Luxury SUV or Large Sedan?

Are you looking for the feel of a luxury sedan and the roominess and safety of a SUV? The Lexus RX 300 is for you.

We were expecting our first baby and needed something more practical than the coupe and sports car we had. We could either go with a 4 door sedan or a SUV. A minivan was not even in the running! Once we narrowed down on a SUV (personal choice), we were considering the Lexus RX300, Mercedes M320, Toyoto 4Runner or Ford Explorer. The Toyota and the Ford were too large (for my wife who is on the petite side) and did not have the same comfortable feel as the Lexus or the Mercedes. The following factors helped us select the Lexus over the Mercedes:
- Better looking
- More comfortable seats
- Minimal waiting time (2-3 weeks) for delivery

We purchased the Lexus for about $36,000 from a broker who was able to beat all Internet and dealer prices. It was less than $40,000 including all taxes and fees. The price range is a premium over the Ford Explorers, Toyota 4Runners, etc., but you pay this for higher quality.

We have had the SUV for one year and I love it. It is a very soft drive -- it feels more like a sedan than a SUV. The RX300 has an incredible 7-speaker stereo system with an CD-changer in the glove compartment which is very easy to access. Most other SUVs have the CD changer in the trunk which is a pain to get to if you want to change CDs while driving.The LCD display for the stereo, onboard computer, temperature control gives the SUV a futuristic look. Lexus is incredibly good with detail and does a fine job making sure that every detail is well taken care of -- all the controls can be easily reached. The leather seats are incredibly comfortable - the soft leather and good contours makes long distance rides very easy. Finally, the walnut burl trim adds to the overall elegance of the interior.

The RX300 sports a 3.0 liter engine which can fall short during climbs. On our first trip to Lake Tahoe, I found myself being flanked by more powerful SUVs - Explorers, Expeditions, etc. The lack of climbing power has not been much of a problem on city roads and freeways where I tend to do 99.5% of my driving. I'm sure Lexus will address this issue since Mercedes has just come out with a more powerful SUV. The other issue I have had is with the wind noise. Lexus has always claimed to build extremely silent and noise insulated cars - this is true with all their sedans, but not necessarily the case with the RX300. The SUV does have some wind noise when cruising at high speeds - this is a minor problem for me since I usually have the stereo cranked up.

This SUV is an ideal purchase for those who do not want to use their SUV for off-road driving and want a high quality super comfortable and safe ride. This is not for people who want to off-road or use the back of their SUV as a pick-up truck.

In conclusion, this is a Yuppie SUV and a very good one!!