Lexus
made big news back in 1998 when it rolled out something that looked like an SUV
but that was actually based on a car (the Toyota Camry). In the RX300's case,
jacking up the ground clearance and adding big tires didn't hurt ride comfort
one bit. In fact, many would say that the RX300 has one of the smoothest, most
isolating ride qualities of any vehicle, car or truck. And there are a lot of
people out there that like that, based on the incessant popularity of this $36K-$45K
luxo-ute. This
being a Lexus, the RX300 is absolutely to-die-for comfortable. The materials simply
reek of quality, with aromatic leather seats and rich-looking genuine wood trim.
The funky dashboard looks more at home now than it did five years ago, and now
it can be equipped with a stellar, easy-to-use DVD-based GPS navigation system.
Space up front and in back is outstanding, as it is in the cargo bay as well. Driving
the RX300 is brilliant if you're not a performance-oriented driver. It has strong
acceleration, thanks to its smooth 220-hp V-6, but don't expect a thrill ride
when the road gets curvy. But it does have standard stability control, and in
normal driving conditions, is quiet as a library. Something
to remember now is that by fall of this year, the RX300's replacement, the RX330,
will be in showrooms, so Lexus may be making attractive deals on the RX300 through
the summer and the rest of the year.
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