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mikeavelli
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We can romanticize about the RWD and I-6 but it’s slower than the 500h and doesn’t seem to handle as well. Space Utilization is also much less. I still absolutely love the CX-90 but the TX nailed what people want, S P A C E.
Then the 550h+ has a V-6 with over 400hp as a plug in hybrid, substantially more than the CX-90 plug in.
I know the TX has opportunities but I think some of y’all are now complaining to complain.
Gecko
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Scraping away our personal feelings about engines and RWD vs. FWD and considering the business case at hand:
Mazda is reinventing itself to go upstream and having to play harder to do it... so we see with RWD platform and the I6. Will it be successful long term? TBD, but I hope so.
Lexus is an established luxury player with a product ecosystem built around scaleable FWD platforms and I4 engines. They can afford to give 6/10ths effort after 34 years of earning consumer's trust and love, while Mazda is having to give 11/10ths to fight the uphill battle and try to do something similar.
So Mazda is doing Mazda and Lexus is doing Lexus - it really is that simple. Vote with your wallet.
I spent years of my time as an enthusiast wishing Lexus would put in more effort and care more about product-to-product parity with the Germans, so watching them do exactly the opposite of that over the last decade made me quite resentful and disappointed. Watching Lexus over the years has felt very akin to my experience as an Atlanta sports fan 😂
As an enthusiast proposition, Lexus is pretty challenging. As a business case, there is nothing that can come close to Lexus... and at the end of the day, Lexus is a business. We all have to either accept what Lexus is, resort to being unhappy with how the brand has changed, or go buy product from somewhere else. It's pretty much that simple.
Mazda is reinventing itself to go upstream and having to play harder to do it... so we see with RWD platform and the I6. Will it be successful long term? TBD, but I hope so.
Lexus is an established luxury player with a product ecosystem built around scaleable FWD platforms and I4 engines. They can afford to give 6/10ths effort after 34 years of earning consumer's trust and love, while Mazda is having to give 11/10ths to fight the uphill battle and try to do something similar.
So Mazda is doing Mazda and Lexus is doing Lexus - it really is that simple. Vote with your wallet.
I spent years of my time as an enthusiast wishing Lexus would put in more effort and care more about product-to-product parity with the Germans, so watching them do exactly the opposite of that over the last decade made me quite resentful and disappointed. Watching Lexus over the years has felt very akin to my experience as an Atlanta sports fan 😂
As an enthusiast proposition, Lexus is pretty challenging. As a business case, there is nothing that can come close to Lexus... and at the end of the day, Lexus is a business. We all have to either accept what Lexus is, resort to being unhappy with how the brand has changed, or go buy product from somewhere else. It's pretty much that simple.
Let's not forget that the new large platform architecture from Mazda does not have any performance product yet. We need to remember that the new 3.3 I6-T powertrain is NOT fast and I would only rate it as "sufficient" for a car of CX-90's size. It's smooth quiet responsive but doesn't have a lot of torque. It is much more comparable to the T24 in terms of raw performance instead of V35 or B58.
If we hold the CX-90 to the same standards to a Lexus it would earn a passing score but not a satisfactory one. I'm not saying the TX deserves a better score but the TX500h and possibly also TX550h+ are objectively both faster and more efficient. I just had my first experience with the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max and that product just makes so much sense. The packaging efficiency is simply unrivaled in its class, it really IS a minivan with a SUV body that can go fast even with full passenger and cargo. It also reminded me that the traditional way of testing any vehicle (single driver with empty tank and no cargo) doesn't do it justice because it needs to be loaded to have proper weight balance and suspension behavior (I brought family and relatives on the visit to fully load the car). A car that is designed to carry load almost always feels floaty and unstable unless they have air springs and active stabilizers.
The one demo car the dealer had was so busy it has been running from 9AM to 7PM non-stop for two weeks. Just shows what a literal money printer it is and the salesperson said customer feedback on the Hybrid Max has been extremely satisfactory.
