Redesigned 2023 Lexus RX Ticks Up on Luxury and Sport

The new RX packs a quartet of turbo and hybrid powertrains, but the controls are still uber-frustrating

Update: Since this first drive was originally published in November, 2022, we finished testing the Lexus RX and RX Hybrid. See the complete RX ratings.

For more than two decades the Lexus RX has served as a benchmark for refined, stress-free, midsized luxury SUV motoring, with a quiet cabin, quality materials, and a comfortable ride. Through those years, RX owners have also benefited from a reliability record that's about as stout as they’ve ever come. But, the RX also has never been engaging or sporty to drive, in the vein of an Audi Q7, BMW X5, or a recent competitor, the Genesis GV80.

Now entering its fifth generation, the 2023 Lexus RX looks to have moved the needle a bit toward the sporty spectrum, at least based on an RX500h F Sport Performance AWD we rented from Lexus. It helps that the new RX is about 200 pounds lighter, according to Lexus, than the outgoing model. It looks sportier, too, with a lower roofline. Overall length stays the same, but the wheelbase is more than 2 inches longer, a move that usually benefits cabin space.

The 2023 RX has four new powertrains, all of which use either turbocharging or some form of hybridization—and none of them are a naturally aspirated V6. The RX350 will be available with front- or all-wheel drive with a 275-horsepower, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The RX350h is the main hybrid version of the RX line. It gets a 246-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with electric drive mated to an electronic continuously variable transmission (eCVT) and standard all-wheel drive. A plug-in-hybrid, called the RX450h+, will come later. And finally, there's the all-new RX500h F-Sport Performance, with a 366-hp, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric drive, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Pricing starts at $48,550 for the front-wheel-drive RX350; tack on an extra $1,600 if you want all-wheel drive. There are also Premium, Premium Plus, Luxury, and F Sport Handling versions of the RX350. The RX350h AWD starts at $50,150, and the top RX500h F Sport Performance AWD begins at $62,750. Lexus charges a $1,150 destination fee on all RXs.

If you’re a Consumer Reports member, the details of our initial expert assessment of the pre-production 2023 RX500h we rented from Lexus are available to you below. We since purchased both a conventional RX350 and the hybrid RX350h in mainstream trims for our test program. We completed 2,000 initial break-in miles, then sent them both through more than 50 tests at the CR Auto Test Center, including those that evaluate acceleration, braking, handling, fuel economy, car-seat fit, and controls. CR members now have access to the full road-test results.

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What we rented: 2023 Lexus RX500h F Sport Performance AWDPowertrain: 366-hp, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid engine; six-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel driveMSRP: $62,750Options: Lexus Interface with 14-in. touchscreen and Mark Levinson 21-speaker Premium Surround-Sound audio system, $2,265; Premium Triple-Beam LED Headlamps, $1,565; Panoramic View Monitor, $800; Traffic Jam Assist, $620; Premium Paint, $595; 120-volt AC Inverter, $550; Panorama Moonroof, $500; Digital Key, $275; Advanced Park, $250; Digital Rearview Mirror, $200; Power Rear Door with Kick Sensor, $150; Cold Area Package, $100.Total options: $7,870Destination fee: $1,150Total cost: $71,770

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