Yup, my mom had one. Great car. Had it for a few years. When it hit 80k miles my dad asked me if I wanted to detail and sell it private party for a small commission. Sold it to a group of Russians who showed up in a 90s Benz and paid with a plastic bag full of money.
Under 100k miles? This one is just barely broken in. This is the perfect used car. It's interesting to see the early screen and integrated radio/HVAC controls. Lexus was on top of its game in the early 2000s. I don't understand the opposition to mirror tint, tint is tint. When I started high school, my band section leader had one of these. She also had an iPhone back when the iPhone was still new and rare.
These are one of my favorite cars. My family had a 2002 AWD in Vapor Blue Metallic (with the tiny NAV option, HIDs, heated seats) when I was in middle/high school and finally traded it on a Venza (mistake) in 2014. It had 347k miles when we traded it, completely original powertrain.
@@joannaquanttumphysics Ours was a 2011, and I just think it was a lemon honestly. We went through 3 water pumps, the entire interior started creaking and rattling around 60k miles, it rode like a horse and buggy, just all around not great. The V6 was incredibly potent and it was quicker than it had any right to be. It just wasn’t a great car to us, but again, I think it was a lemon. We got rid of it for a 2019 NX300 and my grandmother is much happier
I just bought a 2002 RX300 Coach Edition a few days ago. 238k miles. IMMACULATE on the inside. $3k. The car had been cared for. Neat seats and paint job. I replaced the rear struts, and it drives great. The engine is smooth, and so is transmission. AC could use a look. Cool, just not freezing. Summers coming. Overall well built, and I will enoy it.
As a proud owner of a 1st gen RX, this review made me happy to watch as I drive mine home from work. Lexus really did invent the segment as we know today and the RX is still the gold standard after all these years. Mine has 186k and still running strong, even though i lowered it, slapped on some 5Zigen wheels, and deleted the muffler lol Fantastic review!
9:46 - Toyota hit the nail so perfectly that they essentially created and defined the crossover segment. Everyone else followed suit - Mercedes ML, CR-V, Forester, X5, XC90, Aztek (no - that wasn't ahead of its time), Rendezvous, MDX, etc... They all came after Harrier & RAV4.
My grandma had only RX’s for years, and the mid 2010s era versions of this car are definitely the nicest cars ever! Soooo luxurious, such comfortable seats, incredible styling! I think the car she had was the Lexus 450? Absolutely stunning!
I argue every opportunity that this was the first luxury crossover SUV’s in the North American market. I still drive a ‘02 today, aside from the gas guzzling. it’s the best winter car I’ve owned.
I have to say I really appreciate these videos, I'm currently used-car shopping on an extreme budget and you frequently talk about cars that no-one else cares about anymore with a lot of detail and care- and with a perspective that only comes from research and modern knowledge on how these cars have held up over the years. Your work has been a pretty indispensable resource over and over again for me lately, thank you ^^
I got a 2000RX300, with the tow package that adds "power mode" basically an early form of sport mode and its pretty fun. The RX has been my solid as a rock daily driver and its just shy of 200k miles. Looks brand new (im a detailer and have paint corrected and ceramic coated it) and runs just about flawless
Just bought one with 140k miles for $800 because the owner thought it needed a transmission. $400 later in OEM knock sensor and harness, it’s out of limp mode and drives great.
My daily driver is an 03 RX300 with AWD and NAV. Absolutely fully loaded will go anywhere. Just like this one but with the rear roof spoiler. I love it and hate it. Gas mileage sucks. The mirror tint is my favorite part. I didn't realize it's illegal.
Lexus didn't put badging on the RX to differentiate the AWD models from the 2WD models, but they did for other Lexus and Toyota models. Kinda annoying that they'd do that.
My Grandpa owned a black 2002 RX300 with tan interior. Watching this video brought back good memories when he would pick me up from school. Great video!
I remember when these arrived in the 90s. I was aware of the Toyota Harrier and I thought it looked odd. But...the Harrier and RAV4 were a couple of the first examples of the modern crossover (not considering the Eagle or XJ), so it was just different.
