2022 Lexus RX450h AWD F Sport Fast Facts |
3.5-liter V6/three electric motors – one starter/generator, one at each axle (308 combined system horsepower @ 6,000 RPM, 247 lb-ft (not including hybrid drive) @ 4,800 RPM) Electronically-controlled, continuously-variable automatic transmission; all-wheel drive 30 city / 28 highway / 30 combined (EPA Rating, MPG) 7.5 city / 8.4 highway / 7.9 combined. (NRCan Rating, L/100km) Base Price: $53,275 (U.S) / $60,250 (Canada) As Tested: N/A (U.S.) / N/A (Canada) Prices include $1,075 destination charge in the United States and $2,245 for freight, PDI, and A/C tax in Canada and, because of cross-border equipment differences, can’t be directly compared. |
I want to be perfectly honest with you guys — this is The Truth About Cars, after all — I didn’t like driving the 2022 Lexus RX450h AWD F Sport. It’s not that the Lexus is a bad car, it’s that it’s not the right fit for me … and I mean that both figuratively and literally.
See that metallic running board? It’s a bit of a head-scratcher on the presumably sporty F Sport version of the Lexus, especially considering that this RX seems to ride a bit lower than the “F” versions. That said, my objection to these is far from philosophical: They hurt!
ON THE CONCEPT OF FITNESS
In the before time (read: Pre-COVID), I sold motorcycles. Scratch that. I sold a lot of motorcycles. Mostly Hondas and Kawasakis, but with more than a few Harley-Davidsons, Triumphs, etc. thrown in for good measure.
Part of the pitch, when you’re selling a motorcycle, is explaining to the customer that a motorcycle has to fit you in three ways. It has to fit you physically, it has to fit your lifestyle, and it has to fit your budget.
In terms of physical fit, you should be able to comfortably reach the pedals from the seat and comfortably reach the handlebars without straining your back or sitting in a “weird” position. That kind of thing. Translated into automotive terms, you should be able to get in and out of the car you’re considering without having the running board smack your leg every time you get in and out of the car.
I’m a bit under average height — about 5’7” — but that seems to put me in this weird limbo where I’m tall enough to not need a running board but not quite tall enough to step over it naturally, and I ended up whacking it every time I got in (ankle) or out (calf) of the RX. (It’s worth noting that my wife, a few inches taller and with longer legs, had no such issues.)
I do not fit, then — but this is supposed to be a review, so the show must go on.
ON THE SUBJECT OF STYLE
Moving on to the concept of lifestyle, a motorcycle has to fit not just your lifestyle, but your sense of style, too. It has to have a certain “feel” or “vibe” or whatever you want to call it — a Road Glide isn’t for everyone, and neither is a Gold Wing, even if the same rider may fit both in a similar way. And, while that’s hardly precise language, I’m sure you get the idea.
So, how would the Lexus fit my lifestyle? On paper, I feel like I’d be an ideal customer for the RX. I have a house in the suburbs and 2.5 (ish) kids. I like sporty wagons and SUVs. I like hybrid-y electrified things (that “h” in RX450h AWD F Sport stands for “hybrid,” by the way). I even like the loud, Grecian Water blue paint (it’s not too far removed from the Volvo Rebel Blue).
Despite that, I’m not confident that the Lexus fits my personal sense of style, especially when it comes to the interior … which, again, is nice. There is nothing objectively wrong with the RX450h AWD Sport’s interior (well, almost nothing — I’ll get to that in a minute). The leather is nice, the brushed aluminum works, and the heated/air-conditioned sport seats do the job.
That said, the whole interior feels very “Top Gun” to me. The center console is high, the styling angles everything towards the driver, and the myriad knobs and buttons and even the analog clock give off a “we think fighter jets are cool” sort of vibe that 100 percent did not speak to me…
… but that’s all subjective.
What I think might not be subjective is that “trackpad” in the center console that’s used to navigate the infotainment system.
That trackpad is my least favorite thing about a car, ever. I’d take a dozen whacks of the ankle from a misplaced running board to never have to use this thing again. And, sure, this version of the Lexus does also have a capacitive touch screen, but the screen is a fair reach away from the steering wheel, and the whole system requires significant “eyes off the road time” to navigate.
I found the infotainment system to be shockingly bad, with far too much attention paid to graphics about where the electricity was going and far too little paid to making the thing work like an iPhone or Android or anything else intuitive … but this is not a new feeling.
