2010 Lexus RX 350/RX 450h
Lexus writes RX for luxury ute buyers
The RX line, already highly regarded after its first two generations, was one of the first vehicles to be marketed as a luxury crossover ute, and the success of the flagship Lexus inspired a number of other makers to get in on the act, though they were left playing catch up to (parent company) Toyota’s premium vehicle arm.
In the words of managing director Stephen Beatty, “The RX is to Lexus what Corolla is to Toyota; a consistent top-seller that introduces people to the brand and shows them what they can expect.”
Now in its third generation, and marketed as a 2010 model year product, the RX is set to continue to set the benchmark for high-end, multi-purpose transportation; with a package of state-of-the-art tech and sound mechanical underpinnings.
To encapsulate the basics, the new RX (built in Cambridge, Ont.) still comes as two models, the RX 350 and the RX 450h. The 350 is the gasoline-only version and the 450h uses a hybrid powertrain.
It gets more complex than that, of course, with the packages offered to up-trim the base RX350: Premium, Touring, Sport and (perhaps having run out of descriptors), the Ultra Premium package.
The 450h keeps it simpler with merely the option of Touring or Sport packages (on top of its hybrid system).
That’s a pretty brief description, as you can see, but suffice to say that with each shift in trims the vehicle gets more equipment and a higher price; until the RX is sporting every lux-feature you could want.
Its easier to focus on what’s new for the 2010 generation, the highlights of which are the availability of a heads-up display and my personal favourite, Lexus’ new “remote touch” system.
Remote touch is a centralized unit designed to operate most onboard features through a palm-and-thumb-button, mouselike device mounted centrally just below the shifter. In my humble op, it puts all other such units (i.e., ones found in a number of European high-end vehicles) to shame. It is easy to use, it is intuitive and you can be scrolling through the menus and changing info displays within minutes of seeing it for the first time. Take that, iDrive!
The Remote touch, which replaces the previous-gen’s touch screen interface, was the pet project (or one of the pet projects in the redesign of the RX) of Toyota assistant Chief Engineer Chika Kako, who was on hand to emphasize the philosophy of the company on smart engineering.
“We did not want to add technology for technology’s sake,” she explained. “We wanted to add it for the driver’s sake; (the technology) requires you to do less while the RX does more.”
Other changes for the 2010 model meant: “designing an all-new rear suspension, revising the 3.5 litre engine (Toyota has mined more horsepower from the engine, although it is the same one used in 2009 RXs), and developing the Atkinson cycle engine for the hybrid.”
Touching on those points, the rear suspension has been changed to a double-wishbone rig (replacing struts) to further refine the ride of the RX and scoop out 13 percent more room in the rear. The hp from the V6 gasoline engine in the RX 350 is up to 275 hp, with 257 lb.-ft. of peak torque, and the hybrid RX 450h boasts a maximum 295 hp.
The 450 uses the same gas engine as the 350, and while fuel economy numbers for the hybrid aren’t finalized yet, the gas-only version promises mileage of 11.6/8.2 L/100 km, city and highway; and the hybrid should outdo that handily.
Outwardly the latest RX models look much the same as their predecessors, but tweaking the sheet metal has improved the coefficient of drag a bit (to 0.32 from 0.34)
The interior of the vehicles has changed enough for Lexus to call it “all-new”, springing from Toyota’s L-finesse design philosophy. Seat comfort and driver’s sightlines are very good, as is the ergonomically perfect positioning of its controls.
The instrumentation is backlit with what the company describes as “organic light emitting diodes”, not dissimilar in appearance or contrast from conventional LEDs; and the (optional) heads-up display feature keeps a driver’s eye in line with the road.
And for anyone familiar with the RX in general, it goes without saying the passenger experience is at once comfortable and luxurious, with tastefully applied trim and leather surfaces inviting the touch.
There is a good deal more to the RX than what space allows, a lot more in fact; and I certainly recommend anyone shopping high-end crossovers (including significantly more expensive marques) to take one for a test drive of their own when the vehicle goes on sale here.
Canadian models will be AWD-only, which make sense in this country, and the RX 350 model will be the first to reach dealers (beginning in February, the 450h will be a few months later). Full-line pricing is not available as of this writing, but Lexus vows the entry level model RX 350 should start in the low 40s.
Summary:
Strong Points
Weak Points
- - good looks
- - reputation for reliability
- - excellent ride
- - full array of high-end options and user-friendly technology
- - built in Canada
- - stiff-feeling brake pedal on hybrid model (RX 450h)
Editors Rating:
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