2023 Lexus RX 350h review

The fifth-generation Lexus RX arrived in Australian dealerships in February as an all-new vehicle rolling on the brand’s GA-F underpinnings.

Spoiler: A revamped powertrain selection and more fluid handling make this the best RX yet.

With its mammoth underbite and jutting jawline, the new ‘spindle bodied’ RX (which takes the old spindle grille to a whole new level) is all drama from the outside. A more interesting hue than Sonic Iridium and the F Sport’s larger alloys would amp visual impact further, but this is still no shrinking violet – and we like that.

Inside, the RX boasts an advanced tech package that makes it feel like a two-generation step over its aged predecessor, while also bringing the large SUV in line with the rest of the Lexus range in Australia.

After being impressed at both the RX’s international and Australian media launches, we’ve now been able to spend a bit more time getting familiar with Lexus’s five-seat large SUV, and we reckon the Luxury trim with Enhancement Pack 1 is just about all the RX you could want or need.

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JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• How do rivals compare on value?
• Interior comfort, space and storage
• What is it like to drive?
• How much fuel does it use?
• How safe is it?
• Warranty and running costs
• VERDICT
• Specifications

How much is it, and what do you get?

The new Lexus RX range is not the easiest to understand, with four powertrains and an equal number of trim levels complemented by a host of options packs – for a total of 14 flavours, spanning $87,500 to $126,600 before on-road costs.

Don’t fret about the bigger number, though, as you get a lot in this $97,500 (before on-road costs) 350h Luxury AWD, optioned with Enhancement Pack 1 – as tested here.

It’s effectively one step up the RX tree, with goodies including ventilated seats, a 15-inch multimedia touchscreen, and four available leather colour choices.

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How do rivals compare on value?

Even with car prices skyrocketing, Lexus has maintained solid value across the RX range.

It’s difficult to communicate in pictures, but sitting inside it’s obvious the RX is a wholly nicer vehicle than mainstream large SUVs such as the Hyundai Palisade Highlander and Mazda CX-9 Azami (though the forthcoming CX-90 might have something to say about that) – Lexus’s material quality and construction are simply a cut above.

💰 The five-seat RX also significantly undercuts German rivals.

You’ll be paying at least $30K more for a BMW X5 30i or Mercedes-Benz GLE 300d, leaving the near-parity Volkswagen Touareg 170TDI as an RX350h’s only real rival.

Lexus pitches the RX in closer price proximity to a smaller class of cars from the Germans, such as the Mercedes-Benz GLC, Audi Q5, and BMW X3 and typically offers more interior space and features than parity variants of those vehicles.

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2023 Volkswagen Touareg

Interior comfort, space and storage

Inside, the Lexus is more restrained than its sheetmetal suggests, with a familiar and straightforward cabin architecture.

The central touchscreen is a sizeable 14 inches and houses the climate controls, though key functions persist on the screen to make interactions easy.

Lexus has axed the controversial touchpad (thankfully) and the new software looks handsome, with a powerful processor running operations including wireless Apple CarPlay (but wired Android Auto). Sound is taken care of by a 12-speaker system from Panasonic (a departure from Mark Levinson items) which is clear and crisp.

Interacting with the various screens is mostly hassle-free, except for the head-up and digital driver’s displays. Lexus may have ditched the central touchpad but its ghost lives on in the steering wheel controls that lack tactile feedback. It’s frustrating that to switch what’s on the instrument binnacle, you need to gaze into the head-up display.

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Our car was finished with safe black upholstery (Hazel, Dark Sepia, and Solis White leather choices are all available), with EP1 bringing more breathable leather seat faces and fan-cooling for driver and front passenger – a must in conjunction with the sunroof in our hot sun.

Material quality, though still premium, feels a half-step down for Lexus, even from smaller products such as the plush UX small SUV. It seems that cheaper plastics creep further up the RX’s door cards than others. Build quality of our test vehicle was, however, typically excellent.

The RX’s ‘eLatch’ door handles are an acquired taste. From the outside, they appear conventional yet don’t move as you pull on them; it’s just an electric button hidden behind a handle and there is little aerodynamic, styling or ergonomic benefit.

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The new RX is plenty spacious in the rear seats for those up to and over six-foot

Inside, the latches are smarter – instead of pulling, it’s a press-of-the-thumb to actuate the latch, and then push with your arm. It’s a human-friendly design and theoretically keeps the force of your push aligned with the action.

While the RX doesn’t offer three rows of seating (we’ll have to wait a little longer for the RX L), the two rows it does have are very comfortable and well-appointed.

