(By Tom Lohnes) – Since the mid 1990’s the Lexus RX has been a staple of the luxury crossover. With ample room, tons of modern features, and a solid, reliable, powertrain as standard, the RX has always held it’s own against tough European competition. As of recently, the RX has sort of fallen behind. It has become less desirable over the years, and this current generation that has been on sale since 2015 isn’t exactly the best RX ever. Thankfully, there is a new RX for 2023, and it looks quite good.
With a fresh face, brand-new powertrains, and most importantly a totally refreshed interior, the new RX is ready to fight the BMW X5 once again. The RX is on a completely new platform, utilizes three different hybrid powertrains, and has a much needed update inside. Let’s check it out.
Outside, the RX takes many styling cues from the smaller NX crossover. Up front, it carries the same Lexus spindle grille and angular headlights as before, but it looks a lot more fresh and modern than the outgoing model. Out back, there is a new rear lightbar, and the Lexus logo is now gone in favor of the word spelled out over the lights. Every model has the optional F-sport package, and some even get sporty 21-inch wheels.
Inside, the RX is essentially a copy/paste of the NX, but that isn’t such a bad thing. There are rich leathers, real wood and aluminum, and high-tech screens everywhere, and some higher models get luxuries such as massaging seats and some crazy ambient lighting. Up front, there is a massive 14-inch center display running Toyota and Lexus’ newest system, and you also get a large digital gauge cluster to match. Quality should also be Lexus solid as always, and expect many over-the-air updates because the system now supports them.
Under the hood, the RX gets quite possibly the most needed refresh of the aging vehicle. Gone are the two V6 options, and they are replaced by a series of 4-cylinders, and three different hybrid options. At the bottom of the food chain is the base RX350. Powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged Inline-4, the 350 produces 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque, plenty for the average soccer mom. For more eco-minded individuals, the RX350h utilizes a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-pot with an added electric motor to make 246 horsepower, which goes through a CVT to all four wheels. There are also two other hybrid options, one of them a plug-in. The RX450h+ is for the RX buyer who wants a good balance between eco and speed. Using the same engine as the hybrid, the 450h+ gains a bigger battery and a total of around 350 horsepower and the same in torque. This also uses a CVT, and can accelerate from 0-60 in about 6 seconds flat. But, the 450h+ is not the fastest one.
Using the hybrid system from the 350h and the turbocharged engine from the standard 350, the 2023 Lexus RX500h F-sport Performance makes nearly 400 horsepower and looks very cool. Lexus claims that the RX500h is their best-handling SUV ever, and it is also quite quick. Being a performance trim too, the 500h gets all sorts of suede and red accents all over.
