No one will argue against the fact that Lexus changed the luxury automotive world with the RX, bringing a car-based “crossover” to market while everyone else was still largely using truck-based, body-on-frame vehicles that were heavy and a bit lumbering overall. Yes, those true SUV’s may have boasted off-road capabilities, but owners of these luxury utes quickly conceded those points in search of a smoother on-road ride and improved fuel economy.
The 2021 Lexus RX is in fact… 6 years old. That doesn’t sound old, but in the automotive industry that’s typically the twilight of a product’s lifecycle. As we close out the 4th generation of this hallmark Lexus product, let’s take a look at how it does against an ever increasingly competitive segment.
While the RX’s design may have morphed significantly from its bubbly and soft original models, the overall formula has largely stayed intact. Smooth and linear V6 power (hybrid models are still on offer) driven to either the front wheels or all wheels. A focus on comfort and smoothness over raw power or super sharp dynamics. And a cabin that can comfortably fit multiple adult sized passengers. When all of this continues to yield one of the best-selling luxury cars in the industry over the past 20 years, why change it?
We were able to test this year’s F Sport Black Line Special Edition. This builds off an F Sport RX with either the V6 or the Hybrid V6 with unique darkened visual touches like the grille surround up front, black 20” wheels, black and white two-tone interior and some distinct black graphics along the lower edge of the doors. It is available in two colors, Ultra White and the eye-popping Grecian Water blue paint we had. I do wish they could have extended the darkened chrome used on the front grille around the side windows as well to complete the smoked look.
What do you think of the lower swoosh graphic?
Lexus has a wayward commitment to the performance side of the driving world. They once held the world record for the fastest luxury sedan with the 2nd generation Lexus GS400. They’ve obviously had the ultra halo LFA supercar with a symphonic V10 engine and computer controlled manual transmission. There are also the F models like the IS F, GS F, RC F and there’s the designer grand touring model LC. There are the F Sport models, like this one, which are mostly just aesthetics, the mesh grille and the “LFA inspired” tachometer gauge. Finally, we have the new F Sport Performance level, which Lexus just debuted for the IS 500, which gets a unique engine, formerly in full F models, but stops short of being an F model.
So where does this RX350 F Sport Black Line Special Edition land on the Lexus F spectrum?? Sadly it’s more flash than zoom. The aforementioned design touches are about the only thing that set this apart from a standard RX F Sport, aside from some luggage that they throw in to help with the exclusivity. The special edition doesn’t even let you take the F Sport Handling Package, which adds a tuned, adaptive variable suspension.
As it stands, the RX F Sport Black Line seems to be writing checks that its body just can’t cash. The looks, inside and out, want to say that it’s indeed a sporty Lexus, of which there have been plenty, but the drive doesn’t quite live up to that billing. The steering is pretty slow to react and the engine and power delivery, while typically Lexus smooth, lack the satisfying punch that many competitors now offer via turbo engines with significantly more torques and horses.
While the RX F Sport may not be a “driver’s car” it’s most certainly still a pleasant place within which to live. The two-tone black and white seats look sharp, although who knows how long the white portions of the seats will retain their clean visual pop. You have nearly every available convenience item like heated and cooled front seats, memory front seats. The NuLuxe seating trim Lexus uses is possibly one of the best and most convincing synthetic leathers on the market right now.
You can also get things like a clear and crisp head up display, kick to open handsfree rear liftgate, wireless charging pad for your phone (but for CarPlay/Android Auto still need you to connect via USB cable), While the Lexus Remote Touch trackpad interface is still a slug to use, the RX does feature a touchscreen again (yay!). While they’ve moved to the screen closer to the front passengers to facilitate touch usage, it’s still a pretty decent stretch for the driver.
Lexus also continues to be positioned at a value compared to most of the European luxury competitors, which also makes for a compelling purchase reason, combined with their trademark strong customer service and stellar reliability record. The front-wheel drive based architecture also lends the RX to more interior space than similarly sized Europeans and the upstart Korean Genesis GV80, which use rear-wheel drive based platforms, It’s not hard to see why many left-brained luxury shoppers would gravitate towards the RX.
The biggest threats for the RX may not come from the luxury players, but in many standout developments from the mainstream side of the fence. Top levels of the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, and even the Kia Sorento all start to offer similar, if not more technology and features than the RX, at an even stronger value proposition. The Palisade and Telluride also offer a much better 3rd row offering than the 7-passenger RX L. Mainstream automakers are also putting a bit more flash and sparkle in their interior designs, something where some of the RX experience feels a bit too close to its Toyota roots.
So as we wait for the 5th generation Lexus RX to arrive, it has some work cut out for it. It will likely migrate to the new global architecture currently underpinning the Lexus ES, the Toyota Highlander and the Sienna. This should provide the needed upgrade in rigidity and driving dynamics. I hope that the RX is able to mature and blossom into something special once again. It may be hard to point to the RX and find a fatal flaw, but in today’s world, I think cars, especially those with luxury badges and price tags, need to appeal to more than just the sensible side of life. With a price tag as tested that crests $60,000, the RX feels almost caught in a no man’s land. The Europeans and top versions of the Genesis definitely reach higher in price, but come with commensurate materials, power and finesse. While the mainstream crew looks pretty compelling, nearly matching or exceeding the RX in terms of build and features while topping out around $50,000 or so. Are the luxury badge and dealer experience worth the premium?