It is plenty spacious in the rear seats for those up to and over six-foot with a seven-position reclining backrest, and a bench wide enough for three that’s set high to give a great stadium view out. The back seat is finished with a fold-down armrest, a third climate zone, and two USB charge ports.

2023 Lexus RX boot space

The new RX’s boot measures a decent 612 litres and it’s very nicely appointed.

It’s also easy to fold the second row flat, owing to electric push-button actuators in place of manual pull tabs. With the seats down, the RX’s load space climbs to 1678 litres. The RX has a puncture repair kit instead of a space-saver or full-size spare.

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What is it like to drive?

The introduction of Toyota and Lexus’s new modular architecture revolutionised how the products drive, and the RX’s transformation is surely one of the biggest leaps.

Where the old RX was an unengaging combination of soggy handling with an occasionally harsh ride, the new car is smooth, relaxed and talented.

In this lower trim level, the RX’s ride is especially polished, those chubby 235/60R19 Dunlop SP Sport tyres deforming to insulate the cabin from Sydney’s concrete expansion joints. At times, there's is a little bit of rear suspension bump-thump that makes it into the cabin.

Lexus has been making hybrids for a long time, and you can tell. The 350h's powertrain is superbly calibrated and its 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder barely kicks in at low speeds thanks to the twin electric motors and small battery.

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The combined power output is 184kW, and Lexus does not claim a total torque number.

Sharp initial throttle response gives the impression of real pace, but really the RX progressively builds to your desired speed. It’s a brisk, if not fast SUV, getting from rest to 100km/h in a claimed 7.9 seconds.

When cracking the throttle open to join the freeway, or execute a quick departure from a junction, the RX remains hushed. There’s enough sound deadening to quiet the atmo four-banger’s din in the cabin, and the latest e-CVT transmission limits rev-flaring better than previous iterations.

The engine sound that does make it in is also pleasingly deep in its timbre – a very different experience to the Toyota RAV4’s kazoo-like powertrain.

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One shortcoming of the Lexus series-parallel hybrid powertrain is its towing ability.

Unbraked, the RX350h is certified for 750kg, but its braked towing capacity of 1500kg is a long way short of the Volkswagen Touareg 170TDI (3500kg).

Pushing the Lexus through a series of corners reveals fluid and adjustable dynamics and rewarding steering, with the ability to trim the line with a throttle lift or dab of the brake. It’s no sporty SUV like a BMW X5, but the RX feels up to the task.

With adaptive dampers, stickier tyres and a firmer suspension tune, F Sport trim elevates the Lexus’s back-road potential. But ask yourself this, is there really any point? The base RX’s ride-handling balance feels just about spot on for a large luxury SUV.

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How much fuel does it use?

The RX350h requires 95 RON unleaded and is rated at 5.4L/100km on the ADR combined cycle.

Our test loop involved idling for photography and dynamic testing, which saw the RX350h return 8.7L/100km.

In real-world suburban driving – where RXs will likely spend most of their time – we were seeing 7.0L/100km. That’s impressive for a 2060kg five-seat SUV.

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How safe is it?

The Lexus RX achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating under the 2022 protocol.

In all trims, the RX is fitted with a litany of safety and driver-assistance features including AEB with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction detection, blind-spot monitoring with intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, reverse AEB, and more. Their implementation is proficient, with more soothing chimes than related Toyota systems.

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Warranty and running costs

The Lexus RX350h is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with five years of capped-price servicing too.

Lexus mandates maintenance every 12 months or 15,000km at a cost of $695 per visit. Over five years or 75,000km of motoring, the RX350h will cost $3475 to maintain.

Sweetening the deal is Lexus’s three-year Encore program subscription, entitling owners to fuel discounts, free roadside assistance, invites to exclusive Lexus events and VIP treatment at participating hotels.

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VERDICT

Although all-new for this fifth-generation example, the Lexus RX retains its position in the market – and that's a good thing.

It hasn’t become the default choice above the BMW X5, Audi Q7 or Mercedes-Benz GLE. But for someone not worried about sporty handling, chintzy cabin design or outright speed, the base RX is a great package.

In fact, it nails the luxury SUV brief better than most of its big-wheeled, sportily-flavoured rivals.

Providing you tick the Enhancement Pack 1 box, the base RX350h has just about everything you need without an exorbitant price tag.

Lexus’s reliability record makes the RX a pragmatic choice for a longer-term stint, and the added Encore Platinum subscription and low fuel consumption sweeten the deal.

It’s not perfect, but the RX makes a lot of sense.

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