2008 Lexus RX350 Mini-Review: What's Changed in 4 Years?

"Michael Woyahn" (michaelwoyahn)
05/18/2017 at 14:19 • Filed to: None

While my RX330 is currently at the mechanic getting prepped for the OppoRally, my “service loaner” is my dad’s RX350. Now that I’ve gotten a fair amount of seat time in the 350, I’ve discovered that despite the cars appearing to be identical, there are differences between them.

Disclaimer: In case you haven’t seen any updates, the RX350 has 100,000 less miles than my RX330 that’s at almost 222,000 miles, so some differences may just be due to age and mileage.

There are 4 years in between the RX330 and RX350, and I am still amazed with how little Toyota updated the RX in that time. 2008 brought a “refresh,” which gave the RX350 a slightly pointer grille with a little more chrome and less slats. It also added chrome door handles. On the inside, the rearview mirror is a slightly different shape and the wood is a little lighter. That’s it. 2007 was the other big year of changes for the RX. That was when they added the 3.5-liter V6, and they removed the cassette tape player for the cars without navigation, much to my dismay as they did not add an aux jack.

This picture from when we first got the RX350 shows the differences pretty well.

More differences become apparent the second you hop into the drivers seat. Turning the key and cranking the 3.5-liter V6 to life results in a remarkably smoother experience. At idle, I can’t even feel the engine where I can feel the slightest vibration in my 330. Getting going, I noticed that the shifter and the steering take less effort to operate. I’m not entirely thrilled with the steering because I thought that it was already light in my RX330, but the target demographic obviously does not care about steering feel so I understand Toyota’s logic behind making it lighter. Interestingly, the turn signal also makes a slightly different sound.

On the road, the RX350 had a few more rattles than the 330. One new one briefly appeared and disappeared when I was driving it yesterday. Now, this could be a result of how the previous owner treated it, but I have a feeling it relates to the production of the cars. The 330 was built in Japan, and the 350 was built in Canada. I get a slight feeling the 350 is not quite built to the same standards. Even after almost 222,000 miles, my 330 has almost no rattles as long as it’s above freezing outside. Also, the passenger side seatbelt in the 350 is flipped so buckling it results in a twisted belt.

These admittedly small issues were forgotten the first time I really got into the gas. The most obvious difference between the RX330 and the RX350 is the engine. In my initial drive of the 350 way back in October, I thought the cars felt similar in the acceleration department. Boy, was I wrong.

Yes, the 3.3-liter V6 in the RX330 is slightly quieter and initially feels quicker off the line because it hits peak torque 1,100 rpm sooner, but once the cars are moving, the 350 is on another level. The 330 falls off a cliff once it hits second at around 25 mph where the 350 just pulls and keeps pulling. I end up driving the RX350 way harder than the 330 because it’s, dare I say, fun to just walk away from other traffic. It effortlessly reaches speed, and at speed, pushes you back into the seat in a way the 3.3-liter V6 in my car dreams of doing. Amazingly, even driving it fairly hard, the RX350 seems to be getting better gas mileage than my 330, too. I can see why Toyota puts the 3.5 in almost every one of their vehicles.

Now, after experiencing the extra 40 horsepower of the RX350, will it be hard to get back in my RX330? The short answer: no. The 3.3-liter really is good enough; it’s actually probably more than technically needed. I have never found myself wanting for more power merging on the freeway, and the torque really helps it feel quick off the line. The extra gusto of the 3.5 is almost more than the RX needs, but more power is never bad. The biggest thing I miss on my RX330 is, weirdly, the cassette player. I use a cassette adapter as my aux port and I really miss playing my own music in the car. I also have a weird thing for high mileage cars, so I can’t wait to get back to adding more miles to my 221,000+ mile RX.

If you ever find yourself in the terrifying position of luxury crossover shopping, I would highly recommend the RX. They’re in no way sporty, but both the RX330 and RX350 have served my family very well. I would recommend the RX350 for the added power, but just be sure to get one with AWD because it has a constant 50/50 torque split, meaning it can always put the power down. And don’t forget to get one with a cassette tape player or an aftermarket aux port.

DISCUSSION (19)

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Michael Woyahn
05/18/2017 at 14:33

I’ve always felt that the 300 and 330 engines were smoother than the 350.

