Lexus RX review

The RX comes in three flavours and they’re all largely very accomplished. All three suffer slightly on very bad roads, meting out a largely firm ride, but certainly nothing that will threaten tooth enamel from any of them.

Of all three, the base 350 is probably the lightest feeling, with the least plush ride. The 500h is firmer but feels more expensively damped, and the 450h+ the best compromise. Although it also weighs the most, and weight sometimes helps with a feeling of solidity and ride quality.

What about going fast?

All will lean if pitched hard into a corner, all feel more front-wheel drive than anything else - although that’s more manifest in the slight torque steer from a fast start than actual spinning wheels. But that sounds harsh when it really isn’t: these are very neat, very grown-up SUVs and they don’t have any huge dynamic bugbears. However none could really be considered ‘sporty’.

Obviously the 500h makes the best fist of it, but honestly it just feels like a wound-up 350h with a load of slightly raspy noise played through the bulkhead. It’s rapid, but not particularly encouraging, even with four-wheel steer and Direct4 electric all-wheel drive. It’s more of an athletic take on the RX formula than an actual sportscar. 

Similarly, the 350h is absolutely fine, but the droney nature of the e-CVT and its predilection for torque mining makes it a bit of a waste of time to hustle - it’s much better at cruising. The 450+ might not ultimately be the most dynamic of things, but the PHEV set up allows for a decent chunk of motoring on batteries only (up to 80mph, too), some decent filling in of the four-cylinder’s weak spots and a general feeling of well-being.

The steering reflects that; accurate and with decent weight, but largely mute when it comes to what’s going on with the front wheels.

So the PHEV is the best one then?

What does help is the feeling that these are a decent compromise for those who genuinely want to have a little bit of electric-only motoring in their lives, without the risk of full EV. The hybrid versions are self-explanatory. As for the PHEV, other cars may offer more outright EV-only range (X5 and RRS included), but at least you can rely on a bit of brake regen to keep the fuel economy respectable when the cheap(er) home juice in the battery has been expunged.