COINCIDENTALLY
Weirdly enough, I’ve driven a Lexus RX450h before. It was a long time ago, but Facebook reminded me that it was precisely eight years ago to the day …
… and I wrote about that one, too, over at Gas2 (which has since been sold and repackaged as “enrg.io”). Re-reading that review for the first time in nearly a decade, I found this:
“For starters, using the center console-mounted mouse thing in the Lexus RX450h requires you to take your eyes off the road and focus on the infotainment screen. That’s because there’s no real haptic difference between the feeling of, say, changing the station, changing the volume, or switching over to the navi screen … which, it should be noted, you can do on the move. At any speed. Lexus is totally cool with someone barreling down the road with one hand on the wheel and both eyes focused on the infotainment screen that’s deep-set into the dash. It’s a terrible, terrible design decision, and single-handedly explains why almost everyone I know rates Lexus RX drivers as the worst on the road.”
Back then, the Lexus had a “mouse” and not a trackpad, but I remember it working pretty much the same way. And, as you could see, I hated it then, too.
It’s funny to look back on that eight-year-old Lexus interior and see things through 2022 eyes. The fact that the 2022 RX450h had significantly more buttons was a bit of a surprise, as it feels like just about every other premium car has followed Tesla into the “big iPad” school of automotive interior design.
I couldn’t get my head around this Lexus. It has aggressive styling both inside and out, but (with “just” 308 horsepower on tap) isn’t particularly fast. There are buttons and knobs and dials everywhere, along with the bonkers, laptop-like interface, and even a CD player … so Lexus was obviously trying. But what are they trying? Who is this car actually for?
That’s when the second big coincidence of this Lexus review came into play: My stepdad bought one. Really.
BOOM
To at least one gray-haired Floridian gentleman in his mid-seventies in particular, the 2022 Lexus RX450h AWD F-Sport seems like it was a perfect fit (he even bought a blue one, albeit the more subdued Nightfall Mica instead of the Grecian Water).
Physically, he appreciates the running boards: “I don’t need them now. But if I do need them, it’ll be nice to have them.”
And, coming from a strong of LS sedans, appreciates that the taller RX gives him, “a better view. People are driving really crazy these days.”
Stylistically, he thinks the heavily-styled F-Sport looks “sharp,” and he said he like that, “it doesn’t look like an old man’s car.”
He’s a long-time Lexus convert, having been a regular customer of Kendall Toyota in Miami since the mid-1990s, so he doesn’t really have any other frame of reference when it comes to the infotainment system, and when I asked him about the trackpad, he said, sincerely, “Well, how else would you do it?”
Now fully (rather than “semi”) retired, the Lexus RX450h AWD F-Sport even fits the guy’s budget (with a base price of $53,275, the RX450h AWD F-Sport easily stickers for something like $30K less than his most recent LS).
So, who is this Lexus really designed for? Apparently, it was designed for my dad — and probably thousands of Lexus customers like him, who will absolutely love it.
The CD player should have clued me in, now that I think about it.
Look, the Lexus RX450h AWD F-Sport isn’t for me. If you’ve read this far, that’s no surprise by now. But it is an objectively competent sub/urban runabout that is more than capable of both getting a young-ish family around Chicago and taking a retired boomer all over South Florida doing God knows what (I assume a P.F. Chang’s is involved, but I can’t prove that).
In the pros column, the RX was smooth, quiet, and solid — I have no doubt that Toyota’s storied long-term reliability has been baked into almost every part of the Lexus. Fuel economy, too, was phenomenal. Around the low-speed streets of my neighborhood, the Lexus rarely left EV mode, except for a few minutes here and there, seemingly to power the AC on the hottest days (I saw 109 on my Volvo’s dash display, it was a thing).
My trip average was closer to 40 mpg than the EPA-rated 31 mpg, without trying too hard to hypermile it (the Energy Monitor graphics are fun, and game-ify the drive, but are definitely a distraction).
In the cons column, there’s really nothing subjective. If the styling speaks to you, you like having buttons and knobs that do the thing you want to push and turn them to do, and you feel like the in-dash timepiece looks more classy than Casio, you should definitely consider snapping up one up … especially before the updated RX with its new, iPad-esque interior shows up in 2023.
What’s New for 2022
The 2022 Lexus RX450h is mildly refreshed.
Who Should Buy It
The author’s stepdad, the stylish suburban soccer parent.
[Images © 2022 Jo Borras/TTAC]
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If you like this car, get one of the last 2022s. They’ve wrecked it for 2023 by taking away the smooth V6 and saddling hybrid buyers with three choices of four-cylinder powertrain. One of the three will be significantly more powerful than the current V6 powertrain, and another one will allow for plug-in capability. But they will all still have the unmistakably cheap and tinny sound of a four, which will never stop saying “rattletrap used Tercel” to me.
