Driving the All-New 2016 Lexus RX

krew

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krew
15-09-17-lexus-rx-hero-image-400x200.jpg


There's a real risk in messing with success, particularly when it comes Lexus and its RX crossover.
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mmcartalk

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Krew, thanks for the post. Did you notice improvements in ride quality and NVH over the past gen?


IMO, it's hard to improve on the NVH level of the last RX350, but the general ride comfort, over bumps, on the last version, was not quite as-smooth as the 60-series all-season tires would suggest.
 

corradoMR2

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IMO, it's hard to improve on the NVH level of the last RX350, but the general ride comfort, over bumps, on the last version, was not quite as-smooth as the 60-series all-season tires would suggest.

I had two gen 2 RXs and one Gen 3RX (F Sport). By far, the 2RX was soft and super comfortable, but yaw, squat, dive, etc was pretty bad. the 3RX was noticeably firmer and borderline harsh (worse in colder temps as the shocks stiffened more than normal) though I had the F Sport.

My NX F Sport with AVS is MORE comfortable over rough roads than my past RX F Sport. I can only imagine the new RX F Sport with AVS and a 5 inch longer wheelbase will ride even better than the NX!
 

mmcartalk

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I had two gen 2 RXs and one Gen 3RX (F Sport). By far, the 2RX was soft and super comfortable, but yaw, squat, dive, etc was pretty bad. the 3RX was noticeably firmer and borderline harsh (worse in colder temps as the shocks stiffened more than normal) though I had the F Sport.

All else equal, vehicles tend to ride stiffer in cold weather, not just because of thicker shock-fluid and more damping, but also because the rubber in the tires is also less-flexible and less-absorbent. On a hot summer day, especially if the tires have been sitting in direct sunlight heating up, even though it adds more PSI to the tires from the heat, your car will usually ride noticeably more smoothly with the hot rubber than in the winter or a cloudy day.
 
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mmcartalk

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Nice review, Krew. Well done. :) Wow....you traveled all the way to Portland to review it.......and I complain when I have to drive a lousy 20 or 30 miles to review something (I think my record was around 40 one-way, to review a Lotus Elise). If you ever wanted to see something funny, you should have seen me (6' 2", 280 lb.), trying to shoehorn in and out of an Elise, much less drive it (too bad I don't have a video of it). Even the salesman himself told me to give up......it was impossible. But drive it I did.....somewhow. ;)

Anyhow, good review on your part, as usual. I'm looking forward to a crack at a new RX myself in a couple of months when it is released in the D.C. area. And, of course, the new RX has to be good........it is going up against the (IMO) impressive new Lincoln MKX, some well-established (and well-performing) German competitors, the plush Infiniti J60, the hot-selling Acura MDX, and, of course, Cadillac's upcoming XT5.
 
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IS-SV

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Wow, thanks Krew for that thorough very early review. It really puts the 2016 RX changes into perspective versus last version. Certainly got my interest up and I'm thinking about driving one now. Oregon is great for test driving (other than the freeways with have considerably slower cruising speeds than CA), nice scenic country roads especially in the drier summer months.

My opinion is the new bolder exterior and interior styling (versus bland old RX styling) will help to increase sales volume of this already hot-seller, of course let the stats speak for themselves 6 - 12 months down the road....
 
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Quick question. I've seen it mentioned that with the power 2nd row seat option there is a button reachable from the drivers seat to fold them. I have been unable to notice that button in any of the photo's I've seen. Any idea of the location?
 

RAL

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I think this car is going to be a stunner in real life and I think the numbers will attest to it.
 

TMG

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Hello, Krew.

I've read couple of rewiews of this test-drive held in Portland from different journalists. One of them says the base RX comes with a halogene headlamps and both lense-xenon and LED are the options according to the specification introduced during this test-drive. Is that true?
 

Sabelo

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When inside the previous RX, even the NX, you are immediately cushioned by those amazing seats, so comfortable and the car is soooooooo quiet it's embarrassing!!! I hope the have not changed any of that, AT ALL!!!
 
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Thanks for your comprehensive review, you are going far deeper these 5 minutes test drive usually found on many web sites…

One question still puzzles me about this new 450h. I own a Gen 3 RX 450h for a few months now and if I am perfectly happy with the high level of comfort and luxury equipment, I am still a bit frustrating by the driving experience. Before this car, I used to drive 6 cylinders, 3 liters turbo diesel engine (BMW 530d and lastly Audi A4 Allroad 3.0 TDI). Those engines are full of torque at very low engine speed, on the Audi, the STronic was shifting to the upper gear as low as 1500rpm, and the acceleration/thrust was already impressive, with nearly no pressure on the accelerator. These cars can be driven on the torque of the engine, and I really like this behavior, giving the impression that the car is reacting with no effort.
On the 3RX, if you step gently on the accelerator, you get a gentle acceleration… As you increase the pressure on the accelerator, the engine rpm is almost directly linked to the accelerator course, with an immediate rise. And the acceleration is also linked to the rpm. So the only way to get a decent acceleration is to strongly push the accelerator, resulting in high engine speed. And even if the sound of the 6 cylinders is very nice, I still have the impression at this time that the engine strains. Of course, if you go full throttle, the thrust is almost immediate and the acceleration is really amazing for a 2.2 ton vehicle, but this is not my daily driving style… I feel this behavior appropriate in a sport car, but not in line with the spirit of the RX.
If you look at the overall power available in the electric motors, I would have think that the immediate torque provided by these motors should have been more noticeable, even for low accelerator solicitation. I already test drive pure electric cars and the immediate thrust is impressive, even with much less powerful engine than the RX. I drove recently CT200h and NX300h and I found them more demonstrative than my 3RX when driven quietly.

Has these aspect been improved on the RX4 450h, do you feel more torque at low rpm ? I read somewhere that Lexus said they increased the electric motors response, but I haven’t found a single word on it in any test drive report.

Sorry for my English, this is not my native language, I am writing from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean…
 

corradoMR2

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Quick question. I've seen it mentioned that with the power 2nd row seat option there is a button reachable from the drivers seat to fold them. I have been unable to notice that button in any of the photo's I've seen. Any idea of the location?

Good question. Krew can confirm - Maybe it's behind the push-button panel on the lower left dash hiding the controls like with the 3GS, unless it's just a coin tray or cup holder.

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Gecko

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Great review, Kevin... and amazing pics. These are the most "real life" pics I've seen as most of the others are either Lexus' press pics or overly processed.

Nice job providing the perspective that only a true Lexus Enthusiast can ;)
 

GSCT

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Well, outside of the exterior styling, the new RX seems pretty good from all the launch reviews I've read. The new styling though.... I love it, but I wonder how the white belt/blue rinse set of current RX owners will respond. In an ultra hot segment, this looks like a winner to me.