Lexus RZ 450e First-Drive: A Comfortable Appliance
Our Lexus RZ 450e first-drive revealed a comfortable commuter with ample power, but also a lack of dynamics compared to sportier BEVs.
Lexus crossovers are sometimes reasonably fun. And sometimes reasonably sporty. But they are not true enthusiast vehicles (even when F-Sport packages improve their dynamics). This is probably obvious to most. But on the internet, when writing for enthusiast audiences about the very first all-electric Lexus, it bears repeating. This is not one of Lexus’ venerable track weapons. Nor is it set to change the way the world sees EVs. It is a comfortable appliance for commuting. For a deeper dive into the all-new RZ, including pricing and features, please click HERE. In this post, we’re mostly going to focus on our Lexus RZ 450e first-drive experience.
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Lexus RZ 450e Quick Specs
- Dual motors (150 kW front; 80 kW rear)
- Battery: 71.4 kWh
- Level 2 (240v) Charging (0-100%) – 9.5 hours
- Level 3 150kW DC Fast Charging (0-80%) – 30 minutes
- Power: 308 HP (230kw)
- Torque: 320 ft.lbs
- Trim Levels: Premium & Luxury
- Range: 220 miles with 18″ wheels; 196 miles with 20″ wheels
- 0-60 mph: 5.0 (with a 1-ft rollout)
- Top Speed: 99mph (limited)
- Wheelbase: 112.2 inches (same as RX)
- Curb Weight: Premium (4,564 lbs); Premium w 20s (4,586 lbs); Luxury (4,619 lbs)
RZ-450e First-Drive
Cruising the coast and mountain roads of Southern California on a rainy morning, the RZ evokes a pair of tangential truths. On one hand, it’s among the best-driving Lexus crossovers, for a few reasons we’ll discuss in a moment. On the other hand, like every other Lexus crossover, it’s a bit of a ho-hum experience, dynamically. Which is fine. This is a simple commuter vehicle with linear powerband and a nice radio.
Just sit down, turn it on, and go about your business.
The RZ 450e is the second most powerful Lexus crossover after the RX 500h F Sport Performance, which we’ll more formally compare below. And yet, since BEVs deliver essentially instant torque, acceleration is brisk. The RZ is the quickest Lexus crossover to 60 miles an hour by almost a second. The on-demand torque and horsepower make the RZ feel much more like driving an old-school Lexus V8 (like a GX or LX or even the early LS sedans). In other words, the power level feels stronger than both the previous generation V6 and the current generation turbo 4-cylinder drivetrains. And this is a big plus.
Likewise, the RZ is the first Lexus crossover to be fitted with wider rear wheels and tires (most are a “square” setup with the same wheel and tire sizes on all four wheels). Coupled with additional structural bracing that (invisibly) frames its rear hatch, the RZ feels well planted from a dig and when pushing it through corners. It’s no IS 500 or LC 500, mind you, but it’s a step above both the NX and RX.
The conventional (standard equipment) steering feeling is as finger-light as every other vehicle with no sense of driver feedback. Which is pretty common for EVs like Tesla and brands like Audi. (Not to mention almost every Lexus on sale today).
However, while I prefer the tuning characteristics of the damping on the NX and RX F Sport suspensions, the RZ benefits greatly from its lowered center of gravity. (For context, EVs typically have a lower center of gravity thanks to the in-floor battery packs.) This allows the RZ 450e to corner with an extra bit of confidence, making the overall experience less floppy than the RX.
Outside of the Lexus realm, the RZ feels pretty similar to driving the new Audi Q4 e-tron, and lacks the assurance and engagement of driving something like a Mustang Mach-E or (the ICE-powered) Audi SQ5. In short, as one should expect, the first all-electric Lexus crossover drives more like a Lexus crossover than a Lexus IS, LC, or LS.
Front Drive Bias
In speaking with Lexus engineers ahead of my RZ 450e first-drive experience, we discussed the company’s decision to go with a larger 207-horsepower electric motor in the front and a smaller 101-horsepower e-axle out back. Turns out, Lexus wanted to replicate a front-wheel-drive driving experience, believing that customers would prefer more power and torque up front as it resembles the last 30 years of Lexus and Toyota front-wheel-drive vehicles.
However, from an enthusiast perspective, to deliver a truly dynamic driving experience, sportier EVs typically feature equal power front to back, or a slight rear bias, either of which amplifies performance characteristics. Which is what you’ll find in vehicles like the Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y.
Yoke Driving
As outlined in our previous coverage, the optional Lexus RX steering-by-wire system replaces the entire conventional steering system with numerous digital sensors, electric motors, and even an extra battery. Inside equipped RZ models, drivers will find that the gauge cluster is now pushed back and taller, making it easier to see without having to glance downward, and a yoke-style steering wheel.
