USED Lexus RX 4x4 (03 - 09)

My car

I have owned this car for 16 months and have covered 34k. The build quality is very good. Having previously owned 3 Mercedes the difference in build quality and dealer service is staggering. The running costs are reasonable, the only niggle being the 10k service intervals - too short.

The interior is well laid out and everything is to hand. The only negative is that it looks a little basic compared to some of the German designs. The boot is not huge.

The ride comfort is brilliant. After a long drive you still feel fresh and awake. I get around 28-30mpg mostly motorway driving - around town it's worse (24). The hybrid idea is great but it's just not delivering enough payback to make sense.

The 3.3 V6 petrol engine is very quick for a car of this size. I suppose if you want greater fuel figures you have to buy a diesel and as Lexus don't offer a diesel you have to look at the RR Sport, Merc ML, or BMW X5 and having tried and owned the others on offer, the build quality of the ML along with the dealer service is poor. The 2.7 D RR is slow and overpriced with poor dealer attitude. And the new X5 is too expensive to buy.

After considering my next car the conclusion is that although the design is not very exiting, I will struggle to find anything else as well built, more comfortable, more reliable for similar money.

My car

We swaped from IS 250...very comfy, much quiter than the IS. It's smooth but a little dull to drive???

It has the usual Lexus quality that can't be faulted, but we got rid due to high running costs, especially now that 4x4 are the 'devil' and being shafted by the Government. You only have to look at the forecourts to see how many are being returned!!

Still a good motor though, if your willing to pay to keep it on the road.

My car

I have been lucky to try this hybrid in two formats. Whilst waiting for my new car to be delivered, I was supplied with a much hacked fleet demonstrator with thousands of miles on its back. The body work had survived extremely well and looked like new. The top of the rear bumper was scratched by heavy loads. The interior was immaculate with only a sagging driver's seat squab showing heavy useage. Everything in the car worked splendidly. I ran it for two or three weeks and averaged 34mpg. Performance was a new experience. Our Range Rover was not in the same league. This hybrid really does fly!It's mpg dropped noticeably when I was simulating Lewis, as it did on high speed motorway cruising. Still most impressive though. In my new hybrid, during running in, it has returned some stunning figures. Over an 80 mile trip, it averaged 41mpg and over another 42mpg. I know that I will not be able to control my right foot when there is a 0-60 time of around 7 seconds to be had, but it is interesting to see what could be achieved by a more patient driver. I look forward to seeing how the car tows. The choice of interior trim and colours could be more extensive and some switchgear needs improving. On balance, however, this is a well thought through vehicle that very much deserves the motoring press tag of a 'phenomenon'. ALL the people I have dealt with at Lexus have been first class. I come from a background of Mercedes and Land Rover and, boy, are they different!

My car

I own the RX300SE-L. This is one of the best 4x4 I have driven. It is lovely and very comfortable. Cos of this, I am on the look out for SC430.