2002 MDX vs. My 2000 Lexus RX300

7078 Views 18 Replies 12 Participants Last post by TYP, Dec 20, 2001

jvstew

Discussion Starter · Dec 15, 2001

I just got my 2002 MDX. We turned to the MDX because although we love our 2000 RX300, our growing family required the extra two seats to be legal when we carpool our friends children.
My comparison observations after two weeks with the MDX follow:

MDX - What I like over the RX300
1) Bigger, with more luggage space with third row seats down.
2) Third rows seats
3) The NAV system - was not available on the RX300 until the 2001 model year.
4) The rear seat a/c controls
5) The memory side mirrors
6) The center console well power outlet
RX300 - What Lexus features I miss
1) Daylight driving lights
2) Arm rests- The front center console is to low and far away to be effective. With the console top open it is no help as a arm rest.
3) A straight gear shift pattern. The zipzag of the MDX does'nt do anything for me and my wife hates it.
4) The auto headlight feature that has the headlights come on when needed as opposed to on or off on the MDX.
5) The RX300 has a power oulet on the back side of the center console to service the backseat passengers. My portable VCR/TV set up works great in the Lexus, in the MDX I need to bring it up to the front and feed the power cord through the top of the center console to get it to the power outlet in the lower well. Yea, I guess I want them in both places or a hole in the back of the console that I could fish my power cord thru to the well location.
6) The rear mud flaps as standard equipment. What is Acura thinking, making this an option and not standard?
7) Not as tall, the roof is more accessible.
8) The antenna recoils into the rear quarter panel. The MDX's fixed unit on the roof causes all kinds of problems. Besides the meer 1/2 inch clearance the antenna allows me in my garage, I am truly fearful of taking the MDX to a car wash. I don't know if the antenna can take the car wash punishment or if the car wash's machinery will tear it off.
9) The Lexus stereo system.
10) Lexus service- my local Lexus dealer's service is open til midnight every night M-F and no appointments are necessary. This gives them a serious advantage in my eyes.

Ride, power, comfort and noise levels all seem comparable.

See less See more

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

GatorGreg

· #2 · Dec 15, 2001

jvstew said:
Besides the meer 1/2 inch clearance the antenna allows me in my garage, I am truly fearful of taking the MDX to a car wash. I don't know if the antenna can take the car wash punishment or if the car wash's machinery will tear it off.

I wouldn't worry about the antenna at a car wash, it's pretty flexible. What I'd be more worried about is the paint. Please tell me you're not taking your 'X to a car wash that uses brushes. It's the quickest way to ruin your paint.

octavian

· #3 · Dec 15, 2001

jvstew....thanks for your comparison. As a former Lexus fan, I too thought about the RX300 but opted for the MDX for a LOT of reasons you mentioned and others.

So, do you think you made the right decision, or ya think ya shoulda bought another RX?

texrb, you are the only other person I know with both RX300 and MDX. If you are listening, we are playing your song!

jvstew

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 15, 2001

Hey GatorGreg & Octavian

GagorGreg
Those of us that live in Connecticut do not have the flexibility of you in Florida. Some days in the winter the water would freeze in the hose before ever coming out the end if I tried to wash a car in my driveway. It's either a brushless carwash or salt and dirt on the car all winter.

Octavian,
If Lexus made the Rx300 to seat 7 I probably never would have looked at the MDX. I have bought new Toyotas all my life. I had a 79 Celica, a 89 Corolla and a 94 Corolla. I put 280,000 miles on the Celica before selling it. No major engine problems and did the 280K on a single clutch, never wore the first clutch out.
The 89 had 125,000 before I gave it to a relative. The 94 has 80,000 and is now for sale. You can't knock that experience so why change unless forced to.

texrb

· #5 · Dec 16, 2001

jvstew,

As octavian posted - I have a 2001 RX & a 2001 MDX. I did a post about the differences between the 2 after owning the MDX for a week. You can find it here:

http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3424&highlight=RX300

After having the MDX 2 months here are some more comments:

