John Coyle

Most people recall how the first LS400 shocked the luxury-car world back in 1989, and how the LFA demonstrated Lexus' ability in building a supercar, but not too many realize the impact of the introduction of the RX300 back in 1999. SUV popularity was booming at the time and everyone in the luxury segment was trying to take a bite. BMW was scrambling on the X5 and Mercedes just came out with the ML the year before. Lexus had the LX450, but the price premium made it less desirable.

Read the rest on the Club Lexus homepage.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

excellent review. i've been several times in a new (non f-sport) rx and while it's nice, it's definitely showing its age.

interior is lacking by today's standards, and there was more road noise than i would have expected.

it's still a comfortable, functional, and stylish vehicle though that of course is likely to be extremely reliable and have great resale value, so it's still a good buy for many.

JDR76

Great write up.

We have a '13 RX and love it far more than we ever thought we would. With that said, we absolutely cannot wait to see what Lexus comes up with for the 4th gen. I have high expectations for it.

Toys4RJill

I think the next gen RX is going to be spectacular. The current one looks amazing with the new front end. I wasn't a fan of the non spindle front end.

corradoMR2

Nice to see a review from a Lexus buff that is not all praise for the vehicle. An honest, down-to-earth review, which as a nearly 2-year RX F-Sport owner, I can relate to mostly...

Just a some comments.

1. The RX F-Sport is actually 4500 lbs so considering the acceleration, it's not too bad. 4200 lbs is base FWD.

2. I found a noticeable difference in ride comfort (firmer) and body roll (nearly flat) in my F-Sport compared to the regular RX AWD with 19in wheels. Where the difference is barely noticeable is on ultimate grip and that's unfortunately due to the same 235 A/S rubber. The F-Sport needs wider/grippier rubber to increase the handling distinction.

3. The 8-speed in M-Mode using the paddle shifters increases the level of engagement and fun. For comparison, I find the shifts no slower (or quicker) than my 3IS when paddle shifting, and similarly when downshifting. Shifts are also very smooth. It's no ISF or LFA, but adequate for the nature of the vehicle. In D-mode, I do find 1st gear too short. There's a lunge above 1500 rpm similar to turbo lag initially and turbo kick-in at that rpm. Similar throttle input and acceleration in my IS is more snappy at the line and more linear in power with a lower shift-point. In short, driving in D stepping off the line is my least favorite and reminds me of Honda trannys of past, but easily mitigated driving in M-mode and manually choosing to shift earlier or later when one wants to.

Trexus

The review was ok. One has to remember the current 3RX is nearing the end of it's cycle and may not be up to par with it's competitors in overall technology but definitely trumps everyone in reliability. With it's 270hp and 248 lb-ft engine, it's sufficient, could it use more power, sure. One has to remember the RX is not an LFA just as corradoMR2 has mentioned. The RX was the first to bring to market a luxury hybrid CUV with the RX 400h and continues on with the RX 450h. Currently the RX outsells any competitor in it's class. I like and understand the RX for what it is.

With the NX about to make it's debut, how will this affect RX sales? It's hard to say and we'll have to wait and see. When the IS debuted, sales of the ES actually increased. Maybe RX sales could increase as well with the NX debut but it can also decrease or stay the same...

I'm very curious if the reviewer of the 2014 RX F Sport would ever consider purchasing one? I for one would...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

personally i am very excited. especially since i have been driving the new nx as well, which will be the new entry level crossover, it set the standard really high imho so i am very anxious to see just how good the next rx will be

yes, from a functional and value point of view, the rx is holding its place well. to me that's the biggest reason why the car is selling so well, with numbers still crushing others

great feedback, thanks for the details! i didn't know the rx f sport is that much heavier, but i think it makes sense on the acceleration in that case

i personally think if lexus can choose some better tires for the rx (no matter f sport or not), it's going to make the car better. like i said in the review, i couldn't even attempt to push the car much before the tires completely gave up. and i wasn't even driving aggressively at all yet, i drive more aggressive in my gx and it's still hanging

the gx was also debut in 2010, same model year as the rx, but i think that car, while lacking, was updated pretty nicely with this year's refresh. driving was improved together with other amenities. actually with my gx review that's due to come out very soon, you can see that car gets pretty nice praise.

and the nx is exactly what makes the rx look bad and outdated imho. i have been driving the nx for a week, imho the car beats the rx is almost every aspect except size. that's why i said i have great hope on the next rx. but selling good has little to do with actually how good the car might be right? tons of people buy the 3 series and e class, but we all read plenty of complaints and bad things about those cars here. for sure i don't imagine the rx being lfa, but to me any car can and should have its own characteristic and fun level. the nx does, big time.

and i don't see what a review has to do with whether one would purchase the car or not. i like the 2014 isf a lot but i would not consider it. i love the new nx but i wouldn't consider it.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Currently one plus about the RX is that it uses Regular 87 octane fuel (Hybrid is 91 recommended). It has more cabin and engine noise than the 2nd gen (Bad parts of L-Finesse generations cost cutting). Super excited to see the 4RX

BornDriver

4RX coming in August 2015

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

didn't know that... that makes the case for the hybrid even weaker.

quick math...

rx450h is 30mpg (premium) combined
rx350 is 21mpg (regular) combined (i'm surprised it's that low, but anyway)
here in FL premium is about 15% more expensive than regular.

rx450h range is 522mi for 17.4 gallons (tank size) at about $3.70/gallon here = $64.38 or 12.3c / mi.

rx350 range is 403mi for 19.2 gallons at about $3.25/gallon here = $62.40 or 15.5c / mi.

so while the rx gets over 40% better fuel economy, it saves about 25% on fuel costs. so if you spend say $300 a month on fuel with an rx, you'd save $75 a month with the rxh, or $900 a year. so if you spent $3600 more for the hybrid for example, it would take 4 years to break even. or 3 years if you would spend $500/mo. on an rx. bit of a tough sell. but you do get to drive silently around parking lots.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Yessir, CT, ES, ESh, RX and defunct HS are all rated for 87 Octane by Lexus which is a good selling point, everything else is Premium.

Don't forget you get to brag about having 25 more (combined) horsepower than the standard ICE

rominl

iTrader: (4)

very good point, some new lexus now allows regular (officially). and thank you for agreeing me on the somewhat degraded 3rd gen

that's close to what i heard too

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

3RX is a mixed bag for me. It has far better handling and agility than the 2RX ever had, loads of tech and safety, unfortunately like most L-Finesse models (sub LS and built or introduced 2006-2010) suffer from cheap plastics. The louder cabin gives it more of a Premium feel than actual Luxury which the 2RX was more vault like. Missing features like rear pass controls, lift gate height control (things that can be found on a loaded Pathfinder) to name a few things is unacceptable. That's not to say its a bad vehicle because its not, it just could be far better. Thankfully with the addition of the NX the RX no longer has to straddle two segments and can rightfully grow. With their recent offerings I expect the 4RX to be a homerun

rominl

iTrader: (4)

and i again agree with you. and in my opinion it's exactly the pressure the car is facing -- price vs size vs gadgets. a lot of the nice stuff are all the details that lexus had to cut out in order to meet the price point. and i think nx is to the rescue

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

but that means the 4RX is going to go up a chunk in price.

having recently poured over a loaded highlander (not the same of course), i was quite disappointed in many details and cheap plastics or missing features. you can't get HIDs or LEDs (front or back) on any trim level for example. i think toyota is struggling to meet price points but of course their reputation is so fantastic and strong that they're going to continue to sell tons of vehicles as most people don't sweat the details like enthusiasts here do.