2016 Lexus RX350 And 450h: Business Class Travel

Most people fly economy class. A few lucky souls make the same trip in business class: greater comfort, with all you can eat or drink included. And most of the latter aren’t paying a cent out of their own pockets – their employer picks up the tab.

I felt like I was in business class when I enjoyed my first drives in the new 2016 Lexus RX 350. Just a day before, I had been at the other end of the scale, behind the wheel of a smart fortwo! But that’s another story.

• Also: 2016 Lexus RX 350 And RX 450h: We’re Driving Them This Week
• Also: The 2016 Lexus RX350/450h: More Elegant And Better Equipped

It was high time Lexus freshened up its top seller, the RX. The previous generation was launched in 2008 as a 2009 model—and in the car world, that was eons ago.

Some of the “all-new” is not all that new 

While Lexus brags about its “all-new” RX, it’s more a case of continuing development. Thoughtful development, one has to say. The chassis is unchanged, but the engineers have made numerous improvements and refinements; the same is true of the engine and transmission choices. 

On the outside, the new Lexus retains the familiar spindle-shaped grille, which looks very aggressive but—to my eye— somewhat overdone. The vehicle’s lines look like they were chiseled with an axe, and while the result is not unpleasing, it’s a bit stark for my taste. Adapting a line from the Ford songbook, Lexus has come up with a hatch that opens if you merely wave your hand or your elbow past the Lexus badge, provided of course you have the key on your person. It’s only available on some versions. Our tests were inconclusive; it will probably take some practice before you can wave your hand or elbow in just the right spot, and the elbow reference here has nothing to do with drinking and driving. 

The RX F Sport version

Again this year, the F Sport comes with distinctive badges and trim changes, as well as special front seats, 20-inch wheels, Sport + mode and, most importantly, adaptive variable suspension (AVS). We’ll get back to that. For now, let’s just say that an RX 350 or an RX 450h with the F Sport package looks mighty fine.

The instrument panel has undergone extensive change, and now looks more modern and conventional than it used to be. The shifter that used to be on the dash, reminiscent of a minivan, has now moved to the central console, where it should be. You will no longer find the storage space under the console that was impossible to reach while driving. Atop the dash is an 8-inch screen. Versions with the Luxury, Executive or F Sport package come with a 12.3-inch high-definition screen. Anyone who criticized the quality of materials or the fit and finish would really have to show how they could do better, and they would probably need divine intervention. 

Improvements

Under the hood, there are two engine choices. The RX 350 still relies on the everlasting 3.5-litre V6, with some upgrades. The cylinder head has been redesigned, with variable valve timing (VVT-iW) added on the intake side, which means the Atkinson cycle is available on the hybrid. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. US customers will be able to buy a FWD version that offers snappier acceleration with all the torque going to the front wheels, but it will be AWD-only for Canadian buyers.

The engine now puts out 295 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 268 ft-lbs of torque at 4,700 rpm. That is more than enough for strong acceleration and quick passing8 manoeuvres, but it falls short of sporty. The automatic works well, in the sense that the driver will be completely unaware of its operation. 

The hybrid is back

The RX 450h hybrid uses the same 3.5-litre V6, and the addition of an electric motor that also charges the battery produces a combined total of 308 horsepower. A second electric motor takes care of the rear wheels, meaning that the RX 450h is AWD, wherever you buy one. The transmission is continuously variable –a CVT– and people who are allergic to such devices will have to think again. As in the enormous LS 600h, it operates with the kind of smoothness and invisibility you would expect of a Lexus. Nice job!

On the highway, sporting performance is too much to expect. This SUV is quiet and silky-smooth in operation. The ride is very well controlled, although you quickly realize that the Michelin Premier LTX tires reach their limit well before the chassis does. Steering is fairly accurate, but feedback leaves something to be desired. 

The F Sport version includes no radical changes, but makes the RX 350 much more fun to drive. The bigger tires and especially the active suspension work wonders. In Sport + mode, the vehicle corners flatter, the steering is firmed up and the engine response is more lively.

It is one of life’s little oddities that the hybrid turns out to be the sportiest model in the RX line-up, particularly with the F Sport package. There is no lean in the corners, and the paddle-equipped CVT shifts in a fraction of a second. The only downside is that the electronically modulated exhaust note sounds rather strange.

The best-selling Lexus

The RX accounts for 40% of Lexus sales worldwide. No one doubts that the new model will do just as well, if not better. Another bonus is that it is made in Canada in the only Lexus plant outside Japan. 

Prices have yet to be announced. We’ll have to wait until mid-November, when RXs begin to reach dealers, to find out what they will cost. The Lexus RX remains one of the most comfortable luxury SUVs on the market: what you might call business class travel by road. If you want something with more passion, the Germans can accommodate you, but your maintenance costs will rise.

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