Has anybody driven the new RX350H ?

[Lexnew]

I would like to know if anybody has driven the fifth generation RX350H ?

I have read several reviews about the vehicle and generally the reviews seem to be positive. The ride qaulity and handling of the vehicle appear to be very good, most reviews say the six cylinder engine would be the engine of choice for this vehicle (if it where available.) The four cylinder engine that comes with the hybrid  does not seem to live up to the high standard of the RX.  

I currently own a  RX450H which was purchased new in 2022,  I am very pleased with the vehicle.  The build qaulity is first class, and the vehicle is supremely comfortable, plus the added bonus is the silky smooth V6 power plant which delivers power effortlessly. Looking to the future, I am just wondering if it would be worth upgrading to the fifth generation RX 350H.I am not really sure if the newer model can be that much better than the fourth generation RX. Prices for the new RX350H start at £62,125  going up to the top spec Takumi £76,625.

Since the new model of the RX has been released,  I have not actually seen one of these cars on the road.

Any comments would be welcome 

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Find an excuse to try one next time you visit the dealership? They gave me an RX450h+ to drive when my older model went in for brakes, and they knew I had no immediate intention of buying one.

Admittedly that used the engine less as it was the PHEV model, but the 4-cyl unit seemed fine to me. It was fast, smooth and rode well, certainly got me thinking about it as a very eventual replacement for my 3rd gen version (like 5-6 years' time).

I like the fact there are decently-specced versions available with 19" wheels, a consideration for me living in the countryside. The example I tried was on 21s - it rode well, but I'd be nervous about damaging a wheel.

There are one or two aspects where I feel the quality is slightly lower than in the previous generations - the way the seatbacks are detailed/trimmed, and the lack of soft padding inside the interior door pull, for example.

Having never driven a 4th gen RX I can't make a direct comparison, but overall I liked it.

[Spacewagon52]

Not a direct comparison, but going from a 400h (3.3 litre V6) to the NX (2.5 - 4 cylinder) I don't really notice any real difference to be honest. yes the V6 had more grunt but in "normal" driving I can't tell the difference. The engine in the NX seems just as smooth and quiet. I am not sure if the engine / electric motor is set up differently in the new RX350H. I thought it might be less powerful than the NX, being a larger car?

[rayaans]

10 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

Not a direct comparison, but going from a 400h (3.3 litre V6) to the NX (2.5 - 4 cylinder) I don't really notice any real difference to be honest. yes the V6 had more grunt but in "normal" driving I can't tell the difference. The engine in the NX seems just as smooth and quiet. I am not sure if the engine / electric motor is set up differently in the new RX350H. I thought it might be less powerful than the NX, being a larger car?

The 350h has about 50hp more than the NX300h and there's not much weight difference between the NX300h and the RX350h

[Spock66]

14 hours ago, Lexnew said:

Looking to the future, I am just wondering if it would be worth upgrading to the fifth generation RX 350H.

If you want to stick with an RX then this would be the obvious route to take, but given you have a relatively new car you would likely take a big hit in depreciation if you were to change now.  I would suggest keep what you have for now and either get a Gen 5 towards the end of production or wait and see what a Gen 6 might offer.  I am guessing there may be a Gen 6 that would meet the UK legislation for hybrid sales until 2035.

[Lexnew]

 

Judging by the comments the 2.5 litre 4 cylinder engine seems to be fairly refined with no noticeable difference to the V6.

My car is coming up for a service shortly, I will ask the dealership for a RX350H as a loan car, I can then draw my own conclusions about the vehicle.  You quite rightly said that my vehicle is relatively new and to part exchange it now would mean that I would take a big  hit in depreciation. The RX450H that I am driving at the present time was purchased just before the newer model was launched, so I received a massive discount from the dealership. I shall probably end up keeping my existing car for at least another three years, by which time Lexus might be offering good discounts on the Gen 5 models. At my age I am not sure if I can hang on long enough for the launch of the Gen 6😄.

Thanks. 

[John Walker]

On 8/25/2023 at 5:32 PM, Lexnew said:

 

Judging by the comments the 2.5 litre 4 cylinder engine seems to be fairly refined with no noticeable difference to the V6.

My car is coming up for a service shortly, I will ask the dealership for a RX350H as a loan car, I can then draw my own conclusions about the vehicle.  You quite rightly said that my vehicle is relatively new and to part exchange it now would mean that I would take a big  hit in depreciation. The RX450H that I am driving at the present time was purchased just before the newer model was launched, so I received a massive discount from the dealership. I shall probably end up keeping my existing car for at least another three years, by which time Lexus might be offering good discounts on the Gen 5 models. At my age I am not sure if I can hang on long enough for the launch of the Gen 6😄.

Thanks. 

Which spec did you go for? Luxury, Takumi, F Sport? I ve always wondered what kind of discounts dealerships give for the end of production models, if i’m not too indiscreet 😊

[John Walker]

Probably the 450h+ (plug-in) makes a lot of sense, once you ll get used with the luxury of driving fully electric for 30-40 miles on a charge you d never go back. And the difference in price is just a few thousands. Looking on Autotrader the plug-ins seem to keep their value the most compared with the 500h which i test drove and wasn’t super impressed with. 
 

The 2.5 engine always seemed to be more responsive at low speeds compared with the 3.5. I had gs450h and gs300h, nx300h and rx450h. In all the cases the smaller engine was more engaging to drive, I wonder how come nobody talks about this. The v6 (hybrid) engine from Lexus never that nice sound note like a German car unfortunately. And if i m not wrong the 5th gen RX350h is faster than the 4th gen RX450h.

 

Not taking in consideration the price, the newer car will (almost) always be the better car (if you can afford it) 

 

If you love driving maybe keep your RX and use the extra money you may want to spend and get yourself an LC500/h, i test drove the v8 convertible and….WHAT A CAR! However i d choose the hybrid model.