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The Lexus RX has served as a benchmark for refined, stress-free, midsized luxury SUVs for more than two decades. We recently purchased our own to put through our tests at the Consumer Reports Auto Test track, and share our first impressions of its driving characteristics, controls, how it stacks up against competitors like the BMW X5 and Audi Q7, and whether it maintains its solid reputation. We also discuss whether you should bring your vehicle to the dealer for software updates.
SHOW NOTES
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00:00 – Introduction
00:14 – First Impressions: 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid
23:19 – Question: Should you bother your dealer to check and perform software updates on your vehicle?
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2023 Lexus RX Hybrid
Redesigned 2023 Lexus RX Ticks Up on Luxury and Sport
Electric Cars and Plug-In Hybrids That Qualify for Tax Credits Under the Inflation Reduction Act
Guide to Car Safety
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First. Mike Quincy is the worst.
I love Quince!
Funny how the RX engine gets downsized from a V6 to an inline 4 but Toyota never bothered to reduce the front overhang and just leave big empty space under the hood. CR complaints about the engine noise at high rpm, typical RX drivers push their cars anyways.
Lexus has a camera recording the driver without any benefits for the driver or the ability to get access to the recordings. Great
Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video I currently work in the tmmc plant in Cambridge Ontario thanks for the presentation
It’s still painfully ugly
I’ve never been lucky enough to have a sales person that could operate the system well enough to teach it to me. After a couple months of ownership I knew more than they did.
Software updates are not normally applied unless you have an issue that is resolved by the update. It costs dealer time/money to perform the update and will require manufacturer to authorize the work and charge. Software updates also introduce problems like bugs/defects.
So sad that the V6 is gone. My guess is that its affluent customers are not sensitive to fuel cost. Thanks Talking Cars.
I settled for the NX because it arrived before the next gen RX. I would have liked either the same.
I know it comes out as biased but I did get used to the touch sensitive. I knew left side was audio and it was okay to assume left push was skip left and right push was skip right. I knew the right set of controls were auto cruise functions so push right was cancel. I almost never needed to go any deeper for either side of controls.
As for brushing the pad on a turn. You’re turning, do you care for what’s on the sceeen? No, you’re in the middle of a turn, finish turning safely. Move on with your day.
I do appreciate the responsivenss, which encourages me to use it more instead of ignoring it. As far as sunglasses, mine are polarized and apparently HUD tech is polarized opposite so it often cancels out what you should see. That’s a industry wide problem, please correct me if I’m wrong, it’s the tech itself. My fix is taking my glasses off for a moment.
@20:36 The problem is that the hybrid versions of most vehicles these days usually have long wait times, waitlists, and market adjustments; especially for desirable colors and options. In the case of Lexus, they almost never build more basic hybrid models. I’d consider a $51,000 MSRP RX 350h unobtanium.
Are you really complaining about the interior door handles? They are simple as hell.
Pulling at straws now. 🙄
That’s how you make a video. None of the personalities were annoying and were very insightful. If CR could make them like and not have some of the other less charismatic reviews on. That would make talking cars great again.
My wife got a 2020 RX 350 after a series of disastrous experience with a 2019 Subaru Ascent Touring CR’s cover car at the time we bought it). The Ascent became my car, but only briefly. I traded it for a 2021 RX 450h. We both love our RX’s. She loves the “turn it on and go painlessly” nature of her 350. I’m getting an average of about 36 MPG after two years of driving my 450h. We both love the 3.5 liter V-6. Neither car has required anything but routine servicing. No initial quality issues, no recalls, no clunky 4 cylinder turbo. A totally different experience from CR’s 2019 Car of the Year – the awful Ascent.
Would the camera be a dash camera for accidents and be intended to be always running?
I’m considering 2023 RX 350H because of great fuel efficiency. But can you estimate how long in term of mileage before the hybrid battery needs to be replaced and how much it’d cost. Is it worth it? With about 246hp compare to V6 model is it much noticeable slower? Thanks for the video.
My Toyota dealership in New Jersey flat out refuses to provide information about software updates. You would think I would be asking a CIA secret. My 2017 Prius has never been updated, including the GPS which has some glaring errors. The exit for Rt. 17 North exit moved from the left side to the right side of the Garden State Parkway more than five years ago. The change is not reflected on my Prius GPS.