I like the MDX for the same reasons you stated as well as these:
- individual map lights. The RX has one that blinds you at night.
- turning radius is WAY better. Trying to park the RX is a joke and forget about a U-turn unless you have 4 lanes & a median in the middle.
- bose stereo sounds better than Lexus premium sound (I don't have Nakamichi)
- 6 disc in dash - way better than messing with that CD changer
- glove box shuts first time (although I understand many '01s have a glove box alignment problem, mine doesn't.) The RX glove box won't shut unless you try a few times & Lexus service mgr said all RXes have that problem & there is no fix for it.
- Navi system. I don't have it in the RX because it was CD based & you needed more than one CD to cover the US. Also the radio is integrated into the Navi screen & there have been a ton of problems with the unit (per my stepson who is a tech at Lexus)
- Styling......it's a personal thing, but I like the looks of the MDX better. My wife likes the looks of the RX better.

I wish the MDX had these features:
- auto up & down for all for windows
- rear windows roll all the way down
- real leather - not leather trim.
- wood quality is much better in RX - on steering wheel & all trim.
- HIDs - I love them on the RX
- a quieter interior above 50mph. There is no diff in noise level below 50mph, but above 50mph, the RX is way quieter.
-run on regular gas like the RX.

bottom line - overall, I like the MDX better - but would like a few of the RX's features added.

See less See more

octavian

· #6 · Dec 16, 2001

tex, thanks for posting so quickly...like jv, I am a 20+ car-year owner of Toyota/Lexus products and it took a lot to get me over to Acura...well, my wife's Ody helped a bit too.

jv, I was just thinking about what you said earlier today....I used to live in Chicago and NO WAY would I try to wash my car in the driveway or even a manual car wash in the winter. I slipped my Lexus into an automated brushless car wash so often I got a volume purchase discount.

Here in Texas, I have the luxury of doing my own thing without worrying about the weather. I strictly do manual stuff. Water only....I bring my own soap, wash mitt, wheel cleaner, and I am all set. Costs a hell of a lot less, too!

csxpert

· #7 · Dec 16, 2001

A former 2001 RX300 w/DVD nav. owner replies -

The RX300 has several flaws and is an ergonomic nightmare!

1) Cup holders are placed as an afterthought. The rear cupholder is placed almost near the front seats! WHAT!?

2) Very strange storage compartments -

Front cup holders are above the bottom storage bin. If you have a drink there and want to access something you can't!

3) Certain parts of the Nav system disable when moving, this is plain stupid and will cause more accidents than Lexus claims will be prevented!

4) Memory seat buttons are almost invisible under the steering column...what is this all about???

5) Wimpy tires - stock tires can't even do 85 mph, there is a warning to this effect in the manual that you must change them if you want to go faster than 85 mph...bunch of rubbish!

6) CD changer controls are in the damn touchscreen... it becomes a chore if the navi is being actively used!

7) Glovebox CD changer - CRAP! Loading/Unloading scratches and damages the CDs, further the spring loaded ultra delicate mechanism is a chore to operate.

See less See more

RedMdxMemphis

· #8 · Dec 16, 2001

Re: Hey GatorGreg & Octavian

jvstew said:
[...If Lexus made the Rx300 to seat 7 I probably never would have looked at the MDX..... [/B]

If the RX 300 can fit seven people, it will be a different car. It probably will have bigger noise with larger box. Thus a different style and appearance. Rx300 must be in mass production now... in my neighborhood, sometimes I am surrounded by Rx in all sorts of colors.

Being in the MDX for some weeks, I started to feel the Rx is a bit small, although when we were considering Rx, it looks as cute and nice as it can be.

Iceman

· #9 · Dec 16, 2001

As a potential MDX owner in the future, I'm wondering why those of you who've had years of success with Toyota products didn't go for the LX470 instead of the RX300. How about the 4Runner, Highlander, or other Toyota SUVs (they've come out with so many now, I can't keep them all straight)?

RedMdxMemphis

· #10 · Dec 17, 2001

Iceman said:
...LX470 instead of the RX300. How about the 4Runner, Highlander, or other Toyota SUVs (they've come out with so many now, I can't keep them all straight)?

The price jump was certainly one factor on LX470. I did not want to spend that kind of extra $$ to get any extra that I don't need.