I’ve owned this car’s close relative, a pre-2019 Highlander Hybrid, for some years, and the powertrain is by far the best thing about it. Incredibly smooth, whisper-quiet when you’re not on the throttle, and makes a reasonably pleasant noise when you are.
Best to snatch this last one as the RX500h crests $70K with a paltry 367 horsepower.
DAL is right.
100%
And I ll go one better. The floating roof got moooar float.
Checkout any 2023 RX preview wed sites.
Get them before they re ruined.
“It doesn’t look like an old man’s car.”
— Old men everywhere, all buying the same cars as one another.
My Dad’s on his 6th one with an eye always open for a low-mileage 3rd Generation example (pre “floating roof”) to take him to the end of his driving career. He of the quote “Buicks lately really aren’t looking that bad, but it’s probably just because I’m finally old enough.”
Having driven many of them, I agree with the reviewer that it’s a very competent car I just don’t enjoy. Much as when the RX first arrived, I said “This is all the SUV 90% of the buying public really needs, without the off-road costume.”
I’ve got the 2021 hybrid. not f-sport.
The F-Sport version makes zero sense to me. I’m bigger so all the seat bolsters do is push my arms forward. You aren’t making twisty turns in this thing, the normal seats hold you in place just fine.
If you want it to have a stiffer suspension for better handling, this isn’t the car for you(e.g. get an Acura, or a sedan).
The infotainment, is just something that lets you run carplay. So it’s perfect, the sound system sounds pretty good. I have the ML. nice to see that in the 2023 they bring the touchscreen closer to you, so forget the touchpad. You sort of get used to it, but it’s just so meh.
Even with the luxury package, the seat depth isn’t great. I’m never going back to a German car again, because of the tediousness of bring them to a mechanic, but they did have better seat depth. Even the 3 series which is small, has a nice little extender.
Also how are they not including massage seats, something every other luxury car in this segment offers.
Other than that, the gas mileage and soft ride are perfect. It makes for a very relaxing, comfortable ride. You feel nice inside.
The best part of any Lexus is not having to visit BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, et al service departments.
Depends if the car’s under warranty or not. If so, those are pleasant visits. If not, then it’s time to take out a HELOC.
Except the RX is only 4 out 5 in reliability and owner satisfaction, according to Consumer Reports. It has middling handling and not very efficient knocking it down to about 5th or 6th place.
“The CD player should have clued me in”
I ordered a Toyota Auris head unit from Lithuania to swap in my Corolla IM (a.k.a. Auris) because the CD player was standard in Europe. Not offering one in a loaded car is an insult.
The Corolla Hatchback is not recommended by Consumer Reports and is on the do not buy list where Hyundai is.
The Corolla IM is NOT the Corolla Hatchback, it is the global market E180 Auris imported originally for Scion and only sold for three model years. Furthermore it is superior to any period Hyundai competitor and anything you would sh!ll for Norm.
Don’t believe me? Let’s go to the tape:
2018 TOYOTA COROLLA IM 4D HATCHBACK
7/5/22 $21,800 16,788 4.2 4G/A Silver Lease West Coast San Diego
6/22/22 $21,300 27,189 4.1 4G/A Blue Regular Northeast New Jersey
6/16/22 $21,750 34,755 4.6 4G/6 Silver Regular West Coast Southern California
7/1/22 $19,200 36,776 – – 4CY/A – – Regular Southeast myCentralAuction
7/11/22 $19,900 40,091 – – 4G/A Silver Regular Northeast NY Metro Skyline
7/1/22 $23,500 41,539 5.0 4G/A Red Regular Northeast Pennsylvania
6/17/22 $22,200 41,850 3.6 4G/A White Lease West Coast San Francisco Bay
6/14/22 $14,400 58,978 2.1 4G/A Black Lease Southwest Dallas
6/16/22 $17,400 58,982 – – 4CY/A Black Regular Southwest Dallas-Fort Worth
6/21/22 $19,750 62,686 4.1 4G/6 White Regular West Coast Riverside
7/8/22 $18,300 66,836 3.9 4G/A Red Lease Southwest Dallas
6/16/22 $12,600 74,778 2.4 4G/A Green Lease Southwest Texas Hobby
6/21/22 $12,300 77,298 1.5 4G/A Black Lease West Coast San Francisco Bay
6/30/22 $13,500 106,469 – – 4CY/A – – Regular West Coast myCentralAuction
6/17/22 $11,650 155,887 3.8 4G/A Red Regular Southeast Fort Lauderdale
7/8/22 $6,800 182,050 2.9 4G/A Silver Lease Northeast New Jersey
Gee my example is *still* worth just under the original MSRP of $21,500 (with dest) with my example clocking in at $20,700 with the mileage adjustment, and I paid $17,5 for it. I never thought a new car would become a financial instrument, but here we are.
