2016 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h: First Drive

2016 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h: First Drive

What is it? 2016 Lexus RX, a mid-sized luxury sport utility vehicle/crossover, in hybrid and gasoline-powered versions.

Price range: Price yet to be announced

Competitors: Acura MDX, BMW X3, Lincoln MKX, Mercedes-Benz GLC Class

Alternatives: Audi Q5, Infiniti QX60

Pros: Excellent interior, easy to read dash display, roomy and comfortable

Cons: It could still use more power, and that annoying remote touch controller just won’t go away.

Would I buy it with my money? I would, especially the RX 450h F Sport. It’s a head-turner even with—or because of—that atrocious front grille.

Ever since Lexus pioneered the luxury-crossover segment in 1998 with the RX 300, my neighborhood has been overrun by posh little utility vehicles. Looking out the front window of my house, I can spy a couple of RXs, an Acura MDX, Audi Q5, BMW X5 and even a Porsche Cayenne, and I am sure there are more hiding behind hedges.

There’s nothing particularly unusual about my community either. Crossover sales have been on a steady incline over the past decade and currently rank as the fastest-growing vehicle type, especially among luxury brands. Crossover sales are up more than 14 percent year to do date, and luxury SUV sales are up almost 17 percent, according to industry analyst MotorIntelligence. These bubbly wagons reign as the undisputed champions of transportation among the upwardly mobile looking for something sportier than a pedestrian minivan.

The RX has grown to become the cornerstone of the Lexus brand, now accounting for more than 40 percent of the automaker’s annual sales. And it is easy to understand why the RX is so popular. It offers the target customer what they want: a pleasant ride, a nice interior, lots of features and superior reliability, However, the RX has always had one shortcoming: It’s not particularly fun to drive.

For 2016, the RX is getting a complete make-over, the goal of which, according to Lexus Chief Engineer Takayuki Katsuda, is to “make a bold and completely new statement” while at the same time “staying true to the pioneering values of previous RX generations.” Translated: Katsuda has been tasked to make the RX more fun to drive without affecting what makes it so appealing.

Admittedly, when I first heard Katsuda speak of these objectives, my reaction was one of severe skepticism. I felt he was setting us up for disappointment because the company was delivering a less-than-satisfying update simply because the bean counter did not want to mess with the RX’s winning formula. Thankfully, I was wrong.

Even though the standard RX is all evolution, no revolution, the improvements are well-thought out and very appreciated. The changes didn’t dramatically alter my view of the base vehicle’s performance; but the arrival of the F Sport versions did. The combination of more power and sportier suspension give the vehicle a serious infusion of fun, well worth the approximately $5,000 premium you’ll pay for the high-performance package.

At first glance, the RX has a sleeker, more streamlined silhouette than the outgoing model. The new body grew about five inches in length, while the wheelbase was stretched by about two inches. The extra distance means more rear-seat room. Though rumor had it that Lexus might try to wedge in a third-row seat, it did not. Some folks at the launch were upset by the omission; I wasn’t. It would have made the cabin feel cramped, instead of spacious. But if you’ve got a growing family, you might want to consider other luxury crossovers, such as the Acura MDX or the Infiniti QX60.

From a style perspective, Katsuda’s team did an outstanding job of combining the current hallmarks of Lexus’ design without messing up the essence of the RX. Similar to the smaller NX, the 2016 RX boasts an angular design with crisply defined shoulders, squared-off wheel arches and the spindle grille, with so-called ‘triple-L’ headlamps, LED fog lamps and LED daytime running lamps

Mostly, it works. Yet like many, I didn’t find the gaping Cylon-like maw on the NX appealing, and I don’t like it here, especially now that two slits—like those sliced into Heath Ledger’s Joker from “The Dark Knight,” giving him that jagged perma-smile—have been cut into the bumper to highlight the fog lamps. It’s just wrong, and more than a little creepy.

Inside, the RX is superb, from stem to stern. The layout up front has been reconfigured slightly for an airier, more open feel, with the shifter moved away from the instrument panel area, and controllers streamlined. A panoramic moon-roof/skylight, stretching from just behind the windshield to just in front of the cargo area, adds to the open feeling.

The most notable addition is the available 12.3-inch monitor, elegantly integrated into the center stack. It features a full-screen map and is controlled by an updated version of Lexus’ Remote Touch infotainment controller, which I still do not like. There’s also a heads-up display that projects important information like speed and direction onto the windshield. Rear-seat passengers have their own controls via dual 11.6-inch LCD screens, mounted to the back of the front-seat headrests.

With safety a given in this segment, Lexus did not stint. The Lexus Safety System+ technology suite includes pre-collision automatic braking with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control with full-stop capability, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic and adaptive high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a 360-degree camera. All work exactly as advertised (well, those systems that I could test without bodily harm). The cost? Just $650.

F Sport models get a special mesh grille design (same creepy smile though), new graphite-finish 20-inch wheels, a sport steering wheel with perforated leather trim, and steering-wheel paddle-shifters, plus an F Sport instrument cluster with a multi-function TFT display.

Under the skin, quite a bit was supposedly done to make the RX more fun to drive. Lexus engineers elected not to downsize engine nor equip it with some form of forced induction, instead serving up the familiar 3.5-liter V-6, with a 20-horsepower bump in output to 290 hp. And the RX450 Hybrid comes with an Atkinson-cycle version of the 3.5-liter, same as the outgoing model. Working with its electric motors, the 450 develops 308 hp. Fuel economy for both is still a guesstimate: at 22 mpg combined highway and city driving for the gas-powered 350, and a whopping 30 mpg for the 450 hybrid.

An eight-speed automatic, formerly exclusive to the F Sport, replaces the six-speed. And once again, buyers can choose from front wheel or all all-wheel drive. To improve the handling yet preserve the cushy ride, both received new suspension bits and pieces—MacPherson struts in front and a double-wishbone setup in back.

On the road, the added power was much appreciated in all models. There was plenty of get-up and go to enter a highway from a stand-still, or pass a slow-moving logging truck as we climbed into the hills north and south of Portland. However, I could help but want more. While exceptionally smooth, the V-6 struggled a bit when accelerating up a steep grade, and even got a little loud when the accelerator was hammered on flat terrain. The sport-tuned suspension did deliver better control and less body roll in aggressive maneuvering and hard cornering, I didn’t feel that the experience was much different — the priority remains comfortable, everyday cruising.

The F Sport models were much different. They are for those who want to emphasize the sportier side of this luxury wagon. The Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) system is available on the standard 350 and 450, but is an F Sport standard. AVS changes both damper firmness and steering behavior for better responsiveness, helping keep the RX flat through corners, especially in Sport+ mode, its most aggressive setting.

Since pricing was not announced, I cannot say definitively whether the new RX Series is a good value or not. It was suggested that the 350 and 450 would be priced around the current $42,000 mark and that the F Sport upgrade would only add about $5,000 to the price tag. If that’s true, then the RX should maintain its slot among the top of the growing crossover pile.