Lexus Rz vs Lexus LX600

What's the difference?

Smooth, quiet, quality sums up this new and improved Lexus RZ. But will tricky new tech like steer-by-wire and a manual mode in the F Sport's auto transmission be enough to sway more premium electric SUV buyers its way? Fold in this car’s value proposition as well as the brand’s spectacular ownership package and it just might be.

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

There's absolutely no doubting the new LX's off-road credentials, nor the fact that it takes luxury SUVs to new heights in the four-seat Ultra Luxury model. Do you need a massaging chair and a foot-stool to get to your camping site? Probably not, but globally, there's a distinct market for that sort of decadence.

Closer to the other end of the LX line-up, however, there's a fair bit of cross-over in price and luxury terms with the Lexus' close cousin, the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series. That suggests there might be a LandCruiser that will do the same job for a little less money and, if that's the case, then the LX loses a little relevance, particularly the petrol-engined version here in Australia. Until, that is, you take into account buyers for whom the Lexus badge infers the bank-vault solidity and prestige that the brand has worked so hard to establish. Which is another way of saying; it all comes down to where you stand on the politics of envy.

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

Not a tremendous amount of change in terms of exterior design for this update with the brand’s signature angular treatment retained including a prominent snub nose and 20-inch rims on both variants of the car.

The top-spec F Sport picks up extra aero-focused elements, particularly around the lower bumper at the front, as well as aero covers on the wheels and at the back a spoiler on the tailgate as well as a faux diffuser at the bottom of the lower bumper.

Not much has changed inside either except for a steering wheel-shaped elephant in the room in the form of a yoke that goes with the steer-by-wire function on the 550e F Sport. A significant, eyebrow-raising departure.

However, the curved instrument binnacle, central 14-inch multimedia screen as well as the design of the centre console remain unchanged. 

Having said that, there are new ‘laser-patterned’ designs in the door card trims and dynamic lighting graphics in the doors, as well.

The functionality of the touch-dimmable panoramic roof has also been improved and it works beautifully.

Perhaps the most left-field design element is the way the LX can, depending on trim level, be configured in terms of its seating. In the past, we’ve seen plenty of SUVs available with a choice of five- or seven-seat layouts, but the LX is the first time we’ve seen seating choices range from seven- to five- to four-seat layouts. If nothing else, it illustrates the breadth of applications a modern luxury SUV is expected to cover.

Those who use their four-wheel drive SUVs off-road will also note the shift back to six-stud wheel hubs. Toyota’s (and Lexus’) move to five-stud wheels a few years ago suddenly made the vehicle’s wheels incompatible with owner’s existing caravans and trailers.

The new LX has also become a committed subscriber to the engine-downsizing theory of modern vehicle design. While the previous model was available with a 4.5-litre turbo-diesel and a massive 5.7-litre petrol, the new engine capacities of 3.3 litres for the diesel and 3.5 litres for the petrol represent major philosophy changes. Both the new engines are now V6s, rather than the previous V8 layouts.

And to give the new car a James Bond moment, all models bar the entry-level version feature a fingerprint sensor to control the starter button function. Q would be pleased.

At a fraction over 4.8m long, close to 1.9m wide and a bit more than 1.6m tall, with a 2850mm wheelbase, the ZR is a sizeable machine. 

There’s plenty of breathing space in the front and in terms of practicality the first thing that jumps out, or rather it doesn’t, is the lack of a conventional glove box.

But there is a large box between the front seats to take its place, with the lid (which doubles as a centre armrest) performing the Lexus party trick of being able to open towards the driver or passenger.

There are two cupholders in the centre console with a wireless charging pad ahead of them, plus decent bins in the doors for bottles and other bits and pieces. An additional tray sits under the main, flying buttress-style upper console.

For power and connectivity, there are USB-C sockets for charging and media as well as a 12-volt socket in the lower console section.

Getting into the back is easy thanks to wide-opening doors and a large entry aperture and seated behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I’ve got hectares of leg- and headroom. Shoulder room is best for two full-size adults rather than three, which would be a short-journey squeeze. Three up to mid-teenage kids will be fine.

