Lexus Reviews

The mid-grade F-Sport allows you to add a bit of bling, and some sporty suspension wizardry, to your Lexes ES 300h, so is it worth the $69,755 spend?

The IS300 is now the sole Japanese answer to the might of the three German premium manufacturers and Jaguar's XE. It's getting on a bit, but does the way it consciously does things differently still keep it in the game?

Like all the major premium auto players Lexus is extending its range downwards to entice younger buyers into the brand. The UX 200 F Sport is a compact SUV with sporting pretensions, pitched at just over $50K. Can it snag a decent piece of this emerging new luxury market?

The Lexus RX 350 2020 model is the mid-point in the large luxury SUV range, and it comes in a few different derivatives - including a five-seat model and a seven-seat version (RX 350L).The RX 350 name relates to the powertrain it uses - a 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine producing 221kW (at 6300rpm) and 370Nm (at 1650-4000rpm) in five-seat guise. The seven-seater has slightly less power due to packaging constraints on the exhaust system - it has 216kW and 358Nm. The RX 350 and RX 350L models have an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, and fuel consumption is rated at 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres for the five-seater and 10.2L/100km for the seven-seater.As with the other models in the range, the RX 350 powertrain can be had in Luxury guise (list price $81,890 for the five-seater, $85,000 for the RX 350L seven-seater), or as an F Sport five-seater ($93,970) or in Sports Luxury trim ($99,870, or $101,600 with three rows of seats).The RX 350 Luxury grade has 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights (with auto on/off function and auto high-beam), front cornering lamps, rains sensing wipers, and a power tailgate with kick-to-open function. Inside, Luxury models have the new 12.3-inch touch screen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a GPS navigation system (sat nav), DAB digital radio (as well as CD player and AM/FM radio), Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a 12-speaker sound system, six USB ports (four front, two rear), wireless phone charging, smart key entry and push-button start, power adjustable steering column, climate control air-con and rear privacy glass (tinted windows). It runs a fake leather trim standard.Stepping up to F Sport or Sports Luxury sees adaptive “blade scan” LED headlights and 20-inch wheels. These models gain adaptive variable suspension, plus leather interior trim (with sports seats in the F Sport) with heating and cooling for the front seats. The rear seats have retractable sunshades.The F Sport features additional bracing front and rear for “an even more dynamic character”, with sports suspension, a Mark Levinson sound system with 15 speakers, and a 360-degree camera display.Top-spec Sports Luxury versions include the audio-visual upgrades, but also add power-adjustable rear seats, second-row seat heating and semi-aniline leather upholstery.

The Lexus RX 2020 model range has a few difference seven-seat models you can choose, with two powertrains and two trim levels apiece.That may sound confusing, but here’s a rundown.The entry point to the RX seven-seater range is the RX 350L Luxury, which is priced at $85,000 before on-road costs The RX 350L Sports Luxury adds a lot of extra gear and pushes the price up to $101,600.The RX 350L models are powered by a 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine producing 216kW (at 6300rpm) and 358Nm (at 1650-4000rpm). They run an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, and fuel consumption is rated at 10.2L/100km.Then there are the two RX 450hL models - the Luxury ($94,470) and the Sports Luxury ($111,070). These versions have a 3.5-litre V6 engine backed by a 50kW electric motor on the rear axle and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The combined power output of the hybrid model is 230kW, but Lexus doesn’t specify a combined torque figure. It is AWD and uses a CVT with six-step ratios. Its fuel use is the big selling point - it uses a claimed 6.0L/100km. You might be wondering about what you get in the two trim grades - and here’s an rundown. Luxury versions have 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights (with auto on/off function and auto high-beam), front cornering lamps, rains sensing wipers, and a power tailgate with kick-to-open function. Inside, Luxury models have the new 12.3-inch touch screen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a GPS navigation system (sat nav), DAB digital radio (as well as CD player and AM/FM radio), Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a 12-speaker sound system, six USB ports (four front, two rear), wireless phone charging, smart key entry and push-button start, power adjustable steering column, climate control air-con and rear privacy glass (tinted windows).Stepping up to the Sports Luxury adds adaptive “blade scan” LED headlights and 20-inch wheels, as well as adaptive variable suspension, plus leather interior trim, heating and cooling for the front seats. The rear seats have retractable sunshades.Top-spec Sports Luxury versions include a Mark Levinson sound system with 15 speakers and a 360-degree camera display, but also add power-adjustable rear seats, second-row seat heating and semi-aniline leather upholstery.

