Need advice on my next car upgrade (RX350h) - Upgrading from a 2015 Highlander with a 2.0T 8AR-FTS engine.
Greetings my fellow Lexus owners!
I currently own a 2016 2.0T Toyota Highlander AWD (YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT A 2L TURBOCHARGED HIGHLANDER) in China.
The car's been great so far and despite many Lexus IS/NX200t owners reporting issues with the 8AR-FTS engine, I have never seen a check engine light on mine. I just do servicing at the regular 10,000kms as prescribed by GAC Toyota here and the other fluids like transmission, differential and etc at their normal intervals.
We've clocked about 107,000 kms since August 2016.
The main issues are:
- The car consumes too much fuel. I get around 14L/100km in City.
- Cosmetically, the car is ageing. The seats aren't as comfy and supportive as they used to be. Now my back hurts on longer drives. The interior panels rattle and squeak. The speakers sound distorted at louder volumes. Then there are scratches on the interior door panels and all that.
We bought the car for CNY ¥380,000 in 2016 including everything and now the car's resale value is like CNY ¥75,000. The new Highlander Hybrid (Top of the line trim) sells for ¥350,000 including all the bells and whistles and E-Four.
The thing is... the eCVT ain't as fun as the 6AT. Yes the savings are massive but yeah.
-I can't go for the 2.0T S20A engine option as that does not come with many features here.
My other options are the Lexus RX350h... But with that I pay too much of a premium and have to compromise on a lot of space. And same story applies here that the I can't go for the RX300 with the 2.0T S20A engine option as that does not come with many features here.
Then the Sienna Hybrid is massive and doesn't really give you the respect...
YES its super practical!
YES its amazing and comfortable!
But... people see you as a chauffeur in that car.
So really... I don't have many options. I do like the BMW X5 30Li, yes the B48 is reliable but the differentials on the X5 aren't.
I don't wanna go for the Chinese options because they're LITERALLY just tablets attached to a chassis with wheels. And to be honest, no one uses all those features that they offer on a daily basis.
The Cadillac XT6 is extremely unreliable. The Mercedes GLC is too small (comparatively) and I already own a 2024 BMW iX3 so no point getting a X3.
Another option is to restore my car completely. They'll properly clean the engine, install new gaskets and clean all cylinders. The car will get a fresh new coat of paint and better Nappa leather seats and obviously a better stereo system. A new Lexus Kit.
This will cost me about ¥35,000-¥40,000. BUT THE CAR'S RESALE VALUE IS ¥75,000 (due to large market shift towards PHEVs and EVs).
I really like the 2026 Lexus RX350h... but is it really worth it??
What should I do??