Howdy folks. I'm new to Lexus, coming from a '17 Highlander SE. I went with an RX 350 w/ parchment interior. It was funny as I was in the market for a 4Runner as an "upgrade" to the Highlander, which I felt was too sterile and... hmm... "boring". I just couldn't find any excitement in driving it. I'm sure it's a great, durable car, but it wasn't for me.
I had a neighbor a few houses down that had an Infinity, so I asked him about it, and he turned me on to the idea of a service-loaner. Well, lots of companies just want to get you to take a test-drive, because they figure that will sell you on a new car. I learned a LOT by test-driving a lot of cars. I test-drove every suspension version available for a 4Runner, and concluded that while the "niceties" of the Limited were moving away from the very thing that appealed to me about a 4R... those details were too strong to ignore... AND THEN... I drove a couple Lexus service-loaners, as well as a couple new models.
I told myself I should stick with my 2 year long plan, of ridding myself of the Highlander and getting the 4R that has tortured my thoughts for the past years... "WHY didn't I just get what I WANTED!? I went to the dealer KNOWING all I ever wanted was a 4Runner? What happened?" (this haunted me every time I got in the Highlander)
Well... what happened back then... may have happened again, but this time I have no regrets. I was talked out of a 4R based on mileage and nice touches in the Highlander... but in a short time (after buying), I realized the Highlander was oddly sterile... and the mileage difference didn't justify the lack of personality over the 4R. So... 2 years later... I found myself ready to buy a 4R... but something told me I should at least TRY the Lexus offerings first. (It was going from standard suspension 4R to KDSS and X-REAS really... "oh... so they can ride a lot better than that first one?")
First I test-drove a GX460. With it's V8... the difference over even the Limited 4R was striking... "oh... THIS is what power feels like"... it was a slap in the face by a hand that had soaked in ice for 10 minutes. Holy smokes what a wake-up call. So... after crunching numbers and pushing for deals... down to the wire. I was within about $5500 of the best deal I could get on a 4R Limited. What do you get for the extra $5500? Integrated running boards... fully evolved safety features... incredibly well-finished interior (vs. "spartan" interior")... third-row standard ($1350 option on the 4R... so technically we aren't $5500 apart... but actually about $4150 apart)... TONS of nice touches like LED everything that's still bulbs in the 4R... seriously... the list goes on... oh yeah... KDSS STANDARD(?!) That's a $1650 option on the 4R (and I researched the hell out of KDSS vs. X-REAS... so yeah... that's a "real" thing)... SEE HOW THE VALUE MARGIN IS EVER DECREASING? By the time you get running boards and other stuff on the 4R you're withing a few grand of the Lexus... which STILL has a V8.
Well... my genius of a salesman, Brad... had me wait in an RX while he pulled up a GX. Just sitting in it... was giggle inducing. I couldn't believe how cool it was inside. But ultimately... I thought, "stick with the plan... just get the 4R you've wanted for years unless this GX becomes even more the clear choice"... but... that plan had already evolved because the TRD ORP that I was sold on, became a Limited (after driving all of them)... I couldn't ignore that I was appreciating the refinement, but I did end up back at the Toyota dealer... with a voice in my head urging, "stick to the plan, you know what you want".
So... there I am, ready to pull the trigger on the 4R... I was IN the other dealer... about to do it. I couldn't get the RX out of my head... I'm clinging to the 4R Limited as a sound choice because I thought it felt SLIGHTLY more peppy than the others that would squat on power, even though they weren't really "going"... since that service-loaner was REALLY close to the 4R's price... I thought, "well... you've got to at least DRIVE it... just to know"... so I left, "for lunch"... *ahem*... and decided to just get one more look at the RX before pulling the trigger on the 4R... and... well... I drove it.
I could continue this story for the 1 guy or gal that may appreciate my blathering... but the gist is... you can't un-experience that. The car may as well just SAY, "how much power do you want? I'll give it to you"... that feeling was... man... after having so many "ordinary" cars over the years I almost wanted to cry... driving it all I could think is... man... I LOVE this thing. Compared to anything "normal" (including any version of the 4R) this thing wanted to rip out from under me... SILENTLY, I might add... as if it was nothing.
