Lexus RX 450h+ (2023) Review

It’s the windows that do that. If you want proof that the new fifth-generation Lexus RX has been put together with attention to detail, just look at the windows. They are silent, except for a closed pipe when they frame. Ditto for folding mirrors.

And so that serves as an example for the rest of the car – you quickly get the feeling that this is a Lexus that has considered all sorts of nice and fancy things, but has decided to keep it simple and therefore better. Well, sort of, then.

The Lexus RX has a different, better look

Not exactly a wallflower, but on this side of the SUV spectrum you’re looking a lot at cars like the Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport. So it’s not small, but there are friendly bumps and bumps in the body which, along with elegant lines and a complex grille, surprisingly make it look smaller than it is. Lexus calls it Next Chapter Design. It’s beautiful and looks very Japanese and cute.

The same goes for the interior – a large 14-inch screen, some convenient buttons in the relevant places and a distinct feeling that someone looked at the Mercedes Hyperscreen and immediately decided to go in a completely different direction.

It all works well, although some of the electronic aids (which are actually supposed to serve you) interfere so much with your driving behavior that you quickly learn to turn them off as a permanent part of your starting routine.

Versions of the new Lexus RX

The big news is the choice of powertrains. The hybrid RX 350h forms the core of the range, then there’s ours, the plug-in hybrid 450h+ (which is cheaper in the Netherlands thanks to the low BPM), and then the sportier RX 500h Turbo Hybrid follows.

All four-cylinder hybrids with different aggressiveness, four-wheel drive. We previously tested the Lexus RX 500h, but the version we’re really interested in here is the 450h+; mainly because Lexus itself thinks that many buyers will go for this version.

Lexus RX 450h+ (2023) badge and taillight

And he is beautiful. Thanks to more than 300 hp of system power, there is a lot of speed available if you ask for it and in the best case you can go about 125 km on the battery pack alone, which in brutal practice about 65 km remains; usually enough for cruising without starting the petrol engine.

If you do, the sound will be limited to a slight hum in the background, although it can sound like wine at times. Although that is due to the e-CVT gearbox more than anything else. When the electricity generated at home runs out, the system switches to a standard hybrid car, which in our case resulted in a test consumption of 4.2 l/100 km.

The Lexus RX 450h+ is like a fine wine

This RX is also a very relaxing place to spend your time, there is plenty of space and comfort and it drives very pleasantly. The steering is a little light and the suspension can feel a little stiff on some surfaces, but overall it goes through life quietly and efficiently without any worries. And so this new Lexus is a quiet, mature take on the ‘big SUV’ and the kind of car that will undoubtedly get better the more time you spend in it.