A quiz question: What model has been the best-selling luxury vehicle in America for 10 years running?
It’s the Lexus RX. For more than a decade, the RX has offered a superb balance of high-tech features, long-ride comfort, and rock-solid resale value. So redesigning it is no small challenge. Improving the best-selling recipe at any restaurant in town without messing it up must be nerve-wracking. Let’s see what Lexus has whipped up with the all-new 2023 RX.
A Handsome Makeover
Everyone knows an RX when they see it. The 2023 RX holds onto the classic curvy design that made the model famous. But designers have sharpened it all around, with crisp hood lines and a floating roof design thanks to a blacked-out C-pillar.
The signature of every current Lexus design is the huge spindle grille. It’s been a love-it-or-hate-it look for years, but designers have remade it here in an interesting way. It seems to fade as it rises, blending neatly into the hood at the top. It’s a modern look. If you buy an RX this year, you’ll probably be driving it well into the era when grille-less electric cars become common. This subtle almost-grille look will probably age well.
Four Powertrains, Three Hybrid
Lexus engineers have worked wonders with V6 engines for most of the past decade. But they’d moved on, artists working in new media for 2023.
The base RX 350 features a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that makes 275 horsepower. It sends power through an 8-speed automatic transmission. Both front- and all-wheel-drive options are available.
A more fuel-efficient hybrid option., the RX 350h gets a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder mated to a hybrid system. It sends power through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). That setup is good for 246 horsepower.
A plug-in hybrid RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid is on its way, but Lexus is keeping details of that one close to the vest for now.
The headline grabber, though, is the RX 500h F Sport Performance edition. It combines the turbocharged 4-cylinder from the 350 with a pair of electric motors – one per axle – and a sport-tuned 6-speed automatic transmission. The combination is good for 366 horsepower and 27 mpg combined.
New Athleticism
Luxury, though, is found in handling more than in horsepower. What sets a true luxury car apart is a supple ride on a calm commute and a spirited ride when the road opens up.
To that end, Lexus engineers have given the RX its most sophisticated suspension ever. MacPherson front struts are tuned for sharper turn-in, while suspension arms and bushings give that cocooned highway ride Lexus is famous for.
F Sport Handling and F Sport Performance models get an adaptive variable suspension that makes near-instant adjustments to the shock absorbers’ dampening force to match conditions. Our test driver found that it provided “one of the quietest, most comfortable” rides in its price range but also “a welcome sense of increased agility.”
A New Level of Technology
Lexus has never skimped on cabin tech, but the 2023 RX has one of the most advanced cabin technology suites on the market.
With the help of an available Traffic Jam Assist function, the car can steer, accelerate, and brake itself through stop-and-go traffic.
The standard central touchscreen is 9.8 inches, with a 14-inch model available. But you’ll barely need to use it. Just say “Hey, Lexus” to access most functions via voice command. Designers also thoughtfully included a volume knob so you can adjust the audio system without taking your eyes from the road.
An available head-up display gives you all the information you need directly in the driver’s line of sight.
Interesting Colors
Our favorite feature, though, may sound prosaic. The 2023 RX is available in a wide array of colors. The automotive industry has given way to grayscale in recent years. The RX is offered in a gorgeous Nori Green Pearl, a vivid blue called Nightfall Mica, and a vibrant Matador Red. Hybrid models get the option of Copper Crest, a color like a polished penny that catches the late-day sun beautifully. We hope the competition steals this trick from Lexus and colors get more interesting soon.
More Lexus RX
Build and price your own Lexus RX to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, or see the RX models for sale near you.
