Lexus RX300 vs BMW 3 Series

What's the difference?

The Lexus RX300 is luxurious but affordable, making it great value and superbly comfortable, with a high level of fit and finish. Fear not about the four-cylinder engine being small – it makes plenty of grunt and handles daily duties perfectly well.

Which would you go for: An entry level Lexus RX300 or a top-of-the-range Mazda CX-9? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the BMW 320i M Sport. It’s fun to drive and I felt connected to what the car was doing on the road. The harder ride may not appeal to some but I didn’t mind it. The cosy back seat and boot mean it will probably suit a smaller family best and one which doesn’t have to worry about carrying a lot of gear around regularly, but it suited my needs just fine.

I reckon this is a car for those drivers who don’t want to compromise on performance but still have a kid or two. If you’re after the cushioned comfort of a Merc, this won’t appeal but I didn't want to give this one back and happily give it a firm 8/10.

My son liked the sports car looks and enjoyed the amenities in his row. He gives it a 10/10.

I've mentioned the Spindle grille and its jewellery-like appeal, and even the sharp edges of this SUV make the RX300 look like a carved gemstone, but I'm not the biggest fan of this vehicle's proportions. I think the door-to-window ratio is a bit off. There's just too much door for my liking.

That said, I'm intrigued by the craftmanship, the attention to detail and the use of materials, which make this SUV both pretty and intriguing.

The cabin mixes the plushness of cushioned surfaces on the dash and the armrests  with pleasing design elements, like the swooping aluminium trim, which zig-zags its way from the instrument cluster to the passenger's side of the centre console.

The giant media display is impressive, but the functionality is awkward, to say the least, but more on that in the practicality section below.

The Luxury is the entry grade into the RX model and so comes with smaller wheels than the F Sport and Sports Luxury above it, but it does score roof rails, dual chrome exhausts, a roof-top spoiler and rear privacy glass.

How big is the RX300 Luxury? The dimensions show it to be 4890mm long, 1895mm wide and 1690mm tall.

How do the looks compare with rivals such as a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Mazda CX-9 or a Land Rover Discovery? Hmm, each has its own distinctive styling, with the Jeep having brutish American looks, the Discovery boasting prestige British off-roader personality and the Mazda an elegant air that's way beyond its price point.

So why haven't I mentioned the Mercedes-Benz GLE or BMW X5? Because they're at least $20K more than the RX300 Luxury, which costs around $72K. If, however, you can stretch the budget to an RX 350 Sports Luxury then you will be crossing the $100K threshold into Benz and Bimmer territory. So let's talk about price.

Sharper than its predecessor, the new 320i has LED everything with the rear lights being longer and curving around to the sides of the car.

The classic 'kidney' grille is darkened and more pronounced, with the black panelling extending to the rear to create an unapologetically sporty presence. A presence that’s accentuated by the twin exhausts.

The batcave interior with its black headliner, black seats… black everything, looks smart and stylish.

You do have a fair bit of harder touchpoints throughout but the customisable ambient lighting helps to soften the overall effect.

With its 2068mm width, 4709mm length and 1435mm height, the sedan makes its presence known without feeling cumbersome to manoeuvre. Urban dwellers need not fear their local car park!

The RX300 is a five-seater SUV and, while it would be even more practical if there was a third row, the cabin is impressively spacious.

Have a look at my photo of the entry to the RX300's back seat – that's a big doorway  for a car. Parents will understand the value of wide-opening doors and these ones made it easy for my child to climb into his car seat and for me to buckle him up. Head and legroom in the back seats are also good, even for me at 191cm tall, while the flat floor makes it easy to 'scoot' across from one side to the other.

There are two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest in the back and small door pockets, but storage up front is better, with huge pull-out door pockets, two more cupholders and a large centre-console bin.

There's a wireless charger in the hidey hole in front of the shifter, plus six USB ports on board - the rear passengers have two of their own in the back of the centre console and the rest are up front.

The second row doesn't come with climate control, but the directional air vents back there got a workout over the 40C days we had over summer.

The RX300's boot has a cargo capacity of 506 litres, measured to the top of the second-row seat back.

Now,  the media system. Yes, it's a tech thing, but I'm calling out it out as impractical. The functionality of the trackpad used to navigate around the screen is frustratingly awkward. I think 12 swear words in a row came out of me on one occasion (no child on board, obviously), just trying to use the sat nav. The layout of the display menu is also confusing and non-intuitive.

