Let me ask you a quick question. If you were to buy a mid-size luxury crossover SUV today, what would you buy? Almost every
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
luxury brand makes one, but chances are, just based on statistics alone, a Lexus RX 350 would end up in your driveway.
The Lexus RX is the best selling luxury SUV in North America, period. Others are doing their best to catch up, but the originator of the entire luxury crossover segment is still number one after 16 years, and deservedly so. It does exactly what people who buy luxury crossovers want them to do, provide comfortable, accommodating, feature-filled transportation in a good looking richly appointed cabin, while delivering good fuel economy and exceptional reliability.
What most don’t realize, however, is that the RX 350 is also a very enjoyable vehicle to drive. Comfort might be objective one, and to that end its ride quality is second
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
to none, but plant your right foot on the accelerator from standstill or while passing slower moving traffic on the highway and the RX 350’s 270 horsepower 3.5-litre V6 with 248 lb-ft of torque gets the luxury CUV up and running with enthusiasm, albeit a fully refined and completely unruffled, highbrow, distinguished sort of enthusiasm. Likewise, shifts from the six-speed automatic are very responsive, but they’re so smooth you’ll only notice if that foot is digging deep into the floorboard, or if you happen to be rowing through the cogs yourself via the gear lever’s sequential shift mode.
That Lexus doesn’t offer paddle-shifters on any of the RX 350’s trim levels, even the most performance-oriented F Sport model, says a lot about how RX owners use this vehicle.
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
I drove the F Sport last year and loved the upgraded eight-speed automatic transmission, and like the six-speed unit in the base RX 350 SportDesign that I drove recently I didn’t really miss making shifts from fingertips via steering wheel-mounted controls, other than my usual practice of short-shifting early to keep the revs low and save on fuel. The RX does this automatically, however, so only the placebo effect, equivalent to that button on the elevator that is supposed to close the doors but really doesn’t do anything but placate an impatient user, is lost.
Get into the curves and you’re free to remove a hand from the steering wheel and shift away via the gear lever to your heart’s content, and while doing so get ready to be impressed with the RX 350’s road-holding prowess. Again, it might be designed
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
for comfort first and foremost, but even without the F Sport model’s performance-tuned suspension with stiffer dampers the RX stays true to its line when pushed hard, leaning a little into corners as is the case with all true luxury CUVs, but maintaining its lane all the way through and never feeling out of its element. Its standard 235/55R19 all-season rubber stays glued to pavement, and standard all-wheel drive gives confidence-inspiring traction no matter the weather conditions.
Of course, the RX 350’s sublime ride is why most buyers come back to this model generation after generation, that and its luxurious appointments. The base SportDesign model I drove, which starts at $50,600, comes with a full suite of premium equipment including proximity sensing remote access with pushbutton ignition, real wood interior trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, perforated
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
leather upholstery with standard heat and ventilation for the front seats, power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats, driver’s seat memory, dual-zone automatic climate control, an LED multi-information display with customizable features, ECO indicator and additional driver-focused instrumentation, 12-speaker display audio with aux and USB inputs, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, auto sound levelizer, and steering wheel-mounted controls, plus a back-up camera, powered moonroof, powered rear liftgate, power-retractable folding and heated exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals plus puddle lamps, auto-leveling HID headlamps, LED DRLs and fog lamps, silver painted roof rails, plus all the usual premium-level gear expected in a luxury CUV.
Another standard feature, the RX’s onboard first aid kit, falls into the “hope we never have to use it but comforting that it’s there” category, kind of like the RX’s 10
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
airbags, rigid yet crumple-zone-integrated body shell designed to deflect and/or absorb a crash in just the right way to protect every occupant from injury as much as possible, ABS-enhanced four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake force distribution and emergency brake assist plus quick-responding LED brake lights to avoid that crash in the first place, vehicle stability control (the ultimate hand of god intervention technology – if you’ve ever felt it in action you’ll know exactly what I mean), and anti-theft system. All standard, all feverishly working away in the background unnoticed.
