The Lexus RZ 450e Megathread

[DOC4Lex]

Well today was my first full day in the RZ. Decided to shoot it at a winery in the North GA Mountains. I then drove it up and down the same mountain I took the RX 500h in two weeks ago. Pretty tired. I’ve never taken an EV this far or on a mountain run before. My photographer was with me.

I made it from Atlanta to basically Helen GA and back with 20 miles left. i left with 208 miles. It was a perfect spring day so I was lucky enough to roll the windows down and enjoy the weather which helps range.

At no time was I worried about range having calculated everything. That said Tesla’s dominance was clear as the winery ONLY had Tesla chargers. I think 8 of them. So i couldn’t charge there for the couple of hours we were there. It was free. Even on the way back there are zero charge point chargers for 50 or so miles. There was an EV Go charger at the outlets but I wasn’t downloading ANOTHER APP to use,

The RZ is built like a tank. Nothing resembling a rattle. Not a creak. Not a sound. I assume Lexus was so worried about reliability that they overbuilt it. Acceleration is brisk. There is a big difference between sport and “range” mode with throttle response. Sport for me, It’s not Model 3 Dual Motor Fast as your head and brain still work after pressing the pedal.

The 14”’screen anf HUD are great. Cabin feels really airy. My interior is all black with only a bit of silver and graphite touches. Really boring. Did I mention how quiet it is inside. Whisper quiet.

In the mountains I pushed the RZ as hard as it would go. My initial worries went away after the first couple of turns. It immediately felt more planted and easier to drive than the RX. Credit the lower weight, center of gravity and throttle response which is linear. Also no real shifting with the transmission and slowing into corners is easier as the car eases up when you let off the gas. I pushed and pushed and pushed and could not get the rear to swing or even get the 18 “
bridgestones to squeal. Shocking, Only a couple of times I went into a corner too fast and eased off things or tapped the lines in the road. But I never felt like I was close to losing the RZ, Brakes are much smaller than the 500 but no issues. Steering was super direct and the steering wheel really has a good size to it. That said through it all even though I likely was faster in the RZ, I simply never felt connected to the road nor was it enjoyable being so mute. Fast with no feelings…

In comparison the RX 500h felt more fun and livelier with more body roll. Kinda gotta wrestle her a bit as Direct-4 seems to engage far more in corners. Tires squeal much more and the front end goes in hot if you let it. The rear can swing but again Direct-4 saves it. It’s no V-8 but the I-4 turbo and 6 speed actually shifts and makes noise.

Ideally I’m not waking up at 6am to take either on mountain runs. What is absolutely crazy is you could. Something unheard of from Lexus just a couple of years ago in a SUV. The Lexus Driving Signature is a real thing. Now 99% of owners won’t do anything close to what I did today. But I’m happy to report the RZ got me back home after a grueling day with me up North.

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Dude 54 hours(2.25 days) to fully charge the RZ what is going on there? But i enjoyed this review so can we then conclude that Lexus will only be ready to make a proper EV in 2026/27?

 

[mikeavelli]

Dude 54 hours(2.25 days) to fully charge the RZ what is going on there? But i enjoyed this review so can we then conclude that Lexus will only be ready to make a proper EV in 2026/27?

Thanks mahn.

That long using the level 1 charger the RZ comes with. The 9 volt plugged in the wall in the garage. The slowest and least powerful way to charge.

Contemplating buying a level 2 charger. I believe the time to go from 0-100% is 9 hours or so.

With a fast charger the RZ is supposed to go from 0-80% in 30 minutes.

 

[qtb007]

Dude 54 hours(2.25 days) to fully charge the RZ what is going on there? But i enjoyed this review so can we then conclude that Lexus will only be ready to make a proper EV in 2026/27?

If you charge a Tesla or anything else from empty to full on a standard outlet, it will take 2-4 days depending on battery size. You are essentially trying to fill a pool with a water hose. It can do it, but you just can't move that much electricity through a typical outlet.

