LIKES
- Efficient hybrid
- F Sport shines inside and out
- Comfy for five
- More daring than dull...
DISLIKES
- ...Edgy styling can be a turn off
- Useless third row
- Getting expensive
BUYING TIP
The 2021 Lexus RX stays strong in an increasingly crowded class with styling that stands out and powertrains that don’t.
What kind of vehicle is the 2021 Lexus RX? What does it compare to?
The 2021 Lexus RX is a luxury mid-size crossover SUV that was refreshed for 2020 for sportier handling. Despite edgy styling, it doesn’t stray too far from being the comfy, quiet cruiser that has defined it for more than 20 years. It can be had in sporty F Sport trim or can seat up to seven passengers in RXL form, but it’s best as a five-seater with a hybrid powertrain that gets 30 mph combined.
Is the 2021 Lexus RX a good SUV?
We think so, as do the many customers who have made it the bestselling Lexus model. The hybrid option with standard all-wheel drive makes a lot of sense, and improved interior controls address some long-standing gripes. We give it a TCC Rating of 6.5 out of 10.
What's new for the 2021 Lexus RX?
New features are minimal following last year’s refresh. Power-folding side mirrors come standard, and blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alerts come with the already impressive suite of standard safety features.
Despite the makeover, the RX puts comfort ahead of speed with two V-6 options, including a hybrid model with standard all-wheel drive that can get 30 mpg combined. The ride remains composed even with larger wheels and the F Sport’s Sport mode.
Two body sizes give consumers more choice, but the five seater is best. The L model crams in a third row in its additional 4.4 inches of length. It can work for short trips for the shortest people on occasion.
With the third row down, or in the base five-seat model, comfy seats for all but the rear center position provide plenty of leg, head, and cargo room. The cabin is well appointed in both body styles.
Every RX comes with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitors that help it avoid collisions. Official crash testing returned mixed results, with the NHTSA giving it only four stars overall but the IIHS awarding it a Top Safety Pick.
How much does the 2021 Lexus RX cost?
The price swing from the base RX 350 model to the top RX 450hL is not that vast. It starts at $46,095 and comes with an 8.0-inch touchscreen with smartphone compatibility, six USB ports, power-adjustable synthetic leather seats, keyless start, and 18-inch alloy wheels. All-wheel drive adds $1,400 across the lineup.
The third row in 350L versions costs $2,830 more, raising the price to $48,925.
The 2021 RX 450h hybrid model with standard all-wheel drive starts at $48,745, which makes it just $1,250 more expensive than the 350 AWD. That’s where we’d put our money. The L version with second-row captain’s chairs is $52,135, but the F Sport treatment on the hybrid tops the RX chart at $52,225. Then there are all the packages and options, ranging from a 12.3-inch touchscreen to semi-aniline leather and wireless charging.
Where is the 2021 Lexus RX made?
The RX is made in Ontario, Canada, with parts supplied from Japan.
Styling
The RX 350 is more in your face than subdued, and maybe it needed to stand out among all the competition.
Is the 2021 Lexus RX a good-looking car?
It sure has changed over the years, but we’re not sure if the edgier modern design attracts or repels the types of customer that have made the RX a bestseller since it launched for 1999. It’s more daring than dull. That’s worth a point to a 6.
The humpty dumpty egg shape of the past has been taken to the art school runway with a mishmash of angles and edges. The hourglass mesh grille, stamped like a robot nose on the face of most Lexus vehicles, centers the design. The squinting eyes angle into the hourglass and large side air intakes are as out of place as a zit on a robot. Creases extend over the hood then cut down the beltline to a pinched rear and an integrated roof spoiler that overshadows another hourglass shape on the liftgate, cinched there as well by taillights.
Performance
The 2021 Lexus RX may look racy, but it’s built for comfort, not for speed.
The RX is powered by either a gas V-6 dubbed RX 350 or a hybrid V-6 dubbed RX450h. It comes in standard length or longer L with a third row and a badge that reads RX 350L or, in hybrid form, RX 450hL.
The consistent ride quality earns the RX a point on our scale to a 6.
Is the Lexus RX 4WD?
Base versions of the RX uses a 295-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 267 pound-feet of torque and uses an 8-speed automatic to help it tow up to 3,500 pounds.
The RX 450h taps the same size V-6 teamed with a battery pack powering two electric motors to make 308 hp total. The engine powers the front, the motors power the rear for standard all-wheel drive teamed with a continuously variable automatic transmission.
How fast is the Lexus RX?
The F Sport’s difference mostly comes from adaptive dampers that are stiffer than the regular set up and combine with 20-inch alloy wheels for more athleticism and a stiffer but still comfortable ride.
