The Lexus RX330 is the Perfect First Car

"Michael Woyahn" (michaelwoyahn) 01/02/2015 at 09:40 • Filed to: None

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Yes, you read that right. The antichrist to automotive enthusiasts, aka the crossover, is the best first car. Before you click off to another article explaining how you can get a used Porsche for the same price as an RX330, let me explain my reasoning.

This is my first post so please feel free to give me suggestions on how to improve my writing!

As we all know, when you first get your license you have visions of rocketing off down a twisty back road with the windows down, blasting your favorite song on the radio. Hell, even at my very "mature" 17, I still can't picture anything better. However, when you are inexperienced, this is the fastest way to crash your pride and joy. Having a car that begs you to go faster can also get you a ticket faster than you can do the quarter mile.

What a teenager fueled by hormones really needs is a car that laughs in your face when you try to show it some corners. Enter the Lexus RX330. I actually learned to drive in the one pictured above, affectionately named the "Grocery Grabber," about two years ago and I still drive it today. Obviously, a Lexus crossover is not going to enjoy attempting to clip every apex on a twisty road. When I tried to push it a little bit on some corners, I was met with body roll and a big old middle finger from the Lexus. Sure the Grocery Grabber made it around the corners and it didn't necessarily feel like it was going to flip over, but it was not very confidence inspiring so I backed off. A say MazdaSpeed6 or WRX or any "sporty" car will encourage the driver to keep pushing it until the car hits its limits, which can spell disaster for an inexperienced driver. (Side note: I am in no way saying that I am a perfect driver. I still have a lot to learn.)

Also key is the power of the Lexus. It has enough pick up to not be a hassle to drive, but it doesn't really have enough to get you in trouble. The acceleration from a stop is great, but once you get into second gear, the power drops off. Even if you bury the pedal every chance you get, the Lexus does not attract attention from cops like a Speed6 or WRX.

I borrowed this picture from Edmunds.com

If/when a teen driver decides to bury the gas pedal and oversteps their limits, traction and stability control become their best friend. Coincidentally, neither of these can be turned off in the RX330. There is no button to turn off traction control and there isn't even some crazy pedal dance that you can do to coax the car to turn it off, like in some other Lexus's. While this could be a potential problem if you are ever stuck in a snow bank and need to spin the wheels to get out, the Grocery Grabber is so good in the snow the likelihood of actually sliding off of the road is very low. I drove the RX330 in the Wisconsin winter last year with just all season tires and I can confidently say that this thing is a tank in the snow. I'm sure it would be one million and three times better with snow tires on it, but I'm stuck with what I have. (The Lexus was handed down to me and I appreciate it everyday.)

This car is seriously comfortable.

This year, we had a snowstorm before Thanksgiving that started with freezing rain that was covered in a nice layer of snow. I did go pretty slow, but for all that I knew, there were just snow flurries outside. I was a happy boy cocooned in my heated seats with the wind and snow blowing all around me. The Grocery Grabber even climbed an icy hill from a standstill with zero help from the traction control thanks to its all wheel drive. It left me smiling, saying, "You go Grocery Grabber." Even if the RX starts to flirt with the ice and begin shaking its hips, the stability control is quicker to stop any of that action than a teacher chaperoning a homecoming dance.

It is possible to overstep the boundaries of even those systems and this is when the size of the Lexus comes into play. It is bigger than a lot of other cars on the road so it will most likely win in a fight between bumpers. There are also seven airbags in the car, including a driver's knee airbag. A knee airbag! A ton of modern cars still don't even have that! Of course this car is not safer than a brand knew car, but it still has a lot going for it.

Photo credit: IIHS

Now enough of this safety crap. Let's be honest, when you are 16, the safety of the car means nothing to you. What might be important is that you can fit yourself and 3 of your friends in the Grocery Grabber in total comfort, 4 friends if they don't mind getting up close and personal in the middle seat. The stereo is also great. I consistently serenade myself with my favorite songs and the stereo still impresses me. It doesn't have enough bass to punch you in the stomach and make you throw up, but the entire stereo is balanced well. If your car doesn't come with an all-important auxiliary port, you can buy a cassette adapter, which does the job well enough.

Look at that back seat space!

