Popular Mechanics has published the first journalist test drive of the new 2010 Lexus RX, which reveals a surprising side to the SUV:
Based on a car-like platform, the RX drives with reassuring stability. The electric power steering has been recalibrated to lose the somewhat digital on/off feel afflicting most Toyota/Lexus systems and now provides all the delicate precision one wants from a premium SUV.
With luxury and refinement being such a Lexus characteristic, it’s tempting to ignore the driving-pleasure side of the equation. But the new RX is fast and remarkably agile for a 4500-pound (in AWD spec) leather-lined luxury crossover. Or, in the case of the RX450h hybrid model, a 4800-pound high-tech luxury vehicle.
I don’t know if it’s hyperbole or what, but I certainly wasn’t expecting anyone to be talking about the “driving-pleasure” of the new RX, especially with the new electronic power steering (EPS) system, which reduces the steering effort of the driver. And yet, combine the EPS with a new trailing-arm double-wishbone rear suspension and a new transmission, and maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising after all.
[Source: Popular Mechanics]