Lexus RX 350 Review

Pros: Plenty of power, room, features and cachet.

Cons: 95RON minimum requirement, useless off-road, foot operated handbrake.

By Paul Maric | February 20th, 2011

Price: $59,400 to $91,080

Our Rating:

Performance, Ride & Handling	3.5
Comfort and Interior	3.5
Quality & Design	4
Value & Features	4
Green	3

The luxury SUV without the long options list.

Model Tested:

2011 Lexus RX 350 Sports Luxury; 3.5L petrol V6, six-speed automatic

CarAdvice Rating:

As one of the first luxury SUVs, Lexus would never have imagined that some 13 years after its inception, the RX would command such a large chunk of market share.

Second in its class only to the BMW X5, the RX range of Lexus vehicles offers both petrol and hybrid options, spoiling the buyer for choice.

Unlike its German competitors, namely Mercedes-Benz and Audi, Lexus also doesn’t claim that the RX can or should be used off-road. As such, there is no additional 4WD equipment (aside from the all-wheel-drive system) that allows the RX to be used for semi-serious off-road driving.

Another strong point the Japanese marque has over its German competition is unambitious option pricing and arrangements. The RX petrol variant is available in three guises – Prestige, Sport and Sport Luxury. From there, the only options are a full-sized spare wheel and the addition/removal of the sunroof.

Pricing for the petrol RX 350 begins at $82,900 for the Prestige variant and concludes at $108,900 for the top-spec RX 450h hybrid. The model tested was the Lexus RX 350 Sport Luxury, which comes with a price tag of $97,900.

2009 yielded a refresh of the RX 350’s design, bringing with it an updated front and rear and an all new interior. Lexus has kept to the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality and kept styling changes fairly modest, but not modest enough to look like the outgoing model.

A small bit of trivia for car buffs is that hybrid Lexus variants all feature a blue halo surrounding the Lexus emblem, making them easier to distinguish in traffic.

A proximity sensing key enables access to the cabin; from there it’s not hard to see why the RX 350 sits in the Luxury SUV segment. Everything from the quality of the leather to the feel of the dashboard gives you reassurance that money hasn’t been wasted on the brand name alone.

New to the revised Lexus RX is a joystick-style unit that controls the satellite navigation and cursor for climate, audio and telephone. At first it seems a bit counterintuitive until you have had the chance to muck around with it.

Once you understand the system, it makes so much more sense. The cursor ‘sticks’ to labels on the screen, meaning that selecting items while driving can be done with minimal fuss and distraction. Additionally, the base of the unit fits snugly into the palm, making it easy to navigate through the myriad menus available.

Audio-philes will be suitably impressed with the 12-speaker Mark Levinson sound system. With plenty of bass and high quality treble, the sound system offers precision clarity beyond the levels you would expect of a car.

Front leg and head room is impressive, with front seat passengers afforded the luxury of heated seats.

Second row leg room is great, with the only limitation being a slight lack of headroom for taller passengers.

Boot capacity is good at 446 litres to the lower window. The Sports Luxury model also benefits from an electrically assisted boot, which can be opened and closed either from the boot handle, the proximity sensing key or a switch inside the cabin.

Under the bonnet of the RX 350 is Lexus’ renowned 3.5-litre V6, which produces 204kW and 346Nm of torque. The result of the perky engine is a 0-100km/h dash of 8.0 seconds and a combined fuel consumption figure of 10.8L/100km. On test, that figure was even lower at 10.2L/100km due to the higher percentage of highway driving.

It didn’t take long to pick the first fault when switching the RX 350 on using the starter button. Lexus insists on using a foot operated handbrake, which wouldn’t be an issue if they weren’t last seen on cars in the 1990s. Commonplace nowadays is a hydraulic handbrake that uses a switch, opposed to a mechanical lever.

From there though, it’s smooth sailing. The whisper quiet V6 engine is mated to a silky smooth six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission responds to requests for power subtly and in a manner you would expect of a luxury SUV.

Although the steering doesn’t have too much feel, it’s perfect for a car of this size and offers care-free motoring during parking in tight spaces in the city. A reversing camera is also standard equipment to help against toys and kids that hide behind cars.

The on-demand all-wheel drive system will power the RX 350 as a front-wheel drive vehicle until it senses slip and will then work to transfer some torque to the rear wheels, aiding in the retention of traction under power.