A drive mode selector in all models has an Eco mode that lightens the gauge cluster and creates a spongier throttle that conserves fuel, and Sport and Sport+ modes that firm up the response and illuminates the cluster in red. Using the paddle shifters can delay the shifts and quicken the pace.
Comfort & Quality
The 2021 Lexus RX serves five passengers best; avoid the L and its cramped third row.
For so long, the Lexus RX has embodied the characteristics of a retiring librarian, where quiet is a state of being and comfort is a cashmere cardigan sweater. Lately, Lexus unveils another side of the RX with red leather, wood bangles, and metallic accoutrements. The garish angles on the outside are the stilettos in this metaphor.
Inside, the quality materials, roominess, overall comfort, and above average cargo volume earn it a 9.
Synthetic leather that comes very close to the real thing covers most RX crossovers, until you get the real deal semi-aniline leather available in the Luxury package. Contrasting wood and metallic surfaces tempt the fingertips and please the eye.
Second row seats bring the comfort, too, with a nicely padded bench and available bucket seats that recline. But a word of caution on those captain's chairs: they’re only available on the RX 350L or 450hL. Fitting a power-folding third row into 4.4 inches more space results in second-row riders getting cramped to accommodate even-more-cramped third-row riders. For occasional carpool duty, or occasional caregiving of little kids, it can help.
With all rear seats folded down, the RX grows from about 56.3 cubic feet of cargo space to 58.5 cubic feet in RX L models.
Safety
Mixed crash test results undermine the wealth of standard safety features.
How safe is the Lexus RX?
The Lexus RX comes standard with plenty of safety features to help it avoid and mitigate a crash, which is good because crash test results are mixed. The standard features and a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS earn it a 7 on our scale.
The IIHS gave the 2021 Lexus RX top “Good” scores on all six crash tests. But the NHTSA, whose tests are considered less rigorous than the IIHS, gave it a four-star rating with front-wheel drive, but five stars with all-wheel drive. Both versions earned only a four-star rating in tests that simulate a head-on collision at 35 mph.
Outward vision is good out the front and sides, as it should be for a tall vehicle, but the tapering roofline and raked rear glass limit rear vision.
Features
Better standard features and plenty of options highlight the 2020 Lexus RX.
More standard features and plenty of optional features on the Lexus RX earn it a 7 on our scale.
How much is a fully loaded 2021 Lexus RX?
We can’t reach the top step without taking a first step so let’s start with the standard features on the base RX 350. All RX models come with LED headlights, power folding mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, power front seats, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen launched last year and set 5.5 inches closer to the driver than the old display screen. It’s a relief. An available 12.3-inch touchscreen is bundled with the Navigation package with much better voice commands.
The cramped third row in the larger RX 350L has power reclining and folding functions, as well as three-zone climate control for $48,925.
For more bling, the $49,575 RX 350 F Sport freshens the front and rear with distinct bumpers and badges, features performance dampers, rolls on 20-inch black alloy wheels, and trims the inside with more thickly bolstered front seats and wood and aluminum accents.
The RX 450h tops the lineup with standard all-wheel drive, but even here, there are steps. The hybrid with the F Sport trim costs the most at $52,225. But even at this price point, you have to pay more for wireless charging, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated wood and leather steering wheel, a Mark Levinson 15-speaker sound system, and a power liftgate with a kick sensor. That’s why we can’t call it a value, even though it hovers in the $50,000 range.
Which Lexus RX should I buy?
Our recommendation, especially for mostly around town drivers, is the RX 450h for $48,745. The hybrid powertrain is essentially a $1,250 upcharge over the RX 350 with all-wheel drive.
The RX comes with a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty, and the RX 450h hybrid models get an 8-year/100,000-mile coverage for the hybrid system.
Fuel Economy
The RX 450h outlasts other hybrid rivals for up to 30 mpg.
Is the 2021 Lexus RX good on gas?
The hybrid model is very good on gas for a luxury crossover SUV, getting an EPA-rated 31 mpg city, 28 highway, and 30 combined. If most of your miles happen around town, it’s the one to own, especially with standard all-wheel drive. But most RX buyers opt for the gas model. It gets 20/27/23 mpg with front-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive eats 1 mpg off of that, qualifying either for only a 4 on our scale.
The hybrid would be a 6.
The RX 450h L gets 29/28/29 mpg. That’s loads better than the Infiniti QX60’s 22 mpg combined, and even better than the impressive MDX Sport Hybrid with 27 mpg combined.
At the low end of the RX range is the 350L AWD at 18/25/21 mpg.
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