The 2018 Lexus RX L starts $48,665

"LJ909" (lj909) 01/16/2018 at 15:04 • Filed to: None

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Images from Lexus

You can only get it in 2 flavors: standard 350 L in front and awd, and 450h L (no pricing available yet). Let’s start with the fwd pricing.

There are a total of 11 exterior color options. None of them are extra cost. I choose Black of course. What’s weird is that there are F Sport options that aren’t for the L model. Selecting, say the one F Sport exterior color choice changes the model from the L to a standard RX350 which doesn’t make sense to me. Why have the options if they aren’t available? So Basically, no matter what you see, you cant get an F Sport trim on the L.

Pretty nice actually

This confusion extends into the interior color choices. At first, there looks to be a total of 13 interior leather/trim options. But in actuality there are only 4. The other 9 are available with select option packages or are for the F Sport trim. To avoid the confusion, to go with the Black exterior, I choose Noble Brown leather interior with Matte Linear Dark Mocha wood trim.

There are 6 option packages:

Navigation/Mark Levinson Premium audio package $3,200 : Includes the Mark Levinson surround sound system with 15 speakers, something called Lexus Enform Destination assist with the nav system and 12.3 inch display, Lexus Enform App Suite, the stupid touch pad, and automatic climate control with smog sensor.

Navigation Package $2,120 : Is pretty much the Mark Levinson Package without the sound system.

Cold Weather package $315 : Includes a windshield wiper de icer, fast heating interior heater, headlamp washers, rain sensing wipers and auto leveling headlights.

Towing prep package $265 : Includes a heavy duty radiator and engine and trans oil coolers.

Premium Package $810 : Requires a specific interior color and trim choices. You can only get this with Espresso Walnut, Matte Bamboo or Matte Linear Dark Mocha Wood trims and comes with a power tilt and slide moonroof.

Luxury Package $5,015 : This is the big one. It includes 20 inch “superchrome” wheels, power cushion extender and four way lumbar support for both driver and passenger seats, Semi aniline perforated leather interior, manual rear sunshades, gray sapele wood with aluminum trim, led door sills, heated wheel, heated and cooled front seats, ambient led lighting, memory system for the driver’s seat, wheel and mirrors

I added the Navigation/Mark Levinson, Premium and Luxury packages. Adding the Luxury package required I change my interior color choice to the trim listed in the package. I dont get why Lexus does that.

3rd row fit for a child king

There are 10 options which honestly, some of them should be grouped into the packages:

Heather wood and leather wheel for $450

Triple beam led headlights $1,515

Touch free power rear door $200

Color HUD $600

BLIS with cross traffic braking and parking assist $1,065

The same thing listed above, but with pano view monitor $1,865

Park assist (stand alone) $535

Heated leather wheel (no wood) $150. Meaning if you choose the aforementioned wood and leather wheel for $450, you’ll be be paying $300 bucks extra. For wood.

20’ silver metallic alloy wheels $1,170

Second row captains chairs are an option but are dealer installed so they dont have a price.

I added the headlights, touch free door, the hud, and the BLIS with pano view. I added none of the accessories. All in, a 2018 RX350 L is an eye watering $61,870. With awd and the same options? $1400 more at $63,270.

Seriously, look how small it is

At this price it becomes hard to justify because you are in the price range of nicely equipped full size SUV’s from literally everyone else. You would have to be one of those customers Lexus claims had been asking dealers for an RX to drop 60k + on an RX with a 3rd row with questionable room and even more questionable cargo capacity because of said 3rd row. For $415 less you can have a Suburban LT with the Luxury package. Hell Toyota’s own Sequoia, a no optioned 4WD Limited model is $1850 cheaper. Granted it’ll be less fuel efficient but still. The RX L looks to not be a good buy at all if you make it how a Lexus should be.

HammerheadFistpunch > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 15:20

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Know what grinds my gears? Lexus has some of the best looking interiors by far these days, but their exteriors not only aren’t “best looking” by any stretch, I feel like they don’t even line up with the style of the interior. I mean, I guess maybe they do in the sense that it seems like all fancy concert halls have some weird angular or cubist exteriors with warm opulent, comfortable interiors. Is “ugly on the outside, lovely on the inside” some sort of new phycological reversion guilt for people who are normally beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside?

WilliamsSW > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 15:22

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So, if my memory and cocktail napkin are right, the L is about a ~$4k premium over the standard RX?

LJ909 > HammerheadFistpunch 01/16/2018 at 15:29

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I agree. The only ones in their lineups that seem to mesh well with interior and exterior designs are the LS and LC and even then its still a stretch. Everything else looks like its trying to hard (NX,IS) or are night and day (everything else, like the RX, RC).