If you want a blind spot monitoring system you’ll need to move up to the Touring package,
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
which also adds a heated steering wheel with wood and leather trim, a wood and leather-wrapped shift knob, a navigation system with Lexus’ computer mouse-style Remote Touch haptic controller, in-dash DVD player, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and Lexus’ Intuitive Parking Assist automatic parking system, pushing the total price up to $55,750, whereas the top-line Technology package lifts the RX 350 SportDesign’s price up to $60,000 while adding illuminated front doorsill trim, premium leather upholstery, unique woodgrain trim, heads-up display, 15-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound audio with 7.1-channel speaker architecture, a handy 120-volt/400-watt power outlet, and Lexus Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system (VDIM), which builds on the RX’s safety formula by adding central computer management of all handling, braking and other active safety equipment.
Basically,
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
VDIM integrates Vehicle Stability Control, traction control, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist and the electric power steering system, among other systems, which previously worked independently using proprietary software, into one collective whole that prioritizes maximum performance where needed. Again it’s one of those systems that you’ll never realize is there until it’s too late, but will make you look like a hero when it saves you and your family from a possible accident. I’ve experienced it in both closed testing situations as well as for real in regular testing during inclement weather, and can attest to its impressive capability in accident avoidance.
Being that I’m talking all things good and practical, know that the RX is also a great load-carrying companion. Behind its ultra-comfortable second row, which incidentally moves fore and aft plus reclines, is a commodious cargo area capable of swallowing up to 1,132 litres of what-have-you, plus you can fold its rear seatbacks forward in a 40/20/40 configuration for four-adult seating plus ski gear in
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
the middle, or two smaller people/one large adult in back and an even larger load of long items to one side. The seatbacks flip down via handy remote releases too, while as mentioned the rear liftgate powers up and down remotely for easy access when your hands are full. Additionally, the RX 350 can tow a trailer and load that weighs up to 1,587 kilos (3,500 lbs).
Don’t expect to achieve its claimed fuel economy rating of 13.3 L/100km in the city, 9.8 on the highway and 11.7 combined when fully laden, however, although these numbers should be closer to reality than last year’s figures, prior to the new Transport Canada five-cycle testing process. If you want better mileage, the slightly quicker F Sport model gets an estimated 12.7 city, 9.1 highway and 11.1 combined rating thanks to its eight-speed automatic, whereas the most powerful RX
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
450h hybrid is rated at 8.0, 8.5, and 8.2, but of course it’s priced higher.
All RX trims benefit from a mildly reworked front fascia for 2015, keeping this third-generation version’s styling fresh two years after the mid-cycle upgrade it received for the 2013 model year, when Lexus added its now trademark spindle grille. The unique design works as well on the RX as it does with other vehicles in the Japanese luxury brand’s lineup, the model’s continued sales success proof of its general acceptance amongst the RX faithful.
And as discussed in the beginning of this review, why would they look elsewhere? The RX 350 gives mid-size luxury crossover SUV buyers exactly what they want, a good looking, comfortable, roomy, fully featured crossover utility with a nicely appointed,
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| Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
well designed interior, plus good fuel-efficiency and superb dependability. The only reason to look at a different model would be to find something with more than five seats, and word has it Lexus will soon have something in the crossover sector to fill this important seven-passenger category while leaving the RX intact as it is. After all, why mess with the most successful luxury crossover of all time? As mentioned earlier, the RX is number one. It equals the sales rate of BMW’s compact X3 and mid-size X5 combined, and sells nearly as well as Mercedes’ compact GLK, mid-size ML, and full-size GL utilities combined. Now that Lexus has introduced a compact CUV of its own we’ll see its total crossover sales grow, while a larger seven-passenger model will only add to its market dominance.
When all the numbers are tallied and value propositions are totaled up, the 2015 Lexus RX 350 doesn’t only look good, it shines.
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