 

[Motor]

 

[mikeavelli]

If you charge a Tesla or anything else from empty to full on a standard outlet, it will take 2-4 days depending on battery size. You are essentially trying to fill a pool with a water hose. It can do it, but you just can't move that much electricity through a typical outlet.

Haha the hose in a pool analogy is perfect haha.

 

[mikeavelli]

Went to the Atlanta United game Saturday, ELEVEN of us so took the 600 and RZ. RZ had 5 people inside with no issues. Everyone seems to like it and think it’s futuristic. With 5 people the car pulls hard but definitely not as much. No issues in traffic, the smaller size makes it rather easy to maneuver and park.

It’s killing my analytics tho lol. No one is searching or knows about this car. I still get tons of questions and comments on the RX in comparison…

Didn’t use it Sunday so it was plugged in and is back at a full battery. I honestly find this part super appealing….

Now I have a crazy idea for a BEV LX……

 

[Kelvin2020]

2023 Audi Q4 50 e-tron Quattro vs. Lexus RZ450e Tested: Which Is the More Convincing Luxury EV SUV?

These two relative newcomers aim to establish themselves within the growing electric luxury SUV segment. Which is the better choice?

www.caranddriver.com

 

[ssun30]

Average DC charge rate 10-90%: 36kW
Observed highway range at 75mph(120km/h): 120mi(193km)
The Q4 e-Tron is already a very low bar to clear and RZ450e is still hopelessly uncompetitive.
May has already passed. Where is that software refresh?

And somehow its acceleration just keeps surprising me. First estimated 5.1s 0-60mph but actual tested figure is 4.6s? That's the kind of overachievement we have not seen in a Lexus for a long time (*cough* LS500 *cough*). That heavy pig TX500h gets a FSP badge but this thing doesn't even have a F-Sport?

 

[CRSKTN]

Average DC charge rate 10-90%: 36kW
Observed highway range at 75mph(120km/h): 120mi(193km)
The Q4 e-Tron is already a very low bar to clear and RZ450e is still hopelessly uncompetitive.
May has already passed. Where is that software refresh?

And somehow its acceleration just keeps surprising me. First estimated 5.1s 0-60mph but actual tested figure is 4.6s? That's the kind of overachievement we have not seen in a Lexus for a long time (*cough* LS500 *cough*). That heavy pig TX500h gets a FSP badge but this thing doesn't even have a F-Sport?

Lexus RZ Sport Concept Is An Electric SUV That Wants To Be A Race Car | Carscoops

The Lexus RZ Sport Concept is adorned with a host of carbon fiber parts, including two rear wings

www.carscoops.com

 

[ssun30]

Just had my first test of the RZ. I'm not going to beat the dead horse on range and charging again. But this is the best driving Lexus car on sale today. There is no way this car has only 230kW. I've driven many cars with similar power-to-weight before. This is another level..

This is more FSP than any FSP, including the IS500. A 150kW rear motor and stiffer sway bar is all it takes to be a great performance car.h The RX500h FSP is hot garbage compared to this. Do not buy.

The severe lacking in dealership training is a bigger hurdle than range and charging. The salesperson has no idea what charging port it has, can't answer the simple question of whether this can be charged at a Tesla Supercharger, has zero idea how the new tax break works, and gave an outright ridiculous monthly lease payment. The manager is the only person capable of answering any RZ-related question.

 

[Levi]

Just had my first test of the RZ. I'm not going to beat the dead horse on range and charging again. But this is the best driving Lexus car on sale today. There is no way this car has only 230kW. I've driven many cars with similar power-to-weight before. This is another level..

This is more FSP than any FSP, including the IS500. A 150kW rear motor and stiffer sway bar is all it takes to be a great performance car.h The RX500h FSP is hot garbage compared to this. Do not buy.

