Top-shelf fit and finish
Inside the RX 350, you’ll find an instrument panel that’s a little adventurous in design but is assembled with high-grade components. The centre stack is curved to put the emphasis on the driver, and the two-tone theme is tasteful. The front seats are wonderfully supportive, while the back seat provides a generous amount of foot space.
A clever novelty in this Lexus is the pseudo-mouse that controls the multimedia system; it’s easy to use and the cursor even snaps to the on-screen buttons so you don’t have to pinpoint them with surgical precision while driving. On the other hand, we don’t like having to reach all the down in the center storage box to plug in our USB keys and cell-phone cords, because it’s very deep.
Lexus gives customers the opportunity to upgrade their vehicles with option groups, and this RX 350’s Ultra Premium Package is no joke; it adds a 15-speaker, 7.1-channel Mark Levinson sound system with USB port, a dual-screen DVD entertainment system, a power sunroof, a navigation system, a backup camera, adaptive xenon headlights, ventilated front seats, 19-inch wheels, extra interior wood trim and a bunch of other stuff. The package costs $15,300, which is the price of a nicely-equipped subcompact.
Competition
The 2010 RX 350 carries a base price of $46,900, while our tester costs $62,200 with the aforementioned option package.
The luxury SUV segment is a crowded one, and Lexus holds its own against:
Acura RDX, 240 hp, $41,400
Audi Q5, 270 hp, $43,400
BMW X3, 260 hp, $45,300
Cadillac SRX AWD (2010), 265 hp, $44,875
Infiniti EX35, 298 hp, $40,900
Mercedes-Benz GLK350, 268 hp, $41,800
Subaru Tribeca, 256 hp, $39,995
Volkswagen Touareg 2, 280 hp, $44,975
Volvo XC60, 281 hp, $45,495
Inside the RX 350, you’ll find an instrument panel that’s a little adventurous in design but is assembled with high-grade components. The centre stack is curved to put the emphasis on the driver, and the two-tone theme is tasteful. The front seats are wonderfully supportive, while the back seat provides a generous amount of foot space.
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| This SUV trades some sportiness for a quiet and spacious cabin. |
A clever novelty in this Lexus is the pseudo-mouse that controls the multimedia system; it’s easy to use and the cursor even snaps to the on-screen buttons so you don’t have to pinpoint them with surgical precision while driving. On the other hand, we don’t like having to reach all the down in the center storage box to plug in our USB keys and cell-phone cords, because it’s very deep.
Lexus gives customers the opportunity to upgrade their vehicles with option groups, and this RX 350’s Ultra Premium Package is no joke; it adds a 15-speaker, 7.1-channel Mark Levinson sound system with USB port, a dual-screen DVD entertainment system, a power sunroof, a navigation system, a backup camera, adaptive xenon headlights, ventilated front seats, 19-inch wheels, extra interior wood trim and a bunch of other stuff. The package costs $15,300, which is the price of a nicely-equipped subcompact.
Competition
The 2010 RX 350 carries a base price of $46,900, while our tester costs $62,200 with the aforementioned option package.
The luxury SUV segment is a crowded one, and Lexus holds its own against:
Acura RDX, 240 hp, $41,400
Audi Q5, 270 hp, $43,400
BMW X3, 260 hp, $45,300
Cadillac SRX AWD (2010), 265 hp, $44,875
Infiniti EX35, 298 hp, $40,900
Mercedes-Benz GLK350, 268 hp, $41,800
Subaru Tribeca, 256 hp, $39,995
Volkswagen Touareg 2, 280 hp, $44,975
Volvo XC60, 281 hp, $45,495
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| The 2010 RX 350 carries a base price of $46,900, while our tester costs $62,200. |