Meanwhile…
“Bought a used 2017 Tucson in February of 2021.
Oil consumption issues from then until the engine seized and died in January of this year. Took it to my local Hyundai dealer multiple times about the issue, eventually was told about the recall.
Car was at the dealer from January till I just got it back I wanna say a little over a month ago. New engine, car still sounded like shit. Dealership tried giving me the run around on a few things. It is what it is, I got my car back.
Today, just driving and the engine light pops on. Same situation as before.
How many of you had a new engine put in due to the recall and still had issues?”
https://www.reddit.com/r/Hyundai/comments/urarhj/engine_replacement_issues/
Good thing he owns the prior generation vehicle with the manual transmission then.
Its a CVT but yes the model was available in manual.
Wow, look at all that gorgeous wood trim from the older review…Lexuses aren’t what they used to be.
You can get similar trim in today’s version if you want, but few of the customers seem to want it, because we are in a moment where everything has to be all black and look technical.
It’s like current Volvos, where the interior detailing in the Inscription models is drop-dead gorgeous but all the customers choose the R-Design, meaning flat black and metal, instead.
Volvo should do the Inscription interior with the R-design exterior. Or have an Inscription chrome delete option.
I’d choose that combination.
Agreed, that teak look was in every GS450h. Loved that interior, but Toyota saddled that car with a CVT.
Does a manual transmission gasoline hybrid car exist?
Yes, both the first-gen Insight and the CR-Z were available with a manual.
But the most efficient hybrid systems don’t have multi-speed transmissions of any sort, manual or automatic.
Not a CVT. A planetary power split device is a completely different technology and results in a completely different driving experience from a belt CVT.
That’s as much a ‘Praising with faint damn’ of a car review as I’ve ever read.
Dead model walking. New version due in months. Good news is touch screen and no track pad. The new screen isn’t an iPad slapped on the top of the dash either. Turbo 4 doesn’t bother me a bit.
Dog tired slow and dead last again in handling. Even Car & Driver along with Motor Trend say it is below average for being brand new. More American averageness from Toyota.
With 275 horsepower, it’s more powerful than rivals such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1, and Mercedes-Benz GLA. Pronounced turbo lag hampers this advantage, however. The 3,987-pound NX hits 60 mph in 6.6 seconds, 0.9 second behind the 228-hp X1. With the boost fully on boil, the NX covers the quarter-mile in 15.0 seconds at 95 mph and reaches 100 mph in 16.1 seconds, 0.6 second slower than the X1. Car & Driver
Link up a first drive of a 2023 Lexus RX. They aren’t out there yet. The NX is a different model. The 2023 RX500h will be 367hp.
The Germans almost always significantly underrate their turbo 4s.The 262hp A4 (new version with mild hybrid), for example, is estimated to be putting out 310hp+ in reality.
TTAC Pop Quiz:
Park a 2022 F-150 SuperCrew® next to this vehicle (I’m going with the 6.5′ bed, 2WD and the 5.0L V8). The Lexus is 192.5″ long; the pickup is 243.5″.
Which one has the higher curb weight?
So does this Toy motors product come standard w/automatic headlights even on the lowest trim level? Just followed another one of these road disasters home tonight in the dark with no running lights on. They should make Toyota recall every single one of theses road hazards and fix the defective lights! Duh – lets turn on the dash lights but not the running lights, stupid Toyota!
They come with auto headlights but it’s too easy to turn the auto feature off. It should work like GM products, where the auto feature comes back every time you start the car.
It’s a frickin’ disgrace ANY modern car/truck 1990+ can’t figure out it’s dark out, turn on the headlights, of course the driver can then override, but god damn, like it’s a 1969?
I’d take it back to the dealer, tell them to figure it out or undo the whole thing. How do consumers put up with this sh!t?
Yeah, I’m an old guy, but I taught myself to drive in a 1951 Chevy 3 tree. So I’m having a hard time feeling sorry for you.
Slow, fat, ugly, and uncompetitive, this is the perfect car for an American and sales numbers support this.
And, coming from a strong of LS sedans, appreciates that the taller RX gives him, “a better view. People are driving really crazy these days.”
—
So how is a squishy upscale crossover with rear-quarter DLOs so compromised that the average motorist needs rear blind spot monitoring in order for it to be functionally viable a better answer to this predicament than an LS? Asking for a friend.