Used 2018 Lexus RX 350 Consumer Reviews
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Kathy, 12/31/2020
2018 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
37 of 38 people found this review helpful
This was my first Lexus and I was excited about purchasing the 2018 RX 350. It had been a leased vehicle at the dealership for a year. I love many things about the car -- it has a nice ride on the interstate, love the design and overall looks. My biggest disappointment is the erratic nature of the transmission as you try to accelerate, especially at lower speeds. I had my car serviced several times for other things (recalls, scheduled maintenance, etc.) and always had them look at why my acceleration was not smooth. Finally, after having them look at it for a third time, the service manager was honest with me and said they had changed the engine/transmission on the 2018 and later models. He explained that the engine was designed to constantly be looking for the best gear/speed/rpm, etc. to get the best gas mileage. I had been given a 2017 RX 350 courtesy car while mine was in the shop and I'll have to say that I felt it was a much smoother ride, smoother acceleration, quieter engine and it even felt heavier. I still enjoy my 2018 but I will certainly be much more careful if I purchase another Lexus. I wasn't prepared for it to be a somewhat disappointing experience after paying what I felt was a premium price.
Great, comfy, premium SUV
Zoolander090, 10/14/2018
2018 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
37 of 40 people found this review helpful
We bought this 2018 RX350 in June of 2018 so we've had it for almost 4 months and 3000 miles. My wife is the primary driver but I drive it about twice a week. The reason I give these details is because while shopping for a car for her, we agreed that I also had to like it. We test drove the 2019 RDX with SH-AWD and the 2018 Q5 with Quattro. We opted for the RX because it has a great interior design and quality of built in all areas. This is my second new Lexus and have owned new Acuras, BMW's and Audis. So far, Lexus has been our best ownership experience and together with the interior, we opted for the RX. Audi offers better exterior design but their reliability is poor in my experience and we want to keep this car past its initial warranty where Audi just falls apart. The RDX had the best drivetrain and handling but I couldn't get over the interior and center stack. Our RX comes with the premium sound, premium interior (I forgot the name of the packages) but it does have the wood accents and nicer leather as well as the Navigation package. It's a FWD. We live in sunny California and the AWD system of the RX is a snooze compared to Quattro and/or SH-AWD and only activates upon slipping so not much use for us that justified the premium pay.
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Nice, comfortable ride with a few minor flaws
AL, 06/25/2018
2018 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
62 of 70 people found this review helpful
Coming from 2016 Accord V6-EX sedan, which is already a very feature packed vehicle, the first impression on 2018 RX 350 AWD is the much smoother and cushy ride. Accord had a very jerky transmission I had to fight with and an aggressive fuel savings (25-35 MPG on Accord vs 15-20 on RX) from which the gear switching and the ride comfort suffered. RX seems to have a much better sound system - at least it has the mids, comfortable and more adjustable seats - compared to the headrest tilting too much forward, and a large 12 inch entertainment screen (comes with NAV) - though it is not a touch screen and the controls are awkward and sluggish as compared to the touch screen and nearly perfect integration with smartphones as well as fast response time on the Accord. RX has a much larger and versatile storage / hauling capabilities, although the two are not in the same category. Looking further, the RX has a working Sport mode, where on the Accord the sport mode seems to ride two gears down from where it is supposed to be - driving at 4-5k RPM at 40-60mph makes one look like an idiot on the Accord. The Accord seems to have better dash and door materials and they are not as marr prone as on RX where after a week you can definatelly notice dust and smudges in places you touched them with your hands. No wonder my neighbors are washing and cleaning their RX every week. Paint seems much better and thicker on the RX where as on the new Accord models it is skin deep - after two years of driving on the highway, the front is littered with paint deeps and chips from tiny road dirt. One thing however that is not acceptable from Lexus is the requirement to pay to use the remote starter ($80-96/yr, even though it is already installed with push start) and the fact that once the vehicle is remotely started the vehicle shuts off as soon as you enter it - some safety nonsense. Accord also has a remote starter built in and it works at get go from the key fob; you can get into the car and press break+start to continue without the car ever shutting off - again this is the ideal implementation here and shame on Lexus for making us pay for a half baked nickel and dime solution. If you leave the remote inside Accord, the car won't let you lock and will beep at you, while the Lexus does none of that. Another thing to note is how loud the engine is on the RX from outside compared to the other new cars which are barely audible when new. There is also some loud knocking heard from the engine while parked as well as some whining when driving at 70 mph or higher and slightly holding the gas pedal - it generates noise similar to engine being revved up and let go (like it is running out of gas), all the while you are pressing the gas pedal consistently. Read some reviews and some suggested to wait a few thousand miles at which point the noises should disappear. Until then, these are my observations. To be continued.
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Reliable as an anvil.
Eric Beer, 06/19/2021
updated 06/26/2023
2018 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
Mileage has been mentioned by many reviewers. I drive mostly in town. I only get about 17 mpg. I can get up to 26 on the interstate. My 2018 model does not have Apple Carplay. I find that odd and silly. Also there is a compartment on the console to hold a cell phone, but it must have been designed before smart phones because no current phone will fit in it. Stupid. This is my second RX 350. I had such good luck with my 2010, I was happy to get another Lex. I looked at Audi and BMW and MB but you have to pay 10 or 20K more for the same quality and features. Also, it really honked me off that I have to pay $8 a month to keep my remote start working. Ridiculous. This may keep me from buying another Lexus unless they stop that nonsense. Update: I have had the car for over 5 years and absolutely no repairs of any kind. Reliable as an anvil.
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Well rounded vehicle
Denver Commuter, 07/10/2018
2018 Lexus RX 350 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 8A)
23 of 26 people found this review helpful
Extremely quiet and comfortable. Insulates driver from the drama of city driving. Love the aggressive styling. Mileage ratings not accurate. I'm getting 17 to 18 mpg in pure city driving, and 30 to 32 mpg pure highway. Carving canyons is the lowest priority for me, much prefer a luxurious ride and a car that can easily go 200k miles with a line of folks waiting to pay top dollar to buy it from you when you get there.
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