The severe lacking in dealership training is a bigger hurdle than range and charging. The salesperson has no idea what charging port it has, can't answer the simple question of whether this can be charged at a Tesla Supercharger, has zero idea how the new tax break works, and gave an outright ridiculous monthly lease payment. The manager is the only person capable of answering any RZ-related question.

Regardless of managerial/sales staff, good outlook for IS BEV?

 

[mikeavelli]

Just had my first test of the RZ. I'm not going to beat the dead horse on range and charging again. But this is the best driving Lexus car on sale today. There is no way this car has only 230kW. I've driven many cars with similar power-to-weight before. This is another level..

This is more FSP than any FSP, including the IS500. A 150kW rear motor and stiffer sway bar is all it takes to be a great performance car.h The RX500h FSP is hot garbage compared to this. Do not buy.

The severe lacking in dealership training is a bigger hurdle than range and charging. The salesperson has no idea what charging port it has, can't answer the simple question of whether this can be charged at a Tesla Supercharger, has zero idea how the new tax break works, and gave an outright ridiculous monthly lease payment. The manager is the only person capable of answering any RZ-related question.

Agreed it’s a great driving Lexus and it’s not talked about a lot. All you hear is range range range. It’s like saying a car is bad only because it has bad MPG. I’m sure it will improve over time.

Sorry to hear about the dealer experience

 

[mikeavelli]

Spotted today in Atlanta…

 

[Gecko]

That black looks sharp. When I was buying my GX, the dealer had a blue and black two tone RZ on the lot. My only real gripe is the circular projectors - everything else in the lineup has the more angular ones that look a lot nicer.

The shape of the RZ is really nice overall IMO.

 

[CRSKTN]

The front feels too simple but otherwise looks solid to me.

I hope two tone paint makes it to other models

 

[sl0519]

Just had my first test of the RZ. I'm not going to beat the dead horse on range and charging again. But this is the best driving Lexus car on sale today. There is no way this car has only 230kW. I've driven many cars with similar power-to-weight before. This is another level..

This is more FSP than any FSP, including the IS500. A 150kW rear motor and stiffer sway bar is all it takes to be a great performance car.h The RX500h FSP is hot garbage compared to this. Do not buy.

The severe lacking in dealership training is a bigger hurdle than range and charging. The salesperson has no idea what charging port it has, can't answer the simple question of whether this can be charged at a Tesla Supercharger, has zero idea how the new tax break works, and gave an outright ridiculous monthly lease payment. The manager is the only person capable of answering any RZ-related question.

lol I've said the exact same thing before. Not gonna make anymore arguments since some ppl would still disagree with me about the definition of "FSP".

 

[mikeavelli]

Well yeah the hp rating and performance don’t match. In a good way. I believe it’s rated at 0-60 in 5 flat but it’s been faster than that in reviews. I agree it’s quick. 302hp right?

The RZ 450e is the fastest Lexus not a V-8…..

 

[Motor]

Lexus Arrives to Monterey Car Week 2023 with its Latest in Bold Designs and Performance | Lexus | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website

Lexus will highlight the latest additions to its lineup at Monterey Car Week 2023, showcasing vehicles that offer the bold design, electrification, intuitive technology and Lexus Driving Signature that have come to define the brand at the Monterey Car Week 2023, Thursday, August 17 - Sunday...

global.toyota

Making its first U.S. appearance, the Lexus RZ Sport Concept is based on the recently launched 2023 Lexus RZ 450e battery electric vehicle. Equipped with high-output 150 kW motors in the front and rear, the concept also features a lower suspension (by 35 mm), 21-inch tires, custom aero parts and bucket seats in the front and rear.

 

[qtb007]

That double rear spoiler is ridiculous.

 

[mikeavelli]

First time this has happened… New CX90 wasn’t parked straight and the person didn’t reverse in. Wasn’t the easiest thing getting out and maneuvering to plug the RZ in because of the Mazda. Just sharing the learning curve…