In terms of storage there are pockets on the front seatbacks, bins able to hold a large bottle in the doors and two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest. Individual ventilation control for rear seat passengers is always welcome. 

Then for power, there are two USB-C outlets and a ‘house-power’ socket underneath them. The 550e F Sport also includes heating controls for the two outer rear positions.

Lower rear axle packaging enhances boot space with a generous 522 litres on offer, expanding to 1451L with the 60/40 split-folding second row lowered. Tie-down anchors and bag hooks are a thoughtful touch and there are handy storage boxes under the flat floor, ideal for charging cables. 

The standard power tailgate is nice, while a repair-inflator kit instead of a proper spare isn’t. Braked trailer towing capacity is a handy 1.5 tonnes.

The practicality of each variant of the new LX is dependent entirely on how many people you need to move. The base-model version has seven seats with a two-three-two layout, while the Sport Luxury and F Sport feature five conventional seats in two rows.

The Ultra Luxury’s four individual seats obviously make it the variant of choice for the buyer who doesn’t need the extra seats, but clearly limit its appeal for families. But if luxury is your aim, the rear passenger seat in particular is the one to be in as it can be configured to offer up to a metre of legroom and even features a footrest when the front passenger’s seat is moved all the way forward. Both rear seats are also heated and cooled and reclinable to an angle that NASA has calculated offers the maximum support for the human body.

Vents in the rear seat area allow for an air-shower (of cool air over the passengers) or an air-curtain (a blanket of warm air at shoulder height).

The seven-seat versions have a third row of seats that folds flat into the floor (a major improvement over the old fold-up third row) and the second row folds and tumbles into the footwell. There’s a 220-volt outlet in the luggage compartment, too.

Cargo space is slightly less than the old model, but with second and third row seats folded, the LX has cargo space of up to 1871L.

The single-piece tailgate of the new Lexus won’t win as many friends as the old, split tailgate design which formed an impromptu kitchen bench or covered picnic seat. But the single rubber seal of the new design may be an advantage in keeping dust out on outback roads.

Much has been made of the Toyota LandCruiser’s $90K starting price in LC300 form, so it will come as no surprise to learn the new LX is likewise bold when it comes to the sticker on the windscreen.

The range kicks off in seven-seat form with the entry level LX600 (petrol) and LX500d (diesel) priced at $152,300 and $148,800 respectively. Of course, at these price points, entry-level is a relative term, and the list of standard features is a long one, indeed.

Lexus has gone for a tech-heavy look and feel here, with a 12.3-inch main display, a 7.0-inch lower screen as well as 8.0-inch multi-function display screen and even a colour head-up display for the driver. Lexus’ latest generation multi-media system is used, but may require some familiarisation for some owners.

The entry-level car also gets 20-inch alloy wheels, heated and powered front seats, leather-accented upholstery, a premium 25-speaker stereo system, LED headlights and active height control of the suspension via hydraulically-adjustable dampers.

Lexus has also fitted 'Multi-Terrain Select' and 'Multi-Terrain Monitor 2' to allow for different types of terrain and grip conditions as well as giving the driver a 360-dgeree camera’s-eye view of the track and the vehicle crossing it.

If that’s not enough, Lexus also offers what it calls an 'Enhancement Pack' which adds 22-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof and a kick-sensor tailgate for an extra $5500.

The next step up the LX ladder is the Sports Luxury model with a price-tag of $165,800.

For the extra money, you get a premium leather covering for the seats, and the front seats become heated and ventilated. There’s also a heated steering wheel, a cool box (much appreciated in Australia) a split rear-seat entertainment system and specific trim including timber veneer.

The new F Sport is next and adds not just more equipment but more capacity to the car’s off-road aspirations. That’s down to a Torsen rear differential which is torque-sensing in the way it distributes drive to each rear tyre, as well as performance dampers at each corner.

Dark exterior accents and a mesh grille help justify the F sport’s sticker of $171,800, as do interior touches such as seats with extra bolstering and some aluminium trim accents.

Which brings us to the headline act, the Ultra Luxury, which represents a huge price jump to $210,800. As well as extra equipment such as a rear touchscreen for climate control, wireless device charging, the Ultra Luxury is designed as a vehicle where the owner is more likely to be in the rear seat rather than the driver’s seat.

