Lexus RX350 vs Lexus RX500H

What's the difference?

The RX is a big SUV that doesn't always look, or drive, like one, and – in 500h guise especially – can put a smile on a driver's face, too.

Gone are the cabin quirks and the polarising design elements (well, mostly...), and in their place you'll find a solid, premium-feeling family offering without much in the way of drawbacks.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Lexus RX500h F Sport Performance certainly gave a solid driving performance this week. I was comfortable behind the wheel and enjoyed the luxe features up front. I feel that it's missing some luxe items in the back seat and some of the family storage options that other large SUVs can have but otherwise, it suited my family’s needs. The fuel efficiency was quite surprising for a hybrid, so this gets a 7.0/10 from me.

My son really liked the panoramic roof and his high seating position. So, he gives this an 8.0/10.

Honestly, the Lexus RX looks far more powerful, and cohesive, in the metal than it does in some photos, and in the right colour (we're fond on the deep black or the copper-rose hues), it looks downright fetching.

That Predator-shaped front-end is massive, but the way the Spindle grille kind of bleeds in the body work at the nose of the vehicle is a neat trick, and the whole design ethos gives the RX a sportier, more modern, and more intimidating, energy from almost every angle.

Perhaps the most clever element though is the wave-like design piece that links the rear window with the boot, somehow managing to shrink almost-five-metre SUV (visually, at least), and leaving the RX looking more sporty than hulking.

The door handles are cool, too. They’re fixed, and you just touch them to open the door, with a similar system used once inside to get out again.

Inside, Lexus has gone for a clean, modern-feeling space, and, thankfully, there isn't a Remote Touch trackpad in sight. Instead, you can choose between two screen sizes – 9.8- or 14.0-inch – which kind of dominate the dash, while the air-con controls are digital and interactive, too.

It must be said, though, some interior treatments feel far more special than others, and while Lexus in Australia isn't spilling on specifics for our market just yet, the top-spec models will almost certainly feel more plush than the cheaper ones.

The RX is a deceptively large SUV, at first glance the sporty tailoring might make you think it’s the smaller NX sibling but park it and you’ll see how it fills up a space!

It’s 4890mm long and 1920mm wide but the compact 1695mm height is what causes the misdirection.

Let’s get straight into some of the obvious design changes. The iconic ‘spindle’ grille design has been flattened at the top with a new body panel. It’s a design choice that makes the bonnet look more bulbous than sporty but that’s pretty much all I don’t like.  

It was a great choice to lift and level out the sloping of the bonnet because it looks a lot more purposeful now. There’s lots of sporty elements too with the black 21-inch alloy wheels and faux-mesh intake vents at the front and rear. Plus, I’ve always been a fan of the floating roof effect that’s created by the black panelling that shoots from the C-pillar to the rear.

It’s not just the exterior that’s been revamped. The interior now boasts a massive 14-inch touchscreen multimedia system, up from the 12.3-inch screen from the previous generation. The gear shifter is now an e-shifter and the dashboard has been ‘stepped’ to make it feel like you’re being tucked into the cockpit. There’s new ambient lighting inside too, designed to make the interior feel like a luxury lounge.

All round, they’ve nailed the ‘luxury’ aspect.

The entire RX range now rides on Lexus' GA-K platform, which is lighter (-40kg), more rigid, and offers a lower centre of gravity (-15mm) than the model it replaces.

The RX is wider (+25mm to 1920mm), lower (-10mm to 1695mm), but no longer (still 4890mm) than the outgoing model. But Lexus has lengthened the wheelbase (+60mm to 2850mm) to earn some extra backseat space for rear riders.

And it must be said, there is lots of room for backseat riders. Sitting behind my own 175cm driving position I had more than enough knee room, and enough head room, and a general feeling of airy spaciousness.

Elsewhere you get the usual practicality perks, with two cupholders up front, two more in the pull-down seat divider that splits the rear seat, and there are two ISOFIX attachment points in the back seat, too.

Charging is handled by a four USB ports, and depending on the trim/spec balance Lexus in Australia shoots for, you should at least find vents with temp controls for backseat riders, too.

Lexus is yet to confirm the luggage space specs for the new RX, but given it’s only being offered with five seats, and that there’s been no change to the vehicle’s length, you can expect a fair bit of room for bags in its auto-opening boot.

Sometimes you can forget how many luxury items this car has because they've been sprinkled around too sparsely.

For example, front passengers definitely enjoy the most this car has to offer. The legroom and headroom are both great, while the luxe factors feature heavily with the heated and ventilated seats and heated steering wheel. It’s great that there is dual-climate control up front and ample individual storage on offer.

The driver has a lot of technology within easy reach – the 14-inch touchscreen multimedia system is simple to use and has built-in satellite navigation. You can pull the directions into the head-up display and there’s still a healthy mix of physical dials on display. The wireless Apple CarPlay was easy to connect to and there’s also wired Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity and digital radio (which was good in the city, terrible in regional areas).