The responsive V6 engine works a charm whether the car is carrying one passenger or five. Overtaking is also a carefree task that’s tackled with aplomb. Brake pedal feel is also impressive, offering excellent feedback during low and high speed driving.

As you would expect, the RX 350 handles more like a UV than an SUV. There is a fair amount of body roll and the stability control’s tendency to kick up a stink at the slightest loss of traction can put a stop to any shenanigans well before getting out of hand.

At highway speeds, it’s remarkable just how quiet the cabin is. Lexus has always worked extremely hard on noise suppression and the RX 350 is certainly no exception.

The Lexus RX 350 is a great all-rounder that offers enough room for family trips, shopping trips and kids’ soccer trips. It’s capable of recording impressive fuel efficiency figures and won’t break the bank in comparison with its equivalently equipped competitors.

With the new styling update, revised engine and plenty of features to keep the whole family happy, Lexus has a winner on its hands and rightfully deserves second place in the sales charts.

Ratings:

CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go:

Reader reviews of the LEXUS RX350

Write a review for the LEXUS RX350

Do you own this car? Share your opinion and add your own review below.

Add a New Review

The competition

Variant	Body Style	Price From

LEXUS RX350 PRESTIGE 3.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ 6 SP AUTOMATIC PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$82,900*
LEXUS RX350 SPORTS 3.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ 6 SP AUTOMATIC PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$89,900*
LEXUS RX350 SPORTS LUXURY 3.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ 6 SP AUTOMATIC PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$97,900*
LEXUS RX350 X SPECIAL EDITION 3.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ 6 SP AUTOMATIC PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$82,900*

powered by

	VEHICLE	PRICE
	2006 LEXUS RX350 OTHER OTHER 116,641 Kms Gold Wagon Auto Other QLD	$33,990* Enquire Now

Showrooms > Lexus > Rx350

http://www.caradvice.com.au/104864/lexus-rx-350-review/
Lexus RX 350 Review
Lexus
Rx350
The luxury SUV without the long options list.
LIS11A

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Lexus_RX350_PaulMaric_1-625x416.jpg

Paul Maric
Lexus RX 350 Review
The luxury SUV without the long options list.
3.5 stars

Beaves NQ

Looks like an Hynudai IX35 on the outside doesn’t it?? Looks like there must be a surplus of Camry head lights at the factory…………….
mrxandthexfactor

It’s Hyundai copying Lexus.
there is a Hyundai Equus image that is totally a Lexus LS.
Henry

Yeah but Hyundai looks better. Anyway i like this car but One BIG thing, that is the Engine bay, Its Covered by Plastic whitch looks so stupid

Ohh well
KinFungL

Why buy this car over Toyota Kluger?

A

Just badge and interior really. I’m pretty sure they’re on the same platform, but the Lexus does have a much nicer interior than the Kluger and I think it looks much better too. I think the Lexus probably also offers features and an ownership experience that Toyota never would.
Roger Ramjet

Apart from the badge and a few minor interior trim details, a Nissan Murano Ti is just as good for over $20k less!

Hung Low

The Murano is 90% there and very close to the refinement of the RX. But the extra money buys a ticket into the luxury badge brigade and more importantly, the best customer service out there before and after sales with Lexus. A big plus when you have to deal with dimwits in Nissan and other mass brands!

Swank

Because unlike the Kluger and its competitors, this Lexus, like all proper luxury cars, offers a quiet, refined environment (experience) that can’t be matched by cars half its price.

Anyone that thinks otherwise has just never experienced the difference for themselves, it’s that simple. And btw, this car holds no interest to me.

Suntory time

Couldn’t have put it better myself, some people don’t realise that there’s so much more to a car like this, than just the quality interior & the badge.

Driving the Lexus RX350 feels like your inside a rock-solid cocoon, a far cry from cars like the Kluger & the Murano with their scuttle-shake.

The only problem with the RX350 is that it’s not a drivers car, it’s build for comfort & luxury only.

Hung Low

I suggest to drive the cars before making assumptions like “scuttle and shake”! Absolutely ridiculous statement! The Lexus had more sound deadening and therefore isolation not a stiffer chassis.
If you want to feel the difference in chassis stiffness, drive a Murano or CX9 back to back with a Captiva!

Suntory time

I’m not assuming anything, my sister drives an RX 450h hybrid, which I’ve driven more than a few times (inluding drives from Sydney to Hunter Valley).

