Eric's Autoe: 2024 Lexus RX

The first luxury crossover -- the Lexus RX -- is now one of many. When it first came out way back in 1998, it was not just new. It was radically different from the cars then being sold by the other luxury brands.

It sold so well the others scrambled to sell copies of their own.

Today, every luxury brand sells crossovers -- and some luxury brands (like Lincoln) no longer sell cars at all.

So what do you sell today -- when everyone else is selling something similar?

What It Is

The RX is a midsize/five-passenger luxury crossover and the grandfather of all other luxury crossovers that have flattered Lexus by imitating its look and layout.

The current model no longer offers the V6 that used to be standard in the RX, but it does offer something else.

Somethings else, to be precise.

You can pick an RX (the $48,600 RX350) with a turbocharged, four-cylinder engine that makes a bit less power than the previously available V6, or you can pick an RX (the $50,750 RX350h) with a turbocharged four-paired with a mild hybrid system that goes much farther per gallon than the previous RX350 with the V6.

Or you can pick a plug-in hybrid version of this Lexus -- the $69,230 RX450h -- that has more power than the old V6 RX that also can be driven close to 40 miles without burning any gas at all. This model also doesn't have to be plugged in when it runs low on charge -- unlike an electric-only vehicle.

The fourth iteration of the RX is the $62,750 500h. It's a performance hybrid that has more power (366 horsepower) than any previous RX even though it's also powered by a turbocharged four. It gets better gas mileage than the turbo-four-only RX350 -- which burns more gas because it lacks the hybrid assist.

What's New for 2024

The plug-in RX450h is new for this model year. Cloudhouse Gray has been added to the available color palette.

What's Good

-- Multiple drivetrain choices.

-- Rear seats can be reclined.

-- 12-speaker premium audio system and three-zone climate control are standard in base RX350.

What's Not So Good

-- No more standard V6.

-- Standard 2.4-liter four only returns slightly better gas mileage than previously standard V6 -- and is down 15 horsepower versus the previous V6.

-- No third row option.

Under the Hood

The RX's new standard engine is a turbocharged, 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 275 horsepower -- 15 down from the previously standard 3.5-liter V6's 290 horsepower -- but your consolation prize is 22 mpg in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway, versus 20 mpg city and 27 mpg on the highway from the no-longer-available V6.

There are some alternatives -- just none with six cylinders.

The first is a hybrid set-up (in the RX350h) that combines a slightly larger 2.5 liter engine with a battery/motor, the latter driving the rear wheels. This combo makes less power (246 horsepower) but the gas mileage goes up significantly - to 37 city, 34 highway. And so does the range - which increases to 636 miles in city driving and 584 on the highway.

Next-up is a plug-in hybrid setup that increases the powertrain's total output to 304 horsepower. This version of the RX -- the 450h -- can also be driven for about 37 miles on battery power alone (assuming you start with a fully charged battery).

Finally, there's the performance-hybrid RX500h. This one has the most horsepower (366) Lexus has ever offered in the RX, which enables it to hustle to 60 mph in just over five seconds, making it the quickest-ever RX. It also gets slightly better gas mileage -- 27 mpg city, 28 mpg highway -- than the base RX350.

Irrespective of trim/powertrain, every RX is rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds.

The upside is you don't have to spend extra on a higher trim to get the maximum rated towing capacity. The downside is that even the very powerful RX500h isn't rated to pull more than the base RX350, and several of the RX's rivals, such as the Acura MDX, can tow as much as 5,000 pounds when equipped with their optional (six-cylinder) engines.

On the Road

Lexus has done a thorough job making the new four feel (and even sound) like the V6 you used to get in the RX. It pulls with the authority of more than just four cylinders, which in a way is exactly what you've got here in that the turbo stuffs as much (or more) air into those four cylinders as six would be able to inhale by themselves. And the power -- the torque -- is at hand sooner, which is the chief boon to this layout, as opposed to the nominal increase in posted gas mileage numbers.

Regardless, it's what hasn't changed that's most important -- to people who love the RX. This Lexus is as soft as ever, if not more so. Even the 500h, which comes standard with the F Sport upgrades that include a set of very tall (21-inch) wheels -- which you'd think would impart a stiff and unforgiving (as of potholes) ride.

They don't. Because they're not shod with rubber band-thin "sport" tires, as is usually the case with tires this tall.

What you do get is sharpened-up steering response, an attribute almost everyone likes when it doesn't come at the cost of a harsh, unforgiving ride. Even the sport buckets that are part of the F Sport package are more supportive than cinching.

At the Curb

When the RX made its debut some 26 years ago, it looked like nothing else. Now everything else looks like the RX.

That is flattering to Lexus, but it also means the latest RX doesn't stand apart from the crowd as the original RX did. It is a victim, in a way, of its own brilliance. Were Lexus to significantly alter the shape of the RX, then the RX would no longer offer the packaging attributes that have made crossovers as popular as they have become.

So the RX's visual distinctiveness is mostly viewed head-on, as is true of other crossovers. And that may explain why the current RX has a much more visually aggressive face than the original RX. It's hard to miss the big Lexus "L" badge in the center of the huge, trapezoidal grille that has become the trademark "Lexus" grille.

Inside, there's a new, all-flatscreen instrument cluster, along with the now-ubiquitous LCD screen for the secondary systems. It's interesting to note that the original '98 RX300 was one of the very first new vehicles to come with an LCD display, and now -- of course -- everyone has one of those, too. Premium trims get a larger (14-inch) screen that's easily twice the size of the '98's screen.

The Rest

Though Lexus has thoroughly updated the RX's tech, the RX still has some old-school tech to go along with it, including a 12V power point just ahead of the gear selector and alongside the modern USB/power points (both types). This is a small but big thing if you have an accessory that uses a 12V pigtail plug -- which you wouldn't otherwise be able to use.

The Bottom Line

The V6 is gone, but everything else that has made the RX the leader in its class for more than a quarter century remains.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.