Brains and beauty

If cars were famous people, the Hummer H1 would be Sylvester Stallone (in his Rambo days), the Corvette would be Olympic runner Carl Lewis, and of course, Tour de France winner (and car pitchman) Lance Armstrong would be the Subaru WRX.

What about the 2004 Lexus RX 330?

The 2004 Lexus RX330 is a luxurious alternative to a station wagon. DAN SCANLAN/The Times-Union

The second-generation RX luxury sport-utility vehicle was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in January, five years after Toyota's luxury arm created the car-based, luxury SUV. Based then as now on the Toyota Camry platform, it was one of the first passenger car-based SUVs on the market and not designed for heavy off-road duty. It really became a more luxurious station wagon.

The general profile of the 2004 RX 330 is the same as the RX 300 model it replaces, if a bit bolder in some details, although some thought it looked too round in a market with competitors like the Acura MDX, Buick Rendezvous, Kia Sorento and Pontiac Aztek.

The slatted grille trimmed in chrome is still there, but more prominent now. The headlights still sweep into the front fenders, but the turn signals are better integrated into the front bumper, which is sleeker and lower with a lower air intake accented in black. The flared fenders frame five-spoke buff alloy wheels wearing Michelin Energy MXV4 P235/55R18-inch radials. The RX330's side profile carries a bit more of a wedge shape up the beltline. The reverse-angle C-pillar is now part of the rounded rear window and hatch, with a more prominent window shade/spoiler over larger jeweled clear-lensed taillights. Fit and finish on the Savannah Metallic Beige paint job was good, as was the panel shut lines.

The interior of the fully loaded 2004 Lexus RX330 has power leather seats, a Mark Levinson stereo system with a dashboard screen that handles satellite navigation duties as well as serving as the video screen for the rear-view camera. DAN SCANLAN/The Times-Union

Step inside, and luxury and fit and finish are there in two-tone tan.

Twin leather captains chairs with eight-way driver/four-way passenger power adjustment are an easy hop over the chrome step plate, where the "Lexus" name lights up at night. In fact, the illuminated entry system lights up the door handles and front footwells, while almost every other button is backlit for nighttime use.

The power tilt/telescope three-spoke steering wheel gets a mix of padded leather and wood. The wheel frames a recessed, chrome-trimmed 150-mph speedometer, 8,000-rpm tach and gas and temperature gauge. More real wood trims the stitched leather door armrests, while two memory pre-sets for the driver's power seat are nearby. The center section of the dash bulges a bit, trimmed in brushed alloy strips that hold air vents and dual-zone climate and stereo controls. In between, the optional DVD-based navigation system's touch-sensitive screen allows you to directly tap in addresses, fan speed, trip computer information and clock adjustments on the screen, after you access that menu from the row of black buttons underneath. It all worked smoothly, with the added ability to have the map indicate where restaurants, gas stations and other necessities are. And when you tap the gas station or restaurant icon, it gives you name, address and phone number.

We liked the automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers, as well as the Adaptive Laser Cruise Control. Switch it on and a laser measures a desired distance behind the car in front and maintains it by braking or speeding up. If that person hits the brakes hard, the system beeps at you and brakes as well, although it won't stop you. But rain and fog seemed to mess up the laser, and it would show an error message on the dashboard screen and turn off. And you can only raise the cruise control speeds in 5-mph increments. But we liked the center console with two cup holders and a deep storage area under push-button open/close doors, since it could be moved fore or aft as needed, even with rear air vents.

Back-seat passengers like the roomier seats that both slide and recline and the optional, factory-installed DVD entertainment system with cordless headphones, although the ceiling-mounted screen intrudes on rear-view mirror visibility. If the driver puts the RX330 in park and sets the parking brake, they also can watch a movie up front.

Our test RX330's optional power rear liftgate can be controlled from the key remote. But unless you really need a helping hand when you are loading groceries, it's quicker just to pull the liftgate up rather than hold the remote's button and wait for the hatch to slowly rise. Once it's up, there is a lot of cargo space as well as two shallow storage compartments under carpeted doors that pop up with a push of a button. You also will find an audio/video input for the DVD system if you want to patch your camcorder in, as well as a 110-volt power outlet. Plus, the rear seats split 40/20/40, so you can carry long stuff in back and still have room for a passenger or two.

Our 10,000-mile-old front-wheel-drive test vehicle's 3.3-liter V-6 with 230 horsepower was controlled via an electronic drive-by-wire throttle. Step on the gas and you will get a squeak of wheelspin as the RX330 gets to 60 mph in 8 seconds with slight torque steer if the wheels aren't pointed straight ahead.

The ride was very smooth and comfortable on any road surface, almost too soft for those with sporty intentions. The front tires do squeal if you rush through corners like any front-wheel-drive, but this is an SUV, so no Micheal Schumacher moves. We also had some body roll. But the handling was predictable, the Vehicle Stability Control system controlling loss of lateral traction while cornering, detecting front wheel slide and rear-wheel slide during cornering by braking wheels or backing off on the throttle. Front and rear disc brakes with ABS offer a progressive pedal feel and solid stops with no fade after repeated harsh use, although we had some heavy ABS use and some nose dive.

The $35,025 base price gets you a standard 230-horsepower V-6, front-wheel-drive with Vehicle Stability Control and traction control, cloth seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, dual zone climate control, AM-FM-six-disc CD player/cassette deck, eight-way power drivers seat and four-way power front passenger seat, one-touch up and down power windows, HomeLink system, remote entry, cruise control, sliding center console and rear cargo compartments. Options included the $600 Adaptive Cruise Control, $1,840 rear-seat DVD theater, $215 18-inch alloy wheels, $6,770 navigation system with Mark Levinson audio system, back-up camera, power rear door, leather, roof rack, wood and leather steering wheel, one-touch moonroof and power tilt/telescope steering wheel. With the optional wheel locks, cargo mat and delivery fee, our RX330's manufacturer's suggested retail price was a lofty $45,848.

Bottom line -- our RX 330 was tres chic with its new style, plushly quiet ride and high-tech content. Its high-tech accessories were worthy of inclusion for the most part, although too much technology use means you aren't keeping your eyes on the road. Think of it as a luxurious alternative to a station wagon, with Lexus fit, finish and panache.