Lexus RX Pros and Cons: What To Know When Weighing Your Decision

in Car Comparisons
Black Lexus RX in a showroom

Source: Pixabay

The Lexus RX is a luxury crossover option, offering excellent refinement and a solid driving experience. On top of that, it’s sleek and sure to turn heads as you drive to dinner. However, every aspect of the Lexus RX doesn’t come with a glowing recommendation. You might wonder - is it worth it for the Lexus RX, or should you look elsewhere?

One of the best places to look when determining if the Lexus RX is worth it is the Lexus RX pros and cons. These are the best and worst aspects of the vehicle. After all, it’s a terrible idea to purchase a car based on its appearance or even popularity. A well-rounded look at a luxury car will clear things up with ease.

What We Love: Lexus RX Pros

The Lexus RX is a sleek car, so we have to go over the positives. Let’s jump into the best parts of the Lexus RX pros and cons.

Quality Interior Design

One of the best parts about the luxurious Lexus RX is the interior design work they put into the vehicle. It has a sleek touchscreen for control and, although new to most drivers, it won’t take long for anyone to learn. The large center screen makes an excellent centerpiece and offers an easy view of items like the rear backup camera.

The interior of the Lexus RX is equipped with well-designed seating and plenty of features on the dash to keep the driver updated with what they can do. It’s a step below a manageable rocket ship in all the best ways.

Sleek, Practical Driver Assistance Features

The Lexus RX comes with sleek driver assistance features that appear when needed and not a moment sooner, which is practical for those annoyed by constant beeping and flashing lights on other vehicles. It’s for the driver and not anybody else.

Every car made by Lexus comes with the standard Safety System + 3.0. This pack has a pre-collision system, intelligent high beams, road sign assist, lane assistance, and dynamic radar cruise control. It’s ready to help the driver and reduce crash rates when possible. 


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Comfortable, Roomy Seating

There are five seats in the Lexus RX. According to cars.usnews.com, the front seats in the RX are comfortable and offer plenty of room for passengers. The back seats are a little less spacious, but they’re perfect for children and smaller adults to stretch their legs. Tall adults might find the headroom to be a struggle.

Synthetic leather upholstery comes as a standard on the seats and the front seats even gets a heated addition. If you want, there’s available real leather, ventilated front seats, and heated/ventilated rear seats for the ultimate experience.

Top Performance and Efficiency 

Finally, you’ll get excellent performance and efficiency in the Lexus RX, balanced for an engaging customer experience. It comes with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder, which brings 275 horsepower and a decent 317 pound-feet of torque. It’s a solid, speedy option and it puts that to good work.

According to nplexusrgv.com, you will get 21-22 mpg in the city and 28-29 on the highway. For a luxury vehicle, those statistics are decent. The RX performs well and offers an efficient experience simultaneously. 

What We Dislike: Lexus RX Cons

Unfortunately, there are some places where the Lexus RX seems to struggle. We must go over some errors in the Lexus RX pros and cons.

Handling Can Be Firm in F Sport Model

If you happen to drive the F Sport model of the Lexus RX, the handling can feel a bit firm. While this isn’t an issue all the time, it can feel like you have less control in high-speed situations. It can also be frustrating if you want to have complete control over your Lexus RX.

In some cases, firm handling can even lead to early wear and tear of the undercarriage. Other trims might not have the same struggle. 


THE LEXUS RX 350 YEARS TO AVOID

It’s a luxury hybrid designed for comfort, performance, and eco-friendly technology. But, of course, the 2022 model isn’t the only version of the Lexus RX 350, and there are some Lexus RX 350 years to avoid.


Poor Intuition in Infotainment 

The infotainment system seems like it could come with everything you need, but it doesn’t. For instance, wireless connectivity comes with the system, but you won’t get navigation, which can be frustrating. Buyers will get a free year of navigation but must pay for the cloud system to keep many of the technology features.

Unfortunately, many drivers reported frustration connecting to the cloud system, which is irritating in itself because it costs extra to keep. The voice controls leave much to be desired and there is a slow response time, though access to the voice control system is rewarding. 

Irritating Touch-Sensing Steering Wheel

Finally, the touch-sensing steering wheel is frustrating to handle in the Lexus RX. There are unmarked buttons on the steering wheel, which means you can’t see what they mean before pushing them right on the wheel. The only place that indicates these multifunctional buttons is on the head-up display. They are frustrating to handle and take up way too much time.

The multifunctional buttons are a cool idea, but they can get in the way of the driving experience and could cause you to lose access to certain features on the road if you don’t know what you’re doing. The addition isn’t worth it, in our opinion. 

Should You Buy a Lexus RX?

We’ve covered the significant Lexus RX pros and cons, which leaves us with a final question. Should you bother with the Lexus RX? Should you go with a different vehicle?

The Lexus RX is an ideal choice if you want a car that will retain its value very well. It also has excellent driver assistance features, a comfortable seating arrangement, and winning performance and efficiency. Though there are some errors, it’s worth it if you can afford it.

If you pick the Lexus RX, keep away from the 2007, 2008, 2010, 2016, and 2017 years. These have some serious struggles and will eventually cost more to repair than the value you’ll get from the car.


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