Textured Soy Protein > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 15:31

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For reference, a fully-loaded Acura MDX SH-AWD (without any accessories or wheel upgrades beyond the 20" wheels that are included in the Advance package) is $59,645 including destination.

LJ909 > WilliamsSW 01/16/2018 at 15:31

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Yep. About a $4400 difference between all the models both front and awd. Not worth it.  

WilliamsSW > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 15:33

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On top of that, we got a ~$4-5k discount on a leftover ‘17 if you can still find one. Not getting that on the “L”.

LJ909 > Textured Soy Protein 01/16/2018 at 15:34

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Its cheaper, but still has the problem of having the nearly pointless 3rd row. Also Acura deprecation. For the prices of both, you can get something way bigger and more powerful. But the Lexus is a Lexus...I dont know. i have a hard time wondering who exactly is this for outside of the customers Lexus claimed was asking them for this I mentioned.

LJ909 > WilliamsSW 01/16/2018 at 15:35

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When you factor that in, this thing looks to be an even worse deal. Give it some time though and those same discounts might be on these L’s

Textured Soy Protein > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 15:43

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The Edmunds projected depreciation for the RX and MDX is basically identical and the MDX 3rd row is marginally better than the RX L.

jimz > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 15:44

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WilliamsSW > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 15:47

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No, definitely not. For what it’s worth, the Luxury package isn’t all that common on dealer stock. Most dealers around me have a couple of those, at most.

But based on my shopping experiences, I think a fair amount of Lexus buyers (all luxury brands tbh) don’t actually do a lot of shopping around. They go to their local dealer, pick what they want, maybe haggle a bit and that’s it. Huge gap between those dealers that are good to work with and those that don’t want to budge - and the latter group is bigger.

LJ909 > Textured Soy Protein 01/16/2018 at 15:48

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I thought the Lexus would be in better shape deprecation wise. But those 3rd rows are laughable. You cant really say these are for families with small children because kids grow and then that excuse becomes a moot point. You cant really have a night out on the town either with 3 rows full of adults like their stock photos would want you to believe either. 3rd rows in vehicles like the RX, MDX, etc are more marketing gimmicks than anything else.

LJ909 > WilliamsSW 01/16/2018 at 15:50

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Yea you are right. I think for the most part most Lexus buyers are repeat buyers, But those that do do their research compare luxury brands almost exclusively and wont even consider anything else. Even if something is comparable and cheaper they wont. Lexus buyers tend to be well versed in what they want in the car and their trims and options and thats that. They dont budge from what I’ve seen.

Textured Soy Protein > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 15:53

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Hey look, a kid in the third row of an MDX !

(Yes the Pilot and Odyssey are more versatile but the MDX isn’t horrible. )

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > LJ909 01/16/2018 at 16:06

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As an owner of 2 Lexus with wood on the steering wheels - must have option. I love how it feels.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > WilliamsSW 01/16/2018 at 16:08

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Should have pushed harder haha. My local dealer was trying to pay me to take a car.

WilliamsSW > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 01/16/2018 at 16:20

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haha - I think we did pretty good. We certainly did a hell of a lot better than our local dealer was willing to do.

How’s the IS-F search coming along?

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > WilliamsSW 01/16/2018 at 16:25

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I think I’ ve got a lead on a 2 owner with 48k miles. Its a bit more then I want to spend(35k-ish, ouch ), but probably worth it for the cleanliness and miles.

WilliamsSW > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 01/16/2018 at 16:27

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If you intend to keep it a long time, a slightly higher price for the right car will be worth it in the long run. If you’ll get rid of it in 12 months, not so much - good luck!

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > WilliamsSW 01/16/2018 at 16:29

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The other option is also in Texas but has 98k miles from one owner but has now bounced around 2 different car lots... for 29k. So the difference between a good ISF and a decent one is 3-5k I think.

Arrivederci > LJ909 01/17/2018 at 15:48

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I’ve actually ridden in the third row of a new MDX. It’s certainly not great, but not terrible either. The second row can slide back and forth to give more legroom. We had six full-sized adults in that thing, in relative comfort. Getting in/out in a tight parking lot was the real challenge.

LJ909 > Arrivederci 01/17/2018 at 15:53

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I think the key to a good second and 3rd row is an adjustable 2nd. A lot of 3rd rows have leg room thats the same or worse than some compact crossovers 2nd rows.

Arrivederci > LJ909 01/17/2018 at 16:03

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Absolutely. When we first crawled back there, the second row was back all the way, and when they put the seats back to normal, my feet literally would not have fit. Once they slid them forward, they still had lots of room and we had enough to be comfy.