Test Drive Lexus RX 2004 - 2008 SUV

Far relatives

BMW X3.
Released since 2003 is offered in Russia from 2004.
It is produced with three engines by row gasoline gears 2.5 and 3.0 l with a capacity of 141 kW / 192 liters. with. and 170 kW / 231 liters. with. and Turbodiesel 3.0 l, 150 kW / 204 liters. with.
Option for the Russian market so far only with a 3-liter gasoline engine. Two others will soon be represented. For all cars, a six-speed mechanical transmission or a five-speed automatic is possible.
Price from 55 900 euros. Test car 56 900 euros.

Lexus RX300.
Released since 2003.
Currently, it is completed with two engines with gasoline V6, 3.0 and 3.3 l with a capacity of 150 and 169 kW (204 and 230 l.), Front or full drive, automatic transmission.
The Russian market comes only with a full drive and an engine of 3.0 liters. Pneumatic suspension with the adjustment of the road lumen in the R2 and R3 equipment.
The price is from $ 56,400 (equipment R1) to $ 65,900 (R3). Test car $ 65,900.

Land Rover Freelander.
Received since 1997, restyling in the fall of 2003.
Execution options: three- and five-door body, gasoline engines 1.8 l, 86 kW / 117 liters. with. and 2.5 l, V6 130 kW / 177 liters. with. (only with automatic transmission) and turbodiesel 2.0 l, 82 kW / 112 liters. with.
Only models with gasoline engines are supplied to Russia. Standard levels of configuration S, SE, HSE.
The price of basic modifications with an engine 1.8 liters from $ 28,900,
2.5 V6 from $ 35,900 to 39 900. Test car $ 37,400.