For such a sleek looking sedan, it’s generous up front with plenty of head and legroom.

You can adjust the seat to sit quite low and both front seats have extendable under-thigh supports, which should excite taller drivers. 

My 189cm (6’2”) brother has the 328i and is very comfortable but taller front passengers will encroach on back seat passenger comfort.

The front seats are quite firm on the backside, they also lack adjustable lumbar support, so expect to stretch the kinks out on a longer trip.

The amenities and tech feel well thought out and easy enough to use. The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great and has the best-looking graphics I’ve sampled.

The BMW system is intuitive to use once you get used to it. If you’re not interested in using the touchscreen, you can also utilise the rotary-wheel for menu selections.

There’s also Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus built-in satellite navigation.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument panel is customisable and the information displayed simply but you won’t really look at it because of the head-up display.

Front occupants enjoy a wireless charging pad for their smart phone, a USB-A and USB-C port plus a 12-volt socket. Rear passengers get a couple of USB-C ports, too.

The storage is good for this size sedan but overall passenger room takes priority, but the glove box and middle console will suffice for everyday use.

While it may not excite others, I love the big bottle holders in the doors. They’re large enough for my big 1.5L bottle and angled for easy access. These are found in the rear doors as well.

Back seat passengers enjoy climate control, directional air vents, two cupholders, netted map pockets and reading lights.

My six-year old was happy with the amenities and lower ground clearance because he felt comfortable and had his independence.

The boot offers a good capacity of 480L and the aperture isn’t too narrow, so you can comfortably access items if they roll to the back.

I had plenty of room for my little family’s needs but if you’re a larger family, you may need to get strategic with gear storage.

Being a base model, you do miss out on a powered tailgate, which is a shame but not too much of an issue given this is a sedan and the lid isn’t heavy.

There’s also no spare tyre or even a puncture repair kit but you have run-flats, so you should be able to limp to a service centre if need be.

There are seven variants for the BMW 3 Series sedan and our model is the base model for the petrol variants.

There is a plug-in hybrid version, the 330e, if you’re after a more fuel-efficient option but it will up the price by about $20K.

As it stands the 320i M Sport is $78,900, before on-road costs. Our model has been finished in 'M Brooklyn Grey', which adds $1539 to the price.

That puts it at a similar price point as its rivals. You get a well-specified package with the M Sport but it doesn’t have the same sense of cushioned comfort as the Merc does, but more on that later.

Still, the sporty and streamlined interior is headlined by BMW’s dual 12.3-inch screens that sit propped on the dash like a futuristic cockpit.

The mix of synthetic leather and cloth seats are electric and have adjustable side bolsters for when you want to go hard in a turn.

The interior also boasts a sunroof and wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. There are some other highlights like the 18-inch alloy wheels, leather steering wheel and the crystal-clear head-up display, to name a few. 

The RX300 has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine making 175kW and 350Nm, with a six-speed automatic transmission. This peppy four-cylinder gives the RX300 a completely different feel to the lethargic-but-powerful oomph of the RX350 and its naturally aspirated V6, even though it doesn't make a great deal more grunt, at 221kw and 370Nm. There's a difference in fuel consumption, too – find out how different below.

Is the RX300 all-wheel drive? Nope, it's a front-wheel drive. Only the RX350 and RX450h are AWD.

The 320i M Sport has the ‘baby’ engine in the 3 Series line-up but the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol powertrain still delivers on power with a maximum output of 135kW/300Nm. 

This is a rear-wheel drive and has an eight-speed auto-transmission which delivers very smooth gear changes.

Despite having the smaller engine, it can still go from 0-100km/h in just 7.4 seconds.

Lexus says the RX300, with its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, should use 8.1L/100km of premium unleaded after a combination of open and urban roads. My own testing over 375.4km - taking in motorways, city and suburban call-of-daycare drop-off-duties - had our RX300 using 11.79L/100km, measured at the petrol pump. The real-world results almost always exceed that of the manufacturer's claims so you can expect the V6-powered RX350, with its claimed 9.6L/100km, to have a much higher mileage again after the same kind of usage.

