Has anyone had experience with both the cayenne and the lexus rx series? I'd like to know about reliability, comfort, and how easy are they to drive. I'd think the cayenne would be the clear winner in performance.

 

IMHO, the Lexus is very much a feminine vehicle. Not even in the same league as far as I'm concerned......

 

Agreed.

 

I have an 04 Cayenne S and my ex-roomate (a girl) has an rx so I drove it every once in a while. They are not in the same league as far as performance. The Cayenne has better styling, handling, etc. I love my Cayenne. I've had some electrical issues, nothing major, that was common in 03 and 04 models. No mechanical issues except for bad coils and shaft which was also an 03-04 problem and covered under warranty. that said....

I think the lexus out performs the cayenne in terms of :
1. Comfort: The lexus has plusher seats and soft leather, power steering is extremely soft, (cayenne is harder due to its performance orientation). The lexus has a softer suspension so ride "softness" is better as well. Very easy to drive excpet backing up since the rear window is small and the rear seats/pillars block visibility.
2. Reliability: Let's face it, even though I love german engineering, Japanese cars will outlast anything out there. I also have a 2000 nissan pathfinder that still runs almost like new after 9 years. Japanese cars also seem to be less prone to issues.

That being said, I would always pick a Cayenne over an RX due to its performance nature, looks, drive feel, etc. and it's more manly.

The rx is associated with soccer moms, so if it's for your wife, its a perfect gift.

 

Same here.

 

Owned a Lexus RX300 for 3 years as a family DD till recently trade in for a CTT. There is no turning back since then ....

To be fair, the RX is a fine SUV on its own. Highly reliable and trouble free (you got to give it to the Japs) and definitely a lot less thirsty than the current beast I am driving now. But there is no way in hell I would rate it anyway close to the Cayenne. Despite its sports car setting ( the CTT is chipped to 500+ hp with 22" Kahn wheels), the CTT is a great joy to drive. At Comfort setting (air suspension), the ride is as good as the RX and the steering feedback is as good as any sports car I have driven before. When the CTT throttle opens for the turbo boost .....ahhh ... am in driving Nirvana Land....

 

It would be technically a work vehicle too. I'm just trying to justify paying more to get a cayenne.

 

It depends on your needs and wants, if you want a performance SUV vs a comfort cruising SUV.

 

the Cayenne is more luxurious in every single way, esp with the full leather and alcantara headliner.

The only thing that is somewhat equal if not slightly better is the touchscreen nav.

Besides that the cars are in completely different leagues and shouldn't even be compared. I could buy a few of the RX's for one of my GTS.

bah.

happy motoring.

Are you comparing fit and finish, or are you comparing the longevity of a Japaneese car?

 

MIL has an RX 350, which as you'd expect is utterly reliable and completely devoid of any driving flavor...even describing it as "vanilla" would be a stretch. My 6-speed CGTS is a habanero chile... extremely hot and, at times, overwhelming and prone to induce tears (of joy, when driving; of pain when dealing with the ownership costs and probable reliability issues down the road). The 2 vehicles are just entirely different and I couldn't imagine cross-shopping. The only other Cayennes I've driven are the Turbo, a GTS tip, and a manual V6, so I can't comment on the more popular V6 tip or S.

For Japanese reliability with a bit more driver involvement, the new Infiniti FX or Acura MDX might be worth looking into. As a car lover, the RX is just such an "appliance" that I'd never even consider it.

 

In the past I have had a RX300, and a SC400, and both were extremely good, well made, refined vehicles. Lexus does make top notch, reliable "modes of transportation". That being said though I do not know that I would ever buy one again...they both lacked some character which made you WANT to drive them, no soul or something. Excellent transportation but really boring.

Comparing my past 04 Cayenne TT and my current 08 Cayenne GTS to the RX300, there is really no comparison and I cannot add to what has already been written, except that I am 6'5" and I definitely have more head and legroom in the Cayennes compared to the RX. Everything in the dash was also very low in the RX300; I felt like I was riding on the car rather than in it.

 

Lexus makes a very good vehicle but both are designed for a completely different type of person. Lexus=comfort Porsche=performance