So... cutting details short... well... here I am. Maybe I'll still get a 4R in the future... once they do something major since it's been running pretty much the same for about 9 years... but in the meantime... I'm gonna' have the time of my life in this thing. '19 RX 350 AWD, Caviar, Parchment. Love. It.
I had a neighbor a few houses down that had an Infinity, so I asked him about it, and he turned me on to the idea of a service-loaner. Well, lots of companies just want to get you to take a test-drive, because they figure that will sell you on a new car. I learned a LOT by test-driving a lot of cars. I test-drove every suspension version available for a 4Runner, and concluded that while the "niceties" of the Limited were moving away from the very thing that appealed to me about a 4R... those details were too strong to ignore... AND THEN... I drove a couple Lexus service-loaners, as well as a couple new models.
I told myself I should stick with my 2 year long plan, of ridding myself of the Highlander and getting the 4R that has tortured my thoughts for the past years... "WHY didn't I just get what I WANTED!? I went to the dealer KNOWING all I ever wanted was a 4Runner? What happened?" (this haunted me every time I got in the Highlander)
Well... what happened back then... may have happened again, but this time I have no regrets. I was talked out of a 4R based on mileage and nice touches in the Highlander... but in a short time (after buying), I realized the Highlander was oddly sterile... and the mileage difference didn't justify the lack of personality over the 4R. So... 2 years later... I found myself ready to buy a 4R... but something told me I should at least TRY the Lexus offerings first. (It was going from standard suspension 4R to KDSS and X-REAS really... "oh... so they can ride a lot better than that first one?")
First I test-drove a GX460. With it's V8... the difference over even the Limited 4R was striking... "oh... THIS is what power feels like"... it was a slap in the face by a hand that had soaked in ice for 10 minutes. Holy smokes what a wake-up call. So... after crunching numbers and pushing for deals... down to the wire. I was within about $5500 of the best deal I could get on a 4R Limited. What do you get for the extra $5500? Integrated running boards... fully evolved safety features... incredibly well-finished interior (vs. "spartan" interior")... third-row standard ($1350 option on the 4R... so technically we aren't $5500 apart... but actually about $4150 apart)... TONS of nice touches like LED everything that's still bulbs in the 4R... seriously... the list goes on... oh yeah... KDSS STANDARD(?!) That's a $1650 option on the 4R (and I researched the hell out of KDSS vs. X-REAS... so yeah... that's a "real" thing)... SEE HOW THE VALUE MARGIN IS EVER DECREASING? By the time you get running boards and other stuff on the 4R you're withing a few grand of the Lexus... which STILL has a V8.
Well... my genius of a salesman, Brad... had me wait in an RX while he pulled up a GX. Just sitting in it... was giggle inducing. I couldn't believe how cool it was inside. But ultimately... I thought, "stick with the plan... just get the 4R you've wanted for years unless this GX becomes even more the clear choice"... but... that plan had already evolved because the TRD ORP that I was sold on, became a Limited (after driving all of them)... I couldn't ignore that I was appreciating the refinement, but I did end up back at the Toyota dealer... with a voice in my head urging, "stick to the plan, you know what you want".
So... there I am, ready to pull the trigger on the 4R... I was IN the other dealer... about to do it. I couldn't get the RX out of my head... I'm clinging to the 4R Limited as a sound choice because I thought it felt SLIGHTLY more peppy than the others that would squat on power, even though they weren't really "going"... since that service-loaner was REALLY close to the 4R's price... I thought, "well... you've got to at least DRIVE it... just to know"... so I left, "for lunch"... *ahem*... and decided to just get one more look at the RX before pulling the trigger on the 4R... and... well... I drove it.
I could continue this story for the 1 guy or gal that may appreciate my blathering... but the gist is... you can't un-experience that. The car may as well just SAY, "how much power do you want? I'll give it to you"... that feeling was... man... after having so many "ordinary" cars over the years I almost wanted to cry... driving it all I could think is... man... I LOVE this thing. Compared to anything "normal" (including any version of the 4R) this thing wanted to rip out from under me... SILENTLY, I might add... as if it was nothing.
So... cutting details short... well... here I am. Maybe I'll still get a 4R in the future... once they do something major since it's been running pretty much the same for about 9 years... but in the meantime... I'm gonna' have the time of my life in this thing. '19 RX 350 AWD, Caviar, Parchment. Love. It.