And thanks to my autobody repair business & contracts with various car rental companies who’s cars we pick-up and deliver. I also have a very wide range of new cars to “test” drive. (My shop is a ten minute drive from their car yards)

The Kluger is just one of the many cars that I’m familiar with. The Kluger has about the same amount of scuttle shake, as the previous gen RX.

Not bad when compared to a Mazda CX-7 or Mitsubishi Pajero, but it is inferior to the current RX line. I may be more sensitive to these things though, since I have plenty of ‘hands-on’ experience.

There’s also much more to these cars than just extra sound deadening btw. The suspension/suspension points and body-shell, are carefully desinged to keep NVH levels to a minimum.

Thanks to my profession, when I look at a car, I’m able to see straight through it. In fact, Lexus uses less sound deadening material (in all its forms) than almost any other luxury car maker.

Yet their cars are amongst the quietest money can buy. That to me, is solid proof of the sound engineering that goes into Toyota’s luxury mark.

Lester

Can’t even match BMWX5 in any level, For a luxury suv , X5 is the best option , good value good car and it’s a BMW. However , in Amercia , Lexus is oversell German competitions , in china leading one is Audi and Bmw , and Lexus is the top quality car that japaness can bulid , but still not as good as X5 . The only highlight is Toyota’s Hybrid technology, but the question we have to ask is, for a large car, compare to advanced German Diesel engine technology ,which one is repesent future and which one is good for money and our environment .I strongly believe All Elec engine will only apply to citysize small car in the midterm period, Lexus/Toyota , Honda as well they are concentrating on hybrid technology( Honda and toyota’s hybrid are totallydifferent and I think Toyota ‘s are better), but VW and BMW’s diesel engine are very impressive, most of them have very outstanding comes to fuel consumptions, the downsizing is the gear box, they don’t offer auto , which is a big issue for customer in two big car makers US and china, as well as here in Aussie. I hate this honestly, I know lots if you might think we all should know how to drive manual and it’s an essential for a offroad suv , but I do like auto , I will pay $4000 for a 6 speed auto gear box . Euro car makers won’t consider our needs , but sooner or later I recon they will, because I believe in ten to fifteen years, All the players will follower the rules of chinese market, they already become largest already last year, and we have great advantage here inaustralia because car will ship to us in the close route of fareast.
Lexus is a top quality car despite they have massive recall in the past two years , but Toyota is know by their quality control for more than 40 years, they have issue because they want beat GM in car sales ,I think they already realize no1 dosenot mean that much, customer still want a good price , safe , comfy nice car, and they will deliver. I am a bigger japaness car fan, when i was young i always want a suburu, and I like Lexus , for a 26 years old, I am actually saving money for a hybrid camry, hope I get it soon

MF

i dont know what u r saying. At the start u said X5 excels in everything (which i dont agree), in the end u wanna get a hybrid camry.

A

I couldn’t even be bother reading the original comment. Thanks for your summary, it made me laugh

GTI_Mr

I think the original poster’s point is that Lexus is a good car but since it competes with X5 – he compared the two and finds X5 much superior. But not all have money to buy the dream car and he settles with Camry!!
Jason

Lexus quality is not as good as X5? I think you were telling a joke. I’ve owned Audi, BMW and now a Lexus, Audi makes cars of the worst quality, my A4 died at only 98,000KM but the Lexus never missed a beat. BMW are good cars but way overpriced than Lexus after adding the optional craps…

tw

This is abysmal, Poor steering communication, excessive body roll, zero off road ability and virtually no change in styling this is a weak so called new model and does not deserve 4 stars what exactly are you paying the 100 grand for. When other car makers don\’t change sheet metal much they get called up on it, why does Lexus get a pass?

stevo

used to quite like the shape of these but now it’s looking very dated inside & out despite the update..why would someone choose this over an x5?

sam.p

Agree! This doesn’t look hunkered down or road-hugging at all. In fact, it looks like a bar of soap plonked on top of 4 wheels.

Keroke

Jesus Australian car taste are so much difernt to American taste.. In the USA the RX is loved.. And it’s a good car, it’s all quality, quality and smoothness.. Look at how well the interior is put together

Shak

Thats because the Lexus brand was designed for US tastes, remember? Cars like this are tailored for what the American market in general likes: lack of driver involvement, lots of features, cheap and strong suspension which is soft to cope with umm…excess weight.

MF

lots of features is a good thing! Excess weight? what r u talking about, a X5 weighs 200 kg more than a Rh350.

