Lexus RX review
The Lexus RX is a luxurious and comfortable large SUV that stands out with its bold styling, superb build quality, and a famously reliable hybrid powertrain.
Author: The Cazoo editorial team
7th Jan 2026 – 8 mins read
Lexus was one of the first premium brands to launch a luxury SUV, and with the RX, it’s been perfecting the recipe for decades. This fourth-generation model, launched in 2016, is a car that puts comfort, quality, and refinement above all else. It’s a beautifully built, impressively quiet, and relaxing car to drive, making it a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an stress-free ownership experience. With its sharp, angular styling and huge 'Spindle' grille, the RX is a car that certainly makes a statement. Inside, you’re treated to a high-quality cabin packed with generous equipment. While its rivals might be sportier to drive or offer more advanced tech, the RX plays to its own strengths. If you value exceptional reliability, a serene driving experience, and a touch of Japanese luxury, the RX is a brilliant and often overlooked alternative to its German competitors.
Pros
- Superb build quality that feels made to last
- A very comfortable and quiet car, perfect for long journeys
- Impressive and well-deserved reputation for reliability
Cons
- The hybrid isn't as efficient as you might expect from the badge
- The infotainment system can feel dated next to rivals
- It's not as practical as some other cars of this size
Interior
Dashboard & tech
The interior of the Lexus RX is a lovely place to be. It feels incredibly well-built, with high-quality materials used throughout the cabin. It has a reassuringly sturdy feel that gives you the impression it will last forever. A large 12.3-inch touchscreen sits proudly on the dashboard, and on models from 2019 onwards, this includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for easy smartphone integration.
While the cabin feels very premium, it doesn't have the same ultra-modern, minimalist feel as an Audi Q7 or BMW X5. The infotainment system, in particular, can be a bit fiddly to use compared to the slicker systems in its German rivals. However, everything feels solid and dependable, which is a big part of the Lexus appeal.
Comfort
This is where the Lexus RX truly excels. It’s an exceptionally comfortable car, designed to isolate you from the outside world. The seats are plush and supportive, the cabin is whisper-quiet at cruising speeds, and the suspension does a brilliant job of soaking up bumps and potholes. It’s a car that makes long journeys feel incredibly relaxing.
The hybrid system allows for near-silent running at low speeds around town, which adds to the serene driving experience. If your priority is a calm and comfortable drive, few large SUVs do it better than the RX.
Quality
Lexus has a world-class reputation for build quality, and the RX is a perfect example of why. Everything you see and touch in the cabin feels expensive and beautifully put together. The leather is soft, the switches operate with a satisfying precision, and there are no squeaks or rattles to be found. It feels like a car that has been engineered with meticulous attention to detail.
Practicality & boot space
Interior space
The standard Lexus RX is a strict five-seater, and it offers plenty of space for those five people. Passengers in the back are treated to acres of legroom and headroom, and a flat floor means even the person in the middle seat has somewhere to put their feet.
If you need seven seats, you’ll need to look for the RX L model. This is a slightly longer version of the car with a third row of two seats in the boot, making it a great option for larger families.
Boot space
The boot in the five-seat RX offers 539 litres of space, which is a good size but not class-leading. It’s plenty for a family holiday or a big weekly shop, but rivals like the Audi Q7 offer more room. It's also worth noting that the boot lip is quite high, which can make lifting heavy items into the back a bit of a challenge.
Versatility
The RX is a versatile luxury SUV that’s great for family life. The five-seat version is a comfortable and spacious cruiser, while the seven-seat RX L adds that extra layer of practicality for those who need to carry more people. All models come with all-wheel drive as standard, which provides extra grip and confidence in all weather conditions.
Driving
Driving experience
The Lexus RX is all about providing a smooth, refined, and relaxing driving experience. It’s not a car that’s designed to be thrown around corners like a sports car. Instead, it encourages a calm and measured driving style. The steering is light and easy, and it feels secure and stable on the motorway.
The hybrid powertrain is incredibly smooth, especially around town where it can run on electric power alone for short bursts. Under hard acceleration, the petrol engine and CVT automatic gearbox can get a bit noisy, but in normal driving, it’s a supremely quiet and effortless car to pilot.
Performance
In the UK, this generation of the RX has only been sold as a hybrid, badged as the RX 450h. This system combines a powerful 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with two electric motors to produce a total of 308bhp. This power is sent to all four wheels through a smooth CVT automatic gearbox.
Performance is brisk, with the 0-60mph sprint taking just 7.5 seconds. It never feels quite as fast as that number suggests, as the power delivery is designed to be smooth and linear rather than aggressive. It has more than enough performance for easy overtaking and motorway cruising.
Running costs
Fuel economy & CO2 emissions
While the RX is a hybrid, it’s what’s known as a ‘self-charging’ hybrid, not a plug-in. This means you can’t plug it into charge, and its electric-only range is very limited. As a result, its fuel economy isn’t as impressive as you might think. Lexus claims an official figure of around 35.7mpg, which is reasonable for a large, heavy petrol SUV but not much better than a modern diesel equivalent. If you want a truly efficient large hybrid SUV, a plug-in model from a rival brand would be a better choice.
Value for money
The Lexus RX is competitively priced against its premium rivals, often undercutting them by several thousand pounds when new. It also comes with a very generous amount of standard equipment, making it feel like good value. On the used market, it’s an even more tempting proposition. Because premium SUVs tend to lose value quickly, you can pick up a nearly-new example for a significant saving.
Reliability & Warranty
This is the Lexus trump card. The brand consistently tops reliability and owner satisfaction surveys, and the RX is no exception. It’s known for being an incredibly dependable and trouble-free car to own. From new, Lexus offers a three-year warranty, but this can be extended up to 10 years or 100,000 miles if you get the car serviced at a Lexus dealer each year, which provides fantastic peace of mind for used buyers.
Safety
Safety features
The Lexus RX is a very safe car, packed with advanced technology to protect you and your family. It was awarded the maximum five-star safety rating when it was crash-tested by the experts at Euro NCAP, with particularly high scores for adult occupant protection. All models come with the ‘Lexus Safety System+’ as standard, which includes features like autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist.
Trims & Engines
Trim levels
The Lexus RX is available in a few different high-spec trim levels. The standard RX model is very well-equipped, with 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, heated and electric leather seats, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen.
The F-Sport trim adds a sportier look with a different grille, unique alloy wheels, and sports seats. It also gets adaptive suspension for a slightly firmer, more controlled ride. At the top of the range, the Takumi model is all about luxury, adding features like a premium Mark Levinson sound system, a panoramic sunroof, and a head-up display.
Engines
The engine choice in the UK is very simple for this generation of the RX. All models are badged RX 450h and use a self-charging hybrid system that combines a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine with two electric motors. This produces a combined 308bhp and comes with a CVT automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive as standard. For a very brief period when it was first launched, a non-hybrid petrol model called the RX 200t was available, but these are very rare.