Interactive Review: 2020 Lexus RX 350L Lux

[William Maley]

This week at the Cheers & Gears' Detroit bureau sees the 2020 Lexus RX 350L Lux come in for an interactive review. It has been some time since I last drove any version of the RX and it has gone some significant changes. The key one is the introduction of a three-row version - designated by the L at the end. Another welcome change is an introduction of a touchscreen for the Lexus Enform infotainment system.

Power comes from a 3.5L V6 with 290 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Out the door, this RX 350 comes with an as-tested price of $63,540 with a $1,025 destination charge.

Here are some quick thoughts,

• Acceleration isn't the RX's strong suit. The V6 moves the crossover at an adequate speed.
• The touchscreen makes a huge difference in overall usability with Enform. I find myself not screaming at it - both internally and externally.
• Third-row does eat up a lot of cargo space when up.

I'll be trying to squeeze myself into the third-row along with other items throughout my week in the RX. In the meantime, drop off any questions you have.

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[riviera74]

Two Q: is this one worth buying over the new RX that comes out in a year or less?  Also, is this really better than a standard size same model year RX?

[G. David Felt]

Questions:

• Almost 3yrs ago my sister test drove this and the Buick Envision. The interior was hard plastic cheapness and no matter what packages you added, you still had a cheap hard plastic interior. Does this interior have any soft touch updated areas that say luxury or is it still cheap hard plastic front, middle and back?
• Head room was also an issue for tall people. How is that headroom in this?
• Wind / Road noise was terrible in past versions, how is it now?
• Are there any special touches in the middle and rear seating area that make it special?

[William Maley]

On 10/3/2020 at 10:53 AM, riviera74 said:

Two Q: is this one worth buying over the new RX that comes out in a year or less?  Also, is this really better than a standard size same model year RX?

1. For most people, I think the current RX is still a good choice. Should admit I haven't heard much about what is in store for the next-gen model.
2. Not really, the third-row is best for boneless humans as there is limited head and legroom. It also eats up a fair amount of cargo space. Hopefully this gets slightly addressed in the next-generation.

[William Maley]

On 10/4/2020 at 5:49 PM, David said:

Questions:

• Almost 3yrs ago my sister test drove this and the Buick Envision. The interior was hard plastic cheapness and no matter what packages you added, you still had a cheap hard plastic interior. Does this interior have any soft touch updated areas that say luxury or is it still cheap hard plastic front, middle and back?
• Head room was also an issue for tall people. How is that headroom in this?
• Wind / Road noise was terrible in past versions, how is it now?
• Are there any special touches in the middle and rear seating area that make it special?

1. There is more soft-touch materials on the dash, center console, and door panels. Hard plastics are there, but in the places where they are necessary such as the lower parts of the dash, door panels
2. Headroom is ok for those under six-feet for both front and rear. 
3. Very improved. Not much noise comes inside.
4. Not really - second row on my tester does have heat.

[A Horse With No Name]

Just a quic question, paint quality on several of the recent Lexus I ahve lookjed at doesn;'t seem quite up to par for a vehicle of the caliber. How was the actual paint quality on your test vehicle?

 

Thanks!

 

Chris