Shak

I wasnt referring to the weight of the car…

Baddass

I wouldn’t say the option of a petrol or hybrid engine ‘spoils the buyer for choice’. They’re both petrol 3.5l V6, just one has a battery as well.
Beaves NQ

I get negative responses for my original comments that this thing looks like an IX35?? You people in here are seriously either blind or stupid.

mrxandthexfactor

The ix35 is a hyundai an RX is a Lexus. Different design language. Admittedly, the RX is not the best looking Luxury SUV but it’s 1000 times more elegant and better looking than the Hyundai plastic box with crinkled doors.

Bazinga

Too many similarities with Kluger. As a Kluger owner, seats, rear boot trim and other bits & pieces (not to mention same engine), makes this a very expensive Toyota. Toyota is fine, but spend wisely not on badges. Same goes for Audi and VW. Clever marketing but don’t buy badges, buy cars instead.

The Voice of Reason

Plenty of visible Toyota bits – which is to be expected. But the drivetrain is Kluger. So unless it is the styling of the Lexus is what you’re after, why spend the extra?

Not making any judgements on the exterior styling, as it is a subjective thing. Some will like it and others won’t. It’s a free country.

BTW, no trees appear to have been harmed in the making of the dash and steering wheel trim highlights…

DWS1

…very good BTW, and Walnut was never ment to be that shinny.
Please note there is more room for people and gear at the back of a Kluger as it does not have the cut off sloping roof that the Lexus has.

davie

my, what an accessible engine bay…

actually, where is the engine located in this car? As far as I can tell, the under-bonnet space is used to store large pieces of mysterious and pointless plastic.
nickdl

For the money, it’s hard to go past the bigger X5 3.0d. Not as economical as the Hybrid but costs the same as one and much better to drive. I don’t really like the interior. Honda seems to be about the only Jap brand with decent woodgrain. It’s just a tacky addition to an otherwise dull interior in this. X5 interior is much better. Better retained value on BMWs all but cancels out the the extra few grand in asking price. If you’re budget conscious, the Murano does a simliar job while costing around $20k less.

nickdl

Oh and the ad for the Grand Cherokee just popped up. That’s another good one for a bit less.

Looks like you have to visit a technician to refill the windscreen washer fluid haha.

Keroke

People who buy Lexus cars do not want to see the engine nor hear it.. Lexus are about refinement and isolating you from the less civilised world outside..

Nat

What you get in a lexus is a top quality well made car, you get gold class customer service where you are treated like a family member, unlike bmw where you walk in and unless you are in a suit you get nothing.

Lexus offer beautiful cars with all the features standard not stupid $2000 or $3000 or $4000 for this and that option, beautiful neat features like tiny LEDs in the door handles to assist at night and little LEDs to see in the foot-wells that dim in drive and brighten in park.

They offer neat little touches like that things that bmw dont do, or they do but it would be extra $$$.

The reason people buy lexus is exactly that they dont want to hear the engine they want a quiet comfy luxury cruising car.

They want gold class service to be treated like a real person not treated like crap.

Ive owned a lexus and i will certainly own more in my life time considering im only 22 hopefully many more.

The Voice of Reason

“…unlike bmw where you walk in and unless you are in a suit you get nothing…”

Had to laugh at that statement. Believe me, wearing suits makes no difference at a BMW stealership – you still get nothing!!

Luxury009

I agree that Lexus has great customer service but I don’t think BMW is that bad either. I currently drive a BMW (looking at getting a Lexus next) and have had very good dealings with BMW Melbourne. The service is comparable with Lexus and I feel very looked after. I wouldn’t buy a BMW again but that’s because I don’t want another uncomfortable “driver’s car” and not because of the service which has been flawless.

MF

That BMW dealer probably noticed the Rolex you were wearing on your wrist =)
Nat

I bought my first lexus at 19 and i walked into the bmw dealership and they basically said no test drive to young and thought i was wasting their time so i walked into the lexus dealers who treated me like i was family they gave me an rx350 and said go for a drive.

I came back and bought the car not only was it so good to sit up there at lexus of brisbane in their coffee shop and sign the papers no pressure have a coffee and cake and chat whilst your buying a car nothing more enjoyable.

Not only that they rang up several times over the course of a year to check on me and how the car was going i loved getting a service get a nice lexus all day and it comes back washed cleaned and immaculate whilst not costing a friggen fortune like bmw and merc charge for a service.

People dont buy lexus’ to be the fastest away from the lights or to drive up a mountain range they want a gorgeously luxurious car that is quiet smooth comfortable and just an all round pleasure to own.

