The comfy Lexus RX350h isn't quick, and that's exactly the point. Have you read any job listings recently? "Must thrive in a high-pressure, fast-paced work environment." And get paid in what, heaps of anxiety? No thanks. I think an ideal job experience should be something like driving the Lexus RX. Let's start slow and just stay that way. With the RX, the highest pressure is the air in its tires. And I certainly don't own a single piece of furniture that's as comfortable as these front seats.
For most of its life, the Lexus RX has been page-turn material. Literally, whenever one appeared in a car magazine, I took it as a cue to turn to the next page. Plenty of people disagreed, however. The RX has sold more than 100,000 copies almost every year since 2004. The latest RX is a little harder to ignore. A major overhaul for 2023 gave this top-selling compact luxury SUV some much-needed style. Its checkmark-shaped daytime running lights and dramatic grille mostly make up for the fact that it's shaped like Jimothy the raccoon. It certainly evokes more emotion than its corporate-looking German competitors.
The RX350h F Sport Design arrived for 2025, combining the lower-horsepower hybrid powertrain with the more aggressive F Sport bodywork but none of the F Sport Handling hardware. Even if the looks don't stir you, the soothing comfort of the heated, ventilated, and deeply cushioned leather front seats will please your shoulder blades like a hug. The power seat will even continue moving while the vehicle starts, rather than pausing halfway through an adjustment as it does in some cars. It's a tiny detail, but one of many that ultimately lead to an enjoyable driving experience.
View Price on AmazonLike in many new Lexuses, everything inside is easy to read and reach. With a cartoonishly large-diameter start button and physical dials for the climate control's bright digital displays, the RX's interior has perhaps found inspiration from one of those jumbo universal TV remotes. The optional 14.0-inch infotainment touchscreen is vivid and presents wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay with plenty of real estate for climate controls. Nothing feels smooshed together, and the icons are easy to identify with an enormous font.
The RX interior feels like a meaningful upgrade from the smaller NX. Black open-pore wood is spread across the center console and heated steering wheel, a welcome alternative to highly reflective and scratch-prone plastic. The newly standard wireless phone charger is placed like an afterthought, though, as it essentially buries your phone deep within the center console, just begging for you to forget it every time you exit.
Few vehicles this fuel efficient offer comfort on par with their cruising range. The RX350h's 32-mpg average in our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test equates to an estimated 560 miles between fill-ups. And the range of the EPA combined estimate (36 mpg) is an impressive 630 miles. The laminated acoustic glass is designed to suppress road noise, but the RX registered a surprisingly vibrant 71 decibels and 27 sones during its 70-mph cruise test.
The RX350h combines a 2.5-liter inline-four with electric motors at both axles, giving it all-wheel drive. Total output is 246 horsepower and 233 pound-feet of torque, but being quick sits near the bottom of this Lexus's priority list. During testing, it reached 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, making it the slowest entry in its segment and also trailing the last Toyota RAV4 Limited we tested.
Not every RX pokes along so leisurely. The nonhybrid RX350 uses a 275-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four and is available with front- or all-wheel drive. From there, the RX450h+ plug-in hybrid raises output to 304 horsepower, while the range-topping RX500h F Sport Performance pairs a turbocharged 2.4-liter four with electric motors for 366 horsepower.
Source: caranddriver.com
