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2008 Lexus RX

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Overview

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2008 Lexus RX Review

By KBB.com Editors

One of the most successful crossover SUV offerings in the history of the genre, the mid-size RX series continues to attract buyers with its distinctive combination of style, luxury, comfort and safety. This line of car-based five-passenger family haulers includes both the volume-leader RX 350 and the RX 400h Hybrid (reviewed separately), and offers V6 power in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. Key RX 350 competitors in the prolific mid-size premium SUV/crossover segment include the Acura MDX, BMW X3 and X5, Cadillac SRX, Infiniti FX35 and FX45, Lincoln MKX and Mercedes-Benz ML350.

You'll Like This Car If...

With its luxury-sedan sophistication, SUV versatility, first-class creature and safety features plus a premium Lexus pedigree, the RX 350 deserves serious consideration from anyone shopping for a single vehicle with a truly multifaceted personality.

You May Not Like This Car If...

Those who regularly plan to head off-road would be happier with a more SUV-like alternative like a Land Rover LR2 or Mercedes-Benz ML350. When towing duties matter most, the Acura MDX and BMW X5 both offer greater maximum capacity.

What's New for 2008

The RX 350 receives only detail changes for 2008, including two new exterior colors, chrome door handles and a revised grille design. Inside, black bird's-eye maple wood trim is now available with the light grey interior and a positive shutoff switch has been added to the standard Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system.

Driving the RX

Driving Impressions Given its primary mission as a luxury-oriented carryall, the RX 350's cabin is well isolated from wind and road noise. With chassis tuning focused more on ride comfort than precision...

handling, it's also better suited to effortless cruising than to attacking a twisty two-lane. However, a relatively compact 37.4-feet turning circle makes the RX 350 fairly easy to maneuver in tighter confines, while the available four-position air suspension can raise itself to clear obstacles, lower itself for cruising and even dip for easier entry and exit. A viscous center coupling in the optional all-wheel-drive system can transfer power fore or aft from the normal 50/50 split to instantly compensate for changing traction conditions. All RX 350s come with an effective Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) package that gets a new positive cutoff switch to indulge more enthusiastic drivers and the anti-lock disc brakes excel in short, drama-free stops.

Favorite Features

Power Rear Liftgate
This thoughtful standard opens and closes the RX 350's large one-piece liftgate at the touch of a button on the key fob or the dash, making it quicker and easier to load and unload the cargo bay.

Optional Multi-Panel Moonroof
Available in place of the conventional power moonroof, this three-element alternative is 150 percent larger and lets in 250 percent more outside light but creates no additional wind noise. It comes in a package that also includes leather upholstery, corner-following bi-xenon Adaptive Headlamps and a power tilt and telescoping steering column.

2008 Lexus RX Details

Interior

Living up to its Lexus heritage, the RX 350's space-efficient cabin has a quality appearance with an impressive level of fit and finish. Standard cloth upholstery, signature Optitron electroluminescent gauges and real wood trim are complemented by a major assortment of comfort and convenience touches. This sophisticated five-passenger transporter pairs supportive 10-way power seats with a 40/20/40 rear bench that splits, folds, slides, reclines, and will comfortably handle two full-size adults or a trio of kids. Accessed by a power liftgate, the RX 350's cargo bay can hold 38.3 cubic feet of your carry-on items with the rear seat up and 84.7 cubic feet with the seatbacks flipped forward and down.

Exterior

Consciously avoiding the harder angles and squared-off edges favored by traditional SUVs, the RX 350 celebrates its crossover character by matching rounded body contours with well-defined accent lines and passenger-friendly proportions. Its smartly raked windshield and large glass area help improve driver sightlines while both front and rear doors are large enough to ensure easy access to all seats. Crystalline head- and tail-lamp covers, subtle chrome highlights on the grille and door handles and S-rated 225/65 all-season tires on handsome 17-inch alloy wheels emphasize its upscale personality.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

Passenger-pleasing appointments abound in the RX 350, starting with ivory-colored cloth upholstery, walnut or bird's-eye maple wood accents, a mega-roster of power assists headed by 10-way power seats and a power liftgate, dual-zone automatic climate control and an eight-speaker AM/FM/CD unit with six-disc changer. Other highlights include a driver information system, cruise control, numerous modest storage cubbies plus a large locking glovebox, dual 12-volt powerpoints and an anti-theft system. Leading the list of safety features are Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control (TRAC), antilock disc brakes with Brake Assist (BA) circuitry and front, front-side and side-curtain airbags plus a driver's-side knee airbag.