But dat power tho

Michael Woyahn > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
05/18/2017 at 14:35

I totally agree. The 3.3 in my car is smoother overall, but the power of the 3.5 is definitely worth the tradeoffs!

Nibby > Michael Woyahn
05/18/2017 at 14:35

We had a 2014 Sequoia, leased it. It had the lightest steering... then I drove my aunt’s 2013/14? RX350 and the steering felt the same. Everything else though was different :P

Michael Woyahn > Nibby
05/18/2017 at 14:40

Wow, that’s amazing the Sequoia has the same steering feel as the RX. At least Toyota is consistent haha!

JR1 > Michael Woyahn
05/18/2017 at 14:42

Great CUVs. I don’t know why someone wouldn’t buy one if there were crossover shopping.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Michael Woyahn
05/18/2017 at 14:47

I had a 2008 ES350 many years ago. The power is even more effective than in the RX!

Michael Woyahn > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
05/18/2017 at 15:20

I believe it! 500 pounds less and no power loss through AWD would make quite a difference!

Michael Woyahn > JR1
05/18/2017 at 15:22

I agree! They have all of the luxury and space you could want and Toyota reliability.

Captain of the Enterprise > Michael Woyahn
05/18/2017 at 16:22

I like them and test drive one but didn’t have enough headroom because of the sunroof :(

Michael Woyahn > Captain of the Enterprise
05/18/2017 at 16:45

Yeah, there’s surprisingly little headroom in them! I’m 6'2" and I’m only an inch or two away from hitting the roof.

avalonian > Michael Woyahn
05/18/2017 at 18:19

You can add aftermarket Bluetooth and aux for a total of 100 bucks!

http://www.gtacarkits.com/product/lexus-rx-2004-2009-iphone-aux-kit/

Captain of the Enterprise > Michael Woyahn
05/18/2017 at 18:50

Yeah I’m 6'3" with a tall torso and I was dissapointed because I thought it for sure would be good and I thought that overall it would have been a great daily for me. I’m not sure they even made any without the sunroof

Michael Woyahn > avalonian
05/18/2017 at 22:09

Oh! Good to know!

Long Live the Longdoor > Michael Woyahn
05/18/2017 at 22:09

When I was younger, I HATED the RX of any variety. Now I appreciate them both for what they are and think they’re handsome. Maybe I’m just getting older...

Michael Woyahn > Captain of the Enterprise
05/18/2017 at 22:22

Ah yeah, that is disappointing! I think the lack of headroom is pretty odd for the size and class of vehicle, too. They are great daily drivers, if you can fit, of course! I think they made a very, very small number without the premium package, which meant no sunroof but also cloth seats. I think they were special order only and that might have only been for 2004, too. I’ve never seen one online or in person! Maybe another Lexus could fit the daily bill? I love the GS of the same era, but obviously it wouldn’t be as practical. The GX470 would be nice too, but the mileage is pretty appalling.

Michael Woyahn > Long Live the Longdoor
05/18/2017 at 22:38

Haha, I can see why you wouldn’t like them before! I didn’t really like the RX330 when we first got it. My dad traded his ‘04 TL for it and the RX seemed so much less cool in comparison. But, like you said, the key is appreciating them for what they are. Once I began driving the RX330 as my main car, I realized that, and four and a half years later, I still really like it! At this point in my life, it’s pretty much the perfect car for me and I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Captain of the Enterprise > Michael Woyahn
05/19/2017 at 08:18

My next car might be an older IS or GS, currently I have an 05 Corolla le that I bought to get me through college

Michael Woyahn > Captain of the Enterprise
05/19/2017 at 12:06

Oh okay, an IS or GS are definitely good options! The Corolla was a good call for college too. The mileage and reliability are perfect for a college car. You can’t really go wrong with a Toyota product since they’re pretty inoffensive!

Captain of the Enterprise > Michael Woyahn
05/19/2017 at 12:11

Yeah I drive 46 miles a day to get to school and back because I’m a commuter student and I think the reliability and efficiency is great especially compared to my old Crown Vic. It’s a great daily and I think it’s pretty much perfect for what I need at this stage of my life. I plan on having more fun car wise when I can actually afford it later on. Right now I’ll take the 33mpg and the joys of having a reliable car that I don’t have to care too much about especially if I pick up I don’t or a scratch since the body and paint aren’t the best right now anyway.