This steering system also features a variable turning ratio, which means the steering wheel behaves differently depending on one’s speed. At slow speeds, one full lock to the right or left requires about 100 degrees of turning. At higher speeds, the yoke acts as a conventional wheel with small inputs resulting in small wheel adjustments.
In practice, it feels a bit strange, but I have to admit it’s a nifty design. Even if the notion of driving around with a steering wheel that looks straight out of the Knight Industries Two Thousand seems a bit like a gimmick. Still, the yoke performs as advertised. In a parking lot, a simple twist of one’s hands and arms is like turning a normal steering wheel more than once. It’s easier on the arms and body, and doesn’t take long to learn. And then, out on the street, it’s like driving a normal car (you know, one that has an airplane yoke for steering.)
Overall, I like the way the yoke feels in hand, although the buttons are a little harder to reach. I’d also argue that Lexus has outdone Tesla in terms of ergonomics and execution. But at the end of the day, I’m not sure this is going to be the next hit feature. Nor do I think it’s a great idea to remove mechanical redundancies for something as safety-crucial. I would guess this one doesn’t make it past a couple of model years.
Range Mode
Lexus introduced a new driving mode in the RZ called Range Mode, which joins Normal, Sport, Eco, and Custom buried in the menu system. (Yes, just like the RX, there’s no physical button, so every time you want to adjust the driving mode, you have to navigate out of Apple CarPlay, into the Settings Menu, and then select a mode, which is a small waste of time.)
Range mode works by engaging only the rear 80 kW DIRECT4 e-axle, giving you access to 101 horsepower and 123.4 ft.-lbs. of torque. Once in motion, should the driver need more power, or should the various safety and traction systems want to shift the vehicle’s torque delivery, the front e-axel will also engage.
Also worth noting, Range Mode turns off the HVAC system to conserve energy, but one can turn on the heated or ventilated seats, the traditional heating or air conditioning, or engage the radiant heater (if equipped).
In trundling through sleepy small towns, and presumably while stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Range Mode works as advertised to push the RZ up to casual speeds. This is a smart bit of engineering I’d like to see made available on other BEVs.
Auto Park Assist
Equipped with all of the latest Lexus safety features, the RZ 450e can also park itself. Simply pull up to a parallel or perpendicular parking space. Press the button on the dash (underneath the infotainment system, next to the front camera). And then use the touchscreen to select the parking space you want (assuming the computer detects multiple options). And away it goes.
As the most advanced version of Auto Park Assist yet, it can more delicately adjust the way it turns, preventing it from having to do a three-point turn to get into a parking space. Also, the system is set to disengage any time it feels a driver input (on the wheel or pedals), so keep that in mind.
In our tests, it was a little buggy (didn’t recognize diagonal spaces), but when it worked, it was better at parking than a large percentage of humans.
RZ vs RX
NOTE: the pictured RX is a 350, not a 500h.
Six months ago, I test-drove every single new Lexus RX configuration all back to back to back (to back). That experience was illustrative in contrasting the various drivetrains, trim levels, and suspensions. But being the most sporty in a lineup of Lexus crossovers isn’t the same as being genuinely sporty.
The RX 500h falls into this category where it’s sporty-ish, but not truly sporty. With its bold looks, bolstered front seats, and adaptive, adjustable suspension, and almost 400 foot-pounds of peak torque, it’s my favorite RX. But put it next to something like an Audi SQ5, and the RX feels a little sloppy and discombobulated at times. Especially on rougher, city roads.
The RZ 450e, in contrast, offers less peak power — so it doesn’t quite pull as hard at speed — but feels much more refined overall. The RZ’s power comes on quicker — it launches harder and runs to 60mph faster — and the whole thing feels smoother. And although its suspension damping is less refined and tuned in a way that’s less sporty, the BEV’s lower center of gravity makes it feel more planted than the RX family (especially the non-F-Sport models). I think the added structural bracing and staggered wheels and tires also contribute to the RZ’s added drivability.
In short, when I was driving the RZ on the media drive, I couldn’t wait to get back into an F Sport RX. But back in the RX — despite its added luxury, better seats, and suspension tuning — it was clearer how much Lexus engineers were able to deliver in the (non-F-Sport) RZ. At the end of the day, the RZ doesn’t have that sense of being sporty, but it’s among the best-driving Lexus crossovers on the market.
Which is to say the RZ drives fine. Not bad. Not great. Just simply a comfy appliance with a good power band and a nice radio. Built for carrying passengers from point A to point B.
Photographs by Michael S. Palmer