In a world with rising fuel prices, the efficiency of this decently powered sedan should excite you.

The official combined fuel cycle is 6.5L/100km. Real world testing saw my figure at 7.4L/100km after a mix of open-road and urban driving this week.

I thought that was great for how hard I drove it and for the power, you won’t be wincing when you put your foot down. I would expect it to be higher in an urban setting.

The 320i has a 59L fuel tank and based on the official combined cycle figure, you should get just over 900km of driving range, which is great, especially if you do 'roadies' like me!

Good seats are the start of a good driving experience and I've not met a Lexus that doesn't have superb pews – from the uber luxury models, such as the LS500 and ES300, to sports cars such as the RCF or LC500, they all have supportive and comfy ones. Lexus somehow manages to  combine the comfort of a lounge chair yet still holds you firmly, all while placing you in a great driving position. The RX300 is no different. Large enough to fit me and my 191cm frame, yet bolstered enough to feel snug.

As for performance, the RX300, with its four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with its six-speed automatic, is responsive and a bit hyperactive feeling. It's a very different sensation to piloting the RX350, which has a V6 and delivers its grunt in a more linear and lethargic fashion. Having driven both back-to-back I'd say the V6 and its eight-speed auto suits the RX personality better, but the 300 is a car that would have had a school report card that read: "Lots of potential, but lazy".

That said, plant the right foot and the RX350 will get the message to hurry up and can do the 0-100km/h sprint in eight seconds flat. The RX300 is keen but can't match it, with  a time of 9.2 seconds.

Either way, the ride comfort is excellent, although body control could be better - the speed bump and roundabout route I take to do the preschool drop off caused it to  get the wobbles, but give the RX300 a motorway and it'll cruise beautifully.

Forward visibility is good but vision through the tiny rear-quarter window (it's even smaller than it looks) while reverse parking isn't great.

There's a lot that I like about how this performs but a highlight is how eagerly the car responds when you accelerate.

However, it’s not unbridled power. There’s no bucking at the front or shuddering through the steering wheel. It’s controlled but still very fun.

The lower centre of gravity and coupe-like height of this does mean it handles corners well and the bolstered seats hold you firmly into place, meaning you can be free to drive this a little harder than you might normally. Which I did and can confirm it handles itself well.

This has the M Sport suspension, which means it’s stiff, but you feel very connected to the road.

You do get a lot of talk-back from bumps in the road but unless you hit a big pothole, you never feel rattled by them.

But it is a harder ride than other luxury models, which doesn’t bother me as I like the handling, but if you want limo-like comfort, look elsewhere.

The cabin is very nice to spend a lot of time in and relatively quiet, even at higher speeds.

The 11.4m turning circle and sleek dimensions makes it very handy to park, even in tight car parks. The nose is long but the front and rear parking sensors take out any ‘will I make it’ moments and the super clear reversing camera is great. 

The safety list includes a suite of features and the following come as standard: adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking (operational from 5.0-210km/h), blind-spot monitoring, speed sign recognition, forward collision warning, SOS emergency call button, daytime running lights and rear cross-traffic alert.

I like the intelligent seatbelt reminder and that the bonnet is considered 'active', meaning it will lift up and away from the engine if the sensors detect that a pedestrian has been hit.

However, I have to call out the lane departure and keeping aids. It’s a hit or miss system and I tested it extensively this week once I noticed it.

You can customise the sensitivity levels and even on the highest sensitivity, it works too sporadically for my liking. BMW should improve this system for future instalments.

The 3 Series has been awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating but it was done a while ago in 2019. It only has seven airbags and is missing the newer front centre airbag. 

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top tether anchor points but the back seat is a bit too narrow to comfortably fit three child seats side by side.

You'll be able to fit a 0-4 rearward facing child seat but may struggle if you're a tall family.

Lexus recommends servicing the RX300 annually or every 15,000km, with the first three services capped at $595.

The duration of Lexus's factory warranty is four years/100,000km, which is a bit longer than BMW and Benz's coverage, but behind the five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranties of the mainstream brands.

The 320i comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is standard for this class.

You can choose between a three- or five-year capped-priced servicing plan. The five-year plan costs just $2150, or $430 a year, which is competitive for this class.

Like other BMWs, servicing intervals are condition-based, with the car letting you know when it needs to be serviced.