RX350h Ownership Review
03-22-23, 08:15 PM
#31
Here is a quick review of our RX350H that we've had for 2 weeks & 500 miles:
- Car is amazing, the ride (19" wheels) is firm but a little softer than my Audi.
- I have not experienced any buzzing or vibration from either pedals.
- Almost every (published) review has commented on the noise / sound from the four cylinder engine (in contrast to the six cylinder) - I don't consider this to be noise and actually like the sound upon acceleration. The sound makes the RX seem sportier and it's a pleasant sound. If this were a European car everyone would be commenting about how nice it sounds.
- Currently the mileage around town is 37.5 mpg.
- The standard audio system is very good sound and value. I had B&O audio in my Audi and this is fine. If I was putting high miles per year on the car the ML audio might be worth it.
- The tech works really well and is very smooth in the transition from manual to automated systems. I have left everything on. Sometimes in the city the car wants to follow the lane lines but it makes you aware of it and you have ample time to correct. In the highway the auto-steer, lane change and radar cruise work flawlessly including stop & go with traffic jam assist.The auto-steer will disconnect on sharp(er) curves.
- This is a big car, the biggest that I have ever owned but the turning radius is very good, much better than our Sienna Minivan. The car is very wide and roomy especially the back seat.
- Digital rear view mirror (part of allocation order) is hard to use with prescription glasses. I would not order it and don't think its necessary with all the sensors...blind spot monitoring etc.
- I like that the bling spot monitoring is not "in your face". It will light up on the far side of the mirror (brightness is adjustable) when cars are in the blind spot and further back (i.e. autobahn speeds approaching) but it only sounds when you signal a lane change. I have not tested if it sounds when you try a lane change without signaling. I never do that :-).
- I'm amazed at the value of the car - the nearest competitor is the Audi Q8 that starts in the $70Ks is similarly equipped but does not come close in fuel economy.
- The negatives are the two rattles that I am trying to locate, I also wish that the overhead glass case was bigger and that I did not have to purchase navigation. I like the 14" screen but Navigation is useless in a CarPlay world. I also wish that the door handles were one piece / color.
03-22-23, 08:31 PM
#32
Here is a quick review of our RX350H that we've had for 2 weeks & 500 miles:
- Car is amazing, the ride (19" wheels) is firm but a little softer than my Audi.
- I have not experienced any buzzing or vibration from either pedals.
- Almost every (published) review has commented on the noise / sound from the four cylinder engine (in contrast to the six cylinder) - I don't consider this to be noise and actually like the sound upon acceleration. The sound makes the RX seem sportier and it's a pleasant sound. If this were a European car everyone would be commenting about how nice it sounds.
- Currently the mileage around town is 37.5 mpg.
- The standard audio system is very good sound and value. I had B&O audio in my Audi and this is fine. If I was putting high miles per year on the car the ML audio might be worth it.
- The tech works really well and is very smooth in the transition from manual to automated systems. I have left everything on. Sometimes in the city the car wants to follow the lane lines but it makes you aware of it and you have ample time to correct. In the highway the auto-steer, lane change and radar cruise work flawlessly including stop & go with traffic jam assist.The auto-steer will disconnect on sharp(er) curves.
- This is a big car, the biggest that I have ever owned but the turning radius is very good, much better than our Sienna Minivan. The car is very wide and roomy especially the back seat.
- Digital rear view mirror (part of allocation order) is hard to use with prescription glasses. I would not order it and don't think its necessary with all the sensors...blind spot monitoring etc.
- I like that the bling spot monitoring is not "in your face". It will light up on the far side of the mirror (brightness is adjustable) when cars are in the blind spot and further back (i.e. autobahn speeds approaching) but it only sounds when you signal a lane change. I have not tested if it sounds when you try a lane change without signaling. I never do that :-).
- I'm amazed at the value of the car - the nearest competitor is the Audi Q8 that starts in the $70Ks is similarly equipped but does not come close in fuel economy.
