Don't know how an 03 period Highlander compares with an 03 period RX, but, I owned a 2003 RX from 12/02 - 4/11. Had 113,000 miles on it when I got my 2007 Certified Highlander Limited as a replacement. Differences?

Comfort: A tie. The RX has a low/high setting for the heated seats, but the Highlander lacks the wood steering wheel that gets and stays extremely cold in winter. The RX's automatic climate control worked better in cooler weather, and it has a/c outlets for the rear seat passengers. Comfort in both model's Captains' Chairs are about the same as is the second row comfort.

Ride: A tie.The RX has a softer ride, the Highlander a firmer ride but it stays composed even on the worst bumps.

Handling: Highlander by far. The 2007 doesn't lean much in turns and has a tight turning circle. The RX leans and gets mushy in turns and its 44 foot turning circle is a pain.

Audio System: RX by far. I really miss the audio system in the RX even though it had the glove compartment CD changer. The sound was excellent. The Highlander is boomy and Mediocre, even though it is the premium JBL system.

Reliability: The RX was NOT reliable. The power door locks had to be repaired repeatedly, the drive line needed repair, the brakes needed repair, the steering wheel made an annoying screeching noise at times. Lexus service was also EXTREMELY expensive. Several times I spent around $2,000 each time I took the RX for routine maintenance and a couple of minor repairs. Toyota service is far more reasonable.

As a former owner of a 2003 RX I'm much happier with my 2007 Highlander Limited. The only negatives are the mediocre audio system, much higher road noise, OK automatic climate control vs. the RX's impeccable climate control, and the inability to get a Highlander with a dark interior.

 

it's nice to get input from someone who has experience with both SUV

 

Agree we looked hard at RX versus HL and test drove several of each variety. In the end the HL Limited won out because it was: slightly less expensive for HL Limited, 2) likely significant lower cost of long term maintenance. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

Thanks for the replies. I still don't know if the engines and transmissions are the same. They're both Toyota products, so I'm a bit confused.

 

As far as I know, early RX models (like mine) used the 3.0 engine. From what I've read, PRIOR to the 2003 model year, there was a sludge problem, but I don't know what the fix was in 03, if any. But from what I've read, the RX's 3.0 engine is the same as that used in early Highlanders. My Highlander's 3.3 engine is the same, I've been told as the engine in the RX 330. As for the transmissions, that is a more difficult area and it depends, I believe on when the design update takes place. I believe that there was a year difference in the update between the RX and the Highlander. I've heard that the 04 RX had some issues with rough transmission shifts, but that didn't seem to affect the 04 Highlander but I'm not sure why. Edmunds.com might offer some insight into this.

 

Thank you. It just seemed odd that the RX was having lots of tranny issues, while the Highlander had seemingly none. I thought they would share that particular part, but perhaps not.