Lexus RX review

The RX’s interior is based around the Japanese idea of ‘Tazuna’ or the ‘reins of a horse’ - basically direct and intuitive control. And compared to some contemporary systems, it really feels less complicated than some. There’s a Lexus Link Pro 14-inch touchscreen in the middle, complemented by a wide driver’s display screen in front, and supplemented by a head-up display projected onto the end of the bonnet.

The colour head-up display has slightly chunky graphics, but the touchscreen and forward display are both nice enough. Plus, the touchscreen itself is reactive and slick - no double-presses or virtual button fails - although the menu tiles on the right-hand side of the screen are a bit small if you have sausage fingers.

Quality is up there with a nice mix of materials, and there’s a very fast wireless phone charger as standard, as well as USB charging ports for both the front and rear seats. A big nod here is to the attention to detail on some of the seemingly less important aspects: the stitching is nigh-on perfect, and the electric windows operate in silence, as do the folding door mirrors. That sounds like an odd thing to pick up on, but it gives the RX a feeling of serenity and quality.

What else?

There’s also a 12-speaker stereo - which is pretty good - a 36-degree panoramic surround-view monitor, a tonne of advanced driver assistance systems like Extended Lexus Safety System+ and Lexus SafetySense+, Blind spot monitors and cross traffic alerts, a driver monitor, LED headlights and convenience features like a kick-sensor rear tailgate.

After that, the space is generous up front, big in the rear (it’s a comfy five-seater, unlike some that have a skinny middle seat in the back), and a 461-litre boot. That’s big but not huge (an average hatchback weighs in at about 380-litres, for reference), though it’s perfectly comfortable for an averagely-sized dog, or a fully-laden trip away.