2009 Lexus RX 350 Consumer Reviews

Practical and fun to drive

Written by: Beng on 07/14/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

After deciding between Accura MDX and RX 350, really feel that we made the right decision on the RX 350. The sporty style and comfortable ride is really impressive. Plenty of power to get you in and out of traffic (or into trouble). Gas mileage was really impressive on the highway (26 to 28 mph) on a trip to San Antonio to Fort Worth. In town 18 to 21 mph so far. Had a little trouble with window squeak when we first got it, but this was corrected at dealer. Very happy with the vehicle and the dealership.

Favorite Features

Smooth ride, nice exterior and interior.

Suggested Improvements

Needs keyless starter like the ES.

9 out 9 people found this review helpful

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Elegant, fun to drive SUV

Written by: danmiller3 on 04/05/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Overall, we are very pleased with the RX 350. It has a quiet, smooth, fun ride. The interior is meticulously crafted and comfortable. We had a minor alignment problem at purchase but the dealer remedied it.

Favorite Features

Auto-lift gate

Suggested Improvements

5 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Don't Mess With A Good Thing

Written by: Clayton on 03/24/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Our 2000 RX 300 had cleared the 125,000 mark so I took the wife car shopping at the Dallas Auto Show. She looked at 10-15 comparable mid-size SUV's and choose the 2009 RX 350 -- hands down. We had great luck with the first RX and we saw nothing we liked better than the '09 RX. Had it now for about a month and we've taken two trips. Super comfortable and WAY more fuel efficient than our original RX. Also, the turning radius is greatly improved. I think the best part of the whole deal though is that after 125,000 trouble free miles, the Lexus dealer gave us 26% of our original purchase price. Pretty unbelievable for a nine year old car with 125,000 on the ODO.

Favorite Features

Overall styling is nice. We love the color, Brandywine. Wife loves the power tailgate and rain sensing windshield wipers.

Suggested Improvements

There is no room to rest a cell phone in the center console. (the ashtray in the 2000 worked great for this!) Should have keyless entry/start.

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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Rattle, Rattle, Rattle

Written by: Disappointed Driver on 02/23/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

After years of driving practical SUVs I was looking forward to my first "luxury" vehicle but this has fallen far from my expectations. The next day after buying my RX350, I noticed a glass distortion in the windshield. I also started hearing a rattle at the top of the driver side window. There was also an air leak on the driver door which made it sound like the door was not closed all the way. Ever since the new windshield was put in there has been a ticking sound at the front right side near the dashboard that the dealership has not been able to fix correctly. The rattle above the window still exists even after having been at dealership 4 times for all the repairs. I am VERY disappointed!

Favorite Features

Heated seats are very comfortable. Fold down seat options in back are helpful for maximizing space.

Suggested Improvements

When front passenger side seat belt is not in use it bangs against the side of the car. Some of the controls are not placed very efficiently for the driver to find when driving. Rear windshield wiper does not cover window very well

13 out 18 people found this review helpful

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Traded 2006 BMW X5

Written by: Driver1 on 02/22/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

This Crossover is for people that looking for a very comfortable ride, I never wrote an auto review, but after driving this crossover for a month I decided to do so, just could not help it. I’ve had several SUVs in the past MB, BMW, Infinity, Honda. This crossover is for people that want name recognition, comfort, style. This crossover makes long trips, commuting very easy to accomplish, for someone who drives a lot on the daily bases, who needs versatility, cargo passenger space, like to sit up higher, likes quiet cruising. If you looking for a crossover that drives like a sports car, this will not be one to get, look at European rivals, MB, BMW.

Favorite Features

Ride, automatic rear door, driver passenger auto tint and tiltdown mirrors.

