wisdom from a long time married man. In order to be fair my wife gets to pick a car, then I get to pick and we go back and forth. I am lucky that my wife is in love with BMW’s so it’s not very much of a sacrifice when she gets to pick.

Yes, every now and then, but never over an automobile purchase. I'm sure the folks over at the LEXUS FORUM will be happy to give him a break!!;)

Sometimes we count the votes, sometimes we weigh them...

If yourCEO is going be driving the new car, "most of the time",
I would suggest you acquiesce. If it's your only car and, shared,
well, you can lean a little harder.

You stated you are in your 30s...lotsa time ahead of you for
"your car", imo.

If Mgmt stays happy, the household stays happy, and we,
(the men), are not The Mgmt.
GL,mD

How long did you say you have been married. :dunno:

10 HAPPY YEARS :thumbup:

If you have been married for 10 years congraulations. Take it from some one who's been married 30+ years you learn to give and take. Believe me when i say you never say never when it comes to a woman. If you don't know why right now believe me when I say you will learn. In the meantime ease up. The time will come when you will need a break. :nanana:

No disrespect to wives and their car selection process, but it's actually very simple. I decided I wanted an X3, our first SAV/SUV. I told her my feelings. I conceded to make a list of all cars in that class and in our price range. We narrowed the list down together. Finalists were Volvo, Acura, BMW. The Volvo is a piece of crap--no need to test drive. We drove the MDX and the X3 on the same night (MDX first). X3 won hands down and if we'd have had the money, we probably would have bought the one we drove that day. At the right moment, I let her know that I would take her old car (I call it the unmentionable) and she could have the new one. Done deal.

This poster simply went about it the wrong way. I'm sure he said things like, "but don't you want to be cushy, comfortable and driving comsumer reports best rated vehicle?" Instead, if he really wanted her to drive an X3, he should have approched it using words like "ultimate driving machine" "german engineering" and "drives like a sports car."

You've taken one step closer to minivanland. . .

If ???? yes, and thank you. Congrats on your 30+ years. In this day and age that is a great achievement. :thumbup:
Now, our friend here seems to like the x3 better.I dont' mean to be hard on the guy , but this is a bmw forum and I'm a little partial. What ever car they choose is fine with me. I'm just endorsing the product I love. He can take my opinion and throw it out the window. I just hope it's the x3's window! :rofl:

I too endorse the product above all others! Personally, I think Toyota builds junk because virtually all of my experiences with them have been bad. I obviously think the X3 has a great balance of utility, sportiness and value (or I would not own 2). When picking the X3 we never even considered anything else.

Recently my wife and I began discussing the replacement for her X3. Her position is that she refuses to consider anything other than a BMW. Is it pantless of me to capitulate and get her another BMW??? I prefer to see that as good luck!:thumbup:

nowstime

She may have a point about what she likes. What seems to be missing is the X3 list you should have made up for her consideration. That list should include all the factual reasons you feel she should consider the X3 as a better buy.

Do your research and Keep in mind those factual reasons must include what will appeal to her. Now add in safety, crash test reports, resale value, free maintaince, German engineering ect. Remember your trying to convince her of all the reasons that are important to her not you.

Print these reason out for her to read over. When shes says "but the RX330 yada yada yada", agree with her because her opinion is valuable. But redirect the conversation to those areas that she views important with the positive factual aspects of the X3.

Re-inforce the fact that her opinion is important and also key in on how you will trust her to make the right and intelligent decision. Let her know that it's easy to allow buying cars to become an emotional decision when in fact it should be a decision based on facts. No matter how it turns out she will feel valued, and she may change her mind based on your kind direction and your ability to provide all the needed facts to make an important decision. ;)

Is the RX REALLY more reliable?

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...sb/results.cfm

vs

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...sb/results.cfm

Note that the first list of TSB's is for the 06 RX330. There were NO TSB's for the 06 X3 so I did a search for the 05 X3. There were only 3 TSB's, and only ONE was mechanical.

There was one recall for the 06 RX, but none for either the 05 or 06 X3.

Understand what a TSB is...the manufacturer keeps statistics on what parts are failing. When they see enough failures they issue TSB's to help the dealer fix the problem (I have a friend who worked for Nissan writing TSB's so I am familiar with the process). What is the significance of the RX having 3 times more TSB's than the X3? Well, it means that they are having more cars with significant problems.

And THOSE are the FACTS reported by a neutral party. I personally challenge anybody to show FACTS that support that the RX is more reliable than the X3. Not "I had one and it was great..." Not "everybody knows Toyota is more reliable..." And not Consumer Reports because those ratings are based on the consumer's personal subjective experiences. I am looking for some actual hard, neutral, objective facts.

Rant over...

Who's car is it? His or her's? or both?

Do what I do. I pick the car or SAV and she picks the color.BMW all the way. 4th time. No more American or Japanese. Good luck
cheers
vern

In either case good communication can make a purchase more equitable if both have some input. Women think different and quite frankly are very intelligent. They see things men don't and for that reason their input is valuable and should be considered carefully .

Does your bride have any input on your personal mode of transportation?
The way I see it ... it' just that ...PERSONAL!
If they share the car, it's a different ball game.
I don't think he has clarified that yet.

Sure; why not? It's a vehicle and in the scheme of things not really that important. As I stated her opinion matters because she's smart and i respect her opinion. Of course the final decision is mine but that's my relationship with my bride. One thing for sure i expect the marriage to last a lot longer than any car i will ever have and to me that's personal.

We both have the cars we prefer driving but if she decides to take mine no problem. If i decide to take hers; no problem. It's a marriage. She know what i expect if she takes my ride and i know how to treat her's it's called mutual respect. It's called a marriage. :)

Don't get me wrong, I respect the ladies! but when it comes to cars in this
household we do our own thing .Well it's been fun playing cyber tennis with you today, but I'm taking my wife ,daughter and her Grandma out to dinner at a restaurant of their choice.(no joke)

Was the wife looking over your shoulder when you wrote this? :rofl:

Nope. After 30 years were friends and that how i feel about my friends. :thumbup:

Its funny, because Lexus made it seem that they INVENTED the turning headlamp. Nope Lexus, the french did it 30+ years ago... Lexus does have an amazing marketing team for convincing Americans to pay extra for their toyota POS...

--- ok back on-topic ---

What speaks the most to me out of your post is that your still here. You bought the RX, yet you still came back to X3world. That tells me you have serious doubts. If your having serious doubts, STOP! & think about the purchase. The last thing you want to do is to waste your money on a purchase your not happy about. Pick the RX or the X3. I don't care. But at the end of the day, you should be happy, proud and feel good your purchase.

If your wife likes the RX, then let her have it. The arguments that will sprout up after you get an X3 and the complaints and whining won't be worth it. After all, if she thinks cars are appliances, then by all means go ahead. It will mostly be her driving right?

If you really want a shot at it, point out and first convince her to wait for a model refresh. She'll be forced to wait. And then maybe by the time the refresh comes out, she'll change her mind. Women aren't the most decisive when it comes to cars............

Actually Tucker had a rotating light concept long before that :)