Sometimes it’s just nice to know what you’re getting; no alarms and no surprises. Like looking at a comfortable sofa, sitting on it and finding that it is indeed comfortable. It simply meets your expectations and satisfies your needs. In the car world, the Lexus RX is that comfortable sofa. It looks laid back from the outside. You open the door and are presented with a seat that you just want to sink into. There’s a commanding view of the road and it’s nice and quiet. This is what SUVs were supposed to be. Then some people got carried away, putting bigger and more powerful engines in them, stiffening the ride and sharpening the handling, warping these luxo-barges into quasi supercars. The Lexus RX isn’t that uncouth.
We reviewed the fourth generation Lexus RX a couple of years ago and were impressed with it. How could you not be? If you want a large, comfortable family car, it hits the mark. So, what’s new here? 95% of it apparently. It’s on a new platform which means it’s a bit longer and a bit wider, but 90kg lighter. There’s more interior space than before and the components have gone up a notch in quality. Not that the fourth generation was lacking in that department.
There’s also a new infotainment system housed in a magnificently large 14” central screen. It’s intuitive and easy to use. Lexus has also continued its relationship with Mark Levinson for its premium audio systems. It’s always worth a mention in any Lexus review because it’s the best in-car audio system going. Apart from Rolls-Royce Bespoke Audio. But that’s Rolls-Royce. You could buy around five Lexus RXs in top-level Takumi spec for the cost of one Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
Living with the Lexus RX
As with any new car, it’s worth taking time to familiarise yourself with the system and settings. One of the downsides of these reviews is that we usually only get a week with the car. With ownership, one or two of the annoying kinks iron themselves out. A case in point is all the bonging that the Lexus RX does at you. An alert when you exceed the speed limit? A warning that a seatbelt is undone? No one would argue against them in theory. In practice, however, they can be rather irritating. The internal speed limit recognition system can be slow to adapt through roadworks. On the M25 it often thought I was driving in a 50mph zone when I wasn’t – bong, bong, bong.
You can turn this off but must do so every time you start the car. With ownership this would become second nature. Similarly, I had put my son’s child seat in the rear attached to the Isofix points. Off we set for Coventry. After 40-miles of the journey it suddenly decided that someone was sitting in the car without a seatbelt on. Bong, bong, bong… It woke both the kids up and I had to pull in to plug the seatbelt in. My own car does this too, so it’s certainly something that you’ll quickly circumnavigate.
Once you’re settled in, however, the Lexus RX is a perfect family companion. There’s so much space and the seats are supremely comfortable. The boot is cavernous at 621-litres, the ride has a magic carpet quality and it’s whisper quiet.
This being the Lexus RX 450h+, it’s a plug-in hybrid. 35-miles of real-world electric range with a 2.5-litre petrol engine in support. Across 300 miles of driving with only a three-quarter battery charge, I achieved 40mpg. Not bad.
What’s the Lexus RX like to drive?
There’s nothing about the Lexus RX that encourages you to drive quickly. It rides serenely along, makes no fuss and cossets you from the outside hustle and bustle. On the commute into west London it was ideal. Sit back and enjoy that wonderful Mark Levinson sound system. Open the sunroof. Embrace the day.
That said, the Lexus RX pulls off that trick that all luxury cars do of making it feel like you’re going a lot slower than you actually are. On the drive back from Coventry the head-up display offered a few handy reminders of the reality of the situation. At no point does the Lexus RX feel like it’s doing anything more than a polite canter, when in fact it fairly gallops along.
It’s a fine car to be in on the motorway and as such is a superb long-distance cruiser. You could happily cover vast distances, constrained only by the range. With everything topped up that’s getting on for 500-miles, so sit back and bed in for the long haul.
Away from the motorway, it almost seems unfair to comment on the Lexus RX’s capabilities on a decent B-road. It is not, however, a fish out of water in such a scenario. With all systems firing there’s 305bhp to call upon and 0-60mph is ticked off in 6.5secs. There’s even a sport mode for the suspension which firms everything up. It hustles along rather pleasingly, although there’s no hiding 2110kg of kerb weight.
In reality, leave the suspension in normal and accept what the Lexus RX is and it rewards you with a refined driving experience. There’s enough grunt to call upon when you need it, noticeably on the motorway when shoving past slower traffic.
Conclusion
The Lexus RX is an impossible car to dislike. The build quality and materials used are exceptional. There’s minimal fuss and no unnecessary gimmicks; the Lexus RX stays firmly in its lane and is an excellent car because of that.
In fully loaded Takumi spec, the Lexus RX comes in at £81,000. That’s a lot of money, but you’re getting a lot of car. It’s also cheaper than its similarly spec’d rivals. We’ve recently reviewed the Range Rover Sport PHEV and Volvo XC90 T8; the Lexus RS is cheaper and every bit as good. If you need seven seats, then the XC90 is the choice. If you don’t, then the Lexus RX is – the interior is better than the Volvo. The Range Rover Sport is getting on for £20,000 more. Both are faster than the Lexus RX, but these aren’t super-SUVs so that’s a moot point.
Whilst 95% of the fifth generation Lexus RX is new, it crucially retains and enhances its refined character. It just feels that bit more carefully honed. Lexus has been something of a market leader with hybrid technology and the RX pulls off another trick in being an exceptional plug-in hybrid. The switch in power delivery from battery to engine is all but imperceptible and the power delivery is silently and effortlessly delivered in either mode. Throw in a genuinely useful real-world electric range and the Lexus RX is a compelling proposition.
It’s also good value in this sector. If you need a luxury family SUV and accept that you’re not going to be indulging in traffic light racing, then the Lexus RX is well worth a look.