Lexus "Driving" Experience
 

This past week I was traveling on business in a coworkers RX350. We took turns driving so I got some good wheel time in the X's competitor. Some thoughts.

Pros:
1. Very smooth over rough pavement and bumps. Least jarring vehicle I have ever driven.
2. The leather felt much softer than BMW leather.

Cons:
1. Absolutely zero steering feel. Felt like I was driving on marshmellows. Seemed almost dangerous until I got used to it.
2. Very short bottom seat cushion. They only came to mid-thigh. Felt like I was sitting on a bleacher.
3. Interior does not have a premium look to it, IMO.
4. The engine comparison is a laugh.


This was my first long stint driving a Lexus and I see how they get their reputation as a sofa on wheels. I guess if you're looking for a transportation module, this is the way to go, but I am not impressed.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

I guess you could compare to X3, but not comparable to X5 at all

Also I never seen a man drive them, its always woman.

I agree. My co-worker is female.

In my experience it's always a woman on a cell phone with the seat all the way forward so that they can rest their elbows on the steering wheel.

She did mention that she had been rear ended twice in the Lexus. I look down and it has 28,000 miles. Either very unlucky or......

I signed up for the BMW Drive event in Portland Oregon in 2 weeks and my comparison car is to be the RX350 against an X5. I chose that just a point of reference. I'm also going to drive a new 5 series against a Mercedes E class. You get $1,000 from BMW towards purchase of a new BMW (by 10/31/2011). Never done this but sounds interesting...

The events are fun. Curious to hear what you think of the 5 series versus the Mercedes. I just had a 5 series again as a loaner and I really do not care for it, I really think BMW missed the mark.

wordz of wizdom
 

Lexus drivers, especially those who drive the RX and ES are mostly chicks who could care less about the whole driving experience or old timers who cannot afford to have their dentures get knocked out or their diapers soaked each time they go over a bump on the road. :D

"OUCH" That's cold

Here we go with the whole soccer mom topic again, but now you've introduced the additional concept of soccer grandmothers.

And in the E70 forum? Pot, meet kettle. :bustingup

(I googled BMW X5 Soccer Mom - 280,000 hits. Lexus RX Soccer Mom - 140,000 hits)

definitely lots of females driving the E70. Interesting because they probably couldn't care less about how a car drives. Isn't it too stiff for them? I mean did they really also want the heavy steering and sensitive brakes?

We are looking at moving up to the 5 from our 3 if we like it. Otherwise probably 335d or the EV ActiveE.

I have looked at the 5 in the showroom and I like what I see there. I'll report in when I'm done driving it! :thumbup:

My wife is on her 4th RX and has loved each and every one of em. They're PERFECT for her and the 011 is their best (by far).

Sure it ain't a bmw....But it has an entirely different mission for a different core consumer..

As someone else already posted, to each their own ;)

Yeah, I had a 2006 RX400h and a 2007 RX400h Lexus. Most boring cars I've ever owned, but hands down the MOST reliable and easy car to own. Everything worked perfectly day after day, month after month, in 30F and in 115F. No glitches, no "what was that noise", no snafus. Flawless and a joy to own, just not to drive.

It's funny that people always say only women drive RXs (yes, I agree more women than men), but here in So Cal...I see predominantly soccer moms scooting about town in their X5s. I would say more women drive X5s then men. And yes, my GL is a chick car too!!!! :stickpoke

I am now smitten with the A7's myself...I think that or back to an M3 is my next vehicle. But I digress

If said it once I'l say it again. Don't bring a 5 series diesel to America because I will be all over it the day it arrives.

I agree. Nowadays SUV's in general are a families alternative to minivans. (I'm in this category). And typically there are more stay at home moms than stay at home dads, thus the moms would typically use the car more to pick up the kids.

At the end of the day, you buy a BMW if you are into prestige and performance/handling, Mercedes if you are into pertige and comfort and a Lexus if you are into comfort and practicality/value. How many times I've been at the gas station or dealership thinking "The money I could have saved if I just drove a RX", but then am comforted when I'm taking that curvy freeway on-ramp and thinking "RX could never do it like this"

RX is X3 competition, not X5, so you could have saved money by buying an X3. ;):) .

X-mas of 2010 my wife and our 2 kids took a X5 for a test drive. The test drive ends, she gets out and says "lets get this car. I love the way it drives. You are so connected to the road. It has great acceleration and handling."

The 2011 X5 is her daily driver. I guess my wife is one of the odd ones.

Not odd, just less pedestrian. My wife had a similar reaction but added that she would rather have a manual tranny.

I participated in the drive event 2 weeks ago. It was actually a pretty neat experience. The course they setup started on the freeway and then to a very twisty road and then city surface streets. I only got to compare the 5 series and the Mercedes E350 because of the amount of people.

The Mercedes was a nice looking car but first thing in the car and the controls were a big departure from BMW. I kept hitting the seat adjustments with my left elbow (yes, they are on the door)...there were 4 levers around the steering wheel and cruise on the left was so close to the turn signal you had to think twice before you went to turn the signal on. Overall I thought the controls were flimsy and not all that well laid out. Just like my X5 it would take time to become accustomed to them - but not intuitive.

It was definitely a road car for highway but when I went into the twisties is where it lost it...where the 5 series would dive into a turn the E350 plowed through corners and the steering was too light and vague for my tastes. Stomp on the gas and there is noticeable lag and lots of noise. One thing I noticed was how long the snout was on the E350 - seemed to stick out so far and high into my forward field of vision.

When I got into the 5 I was at least familiar with controls because of my X5. Throttle response amazing, handling, quietness were all quite nice IMHO. I had the most fun in the twisty road with the 5 where is just handled the up hill curves amazing and same for downhill (Canyon road in Portland I think is what it's called). Razor sharp handling and I having never driven a 5 before was really impressed (believe it was the 535). I would definitely lean to the 5 as a replacement to our 325i.

I looked at the 3, 7 and another X5 (gas version) and quickly drove the Lexus RX350 - really not my cup o tea.

All in all different buyers for the Lexus and Mercedes model - for some I'm sure the pillow top ride of the Merc is what they want and not the solid glued-to-the-road-feel of the BMW 535.

I'm glad I went and compared and I got my $1,000 voucher towards another BMW which was a nice bonus.

Some car porn pictures of the cars:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...p64/bmw535.jpghttp://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...35interior.jpg
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...eyp64/E350.jpghttp://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...4/e350side.jpg