Front passengers are absolutely spoiled when it comes to charging options, too. You can choose between an USB-A port, three USB-C ports, 12-volt port and a wireless charging pad!

When I reviewed the smaller NX sibling, I struggled with the e-latch door handles but finally got used to them on this model (I even like them!). My six-year-old found them to be frustrating at times and if the groans from my family members are to be believed, they weren’t impressed either but I do think it came down to it being a ‘user’ issue!

The backseat is comfortable and perfect for my 168cm height but taller passengers may feel a little cosier. The seats are set in a stadium setting, which does make you feel like you’re teetering in corners but my son loved the high position.

You can comfortably fit a couple of child seats back there but it might be a squeeze for three. The wide door apertures do make it easy to fit a child seat and to bend down to buckle them in.

Individual storage is limited to just map pockets, two cupholders and skinny drink bottle holders in the doors. The amenities never quite make it to luxurious either but I did like seeing two USB-C ports and retractable sun blinds.

The boot space is decently sized at 612L but the aperture is sloped, which means you might struggle to fit some bulky items. It has a level load space and it’s easy to access the temporary spare tyre. The powered tailgate with kick-function is super quick and handy too. 

There are six models for the RX and the 500h Sport Performance completely replaces the previous 450h model as ‘top dog’.

As with most things, the purchase price has shifted upwards with a hearty $126,000 tag (before on-road costs). However, it’s still almost $10K more affordable than its nearest rival, with the X5 at $139,900 and the GLE at $135,200 (all before on-road costs).

Being a top model means you enjoy the perks of many features coming as standard, like electric front seats with lumbar support, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof and leather accented seats and trim.

It even has real aluminium inserts for the accents and a new for 2023 digital rear-view mirror.

The only luxe factor that it doesn’t have, but should for a flagship model, are heated and ventilated outboard seats in the back row.

Other features include some decent tech, like wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, three-zone climate control and a premium Mark Levinson sound system but more on that below.  

Let’s start with what we’re not getting at launch. Internationally, there's a new plug-in hybrid variant that pairs a 227kW hybrid system with a 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery for an EV driving range of more than 65kms, but fight though Lexus in Australia did, it couldn't secure the model for our market at launch. It wants it though, and badly. So watch this space. 

Instead we get three options, including the RX 350h, which pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with Lexus' existing hybrid system to produce a total 180kW and 316Nm. It's paired with a constantly variable transmission and will be offered in two- or all-wheel drive.

There’s also a turbocharged 2.4-litre petrol engine on offer in the RX 350, good for 205kW and 430Nm, and paired with an eight speed automatic and AWD.

But the powertrain I really, really like lives in the RX 500h F Performance, and pairs a 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor up front, and a second at the rear axle, for a total of 273kW and 551Nm.

The all-new hybrid system has been designed with turbocharged engines in mind, and features a single electric motor at the front, and a bigger rear motor, with the latter able to provide real driving power to the rear tyres - and contribute to a sprint to 100km/h of just 5.9secs.

Lexus calls it an 'eAxle' motor, and it can deliver some 76kW to the rear tyres. It pairs with a 'DIRECT4' all-wheel drive system which the brand says improves "handling, controllability, and feel."

Fitting, then, that it features on the RX 500h F Performance, which also introduces a new go-fast tier for the Lexus brand (though one you can expect to see more frequently in the near future), and which sits between the existing F Sport and the top-tier, full-fat F models.

The brand says things like bigger brakes, performance components and the highest power outputs will be reserved for the F Performance models. And so it is with the RX 500h F Performance, which welcomes six-piston front brakes, adaptive variable suspension, dynamic rear steering and 21-inch wheels.

There is only one engine for the top model and that’s a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid offering. It has a combined max power output of 273kW.

This replaces the old V6 hybrid engine from previous models but I found it to still be punchy. In fact, it’s claimed that you can do 0-100km/h in as little as 6.2 seconds.

It’s an all-wheel-drive and features a cool – eAxle … meaning the car is a bit clever with its power distribution using the electric motor to power the rear axle and the petrol engine to power the front. You can notice the gear changes with the six-speed auto transmission but overall, this combination delivers a solid performance.

Let’s start with the pure-petrol RX 350, which will sip a claimed 8.8 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, and will demand premium petrol. The RX 350h is more fuel efficient, demanding 6.4 to 6.7 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle.

But the most impressive is the RX 500h, which Lexus says will need 8.2 to 8.5 litres per hundred kilometres — making it more efficient than the petrol-powered RX 350, despite producing an extra 68 kilowatts of power and 121 newton metres of torque.

