Toyota Harrier SUVs imported from Japan: the right-hand-drive original of the Lexus RX 300. Every Harrier here is either in Houston now or on its way from Japan and available to reserve.
The Harrier is the car that invented the luxury crossover. Toyota launched it in Japan on December 25, 1997, built on a shortened Camry platform with the ride and finish of a luxury sedan, and three months later began shipping the same Kyushu-built vehicle to the United States as the Lexus RX 300, which became America's best-selling luxury SUV. In Japan it wore Toyota badges because the Lexus brand didn't open there until 2005, and it was named after the eastern marsh harrier, a bird of prey, under the slogan "WILD but FORMAL." The first generation ran from December 1997 to January 2003, and the cars old enough to import today are the December 1997 to December 2001 builds.
What makes the Harrier different
A Lexus RX 300 with Toyota badges. Same body shell, V6, 4-speed automatic, suspension and brakes as the 1999–2003 RX 300, which means body, suspension, brake and most interior parts are a phone call away at any Lexus or Toyota dealer.
Four-cylinder engines the U.S. never got. The RX 300 was V6 only. Japan also had a 2.2-liter and, from November 2000, the 2.4-liter 2AZ-FE with a timing chain, the same engine as the U.S. Highlander, Camry, RAV4 and Scion tC.
Full-time 4WD you never think about. "FOUR" models drive all four wheels all the time through a viscous-limited center differential. No switch, no lock, no low range.
Luxury-sedan cabin. Optitron gauges on every grade, a 60:40 rear seat that slides 120 mm and reclines, shift buttons on the steering wheel, and HID headlamps on most grades after November 2000.
Which Harriers can be imported
U.S. rules let a vehicle that wasn't built to U.S. standards be imported once it's at least 25 years old, counted from its month and year of manufacture. In 2026 that means Harriers built between December 1997 and December 2001:
In the code, S, MC and AC name the engine, "10" means front-wheel drive and "15" means 4WD, and the W means wagon. No manual, diesel or turbo was ever offered. Cars built from January 2002 (including the January 2002 Prime Navi Selection) and every second-generation Harrier from February 2003 aren't eligible until 2027 or later.
2WD or 4x4?
A Harrier FOUR (SXU15, MCU15, ACU15) is full-time four-wheel drive: a center differential with a viscous coupling splits torque between the axles and limits slip on its own, and a Torsen limited-slip rear differential was a factory option. There is nothing to switch, which makes it an easy all-weather vehicle for wet Gulf Coast roads, gravel and ranch tracks, but with 185 mm (7.3 in) of ground clearance and no low range it's a road-biased crossover, not an off-roader. If you want low range, look at a Pajero or an Isuzu Bighorn. The front-wheel-drive Harrier (SXU10, MCU10, ACU10) is about 100 kg lighter and a little more economical. Every version uses Toyota's Super ECT 4-speed automatic with steering-wheel shift buttons.
Versions you'll see
2.2, 3.0 and (from November 2000) 2.4: the engine is the grade name, each in 2WD or FOUR.
G package: a power driver's seat and comfort equipment. The Extra G package (from April 1999) was a well-equipped special edition that stayed in the range after the facelift.
S package: discharge (HID) headlamps and JBL audio.
Aero Tourer: lowered sport suspension and an aero body kit, offered 1998–1999 and again from November 2000 on the 3.0 FOUR.
iR version (from November 2000): the sport grade of the facelifted car, on the 2.4 and 3.0 in 2WD or FOUR.
Prime Selection (from August 2001, 2.4 only): the value grade that brought HID lamps to the base car.
Zagato (June 1998): a V6 special edition styled with the Italian coachbuilder, with its own alloy wheels and overfenders.
Any Harrier that's in Houston can be inspected and test driven at our lot.
Questions buyers ask
Is it really the same as a Lexus RX 300? Yes. The RX 300 was the export version of this car, built on the same line in Kyushu. The published RX 300 dimensions (180.1 × 71.5 × 65.7 in, 103-inch wheelbase) are the Harrier's. What the RX never had is the four-cylinder engines, the iR version, Aero Tourer and Zagato grades, Toyota badging and right-hand drive.
Can I title and register a Harrier in Texas? Yes. Imported vehicles 25 years or older are titled with their import paperwork, a law enforcement VIN inspection (Form VTR-68-A) and Form 130-U at your county tax office. Our Texas title and registration guide walks through the steps, and your county office can confirm what it needs. Other states have their own rules, so check with yours before you buy.
What fuel does it use, and what mileage should I expect? Regular unleaded for the 2.2 and 2.4, premium for the 3.0 V6. The U.S. EPA rated the RX 300 at 19 mpg city and 24 highway; Toyota's Japanese test-cycle figures run from 9.0 km/L (21 mpg) for the 3.0 FOUR to 10.6 km/L (25 mpg) for the 2.4 2WD. The tank holds 65 liters (17 U.S. gallons), or 75 liters (20 gallons) on cars built from November 2000.
Will it keep up on the highway? Easily. This is the same car Lexus sold as a freeway cruiser, with 160 to 220 PS and an overdrive automatic.
Timing belt or chain? The 2.2 and the 3.0 V6 use timing belts; the 2.4 uses a chain.
How big is it? 4,575 mm long, 1,815 mm wide and 1,665 mm tall (180 × 71.5 × 65.5 in) on a 2,615 mm (103 in) wheelbase, with five seats and a curb weight from 1,560 kg (3,440 lb) for a 2.4 2WD to 1,750 kg (3,860 lb) for a 3.0 FOUR.
Is the odometer in miles? No. Japanese vehicles read in kilometers, and our listings show the odometer in km. 1 km is about 0.62 miles.
Is it right-hand drive? Yes, like every Japanese-market car.
Can I buy one that's still on its way from Japan? Yes. Reserve an In Transit Harrier with a $1,000 deposit. See how buying works.
Written by Farhad Musazada, Skyline Kei Trucks. Published October 19, 2026.