Having owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the 90's, I see the RX300 as an evolution of the luxury crossover/SUV than an invention. Volvo came out with the XC90 around the same time and the XC70 was a raised crossover station wagon based on the S70 sedan in the late 90s that wouldn't look out of date today. I own a 2nd gen RX350 today.
Had one 12 years ago and the guy still has it with over 250k on it same color and all as this one featured only thing went wrong was lcd on dash , ac compressor and blendor actuator
Good review but next time, get the snow off of it and show us a clean car. And yes it's an awesome car. 25 years later my 1999 RX300 runs flawlessly. Styling was and remains great.
I never liked the Lexus RX. Don't get me wrong, I know that it is a very well-built vehicle, but it just seems like it is a fancier but less useful Highlander. I would much prefer a Highlander over an RX.
I thought he was going to when he mentioned the engine and its use in other Toyota products. That would have been a good opportunity to connect the RX to the Camry, Avalon, ES300, and Sienna, all of which shared a version of the platform.
I fully agree with you Zack Lexus back then was so much better the cars were much more comfortable the materials were a lot better and a much better value this Is like the only generation on rx I like the newest ones are absolutely hideous and not to mention all the technology crap and the rock hard seats and ugly hard plastics through out!
The Lexus RX300, the car everyone born in the 90s has rode in whether it was your moms or friends mom.
Your mom had some rich friends in the 90's
First BFB pass for older car and it happens to be my fav car brand thanks Lexus
Yup, my mom had one. Great car. Had it for a few years. When it hit 80k miles my dad asked me if I wanted to detail and sell it private party for a small commission. Sold it to a group of Russians who showed up in a 90s Benz and paid with a plastic bag full of money.
@@cunit80 in what
@@keithdosikyour mom
This interior just screams great build quality 👍🏾‼️
Exactly!!!
I have one at 200000 miles in the rust belt and it still is in great condition
My 2002 rx300 has 265k Miles and I got all the maintenance up to date , it still drives so smooth and is very reliable ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Under 100k miles? This one is just barely broken in. This is the perfect used car. It's interesting to see the early screen and integrated radio/HVAC controls. Lexus was on top of its game in the early 2000s. I don't understand the opposition to mirror tint, tint is tint.
When I started high school, my band section leader had one of these. She also had an iPhone back when the iPhone was still new and rare.
These are one of my favorite cars. My family had a 2002 AWD in Vapor Blue Metallic (with the tiny NAV option, HIDs, heated seats) when I was in middle/high school and finally traded it on a Venza (mistake) in 2014. It had 347k miles when we traded it, completely original powertrain.
I just bought a 2014 venza. Why do you regret getting one?
@@joannaquanttumphysics Ours was a 2011, and I just think it was a lemon honestly. We went through 3 water pumps, the entire interior started creaking and rattling around 60k miles, it rode like a horse and buggy, just all around not great. The V6 was incredibly potent and it was quicker than it had any right to be. It just wasn’t a great car to us, but again, I think it was a lemon. We got rid of it for a 2019 NX300 and my grandmother is much happier
My mom bought a 2002 form McGrath Lexus she wanted Vapor Blue so bad, it was hard to get. So she settled for a Burnished Gold Metallic as above.
I just bought a 2002 RX300 Coach Edition a few days ago. 238k miles. IMMACULATE on the inside. $3k. The car had been cared for. Neat seats and paint job. I replaced the rear struts, and it drives great. The engine is smooth, and so is transmission. AC could use a look. Cool, just not freezing. Summers coming. Overall well built, and I will enoy it.
As a proud owner of a 1st gen RX, this review made me happy to watch as I drive mine home from work. Lexus really did invent the segment as we know today and the RX is still the gold standard after all these years. Mine has 186k and still running strong, even though i lowered it, slapped on some 5Zigen wheels, and deleted the muffler lol Fantastic review!
I gotta see it, where can I?
9:46 - Toyota hit the nail so perfectly that they essentially created and defined the crossover segment. Everyone else followed suit - Mercedes ML, CR-V, Forester, X5, XC90, Aztek (no - that wasn't ahead of its time), Rendezvous, MDX, etc... They all came after Harrier & RAV4.
