Lexus RX vs Toyota RAV4

What's the difference?

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?

The Toyota RAV4 is arguably Australia’s darling and has been for years. It’s long set the benchmark in the mid-size SUV segment - a position rivals like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5 would love to occupy.

It’s also been close to a decade since we’ve seen anything new from the RAV4, so expectations for this sixth-generation update are understandably high. For this family review, we’re testing the flagship Cruiser Hybrid 2WD, which brings the most features and the biggest price tag in the line-up.

On paper, it promises meaningful upgrades, particularly in technology and refinement, while holding onto the practicality and efficiency that made it so popular in the first place.

But with stronger competition and rising expectations in this segment, the question is no longer whether the RAV4 is good, it’s whether it’s done enough to stay at the top.