A strict four-seater, the vehicle has a pair of plush rear bucket seats (Lexus calls them captain’s chairs) which recline a full 48 degrees and feature a massage function. The passenger’s rear seat even runs to an ottoman and the entire cabin is trimmed in plush, quilted leather. Surely, with this layout, Lexus has achieved peak oligarch.

Both versions of the new RZ are powered by dual permanent magnet synchronous motors, one in the front, one at the back, each producing 167kW and 269Nm. 

Total output is 280kW for the 500e (up from 230kW in the 450e), with a little more juice released from the motor combination for the 550e at 300kW.

A single-speed transmission sends drive to both axles and the RZ550e F Sport features ‘Interactive Manual Drive’ designed to give the sensation of manual gear shifts in a BEV. More on that in the Driving section.

While the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is a diesel-only proposition, the Lexus LX takes a broader view of what its buyers will want in such a vehicle.

As a result, there’s a choice of petrol or diesel power for the LX range, with both engines covering all variants apart from one. To add weight to the theory that the Ultra Luxury model is for people for whom fuel costs really don’t matter, it’s available only as a petrol vehicle.

The turbo-diesel engine is the 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo unit we see in the 300 Series. It’s unusual in that it uses hot-side-in technology where the exhaust system and turbochargers live inside the vee of the engine, rather than hanging off each side as is much more common. Lexus claims greater efficiency from this layout with less plumbing between the cylinder head and turbo units as well as a more compact design.

Outputs for the turbo-diesel are 227kW of power, with an impressive 700Nm of torque produced anywhere between 1600 and 2600rpm, which is where the engine will spend most of its operating life.

The petrol engine is also a V6 and also twin-turbocharged. It measures 3.5 litres and, again, features a design that allows a smaller capacity engine to exceed the outputs of the physically larger, previous model. To that extent, it makes 305kW of power and 650Nm of torque; both impressive figures.

There’s only one transmission available on the LX, and that’s a 10-speed conventional automatic. To compliment that rugged, ladder-chassis design, the LX also has a transfer-case with proper off-road gear ratios. This is what gives the vehicle its rock-crawling and river-crossing abilities, while permanent four-wheel drive and the Multi-Terrain Select system mean no-fuss operation.

The RZ500e and 550e are fitted with a 77kWh lithium-ion battery delivering a claimed (WLTP) range of 450 and 456km, respectively.

Claimed 10-80 per cent charge time, using its full 150kW DC fast-charge capacity, is 30 minutes or a handy three and half hours at maximum 22kW AC capacity.

Energy consumption on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 18.2kWh/100km (WLTP) for the RZ500e and 18.4 for the 550e.

Over several hundred kilometres of B-road and freeway running as well as pottering through slow-speed villages on the launch we saw an average of 19.3kWh/100km in the 500e and 20.1 in the 550e F Sport, which is pretty handy.

And the (very) good news is two AC charging cables, installation of a home charger and three years’ complimentary charging across the Chargefox network is included. Nice!

Much has been made of the new LandCruiser’s fuel-tank reduction to its new total of 110 litres. The LX follows suit with an 80-litre main tank and 30-litre auxiliary tank, but it’s worth remembering the improved efficiency of the new drivelines will maintain the range to a useful total. The base-model diesel version also misses out of the second tank for an 80-litre total.

Toyota claims a combined figure of 8.9 litres per 100km for the diesel and 12.1 litres for the petrol. On the open road, both variants will get pretty close to those targets (even though they’re a combined urban-highway figure) so the touring range remains useful and better than 1000km for the turbo-diesel with the twin tanks.

It’s a hefty machine at 2.1 tonnes, but Lexus says the RZ550e F Sport will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds, with the 500e only marginally slower at 4.6sec.

In straight-line acceleration Lexus says front to rear power distribution varies between 60:40 to 100 per cent rear to suppress pitching and “produce a more direct acceleration feel”. 

And the RZ is indeed quick. Apply your right foot at just about any speed and the car rockets ahead with satisfying enthusiasm.