A strike against it, however, is the cost of the car initially and to keep it up. The gas mileage isn't great. For me driving to school and back, which half of that drive consists of sitting and idling (my average speed is typically 11 mph), I get around 17 mpg. This is actually one better than the official city rating, but I have watched it dip to 15 mpg with tears in my eyes. More impressive is the highway mileage. I got a little over 25 mpg (It's rated for 22 mpg highway) and I was going 71 to 72 mph. This was all on regular gas too. Despite having premium gas "recommended," we have used regular gas for the 100,000 miles we have owned the car with no engine issues. The Grocery Grabber currently has over 195,000 miles.

However, our ownership experience hasn't been totally trouble free. We have had a couple of issues that can prove to be costly. We had to replace the rear wheel bearings, a seal in the rear differential, and the radiator, which cracked. Most importantly, the transmission has been on its way out for a long time. I honestly can't remember when it first started acting up with jerky shifts (especially from second to first) and the occasional stutter when shifting into third gear. It is still 100% drivable; you just learn how to drive it to get less of the transmission quirkiness. Once you are cruising and not having to shift gears, the Grocery Grabber excels.

Insurance will be fairly expensive too, but it should be comparable to faster and "cooler" cars. The initial price could also be an issue. Even with over 100,000 miles, the prices are still hovering around $10,000. This is definitely a stretch for a high schooler to pay, but it can be done, especially with help from parents, if possible. It's also important to keep in mind that the RX330 is basically at the bottom of the depreciation curve. It shouldn't lose a lot more of its value.

When you have more experience under your belt, sell your Grocery Grabber for close to the same price that you bought it for and buy that sexy car that has caught your eye for the past few years.

Killing-Machine > Michael Woyahn 01/02/2015 at 11:11

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I agree with most of your sentiment on this, I bought and RX350 for my wife and it was te most boring capable car I have ever owned, took it to North Carolina from Massachusetts and was never in danger of getting pulled over because it is comfortable right at 77, but I think first car has a lot to do with the maturity/ type of child you have. I Super took care of every vehicle I have ever had, but I joined the crap out of all of them getting myself in a lot of unsafe situations. My father said the only reason he helped me buy a car instead of using all my own money was because he knew I would buy a stupid sports car/ or too nice of a car and kill myself.... He was 100% correct. I think a Toyota highlander would serve the exact same purpose.

Michael Woyahn > Killing-Machine 01/02/2015 at 11:33

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Good idea with the Highlander, I didn't think of that car. It's definitely more realistic for a high schooler to be able to afford. I completely agree that a first car is based on how mature someone is too. Just based off of my high school, a majority of kids are very aggressive (sometimes stupid) drivers and then they get a brand new Camaro (it is a V6, but still) or E46 M3's or some other fast car and it's just shocking to me. Some kids can handle that type of car, but most can't. I consider myself mostly responsible, I never use my phone and drive, but I still could not resist pushing those cars. The kid that got the M3 actually got a ticket for going more than 20 mph over the speed limit in an older Volvo S60 before he got the M3. For now, he could definitely use a RX330 or Highlander instead of the M3.

AM3R shamefully returns > Michael Woyahn 01/02/2015 at 11:43

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I agree, I was in my friends last winter and the heated seats, comfortable ride, and great audio made me forget about the 6" of snow on the ground.

Michael Woyahn > AM3R shamefully returns 01/02/2015 at 12:16

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Yeah, this car is great at isolating you from everything that is happening outside of the car!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Michael Woyahn 01/02/2015 at 12:34

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I agree with basically everything you said here. A teenager's first cars should be slow-ish, very safe, and if you like your child, have some nice creature comforts.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > Michael Woyahn 01/02/2015 at 20:32

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Was skeptical at the headline, but you make a good and well-articulated argument. And I totally dig that you're appreciating the car for what it is!

Michael Woyahn > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny 01/02/2015 at 20:46

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Thank you! I do have to say that I have grown to really like (I am hesitant to say love, for obvious reasons) that car. I never thought that would happen ha!

greasemonkey235097 > Michael Woyahn 01/03/2015 at 01:48

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Just give first time drivers an air cooled beetle and a AAA card, and tell them "good luck you are on your own"

Cedrick > Michael Woyahn 01/04/2019 at 04:37

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Was my 1st car as well. Now have a blacked out 15.

Michael Woyahn > Cedrick 01/04/2019 at 11:13

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Very nice! I’ll most likely be upgrading to a third gen RX when it’s time to get rid of my old RX330.