Lexus RX350 and RX450h: As Important as the Corolla!

Ten years ago, Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, introduced the RX300 luxury crossover. It became such an undisputed success that when the 2010 RX350 and 450h were unveiled to automobile journalists, the directors at Lexus emphasized that this vehicle had the same impact for Lexus as the Corolla had for Toyota.  In other words, enormous!

Be that as it may, the new RX has followed the trend and is bigger, more powerful, more luxurious and more environmentally-friendly than the model it is replacing. Although its lines bear a striking resemblance to the previous model, they are nothing alike. And just like before, two versions, a gasoline engine (350) and a hybrid (450h) are offered.

Let’s look a little more closely…

Regardless of the type of engine, the new RX’s wheelbase is 4 centimetres longer in spite of the fact that it is a few millimetres shorter overall. Vehicle width has been increased by 4 centimetres, and the front and rear track widths have been increased by 7 centimetres, which means that the wheels are further apart than before, thus improving vehicle handling and comfort.

Two 3.5-litre engines

We were able to test drive the hybrid RX450h and subsequently the RX350. Lexus, like Infiniti, names its cars according to their engine capacity. The RX350 features the excellent 3.5-litre V6, so logic dictates that the RX450h must have a 4.5-litre V8, right? Wrong! In fact, it also has a 3.5-litre V6, but it generates as much power as a 4.5-litre V8. But numbers can be interpreted in many ways… This gas engine uses both an Atkinson-cycle engine (the piston’s expansion stroke is longer than the intake stroke) and an electric motor, and the two combine to produce 295 hp and 234 lbs-ft of torque.

The 450h hybrid

There was both good and bad in our approximately 100 kilometres behind the wheel of the 450h. Firstly, the test vehicle accelerated rather noisily, which is extremely uncommon for a Lexus product. The steering was unresponsive (as expected), but we were most surprised by its sluggishness at lower speeds. While the vehicle is far from sporty, it rolled a little too much in turns for our liking. I confess that we conducted this test drive on winding back roads where we were free to push the RX to the limits, which the owners of this Lexus will surely never do. The suspension is built for comfort, but that comes at the expense of handling. Plus, it was obvious to our eyes and ears that the Michelin Latitude tires were not happy with us putting the car through its paces. However, it is highly unlikely that we pushed the vehicle past its limits since the vehicle’s numerous technological innovations engage at the slightest sudden movement and their authority is absolute. At least we didn’t hear that horrible beeping that sounds in certain Lexus products as soon as one of these systems is engaged.

The CVT transmission is adequate, but it’s nowhere near as smooth as that of the Nissan Murano, for instance. The brakes, which include an energy recovery module, are not easy to judge at first. A simulated emergency stop convinced us of the effectiveness of these brakes and subtlety of the ABS. The brake pedal, on the other hand, proved extremely stiff. When we returned the RX450h, the on-board computer indicated an average fuel consumption of 19.2 mpg (12.2 L/100 km), which isn’t bad, but is nothing to write home about. Then again, a less vigorous test drive would have lowered this average…  All-wheel drive is back, and there are two electric motors yet again on the hybrid, one for the rear wheels, and one for the front wheels. These motors have been greatly improved, notably in terms of power and weight.

The RX350

Next it was the RX350’s turn. Although it is far from sporty as well, this model, with its gasoline engine, turned out to be a lot more pleasant to drive than the 450h. There is less roll in the turns and the steering is more easily judged, thanks to the fact that it weighs 140 kg less. There are 20 fewer horses under the hood, but it is the  higher torque (257 lbs-ft) that gives the impression of a more powerful engine. The 6-speed automatic transmission works smoothly, although changing gears in manual mode is hopelessly slow. This problem doesn’t happen when the car is in “D”.  We tested the RX on somewhat less demanding roads than we used for the 450h in the morning, but we got a 17.1 mpg (13.7 L/100 km) fuel consumption. A longer test of the vehicles is required to give a true assessment of fuel efficiency. The 350 features a more classic all-wheel drive compared to the hybrid model and its transfer case helps go from 100% front-wheel drive (yes, the RX starts off as a front-wheel drive) to a 50/50 split for maximum traction when the need arises. The all-wheel drive has been improved greatly in this area too.

Wall-to-wall Lexus

Regardless of the model, certain features of the RX are unchanged. The quality of the materials and the finish are close to perfect. What’s more, our vehicles had a sticker that mentioned that they were “pre-production cars”.  Well, Lexus’ “pre-productions” are far better than some manufacturers’ “productions”…  The dashboard is brand-new and its design is unanimous. Since you’re asking so nicely, I’ll tell you – I like it. The stick shift has a nearly vertical placement between the dashboard and the central console, which helps the layout of the storage compartments. This also enabled Lexus to add the “Remote Touch” system, a kind of mouse that is inspired by what Audi is doing in many of its models. Lexus calls it HMI (Human Machine Interface) while Audi calls it MMI. I call it posturing over semantics…

Basically, Remote Touch is a mouse used to look through several menus and modify several settings. I admit that this system was quite distracting and demanded more attention than a conventional dial. I found it very difficult to place the cursor in the right place since it was going so fast. According to an engineer who came with us for part of the trip, it is possible to modify the cursor speed. All right, but I am still not convinced of the usefulness of a mouse, however user-friendly it might be.

Like any self-respecting Lexus product, the standard audio system is quite decent while the Mark Levinson offered on option will send your eardrums on cloud nine. The RX’s trunk is definitely not the largest in the category (Lexus has not revealed its capacity but we know it is 13% larger than before) but at least its loading height is level with the floor, which makes loading and unloading heavy objects much easier. Furthermore, the top of the rear bumper is covered with rubber, an excellent idea that will keep it from getting immediately scratched. As for the materials, the quality is such that you would have to host an afternoon radio show to find something to say about them.

The gas version, then the hybrid

The third generation of the RX isn’t revolutionizing the category, but Lexus is definitely taking it in the right direction. While the RX350 will arrive in dealerships very soon, you’ll have to wait for the hybrid until spring.