The F Sport’s ‘manual’ mode allows you to shift through eight virtual ‘ratios’. Press the ‘M’ button on the console and bingo, you have slim steering wheel-mounted paddles to control them.

At anything above a light accelerator application you’ll feel a jolt on upshifts, but it’s rather unpleasant. Sure, you want some sense of a gear change, but you feel it in your core. Check out the video review to see how much it can shake you around. 

A synthetic soundtrack Lexus refers to as the “BEV Sound”, vaguely echoing an internal combustion engine, is fed through the F- Sport’s audio system and it feels thin and brittle to our ears. Again, check out the audio sample in our video review to see if you agree.

You’ll hear the ‘revs’ rising on up and downshifts but there’s no physical accompaniment with the latter as far as we could sense.

Suspension is strut front with double wishbones at the rear and it’s been given a thorough revision in terms of dampers, springs and bushings in both the 500e and 550e F Sport, with the latter copping some additional fine-tuning in each of those areas.

We sampled 500e and 550e F Sport versions of the RZ on the launch drive in Southern Portugal, covering mostly Aussie-compliant roads with lots of bumps and ruts to deal with. And despite its hefty kerb weight the car copes with these imperfections well.

There’s also been some extra attention paid to body rigidity in this updated RZ, specifically reinforcement of upper sections of the nose and around the boot to keep the car more torsionally stiff.

In cornering the drive distribution ratio is between 80:20 front to rear to RWD-only, according to vehicle speed and steering angle, and the car feels composed and predictable.

The F Sport features the steer-by-wire system, using a yoke rather than a conventional steering wheel and the ratio is such that all you have to do is turn the wheel slightly to generate a response.

It’s smooth and progressive but quick at the same time. You soon become used to it.

While it's unusual to see a small yoke in your hands rather than a steering wheel, it means you have an uninterrupted view through to the instruments, which is a nice side benefit.

However, much like the Infiniti Q50’s system before it, there is no mechanical link between the driver’s hands and front wheels. Steering inputs are relayed by electric signals from a torque actuator to a control actuator.

So, while Lexus says “important feedback filters through without the unpleasant vibration effects of a mechanical connection”, and that’s true, by definition there is no road feel and the wheel feels numb from that point-of-view. Worth noting the mechanically steered 500e feels much the same.

Tyres are Dunlop SP Sport Maxx (235/50 fr - 255/45 rr) which grip hard and remain relatively comfy despite their short sidewall running on 20-inch rims.

One price you pay for the steer-by-wire system’s set-up is a substantial turning circle, so be ready for that.

Braking is by ventilated discs all around, which work nicely, and when you’re not using the manual mode in F Sport the steering wheel paddles allow movement through four levels of regenerative braking.

The most aggressive setting will slow you quite markedly but not to the level of ‘single-pedal’ operation.

Additional sound insulation includes an under-seat rear floor silencer, soundproofing in the door trims as well liberal use of damping sheets, foam, silencer pads, insulators and extra seals. And the car is super-quiet, even for an EV.

In terms of miscellaneous observations, the front seats on both versions remained comfortable and supportive over long stints behind the wheel (and yoke!).

Slow speed manoeuvring is assisted by a 360-degree overhead camera view with a translucent trace of the car in the centre, as well as a high-quality reversing camera. Vision across the car and through to the back is good, anyway, but the extra tech helps in the slow speed stuff. 

There’s also a sensible mix of physical dials and on-screen controls and the touchscreen menus are easy to use. Especially handy when you’re racing to the function that turns off the intensely annoying over-speed warning.

Lexus surprised us a bit with its choice of test roads for the LX’s launch. As well as some twisty bitumen which might not, on the surface, have seemed the most LX-friendly terrain, the launch also threw in some steep if not otherwise too taxing off-road work.

The steep downhill section highlighted the fact that the LX has probably the best hill-descent control we’ve sampled. Not only is it simple to use with speed variation via the rotary knob that otherwise controls the drive modes, it’s also consistent and doesn’t stumble or lock-up wheels and bang brake calipers intermittently.

