In the past the Lexus RX has been the best-selling Lexus model. But it rather was a normal looking SUV, or I must say was looking boring when compared to the competition. So in 2016 the Lexus gave its RX series some major and aggressive facelift to get back in the styling game. But looks were not the only thing new. This big SUV size packs a lot of features in it. Which are even better in its 2017 iteration. Results bring fruitful to the Lexus as the sales for their RX series have grown even more.
Lexus brought its RX series of the SUVs in the market in late 90s as the compact luxury crossover. Later they switched to the mid-size SUV models for its RX series. Because of its performance to price ratio and the actual practical use of this car, this have been the best-selling Lexus. Lexus have gave a major facelift to the fourth generation of its RX series, dubbed as AL20. The car is starting at the price of $43,220 for its base model and $49,120 for its F Sport model.
The Lexus RX 350 is the cheapest of the RX series and is intelligently priced between 40 to 50 grand, placing it in the competition of the Cadillac XT5, BMW X5 and the Lincoln MKX. When you talk about the power of this car, it falls somewhat in-between its competition. While the engine is bigger than the X5 by BMW and smaller than Cadillac XT5, it turns out to be lagging behind the other cars by a few horses. But Lexus doesn't advertise it as a performance SUV rather as a luxury SUV. And it sure is one aggressive looking luxury SUV. The RX 350 is available in the regular and the F Sport variant, both of which are further available in the FWD and AWD options.
Trim |
RX 350 |
RX 350 F Sport |
MRSP (RWD) |
$43,220 |
$49,120 |
MRSP (FWD) |
$44,620 |
$50,520 |
Key Features |
Automatic LED Headlights |
Audio Theft Deterrent |
Power Liftgate |
Power Open/Close rear door |
Remote Keyless Entry w/integrated key transmitter, 4 Door Curb/Courtesy, Illuminated Entry, Illuminated ignition Switch and Panic Button |
Concealed Diversity Antenna |
Keyless ignition and entry |
Transmission Paddle Shifters |
Simulated leather upholstery |
Heated and ventilated Sports Seats |
Dual-zone automatic climate control |
Adaptive Suspension Dampers |
Radio w/Seek-Scan, MP3 Player, Clock, Speed Compensated volume Control, Steering Wheel Controls, Voice Activation and Radio Data System |
Radio: AM/FM/CD Lexus Display Audip \u2013inc: 8-inch screen, 9 Speaker Premium Audio System, Bluetooth Hands Free Phone and Automatic phonebook download capabilities, Scout GPS link app-based turn-by-turn directions, voice recognition, Cache Radio, Ability to pause live AM/FM radio and HD Radio, traffic and weather data provided via HD Radio |
Smartphone-integrated navigation system |
|
The RX 350 chassis also steers, handles and brakes with poise and balance, unless you drive it like some kind of Porsche and push it quite hard. It's engaging enough feel for most people but stops short of being a sporty SUV.- Edmunds
Engine and Transmission
Lexus has used the 3.5L engine in its RX 350 with a V6 configuration. RX 350 has also got an 8-speed automatic transmission. This setup helps the RX 350 produce 295 bhp with 267 lb-ft. of torque. This is certainly less than what you get in its competition.
Models |
Lexus RX 350 |
Cadillac XT5 |
BMW X5 (sDrive 35i) |
Lincoln MKX (Premiere) |
MSRP |
$43,220 |
$39,395 |
$56,600 |
$38,260 |
Engine |
3.5L V6 DOHC 24V VVT |
3.6L V6, DI, VVT, with Automatic Stop/Start |
3.0L DOHC I-6 24V TwinPower Turbo |
3.7L Ti-VCT V6 |
Transmission |
8-Speed Automatic |
8-Speed Automatic |
8-Speed Automatic |
6-Speed Automatic |
Horsepower |
295 HP |
310 HP |
300 HP |
303 HP |
Torque |
267 lb-ft. |
271 lb-ft. |
300 lb-ft. |
278 lb-ft. |
But do not think that you are going to take your luxury SUV by Lexus on the race track to compete against other cars so those numbers should not matter to you.
Accleration
With a slightly less powerful engine than the Cadillac and Lincoln, it has the slowest acceleration of 0-60 mph and takes a second more to complete the quarter mile than the X5.
Models |
Lexus RX 350 |
Cadillac XT5 |
BMW X5 (sDrive 35i) |
Lincoln MKX (Premiere) |
0-60 MPH |
6.8 sec |
6.6 sec |
6.1 sec |
6.3 sec |
Quarter mile |
15.1 sec |
15.1 sec |
14.2 sec |
14.7 sec |
Engine |
3.5L |
3.6L |
3.0L |
3.7L |
Emission
(Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)
|
7.7 |
8.0 |
8.4 |
8.8 |
But it produces lesser carbon emissions when compared to other cars which is worth considering.
