Lexus RX300 (2003 – 2006) Review

2024 Lexus RX 500h 2.4 Direct4 F-Sport 5dr Auto [Takumi]

Lexus RX
500h 2.4 Direct4 F-Sport 5dr Auto [Takumi]
£59,901

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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.

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...

Model History

January 0001

January 0001

Longer RX300 for 2003 with 7-seat option in some markets, new 5-speed autobox, Euro IV emissons, more power, better economy and same Lexus reliability.

In UK from 16-5-2003, priced from £28,950. Top models have Active Front Lighting System; power tailgate, drivers knee airbag, colour rear view CTV.

SE with Navigator costs £35,100. SE-L with wood finish pack costs £38,100. Engine still belt-cam.

Has reversing camera with colour screen and special marking to guide you into parking spaces. Very luxurious interior. Strong competitor to road-oriented SUVs like the X5. Less 'aggressive' than X5. Genuinely nicer to drive and handle on the road than a Range Rover. Top marque in 2004 J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey. Top marque in 2006 J.D. Power UK Customer Satisfaction Study, earning the 2006 Gold Award for a sixth successive year with 873 points out of 1000, well above the industry average of 791 points.

What to watch out for

01-01-0001:

Sudden battery draindowns can be caused by the connection between the bulkhead switch and the air conditioning. With those made in Taiwan, when the ignition key is removed it is possible that the air conditioning does not disconnect (there is no visible/audible indication of this)- and the battery can be drained within 3/4's of an hour. You must ensure that the air conditioning is separately switched off before you turn off the ignition or the failure could recur. Best to replace the Taiwan-made connection with its German made counterpart."

Damp luggage area can be due to water ingress via the rear light seals.

15-03-2011:

Rear parking brake mechanism prone to seizing up and can cost a lot of time at high Lexus labour rates to fix. One reader had to spend £718, including 3.7 hours of labour at £115 per hour + VAT.

01-01-2012:

Rear quarterlight trim prone to falling off. Replacement costs £170 because trim and quaterlight glass can only be bought together.