The second surprise was how well 2.6 tonnes of luxury off-road SUV handled the winding blacktop. It’s no performance-oriented SUV with its live rear axle and off-road-worthy suspension settings, but it can be hustled along in a pretty tidy manner if you concentrate and keep it flowing.

Beyond that, it was pretty civilised at everything else, too, and although it’s not a compact vehicle by any means, the cameras and sensors ensure that it’s not too much of a brain-teaser to park.

The LX seems to have slightly better noise suppression than the LandCruiser on which it’s based and the diesel version doesn’t seem quite as vocal under load. That said, it’s still very quiet and when rolling along at highway speeds and low engine revs, even the diesel is tomb-like in its silence.

But the petrol is next-level refined. There’s a small degree of engine raspiness when you rev the petrol V6 hard (and you won’t mistake it for a V8) but it’s a sophisticated soundtrack and, at a steady throttle, the petrol LX is even more silent.

The two engines have vastly different torque curves, but the 10-speed transmission is so on top of things that it can tailor its shift-pattern to make the absolute most of whatever torque and power are being produced. You can just feel the transmission holding a gear a little longer when the driver dials up max thrust, but in the interests of getting a heavy vehicle moving swiftly, using a clever transmission is the smart, modern way to do it.

Steering is a fraction light to be completely tactile, but that’s a function of the off-road abilities, and we’re pleased to report that the turning circle is very good given the exterior dimensions and makes tight city work much easier.

The shift paddles are, ironically, likely to be of most benefit when off-road and it’s here that the LX lays the SUV pretenders to waste. With low-ratio gears in the transfer case and that clever 10-speed, the LX will climb up some amazing places. It’s fair to say that, like all good off-roaders, you’ll run out of brave pills before the LX runs out of talent.

And while the suspension does a good job off-road, the live rear-axle and independent front suspension also combine pretty well on the blacktop. There’s some initial thump on pattery bumps that are felt more than heard. But as the bumps get bigger, the LX gets even better at dispatching them.

The variable ride height feels like air-suspension but is actually a clever hydraulic adjustment to the dampers to increase their length and, therefore jack the vehicle up for off-roading. Strangely, the ride seems to become a fraction firmer (and we mean a fraction) as the height cranks up, but most owners will never notice it.

What they will notice is the composure that the LX has in most settings. No, it’s not the fastest or tidiest handling SUV out there, but it’s well beyond good enough. And off-road? Very, very little is likely to touch it.

Lexus’ latest safety innovations have made it on to the new LX, and as well as the now-usual driver aids and passive safety gear, there are fitments such as an autonomous braking system that can identify cyclists in daylight hours and pedestrians any time of the day or night.

There’s also intersection turn-assist which minimizes the chances of a crash when turning across oncoming traffic, as well as emergency steering-assist to help with fast inputs in a crash-avoidance situation.

The adaptive cruise-control now also features curve-speed reduction if the car thinks a corner is being tackled at too high a velocity. Along with that is road-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, tyre-pressure monitoring, 10 airbags (12 in the Ultra Luxury) and Multi-Terrain Monitoring which allows for a transparent on-screen outline of the car, allowing the driver to see what’s around and even underneath the vehicle.

The RZ is covered by Lexus Australia’s five-year/unlimited km warranty and there’s an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the drive battery, which is in line with the RZ’s key competitors.

Recommended maintenance interval is 12 months/15,000km, which is relatively brief for an EV. 

Capped-price servicing is yet to be confirmed, but for reference the outgoing 450e runs to $395 for each workshop visit up to a maximum of five years/75,000km. That’s sharp pricing in this part of the market.

The RZ also qualifies its owner for ‘Platinum Electrified’ benefits under the ‘Lexus Encore’ ownership program. That means everything from access to “exclusive offers and events” to a complimentary service loan car, five years’ roadside assistance, valet parking at selected locations, airport lounge access and (heaps) more, including the charging benefits mentioned earlier. Hard to argue with that.

Lexus Australia recently upgraded its factory warranty to five years/unlimited kilometres (up from three years). That’s better, but by no means a real advantage over most of its competition.

Capped price servicing is available at $595 per service for the first three years. The catch there is that servicing is every six months or 10,000km, an area in which Lexus trails its main competitors.