Lexus RX300 (2003 – 2006) Review

2023 Lexus RX 350h 2.5 5dr E-CVT [Premium Plus Pack]

Lexus RX
350h 2.5 5dr E-CVT [Premium Plus Pack]
£50,650

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Lexus RX300 (2003 – 2006) At A Glance

Generously equipped, luxurious interior. Nicer to drive than a Range Rover. Extremely well screwed together.

Modest ability off road. UK denied 7-seat option. Likes petrol too much and is heavy on tyres.

What do owners think of the Lexus RX300 (2003 – 2006)? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with the car day in, day out.

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Reviews for Lexus RX300 (2003 – 2006)'s top 3 rivals

BMW X5

Spacious and practical interior. Huge road presence. Good choice of engines including xDrive 30d. Available...

Cadillac SRX

Seats seven, comes with plenty of equipment.

Mercedes-Benz ML-Class

Comfortable ride, tidy handling, excellent engines including 320 CDI, plenty of safety kit, upmarket...

Ask Honest John

Buying a used car for £11k - Lexus or Volvo?

"I wish to buy a quality car that I can get into easily. I'm looking at the Lexus RX and the Volvo XC90. They would need to be around 6 - 10 years old reflecting a limited budget of £11,000. What should I look for I.e. Cam belt, gearbox etc?"

The Lexus is likely to be the more reliable and lower maintenance. But Rx 400h and 450h are more common than the petrol engined models. Rx engines are chain cam. XC90 engines are belt.

Answered by Honest John

Replacing Lexus RX300 - what should I buy?

"I’m looking to replace my Lexus RX300. I’ve had the cars for eight years and have found it to be very reliable and comfortable. I'm looking to purchase a new/nearly new car and I am looking at the Lexus 450h as a starting point. Are there other SUVs I should consider? I have £40,000 to spend and cover 8000 miles a year. "

Other manufacturers are introducing prestige hybrid SUVs: Mercedes, Volkswagen and Porsche. But given your happy history with Lexus, I'd stick with it.

Answered by Honest John

The steering failed on my Lexus RX300 - have you heard of this before?

"Rather unnervingly, this morning the steering on my 2004 Lexus RX300 temporarily failed twice. From cold, 100 yards into my journey there is a left downhill bend and the steering did not work for a second or two, then on the next right which is quite sharp it wanted to go straight on and needed a fair bit of fighting/coaxing to get it round. Both bends are slow, about 5-10 mph max. After that it seemed fine although there were no more sharp turns. There have been hints of this problem before but not like today. Have you heard of this before and what would you do please?"

There was a recall for this in the USA in 2011. See: www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/lexus/rx300-2003/ Get onto the nearest Lexus dealer about it because Toyota is very sensitive to any safety related problem and you may get it fixed under goodwill.

Answered by Honest John

Is £10,600 a fair price for a 2004 Lexus RX300?

"I am considering buying a used Lexus RX 300 (from Lexus dealership), it looks in very good condition, has had one previous owner and has only done 58,000 miles. With the part-ex on my E320 estate I will be paying £10,600 in total, it is on the forecourt for £11,700 - do you think this is a reasonable price?"

Glass's Guide retail prices for an 04 are from £7,220 for the base model to £8,840 for the absolute top SE-L. No justification for asking £10,600. The lower than book mileage is only worth a maximum of £450 extra.

Answered by Honest John