2020 Lexus RX 350 F Sport AWD Review

This week I am behind the wheel of the most popular luxury SUV sold in America, the 2020 Lexus RX 350.

Performance

Under the hood you’ll find the tried and true 3.5-liter V6 that is putting out 295-horses. It comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission. My tester is all-wheel drive, but you can also get it in two-wheel drive and it comes in a hybrid version and an extended version also.

My test vehicle has the F-Sport Performance package which includes front and rear performance dampers and adaptive variable suspension based off of the 2020 Lexus LC. It also includes cold air intake, active sound control (sound generator) and Electric Power Steering (EPS).

Exterior

The exterior is sleek and features a “floating roof” look. Of course, it has the controversial cattle catcher grill and you’ll also notice the rear window slopes back to allow more headroom for rear seat passengers. It sits on 20” alloy wheels.

Interior

Inside the RX, you will find a very nice, but somewhat understated interior. The power front seats offer you a lot of stitching, and they are heated and cooled.

One needed new upgrade is a multimedia touch screen with pinch and zoom capability. The display has also been moved closer to the driver, a welcome change and the display is very responsive. You can also use it to control the climate. It has great graphics, but the best graphics come with the navigation system.

The 12.3” screen gets you the nav and an enhanced voice recognition package and both are fantastic. The nav system will show you detailed driving lane information. The system also serves as an optional surround view camera. You can also still control the infotainment system via the Lexus Remote touchpad, but I think drivers will enjoy having the touchscreen option.

The RX is the first Lexus to offer Android and the RX is also compatible with Apple Carplay and Amazon Alexa.

Under the screen are settings for climate control, radio volume, and a knob to scroll through radio channels which I dearly love.

Standard Equipment

As you’d expect with a Lexus, it comes loaded with very nice features and some of the last safety systems like pre-collision with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, dynamic radar cruise control and intelligent high beams. New standard equipment includes low-light pedestrian detection and cyclist detection with Road Sign Assist (RSA).

You also get keyless entry, push button start, 12-way power seats, and a power hands-free tailgate. Simply place your hand near the Lexus emblem and it will rise. That’s much better than waving your foot under the bumper like most systems.

Options

Options include $1865 for the blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic braking, panoramic view monitor and Parking Assist. $600 for the color Head-Up Display. $1675 gets you triple beam LED headlights, $500 for the panorama sunroof and roof rails, $3,365 for the nav system and 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system. $150 for the touch-free sensor for the power rear door, and finally $140 carpet cargo mat.

Verdict

The Lexus RX drives well and is very enjoyable in Sport-Plus mode. Gas mileage is 19 in town 26 on the highway, and 22 overall. The sticker price of just over $61,000 falls right in line with the competition. It is easy to see why most RX 350 drivers get them over and over again.