The Lexus RX 2020 range consists of three powertrains and 13 variants, with four of those being seven-seaters. It's a big line-up that's big on value. And although there have been some changes made to the model, it's hardly a big update.

The Lexus RX 300 2020 model is the entry-point to the large luxury SUV line-up. The RX 300 delineates the engine offered in this model, which is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 175kW of power (at 4800rpm) and 350Nm of torque (at 1650-4000rpm). It is front wheel drive only, and comes with a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel consumption is rated at 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle. The RX 300 is available in three trim levels: the entry-level Luxury, mid-grade F Sport and top-spec Sports Luxury. Unlike the other powertrains which have a seven-seat option, the RX 300 is only sold as a five-seater.The RX 300 Luxury grade is priced at $71,920 plus on-road costs. It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights (with auto on/off function and auto high-beam), front cornering lamps, rains sensing wipers, and a power tailgate with kick-to-open function. Inside, Luxury models have the new 12.3-inch touch screen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a GPS navigation system (sat nav), DAB digital radio (as well as CD player and AM/FM radio), Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a 12-speaker sound system, six USB ports (four front, two rear), wireless phone charging, smart key entry and push-button start, power adjustable steering column, climate control air-con and rear privacy glass (tinted windows). It runs a fake leather trim standard.The step up to F Sport ($86,800) and Sports Luxury ($92,700) grades sees adaptive “blade scan” LED headlights and 20-inch wheels. These models gain adaptive variable suspension, plus leather interior trim (with sports seats in the F Sport) with heating and cooling for the front seats. The rear seats have retractable sunshades.The F Sport features additional bracing front and rear for “an even more dynamic character”, with sports suspension, a Mark Levinson sound system with 15 speakers, and a 360-degree camera display.Top-spec Sports Luxury versions include the audio-visual upgrades, but also add power-adjustable rear seats, second-row seat heating and semi-aniline leather upholstery.

The Lexus RX 450h 2020 model is the flagship powertrain offering in the Japanese luxury brand’s large SUV line-up. You can get it as a five-seater or a seven-seater.The RX 450h name relates to the powertrain this model uses. It’s a 3.5-litre V6 engine backed by a 50kW electric motor on the rear axle and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The combined power output of the hybrid model is 230kW, but Lexus doesn’t specify a combined torque figure. It is AWD and uses a CVT with six-step ratios.Being a hybrid, fuel use is the big selling point - and in five-seat guise it uses a claimed 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres, while the seven-seater RX 450hL uses 6.0L/100km. As with the other models in the range, the RX 450h powertrain can be had in Luxury guise (list price $91,090 for the five-seater, $94,470 for the RX 450hL seven-seater), or as an F Sport five-seater ($103,440) or in Sports Luxury trim ($109,340, or $111,070 with three rows of seats).The RX 450h Luxury grade has 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights (with auto on/off function and auto high-beam), front cornering lamps, rains sensing wipers, and a power tailgate with kick-to-open function. Inside, Luxury models have the new 12.3-inch touch screen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a GPS navigation system (sat nav), DAB digital radio (as well as CD player and AM/FM radio), Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a 12-speaker sound system, six USB ports (four front, two rear), wireless phone charging, smart key entry and push-button start, power adjustable steering column, climate control air-con and rear privacy glass (tinted windows). It runs a fake leather trim standard.Stepping up to F Sport or Sports Luxury sees adaptive “blade scan” LED headlights and 20-inch wheels. These models gain adaptive variable suspension, plus leather interior trim (with sports seats in the F Sport) with heating and cooling for the front seats. The rear seats have retractable sunshades.The F Sport features additional bracing front and rear for “an even more dynamic character”, with sports suspension, a Mark Levinson sound system with 15 speakers, and a 360-degree camera display.Top-spec Sports Luxury versions include the audio-visual upgrades, but also add power-adjustable rear seats, second-row seat heating and semi-aniline leather upholstery.

Lexus is already a word that means "special", surely, so when the Japanese luxury brand decides to add a 'Crafted Edition' badge to one of its cars, it really should suggest something above and beyond. We've grabbed the new Crafted Edition RX 350 for a real-world family test, to see if it's worth the extra money.

The Lexus NX 300 Crafted is a value-packed model. It takes some of the stuff usually reserved for the top-of-the-range variants and adds it to the entry-grade to give buyers a lot of luxe for their cash. Is it the pick of the range? Let's find out.