The Lexus RX350 has always been associated with an opulent and spacious cabin as well as a refined driving experience, amongst a whole host of other qualities that made it one of the best-selling offerings from the Lexus lineup. The F Sport trims have a separate fan base as well. With no major changes from the outgoing model years, the 2022 SUV is here with minor exterior updates and the Black Line special edition.Offered for a base selling price of $46,645, the 2022 Lexus RX350 has a peppy V6 motor that comes mated to an 8-speed gearbox. The performance is more than adequate for regular driving, and passengers are going to be delighted with the superb refinement levels. Apart from that, it is very spacious and comes filled to the brim with all the features that you could think of. Competing with the BMW X3, Volvo XC60, and Mercedes-Benz GLC, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Lexus RX350.
10 Not The Fastest SUV
The 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 motor of the outgoing 2021 Lexus RX350 comes unchanged in this 2022 iteration. This motor produces 295 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque and comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The power is sent to the road through the FWD or AWD drivetrains and the SUV can go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds and run down the quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds.
Even though the car doesn't feel lethargic, the performance is not going to excite anyone. With no forced induction on offer, the low- and mid-range acceleration is a bit lackluster, especially when compared to the fast BMW X3. Fast overtaking needs a bit of planning and the gearshifts are not the quickest either.
9 Does Manage To Stand Out
For this 2022 iteration, the Lexus RX350 comes with some subtle changes to the exterior in the form of standard foglights and three new color palettes, all of which make the car more striking to look at. The Black Line special edition trim is offered too, and that comes with blacked-out exterior and interior bits. Apart from that, there are many optional accessories and features on offer, helping the owners to personalize the ride according to their wishes.
In comparison to the relatively sedate offerings from Europe, the 2022 Lexus RX350 does manage to stand out due to the trademark spindle-shaped Lexus grille, masculine hood, and bumper design, and best-in-class ground clearance. The side and rear designs also look impressive due to the standard 18" alloy wheels, sharp creases and body lines, LED taillights, and dual-exhaust system.
8 Quite Fuel Efficient
The 2022 Lexus RX350 comes with a reasonably large V6 motor, and many would expect it to be terrible in terms of gas mileage. However, that is not entirely true. If you get the FWD variant of the RX350, this mid-size SUV could achieve 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. The fuel tank capacity of 19.2-gallons is one of the largest of the segment, too.
If you get the AWD drivetrain variant, the fuel efficiency drops to 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, equating to 22 mpg of combined gas mileage. The tank range of 499 miles for the AWD trim and 518 miles for the FWD trim on the highway is notably superior to its arch-rival, the 2022 Acura RDX.
7 Comes Loaded With Many Safety Features
Being a Lexus, the 2022 RX350 comes loaded with all the bells and whistles in terms of safety, shaming even the more expensive offerings like the BMW X5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class. With the Lexus Safety System + coming in as standard for all the trims, the driver-assistance features like automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and many more are standard.
All the regular active and passive safety features like ABS with EBD, stability control, airbags, backup camera, parking sensors and a tire pressure monitoring system are standard too. The solid build quality is unchanged. However, the overall crash safety rating of 4-stars provided by the NHTSA is a bit lower than most of the rivals in the luxury mid-size SUV segment.
6 Plush Ride Quality
The comfort factor is one of the biggest criteria that people look for when buying an SUV that belongs to the premium segment. This is also one of the biggest draws of the 2022 Lexus RX350. Coming with independent front and rear suspension that is tuned for a softer side, the ride quality provided by the RX350 is almost magic-carpet-like.
The 2022 Lexus RX350 simply glides over broken roads with utmost comfort, irrespective of the speed. Take things a bit slower, and the car absorbs even the biggest potholes with ease. Even at highway speeds, the undulations are taken with ease and there is no major vertical movement, body roll is well under control too.
5 Detached Driving Manners
If you want the most fun-to-drive experience, then the 2022 Lexus RX350 is not going to fulfill the criteria. Even though the chassis is reasonably capable and the car handles well without any issues, it is far from a driver-focused machine like the BMW X3 or X5. The main issue is that soft suspension setup, which means more body motions when tackling corners at higher speeds.
Though the AWD variant has slightly more grip on offer, it is still not a very dynamically capable offering, the steering is not very communicative either. The F Sport has sharper handling, as one would expect, though it's still not a very engaging drive as with some of this Lexus' sportier rivals.
4 Has A Luxurious Cabin
Ever since the Lexus RX debuted back in 1999, it has offered a luxurious cabin. The same ethos has been carried forward to this updated 2022 version as well. Even though the interior feels a bit long in the tooth, there is no denying the fact that it is up there with the best in terms of interior quality and opulence.
The first thing that you see and feel the moment you get into the cabin is the plush leather upholstery and the dashboard and door cards that come covered in fine leather. The aluminum inserts, high-quality controls, and a well-integrated infotainment system look superb too. We also admire the analog clock located high on the center stack, making it even more elegant to look at.
3 Pretty Spacious
The roomy cabin of the 2022 Lexus RX350 is one of the most important aspects of this luxury SUV, especially for the prospective family buyers out there. The front row passengers are going to be pretty happy with the supportive seats that have power adjustability and heating. The leather upholstery feels very premium, too.
The rear seat experience is mostly identical to the front seats. The headroom, legroom, and shoulder room on offer are also superb. We were also happy with the excellent under-thigh and lower back support, along with a plush center armrest for the front and rear-seat passengers. If you opt for the L variant, you can also get a third row seat, making it even more versatile, however, the cargo capacity does take a hit.
2 Infotainment System Is Not The Smoothest
The Entune infotainment system comes with no changes from the outgoing model year, and we were pretty disappointed with that. The 8" standard touchscreen is not going to impress anyone due to the cluttered interface and a bit of lag and stutter. The unpolished infotainment interface is not expected at this price point.
Nevertheless, it does come with all the features you could think of like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa integration, Google Assistant, voice recognition, Bluetooth audio streaming, and many more. There is also an optional 12.3" touchscreen infotainment system, which can be had for an additional $2,285 with the Navigation Package. That package also provides a superb 12-speaker Lexus premium sound system.
1 Average Braking Performance
The braking hardware sees no changes and retains all the features offered with the outgoing model too. The braking is done with the help of the 12.9" front rotors and 13.3" rear rotors, all of which help the 2022 Lexus RX350 accomplish 60-0 mph braking in 127 feet, which is in the same ballpark as most of the rivals.
The long list of braking features like ABS with EBD, automated emergency braking, ventilated rotors, brake assist, and many more also help the braking performance of this luxury SUV. The brake pedal offers decent feedback and there's nothing to complain about regarding initial bite and progression either.