- The negatives are the two rattles that I am trying to locate, I also wish that the overhead glass case was bigger and that I did not have to purchase navigation. I like the 14" screen but Navigation is useless in a CarPlay world. I also wish that the door handles were one piece / color.
03-23-23, 07:28 AM
#33
Hi Mark, thanks for the feedback. I have two questions, if you don't mind. 1) The mpg you quote of 37.5 is a few miles higher than I'm getting around town and I was wondering if you are quoting your own calculations or what the car display is telling you? 2) You say that you "wish that the overhead glass case was bigger", what "glass case" are you referring to? Is it the size of the opening of the sunroof or the combined space of the two pieces of glass combined? Thanks again, and enjoy your Lexus!
2) The glass case is the glass (sun) storage case part of the overhead console nearer to windshield.
Best…
03-23-23, 08:15 AM
#34
Thank you, Flex!
03-23-23, 08:16 AM
#35
03-23-23, 07:14 PM
#36
About the steering wheel buttons...
They should work right away, without a wakeup delay. This would make it more like a conventional button setup, especially for the cruise control.
The left side button pad seems to work differently for me, when changing Sirius channels. Sometimes it will skip to my next favorite and sometimes it just goes up or down 1 number (channel 10 to 11, for example). I'm pretty sure I haven't pressed the mode button, when that happens. I realize that's a changeable function.
I do like the head up display button info when the pad is touched. It keeps my eyes on the road and I'm finally starting to remember them. Reviewers will find it annoying for the first few weeks, but it actually is clever.
About the digital rear view mirror...
As mentioned, because it's a screen instead of a mirror, it requires the eyes to greatly change focal distance and I have a hard time focusing on the LCD due to my glasses. At least it can be flipped back to mirror mode easily. That's somewhat of a magic trick, because I can't figure out how they get 2 views in 1 like that.
They should work right away, without a wakeup delay. This would make it more like a conventional button setup, especially for the cruise control.
The left side button pad seems to work differently for me, when changing Sirius channels. Sometimes it will skip to my next favorite and sometimes it just goes up or down 1 number (channel 10 to 11, for example). I'm pretty sure I haven't pressed the mode button, when that happens. I realize that's a changeable function.
I do like the head up display button info when the pad is touched. It keeps my eyes on the road and I'm finally starting to remember them. Reviewers will find it annoying for the first few weeks, but it actually is clever.
About the digital rear view mirror...
As mentioned, because it's a screen instead of a mirror, it requires the eyes to greatly change focal distance and I have a hard time focusing on the LCD due to my glasses. At least it can be flipped back to mirror mode easily. That's somewhat of a magic trick, because I can't figure out how they get 2 views in 1 like that.
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tedward155 (03-23-23)
03-24-23, 01:38 AM
#37
Pole Position
Heck with the reviews, I own one and the 4 cylinder is quiet inside of the cabin, where it counts. It is not a race car but has more power than is needs for daily driving and then some. I got 33 mpg on my last tank, doubling my last vehicle.
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winpakbob (04-19-23)
04-18-23, 03:22 PM
#38
1000 Mile Road Trip Comments
Just got my 350h three weeks ago. This week, we traveled from Bucks County Pennsylvania to Charlotte North Carolina and back to attend a wedding. Mostly highway, but took a detour on the Skyline Drive in Virginia on the way home, so lots of climbing and downhills. So, my impressions are as follows:
2023 RX350h Luxury
Eminent White Pearl - Macadamia
- Ride quality - superb, smooth, quiet drive. The car has excellent highway manners and holds it own mixing with 18 wheelers and cars alike.
