Lexus RX vs Lexus IS300H
What's the difference?

Lexus RX

$101,200 - $111,100

2026 price

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Lexus IS300H

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2021 price

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Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

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Summary

2026 Lexus RX

2021 Lexus IS300H

By Emily Agar

By Tom White

Safety Rating

Engine Type

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Inline 4, 2.5L

Fuel Type

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Premium Unleaded/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

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4.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Smooth & refined
Premium features
Family-friendly rear seat

Sleek and efficient hybrid drive
Graceful ride
Spec improvements

Dislikes

Relatively short EV-only range
No spare tyre, just a repair kit
Raised rear seat cramped for tall people

Slow
Busy interior design
Fiddly and over-complicated software

2026 Lexus RX Summary

Lexus has finally brought a plug-in hybrid to the Australian market with the RX450h+, and we’ve been testing the second-from-the-top Sports Luxury grade to see how it stacks up.

Promising a blend of electric efficiency and the high-end comfort Lexus is known for, this large SUV steps into a competitive segment. But does it deliver on both fronts?

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2021 Lexus IS300H Summary

One question frequently discussed in the skunkworks of the CarsGuide office is: What exactly does Lexus stand for?

When the brand debuted its original export-market IS sedan in 1999 the messaging was more or less clear: Toyota’s premium sub-brand was here to be a Japanese BMW.

The brand even employed Nobuaki Katayama – chief engineer on the iconic Corolla AE86 program – to again take the reins of its small rear-wheel drive sedan program.

As the years went on though, Lexus changed. Fundamentally geared toward the US market, the second-generation (wild IS F aside) became a bit more sedate and softer around the edges, while the third generation strayed even further from the sedan’s performance-inspired roots, leaning into a plush interior, hybrid drive, and even CVT transmissions.

This brings us to today’s Lexus IS. Essentially a heavy facelift of the third generation (which arrived back in 2013), the brand has “reimagined” its core sedan with a tweaked design and updated technology for 2021.

Is it enough to keep it relevant against its ever-present European rivals and the newly arrived threat from Hyundai’s Genesis G70? I took a signature IS300h hybrid for a week to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Lexus RX 2021 Lexus IS300H

Verdict

The new Lexus RX450h+ Sports Luxury is packed with a wealth of premium features and strikes a solid balance between refinement and practicality. There are enough thoughtful touches that make everyday driving a little easier.

You’ll get the most out of the plug-in hybrid powertrain if you’re able to charge it regularly; ideally every day. That might not always be practical for busy people on the go, but overall, the RX450h+ manages to blend efficiency with Lexus’ signature comfort and quality.

Verdict

Smooth, cosy, quiet, the IS looks and feels better than ever, but without a doubt this hybrid version is a car best suited to cruising the dense metropolis of Chiba at midnight more than it is carving up a bunch of S-bends in the Australian countryside on the weekend.

While that might still limit its appeal for fans of German sports luxury sedans and place it further from the original IS’s ambitions, it does offer an intriguing efficiency and luxury focused alternative, without the compromises brought by rivals with more sporting intent. In a way then, the IS 300h perhaps inadvertently best embodies what Lexus is as a brand.

Lexus RX vs Lexus IS300H What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Lexus RX vs Lexus IS300H
What's the difference?