Optional Equipment

The RX 350 offers several grouped upgrades, beginning with a Premium Package that includes leather upholstery, a power moonroof, power tilt and telescoping steering column and memory for the driver's seat, mirrors and steering wheel. The Premium Plus Package adds bi-xenon Adaptive Front Lighting (AFS) to that mix while the Performance Package brings special 18-inch wheels with V-rated 235/55 tires, four-mode air suspension and a five-speed sequential automatic transmission. Other extras include an oversize multi-panel moonroof, 11-speaker/210-watt Mark Levinson premium audio system, voice-activated navigation system with rear backup camera, rear-seat DVD entertainment system, rain-sensing windshield wipers, distance-maintaining Dynamic Laser Cruise Control and a towing package.

Under the Hood

Both front-drive and all-wheel-drive RX 350 models use an identical 3.5-liter all-aluminum V6 that features Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) to help bolster low and mid-range responsiveness. Smooth and free-revving, it makes a very enthusiastic 270 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque. The standard transmission is an equally efficient five-speed automatic, and included in the Performance Package is sequential shifting. That matchup allows both front and all-wheel drive RX 350s to run from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than 7.5 seconds and still earn class-competitive fuel economy numbers from the EPA. Step up to the optional towing package and the trailering capability on either RX 350 variant jumps from 2,000 to 3,500 pounds.

3.5-liter V6
270 horsepower @ 6200 rpm
251 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/23(FWD), 17/22(AWD)

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2008 Lexus RX Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

9.1

Out of 10

Based on 436 Ratings for the 2004 - 2008 models.

Review this car

Value

9.0/10

Quality

9.3/10
Reliability

9.3/10

Performance

9.0/10
Comfort

9.2/10

Styling

9.2/10

Love this car and still not ready to trade

By maccorgi (OH) on Friday, July 12, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 144,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Fun to drive, great comfort and enjoyable"

Cons: "cup holders in the back would be great"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I have kept excellent records on the care and maintenance of this car - find it hard to let it go even though it have such high milage. I have never had any problems with this car and it is 7 years old."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Highly Reliable Vehicle

By JJ (International) on Tuesday, July 02, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 130,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Excellent driving dynamics, very comfortable interior, highly reliable. Definitely recommend this vehicle."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Overall, a very, very nice car.

By JS in Redding (CA) on Tuesday, May 28, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 124,167

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Great ride, nice stereo & interior, reliable"

Cons: "Gas mileage"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"We test drove a Honda CRV, Lexus RX330, and a Nissan Murano. Only the Lexus wowed us. It cost more, but you often get what you pay for. I have never regretted buying this car."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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Above Ave Mid Size SUV

By jk (OH) on Thursday, May 23, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 85,000

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 8/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "smooth driver"

Cons: "ignition coil replacement - costly."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"Overall RX350 has been great to drive. known issues (buyer beware) AFS light blinking, Ignition coils failing. Front ones easy to replace yourself. Rear ones will cost you $800 (Do rear {3} all at once. Rear Power Trunk struggles to work in the winter time."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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I love this car!

By Stealth Rabbit (CA) on Tuesday, April 30, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 103,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "Style, reliability, value and smooth ride"

Cons: "Design of cockpit, floor mats"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I like to keep my cars until the wheels fall off! I hesitated to buy (new) because of the price but in the long run, I came out ahead. Love the tightness, smooth ride, gas mileage and reliability. I got the first year body style and it still lookes fresh, still get compliments. I pulled a boat across country with no trouble. I haul dogs, stuff from Home Depot by day and take it out on the town at night! All I've done with it is change oil, tires and scheduled maintenance. The only things I'd change are the front passenger floor mats (not secure, bunch-up), the front dash is a little confusing (wipers, knobs, dials, settings require a degree from MIT, or am I just stupid?), and the arrangement of the cockpit could have been more efficient."

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

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Best vehicle

By wolfe (AZ) on Sunday, April 14, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 36,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Great reliability and style"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Best vehicle that I've ever owned. Owned new Lincolns for over 30 years, they were reliable, but never had one as long as I've had this Lexus...I still love it, even though I've had it for over 10 years."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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See all 436 reviews