- Power - surprisingly plenty of power for entering highway. Yes, the engine can be heard when pushing it, but you are accelerating for such a short time to get up to highway speed, it is totally tolerable and not a constant thing. Also showed plenty of hill climbing power with engine assistance but only low tone rumble from under the hood. One surprising sound for me was when traveling downhill with the cruise control on and the engine and motor trying to slow the car down to maintain pre-set speed. The sound seemed louder when I believe the battery had reached full charge and the engine was doing most of the braking. Again, nothing to complain about, just some observations.
- Driver Assist Features - The adaptive cruise control coupled with lane centering assist works like a charm. So much less stress, just kept my hand lightly on the wheel and the car basically drives itself. Very impressive, welcome feature for long highway drives. I even mastered the auto lane change feature. Amazing but probably unnecessary. We hit a couple of spots where the traffic was stop and go. Traffic Jam Assist engaged automatically and it too worked like a dream. One word of caution when using lane centering, when passing an exit while traveling in the right lane, the car can sometimes get confused because the lane marker on the right can sometimes fade away into the exit ramp and fool the car into thinking the lane just got much wider so it can try to center if you are not holding on. Also, when passing 18 wheelers you may nudge the car over a bit to give you more room than auto centering gives you. The trucks can sometimes hug the lane markers and make things a bit uncomfortable. So, just make sure you have a better grip if you are using the lane centering assist.
- Seat comfort - very good, but any seat gets a bit uncomfortable if you don't get out and stretch and get off your butt once in a while. I was good for about 4 hours before the seats starting to feel a bit uncomfortable.
- Sound System - excellent! And I only have the standard system, not the ML upgrade. I think the sound system is enhanced by the quiet cabin.
- Steering Wheel "Buttons" - like many have commented, they are a bit annoying but soon into my trip I had them down and while I wouldn't go as far as to say I like them, they work fine for me now.
- Pedal Pulsing - never experienced at all.
- Navigation - can't speak to the Lexus Nav because we were using Android Auto and Google maps for this trip. My comment on Google maps Nav is very good but one complaint is the difficulty to choose an alternate route. My trip home, Android Auto wanted to take me up I95 through Washington DC and Baltimore and I wanted to avoid those two bottlenecks. I was willing to take the 30 minute hit to go up I81 but could not get Google Maps to accept that option. It may just be more of a learning curve for me to get this to work the way I like.
- Other - we hit a small area with heavy rain and I should have done my homework ahead of time, the wiper controls drove me crazy for a while until I figured out how to select "High Speed". Lexus/Toyota vets I am sure would have had no problem.
- Concerns - none really except maybe that the faux suede on the seats have picked up the blueing from our jeans. Hope it is easy to clean!
2023 RX350h Luxury
Eminent White Pearl - Macadamia
Last edited by winpakbob; 04-18-23 at 08:12 PM. Reason: Adding interior color to signature
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04-18-23, 03:55 PM
#39
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FMY421 (04-18-23)
04-18-23, 06:47 PM
#41
Ultrasuede web site’s cleaning instructions. Jeans not mentioned though. https://www.ultrasuede.us/support/care.html
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04-18-23, 07:03 PM
#42
Thank you for going to the trouble of writing this. I get a lot out of reading trip reports and timed ownership reviews. That said, I need to provide one myself. 
. Enjoy your 350h! Safely!
. Enjoy your 350h! Safely!
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winpakbob (04-18-23)
04-23-23, 03:24 PM
#43
New member here, looking for RX owner experiences here as we are taking a very hard look at the RX hybrid tomorrow. I thought I'd give a little background.
I retired (chemical industry, engineering/management/procurement background) last year, joining my wife in the next chapter of our lives. We've had seven Honda Accords and they have been great - three went between 175k and 285k, two met untimely deaths from other motorists, and two are in our driveway. I believe one of those cars saved my life. We've been happy owners except for the lack of room and comfort on the 2,400-mile trip we took earlier this year. So we started looking for something with more room that was safe, comfortable, and economical. The RX pretty quickly made it to the top of our shortlist. YouTube has been very helpful in answering many questions. We expect a dealer visit will answer many more, but there is nothing like the direct experience of enthusiasts. So far, there is a lot of info here, and I hope to be able to contribute to the discussions.