The official combined fuel figure is 6.5L/100km and that’s up by half a litre on the previous model. Real-world testing saw my figure at 8.3L, and I was disappointed with the efficiency. There are more efficient options out there that I would consider if the ‘hybrid’ part of the model’s name was what interested you.

With the 65L fuel tank and based off the official combined figure, you should be able to get a 1000km driving range … but based off my experience, I would expect a little less than that.

Right, let’s cut to the chase here. I like the way the all-new RX family drives, pretty much across the board. If that’s all the information you want or need, feel free to check out here and move on to the next sub-heading.

Still here? Ok, then let’s go a little deeper.

None of the powertrains on offer feel under-powered in the RX range, which is a good start, but they all do their jobs a little differently. 

The RX 350 is probably the most familiar, with a traditional automatic and that well-known petrol-powered punch. It’s not the most powerful engine on offer here, but it’s more than enough to get the RX up and moving — but, for mine, it can feel a little thrashy (or like it’s straining a little too hard), when you really start to push it, but such is the price you pay for a four-cylinder engine pushing a large SUV.

Next up is the RX 350h, which Lexus reckons will be the best-selling model in Australia. Lexus and Toyota have been doing hybrid powertrains for some time now, and the system fitted to the new RX is predictably solid-feeling, though it too has its drawbacks – namely that the constantly variable transmission can drone on and on under constant acceleration, and even the commendably insulated cabin can’t block it out completely.

So if this is a Goldilocks’ scenario, then the just right has to be the RX 500h, which blends its powerful powertrain with a traditional-feeling automatic to deliver plenty of performance and a tight, engaging drive experience that makes it feel as though the big SUV is somehow shrinking around you from behind the wheel, courtesy of the best performance kit (brakes, adaptive suspension, etc).

But to be honest, no matter the RX, the thing that really stands out here is its on-road dynamics. The car doesn’t really wobble about, there’s not much in the way of body roll, and it feels tight and confidence inspiring, no matter the model - but especially the rear-wheel-steering equipped 500h.

The RX also does a commendable job of locking the outside world outside of the cabin. Where you want it to be a calm and sedate family hauler, it can be that. But it can also put a smile on your face on the right road, too.

And that, I think, is something to be celebrated. And also not something we’ve come to associate with Lexus over the years. But that’s now beginning to change. Long live F Sport Performance, then.

My first thought when I drove this was that it doesn’t drive like a big car. It has nice sporty handling – it feels firmly positioned on the road and the steering is responsive.

There’s a definite sense of power but it’s lazy. You have to get firm with the accelerator but it performs well when you push it.

There’s an interesting duality at play here because, despite this, it’s not sluggish - I’m just as confident on the open-road as I am zipping across traffic in this.

The suspension is adaptive and feels springy. It handles cornering quite well but I’m not as firmly seated as I would like. My husband said the same from the passenger side.

The cabin is extremely quiet and peaceful until my kid gets into the car. Then it’s 20-questions in 20-seconds. But otherwise, the new active noise cancelling this model has, works.

I really love the 11m turning circle – parking this in a rat-warren car park was simple. The 360-degree view camera is easily in my top three for camera tech that I’ve used and I like how the car ‘disappears’ when you’re manoeuvring. It makes it easier to navigate a tight spot and not get distracted. Large SUVs can sometimes feel daunting to park but not this one.

The RX has a full suite of safety features that are always great to see on a large SUV, like: LED daytime running lights, lane keeping aid, lane departure alert, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree view camera, front and rear parking sensors and dynamic parking guidance.

A cool highlight is the 'Safe Exit Assist' which will alert you via the dash if the car has sensed an oncoming obstacle when you go to exit the car. However, Lexus goes further and if the obstacle is still present and you try to open the door, the car will LOCK your door and stop you from exiting. Pretty neat!

The autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning has car, pedestrian and cyclist detection (operational from 5.0 – 80km/h and up to 180km/h for car detection).

It achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022. However, this model used to have 10 airbags but now only has eight. I do like that it now has the front centre airbag.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points. You may get lucky with three skinny child seats but two will fit best. A 0-4 rearward facing child seat can be installed but will encroach on front passenger comfort, especially if they’re tall.

The Lexus family is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is about bang-on in the premium-vehicle space. 

While servicing details are yet to be confirmed, the previous RX required a trip to the service centre every 12 months or 15,000kms, and it will fall under the brand’s capped-price servicing program, and the Lexus Encore program, which offers all sorts of perks to owners.

The ownership terms have been improved too with the RX now coming with a five-year/unlimited km warranty term, which is more in line with the market standard.

It has a five-year/75,000km capped-price servicing plan and services cost $695, which is $100 more than the previous model. Even with the price hike, the servicing costs aren’t as expensive as others in the class. 

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km – whichever occurs first, which is good.

Lexus recommends a minimum of 95 RON petrol for this model.