Used Lexus RX review: 2015-2022

Is Lexus RX a good car?

People who’ve owned Lexus RXs tend to rave about them in terms of their ability to keep on keeping on. They also heap praise on the quality of the interior’s materials and fittings, and things like paint quality also rate highly.

While there are conventionally powered RXs to suit conservative buyers, the hybrid variant was also a valid choice and stood apart from the competition thanks to Lexus’ (and Toyota’s) long-term experience with this technology.

Perhaps the only limiting factors in an RX’s appeal now are that it’s not the largest vehicle inside (or in the cargo area), nor does it represent huge dollar-per-kilo value compared with some of the competition.

But it still looks the business inside and out.

Lexus RX reliability

This is where being a member of the Toyota family really pays off. The various drivelines fitted to the RX range included the 3.5-litre V6 that has powered many different Toyota and Lexus models and continues to be a shining example of how to build durability into a modern, high-tech engine.

Thew 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is less familiar in the Toyota world, but it still doesn’t seem to give problems. As with any turbocharged engine, of course, a complete service record is a must-have, but should come with any Lexus, anyway.

The driveline that offers the greatest chance for reliability problems is the complex, twin-electric motor hybrid version which also incorporates a potentially troublesome continuously variable transmission (CVT). But, as millions of Camry hybrid taxi and ride-share operators will tell you, the fears don’t seem to ever materialise and the hybrid driveline is sound even in the longer term.

Even the spectre of hybrid battery replacement doesn’t seem the problem it was once thought to represent, and plenty of hybrid Toyotas and Lexuses are still soldiering on with their original battery packs. If you’re in any doubt, you can have the battery pack health checked before buying.

Lexus RX problems

It goes without saying that you should check every electrical gizmo for correct operation. Even then, the Lexus is far, far better than much of the competition in this regard. The exception to this is the Bluetooth system which, in Toyota and Lexuses of this vintage, could be dreadful.

Failure to connect and pair with phones, drop outs and terrible reception are just some of the problems, and this was a major problem for some years for the brand. Some cars were just worse than others, so take each one on its merits and try to pair your phone as part of any test drive.

Meantime, other inherent problems or ones that occur in a high percentage of examples seem rare for the Lexus RX. While earlier versions did have a few quality niggles, this generation seems pretty staunch.

As with any family car, make sure that a generation of dogs, bikes, kids and Vegemite fingers haven’t turned the interior into a no-fly zone. Check, too, for the sort of body dings and scratches that shopping centre car-parks seem to specialise in.

We’d also be keeping our powder dry for a car with a full service history versus one with gaps in the service handbook that could indicate skipped oil changes and other routine maintenance.

Lexus RX recall

There are four safety recalls that involve this RX generation. They start with cars built from 2019 to 2022 with the automatic high-beam feature. In some cases, the mechanism that controls the high-beam can fall apart internally, but the dashboard should show a fault light if this is the case.

The RX was also recalled for a potentially faulty fuel pump that could cause the car to stall anywhere, anytime.

Some very early examples of the RX were also recalled back in 2016 to have an airbag checked. If the bag in question was faulty, it may not have inflated when it should. On balance, any car affected by this should have been dealt with by now, but if in doubt, you can check with a Lexus dealer by quoting the car’s VIN.

The final recall was a bit less dramatic and involved the optional tow bar not having the correct decal applied.

You can learn more about these recalls by visiting: https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/

Lexus RX years to avoid

There are no particular production years to avoid, but if the budget will stretch, a 2019 or later example is a better vehicle thanks to its slightly improved suspension and massively improved multimedia connectivity.

As facelift, the 2019 upgrade was otherwise very minor, however, so an earlier car with an aftermarket head unit and a smaller price tag also makes sense.

Lexus RX how many kilometres

It’s not uncommon to find later-model RXs with very low kilometres showing. These are mostly examples that have been used by inner-urban families where short trips are the order of the day. As such, make sure servicing is all up to date and that oil-change intervals haven’t been stretched over several years.

At the other end of the scale, you’ll see earlier (say, 2015 and 2016) cars with much higher mileages on show. It’s rare to see, but there’s a handful of RXs with more than 200,000km up, although the vast majority have covered between 100,000km and 160,000km. At that point, there’s lots and lots of life left in them.

Lexus RX best model

Our pick would be an RX450h, purely because the hybrid driveline provides the best performance AND the best fuel efficiency. In other makes and models, the hybrid is often the one you’d overlook on the basis of complexity and problems, but the RX hybrid has proved itself a very robust customer.

Like we said, a million cabbies can’t be wrong.

Lexus RX resale value

On our sister website, Gumtree Cars, the entry-level RX200t from 2015 or 2016 can be had now for the high $30,000s with either just under or just over the magic 100,000km showing on the odometer. The rebadged version of that car, the RX300, is available for closer to $40,000 simply because it’s a younger car.

The RX350 is the most common model and probably represents the best value with prices starting around $34,000 for good, clean cars.

The RX450h is also pretty sharp buying, possibly thanks to buyer fears over second-hand hybrids. There’s plenty of choice in the high-40s and $50,000 range with prices for late model examples hitting $70,000 or more.

Lexus RX parts

Because Lexus and Toyota are members of the same family, routine servicing of an RX should be well within the capacity of a Toyota dealership. And since there are more Toyota dealers than any other brand in Australia, that could be very handy. The exception would be some Lexus diagnostic work and Lexus-specific parts that may not be available at a Toyota workshop.

But any independent workshop should be able to handle most jobs, although the hybrid driveline might require a specific set of skills and equipment to wrangle.

Parts shouldn’t be a problem and there are plenty of online retailers providing bits and pieces for what was, after all, a global model. There are plenty of options for non-genuine service parts, but make sure the quality of them matches the rest of the car.

Lexus RX sales

Never a huge seller thanks to its premium price, the Lexus RX usually sold between 1500 and 2000 units per year. That means there are plenty of second-hand cars available now, in both used-car dealerships and private driveways.

The prestige badge also means that a lot of the RXs on offer are hybrid powered and of high specification.

Verdict