2010 Lexus RX350 – quick spin

Thanksgiving* may be the perfect holiday – it happens to be the longest weekend, has no religious connections, you don’t have to give gifts.  All you have to do is eat and watch football – perfect indeed. Thanksgiving is also a damn good reason to meet up with people you haven’t seen in a while and of course check out their new cars!

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A family friend, Mark who happens to be an MD bought this new RX350 based on my recommendation; he was looking for a solid, reliable, quiet and comfortable ride which he’d keep for some time. Just about any car enthusiast will tell you that almost all Lexus and Toyota cars are dull and boring to drive. Personally, I think of them as quiet and comfortable and that’s just what the RX350 is. It is something you slip into at the end of a hard day and drive yourself home at a leisurely pace and relax, almost oblivious to the 20-mile back-up in front of you; the “enthusiast” next to you in the Z370 with lightened flywheel and a set of coilovers does not get that same calming feeling, and yet he isn’t moving any faster.

TOYS

Since Mark is also into computers and technology, he wanted a car that offered the latest in infotainment, and this was actually what pushed him into buying the RX350. The new 2010 RX350 uses what could only be described as a computer-mouse-like stick to go through the on-screen menus, which after about five seconds of use becomes utterly intuitive to use. The screen menu itself is very simple, it has everything you need and nothing you don’t. The menus are all accessed by the afore-mentioned “mouse”, which not only follows the cursor on the screen, but is also locked to it.  For instance, you’re driving and suddenly you have to let go of the mouse/stick, the stick will remain in the last position it was at, unlike an old-school videogame joystick. The whole interface is very cool and much easier to use than knobs of systems like BMW’s iDrive or Audi’s MMI – it actually maybe the best of its kind.

The whole infotainment system is also supplemented by steering wheel controls, common dash buttons, and voice controls – pick your poison. The nav system is also simple and intuitive (at least compared to other vehicles in its class).  iPod connectivity is also near perfect, however I was not able to stream music over Bluetooth from my BlackBerry, even though the menu clearly gives you that choice. If you have a subscription to satellite radio (if you don’t, you should!) you also get weather (c’mon now, is this REALLY necessary?) and instant traffic updates. Other cool toys available on the RX350 are: head-up display (not as fancy as BMW, but still good), heated and ventilated seats (must have), power tailgate, ridiculous audio system (the basic audio system is ok, nothing to write home about), power seats and steering wheel column that moves when you open/close doors, rear entertainment system and more. For details on all the toys go to the Lexus website.

INTERIOR & DRIVING

Front seats were very comfortable and allowed for adjustments that were just right (ever sat in a car and just could not get the damn seat to be exactly where you wanted it to be?), with plenty leg and head room for my 6’2” frame. Forward visibility was very good, but rearward visibility suffered due to large blind spots and overall design of the body; I’ve seen this on many new cross-overs: the vehicles are relatively large, yet the rear windows are rather small. Again, all controls are easily accessible to the driver and dash layout is very nice, even if it does not appear so in the pictures. Rear seats offer just enough leg room when sitting behind a driver who is over six feet tall. One feature that I really like in SUVs is sliding rear seats; moved forward they allow easy access to your kid, and maximize trunk space but when moved rearwards there is extra leg room for rear passengers which is nice on a long trip.

Nobody buys this car for its handling abilities, and having driven this car for only about twenty miles I can’t say that at any point I said to myself “dang, I wish I could have entered that on-ramp 20-mph faster and then trail-broke through the late apex and kicked out the rear just for the hell of it”. No, all I wanted to do was drive at a respectable speed while perhaps listening to some classical tunes, and that had nothing to do with the handling either. Hopefully it was not just the Tryptophan, but the interior and its ambiance, at least on the quick first drive, was relaxing; I didn’t feel hurried, or stressed which seems perfect for anyone’s hellish commute. In terms of power and handling, well, there was nothing wrong with either one. The engine was super smooth, gear changes were hardly noticeable and the brake pedal was just firm enough. On a bumpy River Road in Edgewater NJ, all the minor road imperfections were absorbed by the RX. I obviously did not push this car very hard in corners, but it’s not any worse or any better than others in its class.

I’ve had very little experience with Lexus vehicles before, but having driven a relative to the RX, the Toyota Highlander, I must say that the two are very different and are not just badge-engineered editions of the same car. While the RX is not for everyone, it is perfect for some and its sales figures over the years clearly show it as it has been leading its segment significantly for years.  It has certainly impressed me.

*Yes, I know, it was a while back.