If you want to try the CX-90, be sure to have very realistic expectations because it is NOT a Japanese BMW as many people hyped it up to be nor is it a better Grand Highlander/TX. I still consider it the strongest product in the class simply from a value standpoint because Mazda in my area is really generous with incentives while GH Hybrid Max will have a long waitlist and markups for at least a year or two.
If I were an armchair car designer I would not change the platform/chassis of the TX. The only change I would make mechanically would be larger Li-ion battery (3+kWh) and be more generous with features.
If we hold the CX-90 to the same standards to a Lexus it would earn a passing score but not a satisfactory one. I'm not saying the TX deserves a better score but the TX500h and possibly also TX550h+ are objectively both faster and more efficient. I just had my first experience with the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max and that product just makes so much sense. The packaging efficiency is simply unrivaled in its class, it really IS a minivan with a SUV body that can go fast even with full passenger and cargo. It also reminded me that the traditional way of testing any vehicle (single driver with empty tank and no cargo) doesn't do it justice because it needs to be loaded to have proper weight balance and suspension behavior (I brought family and relatives on the visit to fully load the car). A car that is designed to carry load almost always feels floaty and unstable unless they have air springs and active stabilizers.
The one demo car the dealer had was so busy it has been running from 9AM to 7PM non-stop for two weeks. Just shows what a literal money printer it is and the salesperson said customer feedback on the Hybrid Max has been extremely satisfactory.
If you want to try the CX-90, be sure to have very realistic expectations because it is NOT a Japanese BMW as many people hyped it up to be nor is it a better Grand Highlander/TX. I still consider it the strongest product in the class simply from a value standpoint because Mazda in my area is really generous with incentives while GH Hybrid Max will have a long waitlist and markups for at least a year or two.
If I were an armchair car designer I would not change the platform/chassis of the TX. The only change I would make mechanically would be larger Li-ion battery (3+kWh) and be more generous with features.
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DarkSpace6383
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I wonder why this manages to be there but the RX doesn't, though ideally they should remove both. Also on the topic of the TX why is this in the performance section when the 550h+ has a quicker 0-60, a larger engine, and more hp????
DarkSpace6383
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The TX interior looks less premium than the RX. I would have at least liked it to be as nice if not nicer. They should have also included a CX90 center console. Also Lexus please bring a toasted caramel interior to TX!
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Idk TX AND RX interior basically looks the same. But at least TX 14 inch screen is standard, available 12 inch MID which isn’t available on RX yet, TX might not have triple beam but at least it’s Standard LED signal front and back unlike the RX.
Naveelttil97
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I think it’s due to the color scheme of the TX. It doesn’t experiment with color as much and uses an extensive amount of black/grey colors and less creams or lighter colors to brighten up the space and make it feel less of a dungeon. The new GX interior is similar in a way.
I agree...if Lexus offered a red or creamy beige/caramel interiors would look much more upscale. I wouldn't be surprised when the TX gets a mid-refresh (in 2-3 years) more interior and exterior colors and options like triple beam headlights would be offered. Even more wood trims (wood trims on the steering wheel) in the higher models should be offered.
Lexus Leads Toyota Indiana Into An Amazing Future - Toyota USA Newsroom
PRINCETON, Ind. (Nov. 9, 2023) – Toyota Indiana celebrated a major milestone today as the plant started production of the first-ever Lexus TX, an all-new, three-row luxury SUV. The 2024 TX is the first Lexus SUV to be assembled in the U.S., and the first Lexus for Toyota Indiana.
Gecko
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Only thing I'd mention is be careful with Caviar paint in particular... it has known issues with orange peel. I ordered my GX 460 in Caviar and it showed up with such bad orange peel on the doors that I asked the dealer if it had been damaged and repainted before delivery. They told me no, and that all Caviar looks like this. They had a new RC, IS and LC nearby, and they all had the same awful orange peel on Caviar.
My GX's Caviar is the worst paint job of any car I've owned in my life, including much cheaper cars like Camrys, a RAV4, Tacoma, etc. If I didn't have to special order it without seeing it in person first, and wait weeks, I would have turned down the deal -- the paint is that bad.