Ride and Handling
The driving experience on this big Lexus car is kind of a mixed experience. The steering on this car is accurate but not quick. The wheels tighten up at speeds but there is not much feedback from the vehicle. The F Sport trim does add an adaptive variable air suspension so the ride is much relaxed. The seats in the F Sport trim are the comfortable sports seat so you are going to have a relaxed long trip in your RX 350. The RX is relatively fun all on the outside but there is a let-down when you get on the driver's seat.
Braking
Model |
Lexus RX 350 |
Cadillac XT5 |
BMW X5 (sDrive 35i) |
Lincoln MKX (Premiere) |
Brake Front (in.) |
13.3 |
13.6 |
13.7 |
12.8 |
Brake Rear (in.) |
12.9 |
12.4 |
12.6 |
13.0 |
Curb Weight (lbs.) |
4222 |
3985 |
4625 |
4168 |
60-0 MPH (ft.) |
123 |
128 |
129 |
119 |
Braking in this luxury SUV seems to be better than the Cadillac and the BMW. It just take 123 ft. of distance for this car to get from 60 mph to still. So if you see something jumping in front of you, just hit hard on the breaks and it will surely stop early while the X5 might hit that something.
Model |
Lexus RX 350 |
Cadillac XT5 |
BMW X5 (sDrive 35i) |
Lincoln MKX (Premiere) |
MPG (city) |
20 |
19 |
18 |
17 |
MPG (highway) |
27 |
26 |
25 |
25 |
MPG (combined) |
23 |
22 |
21 |
20 |
Fuel economy is where the SUV beats down its competition, even if it is by a margin. The RX 350 gives you better fuel economy on the city roads as well as on the highway. It has the combined fuel economy at 23 mpg. And that should make you take some long trips at same amount of fuel as your previous fuel thirsty car.
This easy-to-master cockpit is a spacious and comfy place to pass the miles. Overall it's excellent, but the huge rear entertainment screens should give you pause, and the cargo area isn't as versatile as those of rivals, many of which also offer three rows of seats (of admittedly debatable use). - Edmunds
Seating and Comfort
The Lexus RX 350 comes with 5 seating like any regular SUV. The RX 350 has got much space for all the 4 sitting in the car along with the driver. The car is big enough for a 6 ft. tall person to sit comfortably even on the rear seats with good enough leg room for everyone sitting in this crossover.
Model |
Lexus RX 350 |
Cadillac XT5 |
BMW X5 (sDrive 35i) |
Lincoln MKX (Premiere) |
Passenger capacity |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.) |
39.4/57.8/44.1 |
38.4/58.3/41.2 |
40.5/61.5/40.4 |
39.9/58.9/42.8 |
Second
(Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)
|
39.1/57.6/38 |
36.0/56.2/39.5 |
38.8/60/36.6 |
39.2/59/39.6 |
Interior Features
- Heated and Ventilated Sports Seats
- Lexus Display
- Simulated Leather Upholstery
- Dual-Zone automatic climate control
- Transmission Paddle Shifters
- Bluetooth
- Smartphone-integrated navigation system
- Illuminated Ignition Switch
- Panic Button
Infotainment
- 8-Inch screen
- Radio w/Seek-scan, AM/FM/CD
- Pause live AM/FM Radio
- HD Radio
- Traffic and Weather data provided via HD Radio
- Radio Data System
- Cache Radio
- Bluetooth Hands Free Phone
- MP3 Player
- Voice Activation
- 9 Speaker Premium Audio System
- Smartphone-integrated Navigation System
- Scout GPS Link App
-
Storage
Model |
Lexus RX 350 |
Cadillac XT5 |
BMW X5 (sDrive 35i) |
Lincoln MKX (Premiere) |
Cargo Volume rear seat up (ft.3) |
18.4 |
30.0 |
35.8 |
37.2 |
Cargo Volume rear seat folded (ft.3) |
56.3 |
63.0 |
76.7 |
68.8 |
Cargo should not be any problem for this big SUV. You can stuff this SUV with enough of your belongings with you on a long trip and can still fit 5 people in it. Although if you compare it to other SUVs, you can see the number is lesser than what other have. The storage space is more than 10 ft.3 lesser than what Lincoln has. Maybe Lexus consumed that much space to make their RX 350 a Luxury crossover.