RX is the OG of the luxury crossovers!
@@bobchan1666nope, the Mercedes ML began production in February of 1997, the RX didn’t begin production until December of 1997
@@GermanCarGuyMNwell technically the ML isn't a crossover, it's a truck-based luxury SUV.
@@BadaBing.UCF30 technically, nothing from asian is luxury, the ml was the first
@@bobchan1666 its not luxury, its garbage toyota rebadging
the original crossover. these were pretty attractive for its time. they aged nicely too. love the mirror tint opposed to everyone else using black.
RAV4 would have been the original, assuming we don't count Eagles or Jeep XJ Cherokees. RAV4 came out a few years before the RX.
My Dad took one for a test drive in ‘99 and before he left the lot he bought it. Still in the family.
My grandma had only RX’s for years, and the mid 2010s era versions of this car are definitely the nicest cars ever! Soooo luxurious, such comfortable seats, incredible styling! I think the car she had was the Lexus 450? Absolutely stunning!
I always loved how this gen had those Altezza style rear lights with clear instead of red on the outside, looks cool
I argue every opportunity that this was the first luxury crossover SUV’s in the North American market. I still drive a ‘02 today, aside from the gas guzzling. it’s the best winter car I’ve owned.
I have to say I really appreciate these videos, I'm currently used-car shopping on an extreme budget and you frequently talk about cars that no-one else cares about anymore with a lot of detail and care- and with a perspective that only comes from research and modern knowledge on how these cars have held up over the years. Your work has been a pretty indispensable resource over and over again for me lately, thank you ^^
I got a 2000RX300, with the tow package that adds "power mode" basically an early form of sport mode and its pretty fun. The RX has been my solid as a rock daily driver and its just shy of 200k miles. Looks brand new (im a detailer and have paint corrected and ceramic coated it) and runs just about flawless
Love these 1G RXs, I thought those were always so cool
Just bought one with 140k miles for $800 because the owner thought it needed a transmission. $400 later in OEM knock sensor and harness, it’s out of limp mode and drives great.
This video made my Friday night!! That colour is spookily similar to my mk 2 2004 RX 300 I used to own
Owner from Taiwan, it’s a great car to have !!!
My daily driver is an 03 RX300 with AWD and NAV. Absolutely fully loaded will go anywhere. Just like this one but with the rear roof spoiler.
I love it and hate it. Gas mileage sucks.
The mirror tint is my favorite part. I didn't realize it's illegal.
Lexus didn't put badging on the RX to differentiate the AWD models from the 2WD models, but they did for other Lexus and Toyota models. Kinda annoying that they'd do that.
love my 99 rx300. I have the AWD version and it is made for the snow here in denver. I love driving in the snow.
If you don't mind sharing, how many miles?
@@sykojay 227,000
How do you tell that it's AWD? There's no badging anywhere on the car to tell.
@@damilolaakanni you have to look at the VIN. The fourth character should be an H
Looks like most of the small-to-medium SUV's on the market in 2024.
My Grandpa owned a black 2002 RX300 with tan interior. Watching this video brought back good memories when he would pick me up from school. Great video!
Great video as usual, Zack !
RX300 is timeless.
I just got a '99 the same day you uploaded this video. So dope seeing you do a review on one
Can’t wait for the next update on your Mazda CX-30! Love the videos!
You can't deny the quality of Lexus vehicles. I just hope Lexus continues this tradition of making a great product.
Have a 2017 RX 350 as our DD, but this 1st gen RX was legendary and revolutionized the luxury crossover
The original Lexus RX was based on the Toyota harrier sold in Japan. Today the carrier is the basis for the current Toyota Venza.
The 98 gs400 had dual zone, it wasn't too early, it just wasn't a higher optioned vehicle.
I remember when these arrived in the 90s. I was aware of the Toyota Harrier and I thought it looked odd. But...the Harrier and RAV4 were a couple of the first examples of the modern crossover (not considering the Eagle or XJ), so it was just different.
I always loved these. You still see a bunch on the road too.