Highlander was my starting point of car search but when I was almost commited to buy it at around $32K with no leather seats, I was getting into MDX territory. As I mentioned in another thread, I feel Highlander is a lot of value when you buy it at the lower end model. I suspect that lower end is what Honda Pilot will be competing with.

texrb

· #11 · Dec 17, 2001

Iceman,

As Redmdxmemphis stated - the big reason not to take the LX470 is $$, also I didn't like the layout of the 3rd row seats. I also believe that you can get a fully equipped Sequoia for about $40k and get a very nice SUV that appears to be about the same size as the LX470/Toyota Land Cruiser. One problem with the Sequoia is it has 3rd row seats like the Sienna van - they don't fold flat like the MDX, they tumble forward & I hated that on the Sienna I owned.

Highlander is too much like the RX for only a couple grand less
4Runner is a great SUV, but rides very rough & costs as much as the base MDX when fully equipped.

The MDX has the best value for the $$.

octavian

· #12 · Dec 17, 2001

I wouldn't have switched from Lexus/Toyota, except:

LX....great, but too much SUV overkill

4Runner....way too long in the tooth.....very small.....too truck like

RX.....a bit long in the tooth.....small.....too much a soccer mom's car...(not, as I often quote Jerry Seinfeld, that there is anything wrong with that), but my informal survey in Dallas tallies 83% of the drivers of RX300 are women.....vs let's say a Mitubishi Montero which is the exact opposite...go figure (anything to do with all that body cladding, hmmm?)

Highlander.....small....good entry level SUV....but not the level what I as looking for.

Finally, as texrb puts it so well....

"The MDX has the best value for the $$".

See less See more

MDXLuvr

· #13 · Dec 17, 2001

when i was shopping for the MDX, our Toyota dealer was asking $58k for a loaded Landcruiser(the sequoia hadn't come out yet). I remember thinking to myself, $60k+(with taxes) for a SUV?

now, this isn't even the LX470 with the auto-leveling suspension, etc, etc. This is a little ridiculous. you must have some serious money to blow, if you want to buy a $60K+ suv just to drive to the mall!! the landcruiser is truly a rugged off-road suv, and it is just a shame that most people who buy it don't have a clue what it is designed to do.

ok, ok i am getting off the soap box.

GatorGreg

· #14 · Dec 17, 2001

Re: Hey GatorGreg & Octavian

jvstew said:
GagorGreg
Those of us that live in Connecticut do not have the flexibility of you in Florida. Some days in the winter the water would freeze in the hose before ever coming out the end if I tried to wash a car in my driveway. It's either a brushless carwash or salt and dirt on the car all winter.

Good point

1SICKLEX

· #15 · Dec 18, 2001

The next generation RX 300 will have seating for 7.

RedMdxMemphis

· #16 · Dec 19, 2001

1SICKLEX said:
The next generation RX 300 will have seating for 7.

And a bigger box to hold the 7 people, I presume...

mogur

· #17 · Dec 19, 2001

Yes, I was in a focus group a while ago and saw mockups of it.
If it had been available when I bought the MDX, I likely would have bought it instead, particularly when factoring in the difference between Lexus and Acura Customer Service and dealerships.

Tom

RedMdxMemphis said:
And a bigger box to hold the 7 people, I presume...

mdxpecting

· #18 · Dec 19, 2001

Another consideration beyond specifications and features is that, IMHO, the RX300 (and the MB for that matter) are nowhere near as attractive as the MDX. The rear windows of both the Lexus and MB don't go with the rest of the vehicle and appear as if they were 'grafted on' from another car. This really breaks up the continuity and overall proportions of these cars. The MDX, on the other hand, does not suffer from this same affliction.

TYP

· #19 · Dec 20, 2001

RE: csxpert

Hi..

I think there should be a warning about your post..

Afater I read it.. It took me 20 min to stop laughing..

My friend thought I am finaly crazy from too much internet..

I really dislike Lexus.. I think they are over priced.. and mostly copying other brand's design..

Anyways.. thanks for such a funny post.. and happy holidays!

See less See more

1 - 19 of 19 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.