Suggested Improvements

None

5 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Uncomfortable ride

Written by: Dave Yurkanin on 02/22/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I purchased a 2009 RX 350 last month. I traded in a 2007 ES 350 for it. I have read so many reviews about how comfortable the RX is, I decided to get one for the extra cargo room when needed. As it turns out, I find it very uncomfortable driving. I had it back to the dealer and they found nothing wrong. Passengers also notice the bumpy ride. This vehicle took the joy out of driving.

Favorite Features

design

Suggested Improvements

suspension

3 out 6 people found this review helpful

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2009 Lexus RX 350 Pebble Beach

Written by: Weezy on 02/13/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Just purchased the 2009 Pebble Beach edition. Very reliable vehicle. The navigation system is easy to use and access while driving (all touch screen). Very powerful car, good acceleration. The backup camera is a nice feature, but the images appear farther than it actually is. Have no problem driving in sleet/snow/ice thus far.

Favorite Features

The AWD is a nice feature if you live in portions of the country, where the winter gets bad. The bluetooth is also a nice feature, allowing you to communicate hands free. The 6 disc changer is also nice. The exterior design gives a nice sporty look, while the interior makes it feel luxurious

Suggested Improvements

Was disappointed with the sound system. The Mark Levinson sound system is very average, at best. Fuel economy could be better. The braking system is not as strong as it needs to be. The RX AWD is a compact heavy SUV, and often times, you have to step all the way down on the brakes hard to stop.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Navigation flaws

Written by: Josh on 02/09/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

We bought a fully loaded 09 RX 350 FWD with the Mark Levinson sound system and navigation/bluetooth system. The biggest disappointment has been these integrated system. Most of the buttons on the touchscreen are greyed out while moving, so that no destination or telephone no. can be entered using the screen. Not even by the passenger - who could safely interact with the system. The voice activated system is awful, taking forever to navigate simple prompts. Similarly, while moving, the radio will not display text info about the playing song using the full screen. You can, however, watch the info slowly scroll by five letters at a time on the little radio screen (risking life and limb).

Favorite Features

Fit and finish is quite nice, performance seems quite good for an SUV.

Suggested Improvements

Navigation and telephone control while moving needlessly and excessively restrictive. Voice control system an absurd joke.

7 out 8 people found this review helpful

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2009 Lexus RX 350

Written by: curtisam on 01/29/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I have had my RX 350 for about 1 month. It is by far the best vehicle that I have ever owned! I love the drive and appearance of the RX 350. We live in the mountains and it handles well in the snow. I was considering resigning from my job because it was getting more difficult to drive the 400 miles a week to work in my car. Now I feel safe and have great visibility when driving. Our drive is 1/3 mile, mostly uphill. We just had a storm come through and I was able to put it in low, use the snow button, and came up the driveway in a terrible mix of snow/ice. It drove up like a luxury tank! The height of the driver's seat and the great headlights make it easy to see the roadway ahead.

Favorite Features

Everything! I was thinking about personalizing my license plate to read, "XLNTRIDE".

Suggested Improvements

I can not think of a thing! It's the perfect vehicle and now I'm not thinking about resigning from my job. I look forward to waking up and driving an hour each way to work!

4 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Replaced 2006 LS 430 with 2009 RX

Written by: Lucca27 on 01/24/2009

Vehicle

2009 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I loved my LS 430, however it was terrible to drive on the hilly and winding roads of North West CT in the winter because of its rear wheel drive. The 430 has a superb ride - the RX ride is not quite as good but better than I expected. All in all I am very happy with the RX and believe it to be a better value for my money than the LS 430.

Favorite Features

My four wheel drive RX zips around in the worst weather. Great Lexus quality and reliability. I had a Levinson system on my 430 and do not have one now - I cannot detect much difference in sound quality. It was nice to save about $4,000.

Suggested Improvements

The rear view backup camera is great, however images are far more distant than they really are on the screen. The retractable cup holder to the left of the steering wheel obscures the buttons to open the back gate and gas tank when deployed. Side cameras for parking in tight spaces would be nice.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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