Good detailed review, lexus always delivers when it comes to power and comfort, everything modern, nice 👍🏼
I was soooo jealous I never had one , I graduated H.S in 2003 and always wanted one
2:37 CRUISE (VANILLA SKY)
It was a nice review! I love the RX so much. 🥰 But I hope you can review the RX450h from the years 2010 to 2015.
Having owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the 90's, I see the RX300 as an evolution of the luxury crossover/SUV than an invention. Volvo came out with the XC90 around the same time and the XC70 was a raised crossover station wagon based on the S70 sedan in the late 90s that wouldn't look out of date today.
I own a 2nd gen RX350 today.
Had one 12 years ago and the guy still has it with over 250k on it same color and all as this one featured only thing went wrong was lcd on dash , ac compressor and blendor actuator
My 1999 has a Nakamichi sound syatem that rocks!
I think this what inspired other car companies to start building SUVs to create more space inside cars and superb driving
There wasn’t a 1998 Lexus RX300 here in the states. I’m not sure about elsewhere. It was 1999 model year here.
The cupholders definitely suck especially when the thing corners like a g
Finally my daily driver gets some love
The center trim piece in the dashboard has Scream by Edvard Munch vibes
Old Lexus still performs the best ❤️❤️❤️
Huge and enough space for all of us at home 3 kids n mom n dad ,I still mic tht car back then
Brother Zack i missed the old intro music 😢 it was so engaging ❤ from Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Good review but next time, get the snow off of it and show us a clean car. And yes it's an awesome car. 25 years later my 1999 RX300 runs flawlessly. Styling was and remains great.
Thanks Zack between you and Matt farah people will now know the secret of 1st gen rx300's lol well done as always though.
Didn’t mention that the rear seats recline somewhat.
This car sold faster then I can blink
Zack, I have never understood FWD CUVs. How much money did the buyer save on this luxury purchase by saying 'No bueno' to AWD?
They saved a ton since it shared its platform with the Camry, Lexus ES, and Avalon, and the RX had AWD available.
Not everyone needs or feels that they need AWD. Why pay for something they don't want?
@@bwofficial1776 Why do they need an elevated, heavier vehicle if they don't need AWD?
Greatly assembled ,a near perfect suv.
I never liked the Lexus RX. Don't get me wrong, I know that it is a very well-built vehicle, but it just seems like it is a fancier but less useful Highlander. I would much prefer a Highlander over an RX.
zack needs to review the 1st gen Lexus GS
you forget to mention that it was based on Lexus es 300
I thought he was going to when he mentioned the engine and its use in other Toyota products. That would have been a good opportunity to connect the RX to the Camry, Avalon, ES300, and Sienna, all of which shared a version of the platform.
It's also a LHD rebadged Toyota Harrier
Buying one same year for 3500 seems tone the best 3500 ive ever spent
This is not the original luxury crossover, the Mercedes ML began production in February 1997 and this began production in December 1997
The first gen mercedes ml was actually a body on frame suv
A crossover is car based and this was the first one to so. The Mercedes was a suv.
uh i think my 07 accord has that weird tint?you know because of that weird color
It was such luxury car in its time
I got to drive one of these with 200,000 miles. Car looked and felt like it has 20,000 miles.
Or you had the 2009 Venza which was a RX350 made cheaper
great car, first car
No matter how wealthy you were, there was no shame owning one of these back then.
Not familiar with Lexus but looks good
Those were great.
I love how people say station wagons are dead when SUV crossovers are just tall station wagons, like this car.
Family car this one with big space
Thattook way longerthan expected
Cool car.
I fully agree with you Zack Lexus back then was so much better the cars were much more comfortable the materials were a lot better and a much better value this Is like the only generation on rx I like the newest ones are absolutely hideous and not to mention all the technology crap and the rock hard seats and ugly hard plastics through out!
Great deal
I drive it every day
*for 2003* come on. Look how a 2003 Mercedes or bmw looked like. Lexus is just an ancient car
Buy me one few days ago
Lexus RX 300 is not suv, Mb ML is
Hi
I don't really care for the looks of that.
My cousin had one of these as her first car and I wish I had gotten a chance to ride in it!