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SUVs Lexus RX 300/330/350 Lincoln MKX vs. Lexus RX 350 vs Mercedes Benz ML350
24 messages, Last post on Dec 07, 2008 at 3:59 PM
You are in the Lexus RX 300/330/350 Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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Replying to: bosi77 (Sep 18, 2006 12:20 pm) ... right here, if you don't mind.  I changed the title to reflect your addition. tidester, host |
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| Thank you very much tidester | |
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Replying to: bosi77 (Jul 27, 2006 11:21 am) My overall impression of the RX is that it is a luxury vehicle first and foremost. It usually does everything smoothly and quietly. And the interior is well built and "soft". Driving the RX is not fun. It can be enjoyable if running around town doing errands because it is very easy to drive, but if you want to hustle around a curve or do anything similar, the RX is not a good partner. Also, on my mom's car, the transmission shifts roughly (with a big lurch) about 50% of the time, similar to my '84 Volkswagen. The dealer says there is nothing wrong, but it sure seems wrong to me. This car has 5000 miles on it and the only thing that has broken has been the cargo cover - it would not stay extended and the dealer ordered a new one. Once in a while the sunroof does not want to close. but it has never gotten stuck and stayed stuck. The MKX is my choice between the two. It is just as quiet and smooth as the Lexus, yet way more enjoyable to drive. It will handle curves and hills and still trudge around town doing errands. The interior is nice (I like the retro design) and seems well built, if not quite up to the Lexus standard. The stereo is much more impressive and the nav system is easier to use. It cost less than the RX and has comparable equipment. It has 10,000 miles on it and has needed no repairs. The local Lincoln dealers are closing though, so I now have to travel a ways to see a dealer, but as soon as the free maintance is over, I will not need to go there anyway. (Free maintance is not something my mom gets on her RX by the way.) But, the Lincoln dealer is old-school Ford. Not nearly as nice as the Lexus dealer, Sorry this was so long, but it doesn't happen very often that I get to share personal experiences on two competing vehicles.
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Replying to: townhome (Jun 30, 2007 11:49 am) I got my '07 RX350 last August. I love everything about the car with the small exception that the transmission does have some quirk to the shifting pattern particularly in the lower gear. I have had some occasional rattle issues that have been resolved. The interior on the MKX is very nice, but I'm a little disappointed that Lincoln decided to move away from the electro-iluminescent instrument lighting. I think that on a Luxury vehicle this is a very nice-looking feature to have. I wonder why they did away with that? They had it on the Aviator and the previous gen. Navigator. But I've gotta say, so far the treatment that I get at Lexus has been really top notch. It's been a very comfortable experience when I go in for my oil changes and such. My service guy that I stick with when I go in has a nice, easy going nature, never had any attitude. I didn't get anywhere near the nice treatment at Nissan as I do now with Lexus! I did not know that Lincoln offered free maintenance on their vehicles. That is a nice thing to have. I'd like to see more manufacturers start to offer this. Right now, the only other car-maker to offer that is BMW, that I know of.
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Replying to: maximafan (Jun 30, 2007 7:07 pm) |
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Replying to: bosi77 (Jul 27, 2006 11:21 am) The RX was a cream puff but what surprised me was the rattling, excessive from the rear. I was in a couple of them that had rattling from the rear, maybe rear hatch or cargo cover, but it was noticable and to me unacceptable. I am also a tech guy and thought a 5 speed auto was very old school for a modern luxury vehicle. I may be biased, I have had MBs for awhile but I still test all brands when shopping, what always leads me to MBs are the safety aspect, not just front or side crash scores but their ability to take multiple hits at high speed which on US congested roads is a real possiblily (maybe not the high speed). Most Euro cars follow this path - Euro crash tests are pretty strict. The solidity of the chassis is what I most notice with MBs which makes one feel safe, they just feel solid and the ML is pretty darn good, drive one for awhile and it is hard to go back. Interiors may not be Lexus but I go for what is underneath. As for the diesel ML320 CDI, excellent power once going, and have been over 28mpg on highway and averaging 24mpg around the suburbs. Rides well, MB taught on big bumps but on the highway amazingly smooth and very quiet. Again I may have had MBs awhile, but I still shop around and usually head back to MB after weeks of test driving. I liked the BMW X3 but found it road too hard for everyday driving - though I recommend you try one. Had a very bad and recent customer experience with Audi (I had one) so I stay away from them as well as VW. Good luck! |
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Replying to: townhome (Jun 30, 2007 11:49 am) Sorry to see that your local Lincoln dealer closing, but after reading that they're old-school Ford, I'm not surprised they are doing so. Lexus seems to do a good job of inculcating a dealership-wide culture of customer service, whereas after reading these forums for a while, Lincoln apparently does not. For a contrary experience, however, my local dealer is top notch and competes equally with the Lexus dealer next door. Both Lexus and MB seem to have a bit of a snooty attitude, whereas the Lincoln dealership does not. Seems my Lincoln dealer has learned some important lessons in customer service. |
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Replying to: displacedtexan (Jul 01, 2007 3:10 pm) I was treated with respect and, also, the internet saleswoman, who I dealt with, was great. She literally followed up by internet for at least six months to see how I was doing and how I liked my car. Same with my service rep. So far (August will be a year that I've had my RX) the experience with Lexus has been very positive!
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Replying to: maximafan (Jul 01, 2007 4:50 pm)
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I liked the '07 RX350 until i crashed it and its totaled!! Now i have and ML350 which is a lot safer and nicer to drive!! But of course it is its a mercedes. The mercedes is a little more expensive but definitely better. It is also bigger and higher off the ground. The ML is 2 hp slower but it seems faster??!! The MKX i have never driven so.... all i know is it is ugly and has like 263 hp i think? |
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