The Lexus RX is certainly controversial, but we have to admire Lexus for taking chances. -thecarconnection
Dimensions and Weight
SUV are supposed to be big and heavy and high, so is the Lexus's RX. It weighs around 4222 lbs. The RX 350 had a length of 192.5 in, making it slightly longer than the Cadillac and Lincoln but 0.7 inches shorter than the BMW X5. Lexus isn't the widest.
Actually is has the smallest width at the 74.6 inches. It stands tall at 67.7 inches, almost 2 inches taller than the Cadillac but almost 2 inches shorter than BMW. Even it has the shorter wheelbase of all at 109.8 inches which is almost 6 inches less than the BMW's.
Model |
Lexus RX 350 |
Cadillac XT5 |
BMW X5 (sDrive 35i) |
Lincoln MKX (Premiere) |
Curb weight (lbs.) |
4222 |
3985 |
4625 |
4168 |
Length(in) |
192.5 |
189.5 |
193.2 |
190.0 |
Width(in) |
74.6 |
75.0 |
76.3 |
76.1 |
Height(in) |
67.7 |
66.0 |
69.4 |
66.2 |
Ground clearance (in) |
8.2 |
7.8 |
8.3 |
7.8 |
Wheelbase (in) |
109.8 |
112.5 |
115.5 |
112.2 |
Track width (in) F/R |
64.4/64 |
64.4/64.4 |
64.6/64.8 |
64.8/64.7 |
Exterior Features
Some of the exterior features are:
- Razor-Sharp Character Lines
- LED Illumination
- 18-inch standard wheels
- Optional 6 different 20-inch wheel options
- Optional Sunroof with Panoramic available
Wearing the aggressive Lexus signature front grill with the razor-sharp LED head lamps. This razor-sharp design language continues to the complete body of the vehicle. You get the 18-inch wheels as the standard options with six different 20-inch wheel options also available. You get the sunroof as the optional feature which you can expand above the rear seats with the panoramic sunroof option.
Saftey Features
- Backup camera with dynamic gridlines
- Blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic braking
- Vehicle proximity notification system
- Vehicle stability control
- Vehicle dynamics integrated management (vdim)
IIHS Rating
Crashworthiness |
Small overlap front driver side |
Good |
Small overlap front passenger side |
Not rated |
Moderate overlap front |
Good |
Side |
Good |
Roof strength |
Good |
Head restraints & seats |
Good |
Front crash prevention |
Superior |
Headlights |
Acceptable |
Child seats anchors (LATCH) |
Good |
NHSTA Rating
Overall Rating |
4 star |
Overall Frontal Crash Rating |
4 star |
Frontal Crash Rating Driver Side |
4 star |
Frontal Crash Rating Passenger Side |
4 star |
Overall Side Crash Rating5 star |
Combined Side Barrier and Pole Rating Front Seat |
5 star |
Combined Side Barrier and Pole Rating Front Seat Rear Seat |
5 star |
Side Barrier |
5 star |
Side barrier Driver |
5 star |
Side barrier Rear Passenger |
5 star |
Overall Side Pole Star Rating |
5 star |
Rollover Rating |
4 star |
Cadillac XT5 vs Lexus RX350
XT5 is cheaper than the RX350 with a better engine and more cargo space. But it produces more carbon emission than the RX 350 and even consumes more fuels for miles equal to the RX 350. But no doubt the Lexus beats the Cadillac in the styling front.
BMW X5 (sDrive 35i) vs Lexus RX350
The offering by the BMW is more than 10 grand costlier than what Lexus is asking. While the engine is a 3.0L, it produces more power than the RX 350 with its turbo engine, resulting in a faster SUV. But again it is more fuel thirsty than the RX 350. You are paying more than $10,000 for a marginal increase in the performance. In the inside, both feel equally luxurious with enough cargo space and good enough leg room for everyone to sit comfortably on a long trip.
Lincoln MKX (Premiere) vs Lexus RX350
Lincoln is also cheaper and powerful than the RX 350 as was the case with the Cadillac XT5. But the cabins of the RX 350 are much better than the MKX. And did I mention the sports seats in the RX 350 F Sport are way better than what you get in the top trim of the MKX.
The 2017 Lexus RX 350 is no doubt the best-selling car by the Lexus. This SUV is packed with comfort, luxury and the features for its price. Do not forget that this car the bits from the company's mesmerizing sports car, LFA, like the steering wheel and the gauge cluster. It does lacks behind the competitors when it comes to engine but it does not perform poor.
Again, you are not going to take it to taking this SUV to the racing tournament but the touring. And it seems like a perfect car for going on trips. It is packed with all the necessary features and all the comfort you need.