Reviews for the updated 2020 Lexus RX crossover have been posted on automotive outlets online, here are a few choice cuts for your perusal.
Dan Frio from Edmunds likes the handling improvements, but admits the differences are minor:
Thanks to a stiffer body structure and revised suspension settings, the RX’s handling has a little more bite and immediacy changing direction when setting up for quick turns. It’s a subtle change aided by the RX’s new torque-vectoring system, which brakes the inside wheel during cornering to keep the RX on its line.
Fundamentally, the RX’s dynamic character isn’t altered. The RX hasn’t morphed into an Audi Q5 or even an Acura RDX. And that’s OK. Knife-edge handling has never been the RX’s bag, and we think it’s far more valuable for its smooth and absorbent ride.
Aaron Gold from Automobile Magazine struggled to tell the difference between the 2019 RX and the updated 2020 model, but didn’t really mind:
Whether or not we’d recommend the RX is beside the point; we expect it to keep plowing its way through the sales charts, at least until gas prices spike and the NX and UX start to eclipse it (as they are primed to do in markets outside of North America). The RX is handsome and competent, and thanks to the freshened infotainment systems, it’s now much easier to use. If we were in Lexus’s position, we wouldn’t have changed more, either.
Matthew Askari from Robb Report was effervescent in his praise of the RX’s quiet cabin:
And while the RX handled itself admirably on beautifully winding roads near the Peninsula Papagayo, where this crossover will really earn its keep is in big-city traffic. Perhaps nothing—shy of a Rolls-Royce, Bentley or S-Class—makes for such a pleasant environment as the cocoon the RX provides when stuck in a stop-and-go commute. Everywhere you touch is cushy, padded leather and, with superior insulation, you feel removed and in your own decadent bubble.
Antuan Goodwin from CNET confirms the findings from the other reviews:
On the road, the changes the driving dynamics are subtle enough that I had a hard time noticing any improvement with a back-to-back ride in the 2019 model. Turn-in feels a hair sharper and more responsive, but overall this still feels like the same RX as before. New “active corner braking” stability control should aid at near the limit handling, but there wasn’t much of that during my fairly relaxed day of driving.
However, I did notice a much larger reduction in cabin noise at speed. There’s a lot less road and wind noise and the thump over bumps is also less pronounced, which makes the SUV a much more relaxing commuting cocoon.
Miguel Cortina from Motor Trend scores a scoop or two with his review:
The Lexus RX won our very first SUV of the Year award back in 1999, and it’s a pioneer in the crossover segment, becoming the first unibody SUV that delivered a “carlike” ride with the seating position and interior space of an SUV. Since then, it has thrived in the segment, becoming Lexus’ most popular model by far, surpassing all of the brand’s sedan sales combined. With its updated styling, better technology, advanced safety, and Pura Vida attitude, the 2020 Lexus RX will continue to be the brand’s sales leader when it arrives at dealers at the end of August. This much-needed update will bring a breeze of fresh air to the crossover. A full redesign is expected in the next two to three years.
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