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For 2023, the Lexus RX lineup gets a full redesign & this new fifth-generation model sees big changes while maintaining its chip core personality.
There’s something admirable about being self-aware enough lớn know where your strengths lie & capitalizing on them, but at the same time, it tends lớn narrow overall appeal.Nowadays, good enough isn’t good enough. We’ve been conditioned to lớn expect that luxury vehicles can’t just be comfortable, they have to lớn wow you with Nürburgring-tuned handling and hit 60 mph faster than DotCom-era supercars.
That’s not the 2023 Lexus RX. Lexus recognizes that not all drivers want or need gobs of power & acceleration that pins you to lớn the seat. Some people just want lớn cruise in quiet contentment. While that kind of honest assessment is appreciated, I contend that perhapsperformance has been pushed too far back on the priorities list.
The 2023 RX’s thiết kế is clearly evolutionary relative to previous versions, but it’scleaner và more muscular looking than the angular outgoing version. Lexus
A Bronze Medal is Still Good, Right?
The new 2023 RX lineup is made up of the base RX 350, the RX 350h hybrid và the more powerful RX 500h hybrid. Lexus also plans lớn sell the RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid in the U.S., but exactly when that will happen isn’t clear yet.
The RX 350 is now powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine instead of last year’s V6. It makes275 horsepower, 20 hp less than its predecessor, but its 317 pound-feet of torque is a 50 lb-ft gain. That’s not enough khổng lồ noticeably improve acceleration, though, as Lexus estimates it will take 7.2 seconds to reach 60 mph with the all-wheel drive mã sản phẩm (the front-drive version needs 7.5 seconds). These times are adequate, but far from impressive.
The RX 350h hybrid loses the turbocharger and adds a hybrid powertrain & a supplemental electric motor to lớn power the rear axle for all-wheeldrive. Combined, they produce 246 hp and 233 lb-ft of torque & Lexus claims it’ll accelerate khổng lồ 60 mph in 7.4 seconds.
You’d think that would also be as adequate as the non-hybrid RX 350, but it’s not. On most highway onramps, you’ll have lớn pin the pedal lớn the floor lớn confidently merge into the flow of traffic. Meanwhile, the engine moos lượt thích a recalcitrant cow as the continuously variable transmission (CVT) keeps the revs annoyingly high.
New to the lineup is the RX 500h,a more powerful variant that puts the turbo back on to lớn increase output to 366 hp and 406 lb-ft, enough khổng lồ propel it lớn 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. That’s much more closer to the rest of the class and marginally faster than the Genesis GV80 2.5T or Mercedes-Benz GLE350, but those are thebase models of those vehicles. Each offers options with much more power, as does the Acura MDX Type S.
The RX 500h’s rear electric motor is also different khổng lồ the one in the RX 350h and allows up to lớn 80 percent of power to lớn be biased back there where the 350h can only administer up to lớn a 50/50 split between front và rear axles.
Again, the RX isn’t aboutperformance & not every vehicle has lớn be “fast,” but when everyone else is, you feel slow.
Lexus calls this màu sắc “Copper Crest,” and it makes the2023 RX look drop-dead gorgeous, particularly coupled with the F Sport’s blackout trim. Lexus
Smooth Operator
When it comes to lớn handling, I typically refer to an imaginary sliding scale with comfort on one end and performance on the other. The RX’s soft suspension tuning has it solidly on the comfort side of the spectrum. Potholes và bumps in the road are mostly shrugged off with barely any recognition. You’ll hear a muted thud but generally won’t feelmuch of an impact, and that’s one of the RX’s greatest strengths.
That softness does little for cornering confidence, though. Body toàn thân roll is noticeable but not alarming. It certainly doesn’t encourage sporty driving in the way a BMW X5 does, và feels heavy and ponderous by comparison. On offset undulations, you’ll also feel some residual bouncing, but not enough lớn feel queasy. Softnessalso carries over lớn the brakes, which have a spongy pedal with lots of travel.
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As the only traditional hybrid in the class, fuel economy is an important factor.
The famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective) “Spindle” grille offers a more harmonious shape than before, but it’s still likely to be controversial.Lexus
The front-wheel-drive RX 350 is estimated to lớn return 25 mpg in combined city and highway driving và 24 mpg with all-wheel drive. That’s an improvement of 1 mpg over last year’s V6. The RX 350h hybrid sees more significant gains & is estimated at 36 mpg combined, an improvement of 6 mpg from its predecessor & likely the most fuel-efficient midsize SUV on the market for 2023. (Not all the data is in yet). The RX 500h is rated at a very respectable 27 mpgcombined.
By comparison, the entry-level BMW X5 40i is estimated at 23 mpg. Stepping up to the X5 M50i reduces fuel economy lớn 18 mpg. BMW does offer a plug-in hybrid, however, và it should deliver 31 miles of EV range and 20 mpg under hybrid propulsion. The Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 and 450 are estimated at 22 mpg combined. The Acura MDX comes close at 22 mpg và 21 mpg for front- andall-wheel drive, respectively.
The dark finishes inside the RX are more convincingly high-end than light wood, but the interior is improved by leapsand bounds thanks lớn the new infotainment system and its vast screens và more logical layout. Lexus
It’s Better Inside
The new RX’s interior also gets a full makeover with some notable improvements. The dash now features a large 9.8-inch standard touchscreen or a 14-inch upgrade. Thankfully, Lexus finally abandoned the previous generation’s trackpad controller which I consider the worst infotainment interface in the industry.
Most of thedisplay is within reach of the driver & the large on-screen buttons are easy to lớn tap when driving. Lexus also points out that voice controls are improved, but these early pre-production vehicles had a tough time understanding my voice commands và responses were very slow.
Materials và build chất lượng meet luxury SUV expectations, with a few exceptions. The dashboard is attractive & feels sturdy, but the center console can be a source of disappointment. The light-colored simulatedwoodgrain isn’t very convincing và reminds me of the plastic “wood” used on early-80s era TVs và VCRs. The darker trim choices are much more believable. Further back is a double-hinged armrest lid which can be accessed by the driver or front passenger with equal ease. The problem is that the hinge mechanism isn’t made khổng lồ tight tolerances và wobbles around.
On the plus side, the RX’s front seats are well-shaped for comfort. That’s good because there don’t seem to lớn be any availablemassage functions. The rear seats are notable for the amount of thigh support they provide. The seat cushions are taller khổng lồ more evenly distribute passenger weight and there is also plenty of foot & legroom. That elevated cushion limits headroom a bit, but occupants under 6-feet tall should have plenty of space.
Behind those 60/40 split-folding seats is 29.6 cubic-feet of cargo space, a huge improvement over last generation’s 16 cubes and only a little less than the BMW X5 or MercedesGLE, but off the pace compared lớn most others.
The Acura MDX only has 18.1 cubic-feet with all the seats in place, but it has three rows. With third row down it offers 39.1 cubic-feet and opens up khổng lồ 95 overall, more than double the RX’s 46.2 cubic-foot maximum. The RX’s liftover height is rather tall too, requiring more effort lớn load heavier và bulkier objects.
The new RX gets 29.6 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, which is a big increase over the old model and plenty for a family of four, but it’sstill short of many midsize rivals, particularly three-row machines. Lexus
You Could vì chưng Better
I expected more from the redesigned 2023 Lexus RX and so should you. It earns points for fuel economy figures và overall comfort, but it falls well short of the mark mix by other luxury SUVs in terms of performance và interior quality. The RX 350h is dreadfully underpowered while the RX 350 và RX 500h are merely average.
I alsoexperienced frequent false alarms from the driver attention warning system and had to lớn hunt through the touchscreen menus lớn disable that function, which is perhaps the worst indictment for safety-related features. The lane-keep assist was also poor at keeping the RX centered. With any luck, these problems could be addressed before the RX goes on sale at the over of 2022.
Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but if it’s similar lớn the previous generation, the RX would be a relative bargaincompared khổng lồ the pricey BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class. As an alternative, consider upgrading khổng lồ plug-in hybrids such as the Volvo XC60 và XC90 or step up khổng lồ the growing list of luxury and non-luxury electric SUVs.
Lexus provided lodging, meals and travel khổng lồ enable us to bringyou this first-person report. Although Forbes Wheels sometimes participates in manufacturer-hosted events, our coverage is independent, unbiased & aimed at offering consumers an objective view of every vehicle we test.
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