On the roads of them every day more and more. Crossovers, parcktails, cars for outdoor activities as soon as they do not call these versators with a full drive and a light off-road slope in appearance. Such a variety of models gives a lot of opportunities to manifest individuality.
Today in our test the holders of six-cylinder engines and automatic transmissions privileged class among compact oscidences. However, the compactness is the concept of relative: Lexus, for example, noticeably longer than rivals, a lend rover is higher, and the leader on the wheelbase BMW.
STYLE AND MEANS
A real sacrifice, undoubtedly a very serious and male car. His style is rough, massive, chopped. Parketniks have nothing like you will not find anything. The most aggressive appearance is the BMW X3, but it is deprived of stylistic sharpness. An unusual silhouette with a branded long hood, short skes are massive bumpers and black threshold lining. The rear bumper looks even too heavy and bulky against the background of the car itself.
The appearance of BMW X3 in many ways echoes the older brother BMW X5, but the youngest looks more compact and dynamic. The kit of an unpainted plastic hints to use outside roads. But it is worth it, because the new X-Drive transmission is designed primarily for smooth highways. Why a little later.
Old familiar (SM, 2003, No. 8) Lexus RX300 is not at all like the sort of road. Calm body design with intricate rear rack destroys box associations. Moreover, the Japanese is completely deprived of external attributes of every-propellability like plastic wheel arches and overhead patterns.
Feel the difference by looking at the Land Rover Flylander. His profile with the characteristic roof is not confused with someone else. Also expressive and his FAS, after restyling resembling Ranj Rover. Perhaps in our Trinity this is the most recognizable car in any perspective.
COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE
Starts with fitting on itself. It is easiest to take a driver's or passenger seat in Lexus comfortable openings, large door opening angles, the optimal height of the seats, automatically departing after turning off the ignition steering wheel, the widest salon. Rear seat design unobtrusively reminds it for two. But they will not call them the traveling economy class with a rear seat away, you can accommodate quite comfortable.
Pillows and backrests are soft and welcoming. However, their configuration is not so lucky to the driver of medium height, and the higher the high cushion. But the range of adjustments, including the steering wheel. To the devices planted in deep wells with electroluminescent illumination and it is difficult to present a claim at all. Even more difficult to reproach them in the modesty of finishing.
Against this background, the BMW is not so unambiguous, the high fit is combined in it with a high level of gender, so that the sensations behind the wheel x3 are rather reminded by a passenger car than the sough. Deliberately grown interior tries to convince in the opposite. Even on the touch skin on the steering wheel rough and cells so conceived? But, for example, finishing the seat longitudinal seams only style element or something more?
However, much more importantly, the seat itself. Perhaps, only a very thin driver will not praise his profile and lateral support to all the others will have to taste and form, and a huge move of longitudinal adjustment. But with the vertical you do not walk even in the car without a hatch soon you will soon rest in the ceiling.
The stock in the width is sufficient, but feel freedom does not give protruding doors. With the impressive height of the cabin, the rear seat cushion, on the contrary, is very low above the head is full of place, and the knees are uncomfortable too bent. I wonder how much the back weighs when laying it seems that you raise the cast iron hatch. Of course, the requirements of passive security are holy, and she catches the cargo at the accident, but in this, not otherwise, armor plates
It will not very please the Russian drivers the lack of full size: there is no place for her. If you put a 17-inch wheel to the floor, it grows almost the entire luggage compartment. By the way, the movable floor in it can be delivered either a fellow side up for pure luggage, or rubberized for ski, fishing and other sizes.
Finally, Land Rover. The best thing is that there is a branded, high, Lendrovier landing and low glazing line. Maneuvering in cramped conditions is easier than BMW with Parktronic. When everything can be seen, you do not need to think, in which ear is sicked. But the range adjustment range is hardly suitable for those who are above 185 cm and the ceiling is close, and the roof hangs a visor.
The driver of medium height is more comfortable here, although the adjustment of the seat in height is not provided. Heated and adjusting the lumbar backrest is, and up-down! Well, the driver in the growth of above average will face the problem of landing the doorway is large enough, but also the pillow is high. You will not hurt to risk the ear of the roof. It's all repeated from behind, with the only difference that the raised roof gives more space for the head. A high landing guarantees a comfortable position of the feet even in a long trip.
Flealender trunk is the most spacious, if you do not fold the rear seat. With folded, it is noticeably inferior to rivals, the car is where shorter. But there is no choice, it hangs on the back door is simple and accessible. The main thing is not for everyone who wants one of the bolts with the secret.
ROAD SIGNS
All-wheel drive cars with increased road lumen not created for dashing violars. But this does not apply to BMW. Perhaps, in controllability, X3 surpassed even the older brother BMW X5. Hardly another sacrifice is able to perceive the driver's demands so zealously and fulfill so confidently. Right, many cars have something to learn. The question is which price it is achieved.
If the car is uncompromising in management, look for a compromise in something else. In this case, donated the smoothness of the stroke and the sensitivity of the steering. Even on relatively smooth roads, BMW strains the driver in the intensity of vertical accelerations and a rather nervous steering wheel. Well, to catch up for the city on it not bad, but if the trip stretches for a thousand-different kilometers?
At such distances, Yellow Mike at Lexus. Its suspension easily cope with small and medium road defects, and even annoying waves on the asphalt he smoothes like an iron. Behind his steering wheel it seems that problems with the roads in Russia are solved. But it is not necessary to do it. Other Spring Surprises are able to pierce its suspension
Saving comfort and silentness are complemented by a strongly designed steering: it removes all the unpleasant sensations on a luxurious wooden ram. But it is not necessary to count on the accuracy of management: Lexus does not require every second trajectory control, but also does not invite you to pass turns too quickly. Rolls and the routine are too pronounced, and the intervention of an inset stabilization system is not always timely and also sharp.
From Flealender, honestly, miracles did not expect. But the reality turned out to be more attractive. Of course, it is necessary to get used to his control bodies. At first, unusually heavy steering wheel and gas pedal. They are responsible for the feeling of a large and heavy car, which causes this compact and not at all a severe sacrifice. Stability on straight is combined with quite adequate behavior with a sharp change of the strip, and overclocking dynamics with a completely terminated five-speed automatic machine. By the way, according to the layout, the main steam in the freelender is performed by a two-stage, and its total gear ratio is unreleased 5. So there is simply no actual increase in transmission from a small lend-rope. Pros, as usual, in the dynamics of acceleration, minus at fuel consumption. The owner of the most modest motor is not inferior in the appetite machines that are harmless to 300 kg and have superficiated parts of the engine.
The suspension pleased with a successful compromise with a very decent manageability, it is very energy-intensive, it copes well with a split, and with large coating defects. Perhaps the freelender is the only one of three cars capable of going to quickly not only on the broken asphalt, but also on a buggy primer that means the big move of the suspension!
Check outside expensive
Naturally, talking about the serious off-road abilities of our Trinity is frivolous. None of the cars have hard locks in the transmission, and the road clearance can not be called impressive. According to our dimensions on non-loaded machines, the leader of the freeleynder from 205 mm, then the BMW is from 195 mm and Lexus from 170 (the machine with a pneumatic suspension, presented on the test, is able to highlight 30 mm at speeds up to 50 km / h, increasing lumen up to 200) . However, the detailed advertising prospectus of the English oscidence mentions and modest 186 mm under the protection of the engine compartment.
The magnitude of the moves of the suspension Flealender, as we have noticed, ahead. Moving along the uneven field, he never hung the wheels. Lexus in the middle position of the pneumatic suspension copes with irregularities better than BMW, in the top worse: there is almost no passing stroke. Outside roads suspension BMW is clearly inappropriately very hard stabilizers of transverse stability. Not the best way to slip the X-Drive system, which automatically connects the front wheels when the rear is slipped. There is an assumption that Trokhan on the swallow sand will be problematic. However, these are only suspicions arising when observing how BMW X3 worked on a slippery rise.
Busy to compare the recommendations of manufacturers regarding overcoming obstacles. The instruction of Lexus is bypassing off the road side, the lend rover describes in detail the capabilities of the machine, the BMW only mentions that X3 is not created for off-road, but a maximum for bad roads. Do not specify the difference between a bad dear in Germany and in Russia it is obvious. But the declared BMW depth of the overcomes of the brown is higher than that of the lend Romete: 500 mm against 400. What is the confidence that H3 winners do not rush to force water obstacles? The half-meter is above the cutting of the doors, with all the resulting sorry, subject to the consequences.
We noted the other if the Lexus and Freelander when driving the puddles discard the water to the side, then the BMW waters its own windshield. And so much dirt sticks to its powerful thresholds after the primer, it is impossible to get out of the car, not staining the trousers.
Instead of wise thoughts
What is common between these three cars? Perhaps only the type of body, engine, all-wheel drive and five-speed automatic transmissions. The rest of the trinity resembles a swan, cancer and pike as you know, they can all swim, but everyone has their own specialization. Lexus sets the transfort transformation plank, BMW demonstrates aggressiveness and speed on a good road, Land Rover, despite the parquet entity, still retains a noticeable off-road slope. Despite the solid age (and the Freilender is the eighth year!), It demonstrates not only the permeability, but also good road manners. It is quite possible to attribute to the younger class of parquets, and a powerful engine and a strong list of additional equipment allows him to pay attention to potential buyers of more expensive cars.