Once you own a lexus you want to continue within the range although i wish they made something with a diesel and a bigger fuel tank for long range country cruising the lx570 just a bit to thirsty for my liking.

But i say i will definitely get another they are perfect cars magic in every way and just great to own!!
Luxury009

LOL! No Rolexes for me. More a Cartier boy. But I was wearing a Kenneth Cole cheapie that day.

Save It for the track

How nice for people to be cosetted in their luxo barge. No noise, no need to check under their bonnet, don’t bother checking their tyres. People that buy these things shouldn’t bother driving at all if they don’t want to see or hear the engine. It’s a driver’s and owners ultimate responsibility to ensure their car is roadworthy, not the mechanic or workshop they might go to once or twice a year. Good luck having a problem with one these in outback Aus (on a tarred road) with no mobile phone service..

MF

Obviously you have not driven a luxury car before. Do you know how many monitors they put in cars of that price? And seriously…how old is your car? that u need to check under the bonnet so often.

If there is something wrong with your car, you probably will notice right after you start driving it; If there is something subtly wrong, you cannot tell just by “looking” under the bonnet anyway, unless you are an experienced mechanic and have the adequate equipments. Everything under the bonnet that an average Joe is able to inspect is still readily accessible on this car. Those plastic covers can be easily removed too. Mind you, many Mercedez models and other premium brands also cover the engine so as to provide a neat and elegant feel. Your statement of “if you do not want to see/hear the engine, stop driving” is quite laughable.
Luxury009

What’s the point of spending money on a luxury car if you want to see or hear the engine or feel the road? Unless buying a convertible.

mrxandthexfactor

Mercedes-Benz ML-63 AMG
Audi Q7
just not a Lexus for noise and sports performance

NotTheStig

Typical Toyota style horrible fake (?) wood and a interior where nothing matches with text, switches and displays of differing sizes and fonts.

There just isn’t any value here over a Kluger…

Dan

Lexus uses REAL wood in all their vehicles. Also each vehicle with wood has all wood sourced from the same tree so the grain is the same on all panels within the car. They have an extremely high attention to detail.

Wazza

Just seems overpriced.

stevo

Overprice to what? X5/ML?

Hung Low

Hard to see why one would pass on a Volvo XC60 instead of this!

stevo

Each to their own I say.

The Lexus is a more refined vehicle than the XC60.

GTI_Mr

What is a ‘refinement’? I am asking this seriously as I keep seeing ‘refined’ for the likes of BMW, Lexus and Mercs.
Hung Low

Yes you are correct about refinement, but some would say the better interior/exterior design, choice of diesel and cheaper entry price of the Volvo might be a deal breaker!

brent

This is 2nd hand information but my wife (who drives an RX350) just went out with a friend in their new Volvo SVU and she said she couldn’t believe how “plastic” the interior was.

The Lexus interior is okay (plenty of soft touch plastics and a reasonable amount of leather but nothing fantastic) , so the Volvo must be pretty ordinary ……….if I can rely on the missus LOL.

brent

SUV (XC60)…..

Octavian

This is a nice car, if people like to use 4WDs for family taxis instead of 4WDing. Mediocre boot space though isn’t it compared to Kluger?
Keroke

Yeah the wood work on Lexus is tje best

matt

bar rolls royce.

Devil’s Advocate

I find it interesting that Lexus concentrate so much on the leather/wood/NVH etc, but they still use what looks to be the clock from a mid 80s Corona! I remember seeing that same style clock in the LS600hL at the Sydney Motorshow last year. I was also surprise to see that the Climate Control temperature setting display also use the same type of simple digital display as well. Doesn’t seem to fit in with the other kinds of “high tech” displays they use throughout the rest of the car…
David

Re inane negative comment on a foot operated brake in the article.

I was always influenced by car mags poo poohing these until I bought a Toyota with a footbrake last year.

Love it! Easy to use and very intuitive. I don’t know what the issue is……

Benjie

How on earth is it intuitive?

It’s backyard engineering by a slack Lexus. They’re already using a Toyota engine and transmission, the least they could do is fit an electronic/hydraulic park brake.

Camski

How is it different to a Mercedes-Benz?

No one complains about them. Only difference is there’s a hand release lever by your right knee instead of stomping on the foot lever a second time. Debatably, that’s even ‘stupider’ [read: ‘less intuitive’).

