Load-lugging practicality isn’t what you think of first when you consider the RX, but down the years each new model has been something of a sleeper in this respect. Oddment stowage is well above average, with a range of simple but clever touches such as fold-out door pockets, and the boot is enormous. The seats don’t lie as flat as we’d like when folded, but the cargo area that’s revealed when they drop down is enormous
is immense with the seats up, and still more so when they drop down. The seats fold electrically, though they stop some way from flat and won’t be pushed down any further, so there’s a slope in the floor – not ideal for Ikea runs, though if you’re spending this sort of money on an SUV it’s possible that that won’t matter… Nonetheless, in terms of sheer volume it’s excellent. And the use of space for oddment stowage mirrors this, with some very smooth touches up front. In addition to a good, big cubby and glovebox, the door pockets fold out to swallow large items and the map pockets on the seat-backs are elasticated – small touches, but ones which make a good thing better still. The RX’s ergonomics are as well thought-out as you’d expect, with controls that feel as good as they look and an infotainment system whose display looks striking and works well. We’ve been critical in the past of the finger pad used to control the media system, as it’s so sensitive that moving the cursor around the screen and clicking to select options from the menu takes all your concentration; it seems to be better now, and the haptics built in to it go some way to helping you control what you’re asking it to do, but it’s still tricky to operate. Obviously, a system like this should be easy, indeed intuitive, and it’s still some way short of that. Nonetheless, the RX is a very pleasing vehicle to drive. It’s incredibly easy around town, with a beautifully natural weight to its steering, then on the motorway it’s smooth and very quiet indeed. The engine note is never more than a background snarl, and at cruising speeds it disappears altogether, leaving a little road rumble but no wind noise at all to disturb you. Add in the fact that you’ll be driving on electric power only for much of the time around town, and you’ve got one very refined SUV indeed. On the A and B-roads that come in between, it rides well and handles far better than you might expect. It grips very well, of course, allowing you to
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corner it hard, but on top of that it’s really positive and even engaging for a spirited drive. Body control is excellent, even when you’re ragging it, and its big alloys and low-profile tyres don’t upset the flow or pile any crudeness into the cabin. For a luxury SUV, it’s really quite sporty and certainly quick. But it’s also very luxurious, most importantly of all, and it looks the part. Lexus’ colour options include a cream leather interior, which we think would look pretty sensational – and what makes it more surprising than ever is that with the way the market has gone, it’s now looking like very good value for money at £63,315 on the road. That’s still a good bit of cash, of course. But it’s low to mid-range Defender money and nowhere near what you can spend on a Range Rover Sport, so by no means is it stratospheric. The RX is a different kettle of fish to either of those vehicles, for sure. In fact, in the SUV market it has always been a model that wanders its own line. It’s a posh family wagon with no more than a touch of 4x4 ability, and in Takumi form it’s posher than ever. But if that’s all you’ll ever need from it, what it offers in a wide range of other areas makes it a choice you’ll keep on being happy you made for years to come.
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