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The popular midsize luxury crossover sticks with convention and adds a surprising performance option. And we barely miss the V6.
Almost since the category emerged, the Lexus RX ruled all midsize luxury crossovers. Its practical, efficient design was exactly what affluent, suburban families wanted, offering space, amenities, and just enough status to keep owners feeling good about themselves and their automotive choices generation after generation.
Then Tesla rolled in with the Model Y and just took over everything in the midsize luxury crossover segment. Lexus’ 100,000-or-so sales a year were promptly eclipsed by Model Y’s 200,000 or so a year, or wherever Tesla Model Ys will end up when 2022 sales are all counted up (but that’s where they’re headed). Lexus conveniently leaves Tesla off the charts when claiming to be the segment leader.
No matter! Lexus buyers know what they want, and they know they will get it from the luxury division of Toyota. The new 2023 Lexus RX comes in a wide variety of powertrains with as many connectivity and luxury appointments as any typical suburban housewife or househusband is likely to ever want.
There are three basic models: the turbocharged RX 350, the hybridized RX 350h, and the turbo F Sport Performance AWD RX 500h. Lexus expects almost three-quarters of its RX buyers will choose the entry-level RX 350. All ride on Lexus’ new Global Architecture-K platform (pronounced GAK!), which Lexus promises is lighter and affords a lower center of gravity.
On the new platform, the wheelbase is 2.36 inches longer to 112.2, track is widened by over a half-inch front and almost two inches rear, and suspension is a little firmer. “Not too many changes,” said a Lexus presenter. The GAK has more aluminum, more high-tensile steel, and tighter welds with increased use of adhesives to hold it all together. Overall efficiencies allow curb weight to drop almost 200 pounds across the board, while center of gravity sits a little over a half-inch lower. The result is “better driving dynamics and better fuel economy,” Lexus says. That means 25 mpg combined city/highway fuel economy with the FWD RX 350 and 36 mpg combined in a hybrid RX 350h AWD.
The base—and most popular—2023 RX 350 is powered by a 275-hp 2.4-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder, which replaces the 2022 model’s 295-hp V6. Will you miss those 20 extra ponies from the V6? Not as much with the 2023’s “short-ratio Direct Shift” 8-speed automatic in the RX 350 as you might with the CVT in the hybrid RX 350h AWD.
The 8-speed we had on a short drive in California before the public release of the car proved more than adequate and gave more direct access to those 275 hp. And torque in this base powertrain actually goes up, from 268 lb-ft in the 2022 V6 to 317 lb-ft in this new 2023. So you will likely notice that things have gotten better in the new base-model RX. It comes in front wheel-drive or AWD in five trim levels, topping out with an F Sport Handling trim that gets unique wheels and tires as well as springs and shocks front and rear.
The RX 350h hybrid, meanwhile, trades efficiency for peak power with a 246-hp maximum system output, 233-lb-ft 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder driving the front wheels. AWD can be achieved either mechanically via electronic controls, or electrically via Lexus’ E-Four system, which is basically an electric motor at the rear axle driving the rear wheels. The E-Four switches on in low-grip scenarios or when you mash the throttle.
Sometime after launch a plug-in hybrid version of the RX to be called the RX 450h+ will become available, with a 2.5-liter four driving the front wheels and an 18.1-kWh lithium-ion battery powering the rear E-Four motor.
The king of all RXs is the 500h F Sport Performance AWD, but even that produces “only” (we are so spoiled) 366 total system horsepower, with a 271-hp 2.4-liter turbo-four in front and a six-speed automatic with an integrated Power Control Unit and electric motor, while an 80-kW eAxle drives the rear wheels. Total torque is an impressive 406 lb-ft, so this version really gets up and goes.
A short but twisty drive in the 500h F Sport Performance AWD proved that it was, indeed, sporty, and a decent amount of fun to drive. It offers Adaptive Variable Suspension that adjusts damper stiffness to accommodate your driving style, and six-piston aluminum calipers to stop.
There is also Dynamic Rear Steering for stability in high-speed turns and maneuverability in parking. Lexus maintains the RX competes with the BMW X5, but it falls somewhat short of that vaunted Bavarian marque in both handling and power. The X5 starts with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six and goes all the way up to a 4.4-liter “TwinPower Turbo” V8, not to mention its chassis sophistication.
But Lexus buyers are looking more for comfort and convenience than performance, and the new RX offers plenty of that. The Lexus Interface touchscreen comes in 9.8- or 14-inch sizes to control infotainment and a variety of systems. You can also get a head-up display and a 21-speaker Mark Levinson Surround Sound Audio system, and the RX comes standard with a long list of safety features, from Pre-Collision System to Lane Departure Alert.
Optional Traffic Jam Assist can take over driving duties in slow-speed crawling traffic, handling acceleration and braking as well as offering “hands-free driving assist,” according to Lexus. I did not get a chance to try this out because we were way out in the country and there was no traffic. Perhaps later?
Prices have not been released yet but will certainly fall well below competitors like the BMW X5. The current 2022 model ranges from roughly $47,000 to $54,000. X5s start in the low $60,000 range, while Tesla Model Y pricing begins at $67,990.
Look for 2023 RXs in showroom in late 2022.
The Lexus RX remains one of the most popular midsize luxury crossovers. Is it on your shopping list? Please comment below.