If that doesn't bother you, then enjoy. It's a beautiful color!
That is interesting. I guess something to keep an eye out for. I also like the windchill pearl quite a bit but there must be some issue with that color as well because dealers aren't getting them in for some reason. A ton of the other colors near me but no white. What year is your GX?
Gecko
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2023, delivered with 6 miles on it.
Here are photos of the paint on delivery day at the dealership:
CRSKTN
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Have you heard of these issues w the other greys/metallics
That's all great if it wasn't for a fact that TX500h begins at $10,000 more than fully loaded CX-90 Turbo S or PHEV. Even if there was parity on the price point I would still have a hard time making a case of TX over CX unless you got three kids and you really want L badge instead of T for whatever reason. I haven't been inside either GH or TX so I will reserve my judgement until I do so. But so far CX-90/CX-60 get both thumbs up from me solely on a fact that the product induces that human feeling of excitement when you play with luxury/premium products. I had more of that feeling inside CX than in brand new NX, while new RX on the other hand gave me similar vibes to CX.
That feeling is hard to describe but it awakens inside of you once you sense there is something so quirky and special. Like RC, perfectly great luxury coupe which gives me that high you would expect from luxury car. But once I sat inside RC-F behind the steering wheel it gave me goosebumps before even starting the engine. Same car, but it isn't the same car. Very hard to describe. LC has plethora of that effect but so does 5LS despite people hating on it, when you find yourself inside 5LS you know you are in something super special. Long gone 2016 4GS to this day induces that feeling in me whenever I have chance to drive it.
mikeavelli
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I think some of the issue here is while say Acura will only show and advertise a mdx type s racing in the desert drifting and on track, Lexus doesn’t show that approach with the TX. The ads are more revolved about family. The thing is I have driven them all and in particular the 500h is a blast for a vehicle that size and weight. The 550h+ is right behind it.
It drives smaller than it is, the engine pulls hard, the rear steer is great the direct 4 is a blast. It drives just like the RX 500h which is a blast but another Lexus getting lost in the fun and performance shuttle.
Note I didn’t say 350 because it drives like a traditional Lexus from the past. Comfy but not sporty.
It drives smaller than it is, the engine pulls hard, the rear steer is great the direct 4 is a blast. It drives just like the RX 500h which is a blast but another Lexus getting lost in the fun and performance shuttle.
Note I didn’t say 350 because it drives like a traditional Lexus from the past. Comfy but not sporty.
Just took the TX350 (Executive package) for a test-drive at my local Lexus dealership in Canada. Drive is pretty smooth and power is more than sufficient for average users. Screen is wonderful and truly one of the highlights. Finishes are pretty nice, but the monochrome interior colour scheme is a bit of a let-down. Space is pretty overrated. I am 5 foot 10 and while I could fit into the third row, I am pretty sure I could not survive more than an hour there. Second row space was ok but not great. My wife is 5 foot 9 and I had her sit in the third row and myself in second row. We both fit in, but cannot say we were super comfortable. With third row up, one can fit in one suitcase in the back. With third row down, you can put in a ton of stuff (3 suitcases or more), but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a 3-row SUV. Overall my feeling was Lexus cut some corners to make the TX affordable and make this appeal to the masses. I believe for the price, the TX is definitely worth as you get a decent SUV with a smooth drive and the Lexus reliability. TX is definitely a better deal than the RX. For those like me who was looking for a upscale luxurious SUV, the TX is definitely not that. This is more for the richer soccer-moms! I am hoping that Lexus will eventually come out with a flagship SUV (equivalent to the LS) that is NOT focused for the off-road audience. I believe there is a market for reliable luxurious upscale SUVs for families not interested in off-roading and hope Lexus eventually brings a SUV for that section of the market.
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DarkSpace6383
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I wonder if they will release a normal non fsp version. It normal on the GH but considered a sports trim when it offers the exact same performance on TX 🤔🤔