I retired (chemical industry, engineering/management/procurement background) last year, joining my wife in the next chapter of our lives. We've had seven Honda Accords and they have been great - three went between 175k and 285k, two met untimely deaths from other motorists, and two are in our driveway. I believe one of those cars saved my life. We've been happy owners except for the lack of room and comfort on the 2,400-mile trip we took earlier this year. So we started looking for something with more room that was safe, comfortable, and economical. The RX pretty quickly made it to the top of our shortlist. YouTube has been very helpful in answering many questions. We expect a dealer visit will answer many more, but there is nothing like the direct experience of enthusiasts. So far, there is a lot of info here, and I hope to be able to contribute to the discussions.
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04-24-23, 03:39 PM
#44
New member here, looking for RX owner experiences here as we are taking a very hard look at the RX hybrid tomorrow. I thought I'd give a little background.
I retired (chemical industry, engineering/management/procurement background) last year, joining my wife in the next chapter of our lives. We've had seven Honda Accords and they have been great - three went between 175k and 285k, two met untimely deaths from other motorists, and two are in our driveway. I believe one of those cars saved my life. We've been happy owners except for the lack of room and comfort on the 2,400-mile trip we took earlier this year. So we started looking for something with more room that was safe, comfortable, and economical. The RX pretty quickly made it to the top of our shortlist. YouTube has been very helpful in answering many questions. We expect a dealer visit will answer many more, but there is nothing like the direct experience of enthusiasts. So far, there is a lot of info here, and I hope to be able to contribute to the discussions.
I retired (chemical industry, engineering/management/procurement background) last year, joining my wife in the next chapter of our lives. We've had seven Honda Accords and they have been great - three went between 175k and 285k, two met untimely deaths from other motorists, and two are in our driveway. I believe one of those cars saved my life. We've been happy owners except for the lack of room and comfort on the 2,400-mile trip we took earlier this year. So we started looking for something with more room that was safe, comfortable, and economical. The RX pretty quickly made it to the top of our shortlist. YouTube has been very helpful in answering many questions. We expect a dealer visit will answer many more, but there is nothing like the direct experience of enthusiasts. So far, there is a lot of info here, and I hope to be able to contribute to the discussions.
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Burghfan56 (04-24-23)
04-24-23, 06:12 PM
#45
New member here, looking for RX owner experiences here as we are taking a very hard look at the RX hybrid tomorrow. I thought I'd give a little background.
I retired (chemical industry, engineering/management/procurement background) last year, joining my wife in the next chapter of our lives. We've had seven Honda Accords and they have been great - three went between 175k and 285k, two met untimely deaths from other motorists, and two are in our driveway. I believe one of those cars saved my life. We've been happy owners except for the lack of room and comfort on the 2,400-mile trip we took earlier this year. So we started looking for something with more room that was safe, comfortable, and economical. The RX pretty quickly made it to the top of our shortlist. YouTube has been very helpful in answering many questions. We expect a dealer visit will answer many more, but there is nothing like the direct experience of enthusiasts. So far, there is a lot of info here, and I hope to be able to contribute to the discussions.
I retired (chemical industry, engineering/management/procurement background) last year, joining my wife in the next chapter of our lives. We've had seven Honda Accords and they have been great - three went between 175k and 285k, two met untimely deaths from other motorists, and two are in our driveway. I believe one of those cars saved my life. We've been happy owners except for the lack of room and comfort on the 2,400-mile trip we took earlier this year. So we started looking for something with more room that was safe, comfortable, and economical. The RX pretty quickly made it to the top of our shortlist. YouTube has been very helpful in answering many questions. We expect a dealer visit will answer many more, but there is nothing like the direct experience of enthusiasts. So far, there is a lot of info here, and I hope to be able to contribute to the discussions.
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