This, might I add, comes from experience.

stevo

It’s ironic that you don’t hear people complain about the footbrake in Merc for decades coz it’s a ‘Merc’ but the moment Lexus switched to footbrake, everyone says that’s a stupid thing.

Moving the handbrake between the front seats to footbrake means the interior can be better packaged, and once you are accustomed to it, it does make more sense. Now, some cars are equipped with e-brake and some of your probably think that’s a smart thing but guess what, try doing hillstarts with e-brake!!.

Benjie

Almost every hydraulic handbrake equipped vehicle on the market comes with a hill-start feature.

It’s one of the key reasons behind the technology…I’d suggest driving some cars with a hydraulic handbrake before making pointless commentary.

Benjie

It’s just as stupid in my opinion. There’s no defending the fact that it’s one of the oldest technologies out there that needs to be serviced and maintained.

It defies logic why manufacturers still use it.

Hung Low

Right on! I do not see any issue with a foot brake and like you mentioned neither did the reviewers when its fitted to a Mercedes in the past!
F1MotoGP

What I like about Lexus is reliability, quality, comfort, and the long list of standard features that a Lexus badge guarantees. In UK for the 10th year in a row it has come top in the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study. Owners provide detailed evaluations of their vehicles and dealers, which cover 67 attributes grouped in four measurements of satisfaction. In order of importance, they are: vehicle appeal (37%), which includes performance, design, comfort and features; vehicle quality and reliability (24%); ownership costs (22%), which includes fuel consumption, insurance and costs of service/repair; and dealer service satisfaction (17%).

Hung Low

Good after sales service is a good way to skew JD power surveys despite all their recalls in the past couple of years. Obviously if the situation has been handled well with the owners, it gives a big tick to the “owner satisfaction” survey!

Johnno

I ended up buying the Merc ML for a number of reasons despite the Lexus being superior in value for money. 1) Diesel engine. Despite the unrefinement and noisy nature of the engine, diesel engines are tough and have superior lifespans. Lexus are missing out on a market that valeus this style of engine 2) The space in the back of an ML offers enough room to put 3 baby seats. The lexus is actually smaller despite having grown in size. 3) Mercedes went close to matching the pricing.

Post sales has been excllent. My wife has been sent to the ballet and I have been given a day out at Golf. Car is washed, etc. Reliability has been exemplary.
spvd02

Absolutely, completely and utterly ill-proportioned and ugly! How could they allow a car to hit the market when it looks like this?!
Golfschwein

VILE!!! I’d have anything else, be it Sportage, Tiguan, XC60….ANYTHING!!!
carlos

In US, the RX350 only costs about $40k, the price of top spec Mazda CX-7 here. As AUD is now higher than USD, we are all being ripped off in Australia..

F1MotoGP

Not really! The average yearly earnings in Australia for 2010 was $56,950. In the US, it was $46,326.

Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says there are crucial differences between the two markets and that flows onto the retail prices.

“Basically, we pay more tax,” he says. “There is GST, luxury-car tax and import tax on each car.

“That’s the starting point. Australia is a tiny market – we have a one-million a year vehicle market, the US is about 30 million. You get a discount for buying in volume.

“Australia is a small market but it is geographically huge and needs similar levels of personnel and nationwide support and service as the US.

“Then we have specific emission and design regulations which Mercedes-Benz at the factory has to engineer and comply. We, Mercedes-Benz Australia, pays for that – not Mercedes in Germany. So that gets passed on to the customer.

“Our geographical isolation means we carry cars on shipping routes that aren’t well travelled, so that costs extra. “The other important factor is model range. We sell everything from a Smart Fortwo to a 140-tonne truck and everything – cars, vans, trucks – in between.

“The US has a much smaller model range. For example, they have no four-cylinder engine versions available in the C-Class and E-Class and have no A-Class or B-Class models.”

Source: Carsguide – Why cars cost more here than in the US

Nick

One of my favourite features about Lexus is that they will come and pick it up for a service which is handy since it takes me 45 minutes to get to the service centre(and you get free mints, your car cleaned&vacuumed) with the service. Another feature I like is the comfort of the seats in our current lexus the IS250 is soo nice and if we get this one (the RX350 I am sure it will be just as great with some extra leg room . The power tailgate is also a nice touch. The other thing I like is the lack of options (as in they include everything) except the moon roof is $3000 (wtf?) and the fancy sound system is over $1000

@Jeremy it is called a hybrid they are much more echonomical then a diesel ML which isn’t as comfy as good looking, or as nice to drive and you have to option everything ON!