The interior of this BMW is noticeably different from its passenger
fellow, what you can not say about landing driving. Among interesting details, we note the multifunctional armrest behind, the original combination of devices (small dials inside the tachometer); In the trunk anchor for mounting cargo.

The decoration of Lexus attracts a successful combination of expensive materials and first-class work, creating a raised mood. Stylishly decorated and perfectly read devices with fluorescent illumination. The rear seats are adjustable separately, which gives the advantage of high passengers.

The driver's seat of Land Rover will arrange those who are not higher than the average; In addition, intricate digitization of devices is poorly read. But it is quite comfortable rear sofa, although the nonsense. The glass fifth door is low, but does not know intermediate positions.

SUMMARY
BMW X3.
+ Excellent acceleration dynamics, exemplary handling, accurate steering, comfortable front seats, significant salon height.
- Small trunk volume, no full-size sprocket, hard suspension, high price, strongly polluted thresholds, X-DRIVE drive system is not optimal on slippery ground.

SUMMARY
Lexus RX300.
+ High suspension comfort, excellent noise insulation, spacious interior, separate rear seats with adjustment, excellent build quality and decoration.
- the driver isolation from the management process, the limited features of the configuration.

SUMMARY
Land Rover Freelander.
+ Good comfort and high suspension energy intensity, excellent visibility, the best indicators of geometric patency, a spacious trunk, full-size spare.
- heavy steering wheel and gas pedal, seats adjustment are uncomfortable for tall drivers, the location of the seats is not thought out relative to the doorway.
 
 
 
 

 

Anatoly Fomin. Photo: Konstantin Yakubov

A source: Journal "Behind the wheel"