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Nearly a year ofliving differentlyWhat? You can get a premium SUV that isn’t German? On balance,
Tim Pollard has enjoyed living the life RX, with a couple of reservations...Lexus RX450h L
Month 9The story so far
We’ve been busy testing Lexus’s
first seven-seater in Europe
+The sense of calm; the
exquisite quality; the quiet
hybrid nous- The awful infotainment,
chiselled styling, few driving
thrills
The RX L has done plenty
to cement our opinion of
Lexuses – but it’s challenged a
few of our preconceptions, too.
The Japanese firm is hardly a
newcomer to premium SUVs; it
launched the original RX back in
1997, beating the Europeans to
this still-mushrooming segment.
Two decades later, we’ve sampled
the fourth generation – and this
one is the first to offer a stretched
version with space for seven. Lexus’s
engineers should have had time to
get the formula right...
We found the extra row of
occasional seats handy to have, but
on the small side. The chances are
that anyone wanting a proper seven-
seater would consider a full MPV or
much bigger 4x4; anyone shopping
for an RX L will likely view the third
row as useful back-up for when the
grandkids visit or overflow for a pubrun. They’re fine for this purpose,
but we enjoyed the longer boot
more than the (electrically operated)
extra rear seats. It’s a huge loadbay
and one that swallowed everything
we ever bundled in.
The RX L proved roomy for
passengers too, and we came
to cherish the chilled-out vibe
inside. Seats front and back were
comfy and commodious, and
the ventilated/heated front pews
proved their worth in extremes
of weather. The joystick-operated
infotainment system grated from
day one, but Lexus has subsequently
committed to adding Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto.
Our Premier spec came with
20-inch alloys, keyless entry
and ignition, a 15-speaker Mark
Levinson stereo and automated
everything; only the £995 sunroof
and £645 metallic paint were extra.I’ve spoken in earlier reports
about the inherent Lexus quality
and nearly 9000 miles of arduous
daily usage has done nothing to
shake that view. It’s well built,
materials are first-class and it’s
mechanically as robust as you could
wish for. Only a puncture required
fixing, and this revealed glorious
attention to detail in the spare-
wheel bay, with a pair of gloves and
a protective bag to prevent the boot
being scuffed by the wheel.
What didn’t we like? Well, you’ll
have made your own mind up about
the looks. The hybrid drivetrain
equally splits opinion, with some
enjoying its relaxed gait and others
questioning the CVT’s soaraway
revs. Economy was of more interest
to me, as the big Lexus struggled
to average more than 30mpg in
daily use, which is a hard figure to
swallow for a ‘self-charging’ hybrid.
I liked the big RX, but it could be
even better with an improved cabin,
tidied styling and a smaller-capacity
hybrid powertrain, perhaps with
the addition of a plug-in to eke a few
more miles from every gallon.
@TimPollardCarsOnly one night
away, but you
never know what
you might needPrice £61,995 (£63,635 as
tested) Performance 3456cc
hybrid V6, 259bhp, 8.0sec
0-62mph, 112mph Efficiency
47.1mpg (official), 35.8mpg
(tested), 138g/km CO2 Energy
cost 16.4 per mile Miles this
month 775 Total miles 8548LogbookAlex TapleyCARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | OCTOBER 2019
G oodbye
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Count the cost
Cost new £63,635 Private sale
£47,032 Part-exchange £44,797
Energy cost 19.4p per mile Cost per
mile including depreciation £2.4030mpg is a hard
figure to swallow for a
‘self-charging’ hybrid