maadfw

Hi All,

So, without the benefit of test drive, I have been pretty much reading every review to decide between RX350 or RX350h but the reviews seem to be all over the place. Some examples are below. In this forum, the preference seems to be certainly towards RX350h.

My Priorities are Better Driving Experience, quiet cabin, Under $55K MSRP, (only interested in Premium, Premium plus), fuel economy and long term ownership in that order. (I am still driving a 2003 Acura TL). Any thoughts on factors you considered before deciding one or the other?

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2023-lexus-rx-350h-hybrid-first-drive-review/

Unless you constantly drive the 2023 Lexus RX350h while wearing thick-soled boots, the biggest dynamic issue with the new SUV doesn't require fast driving to notice. In two examples we drove, the accelerator and brake pedal transmitted more feedback than we'd like. While certainly not a deal-breaker, it was far more pronounced in the RX 350h hybrid than in the RX 350, RX 500h hybrid, or RX 450h plug-in hybrid we drove on the same day.

Within the 2023 RX lineup, the standard RX350 lacks the RX350h's buzzy pedals and is slightly quieter under acceleration, and it's more fun to drive.


https://www.newsweek.com/2023-lexus-...d-more-1745779

The RX 350h is one of the best packaged models Lexus offers. This model will be at the heart of the lineup for buyers, blending the appointments, features, technology and style Lexus customers are looking for with an expected price point that doesn't deviate too much from the RX 350, if Toyota and Lexus history repeats itself.


https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...exus-rx-drive/

The RX350h feels unusually anemic, however, requiring you to floor the accelerator to match the flow of highway traffic. Meanwhile, the engine groans loudly as it labors and makes the RX350h feel slower than it is.

https://www.kbb.com/lexus/rx/

The RX hybrid can save you more than $800 and 16 trips to the pump every year. (Assumptions: 15,000 miles per year, $4.00 per premium gallon, filling after every 13 gallons.) And some would say it even drives a little better than the non-hybrid RX. We’d definitely consider it.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...-drive-review/

Net output is stated at 246 hp and 233 lb.-ft. of torque, which feels more relaxed and sedate on the road after getting out of the gas-only RX 350. The hybrid seems to get off the line a bit better than the turbo, but quickly loses steam at higher revs. At 7.4 seconds to 60 mph (versus 7.2 for the 350 AWD), there's not much measurable difference in giddyup, but the hybrid is significantly quieter, which makes it feel more premium overall.

Thanks,
-maadfw

Freds430

We are on fifth hybrid. This week just bought a 23 NX 350h. 20 mile trip home averaged 40.5 mpg. The RX has a difference city driving of 21 mpg for the 350 and 37 for the RX 350h. The days of cheap gas is over until maybe January 2025. Personal opinion never been a fan of a four cylinder turbo. As mentioned above will save two brake jobs with the hybrid. We would never consider a gasoline version of a Lexus now with our hybrid experience. Do not have figures yet for the 23 RX but the 22 NX the decibel at 70 mph in the NX350 is 70 and the 350h 64.3. My guess is the RX will have close to the same difference.

ishh

I’m in the same boat as you. The 350h I’ve reserved should be here in a few weeks so I’m going to test drive it as it’s so subjective. There’s a thread titled “An interesting thing about the new infotainment system” where user BumbleD was kind enough to share a very comprehensive review of his driving impressions of the 350h.

it appears that it’s definitely not as smooth as thr v6 predecessor but it’s still fairly quiet and promises a good driving experience. There are quirks about the hybrid that do need to be considered which he outlines eloquently.

im still leaning towards hybrid, but once I test drive it myself, I’ll make the final call.

maadfw

Thanks for sharing! I tend to keep the cars for long time and my "newest" car is > nearly 12 years old. My main hesitation for RX350h is the long term (>15 years) reliability of the big-ticket items in hybrid, battery pack and e-CVT. What I really appreciate would be is the extra quietness of the Hybrid engine and the gas savings for RX350h. It is a hard decision and I think at this point, I will be happy with either one.

-maadfw

703

The rx450h is quieter and smoother than the rx350h.

rroman001

I too am undecided between the 350's and watched/read many reviews. To start, I own a 2017 GX460 with 95K miles and averaging 16.7 MPG (absolutely love the GX). I would repeat another GX but model really getting dated. MPG is important to me, but really anything will be better than a GX on MPG. Listening to the CVT whine on acceleration on all of the youtube reviews of the H is a real turnoff for me The problem is 500+ miles on a tank (vs 335 miles on a 20-gallon GX460 tank today) could make me get use to it the whine, provided acceleration is acceptable. Everyone keeps saying performance of the 350 is better than the 350H but from the 0 to 60 times there would not seem to be a big difference. After many hours, and many videos, Ive concluded Ill probably have to drive both, with both being very good. I am leaning toward the luxury version and a dealer by me already has some at 1000 to 2000K off of MSRP, but I have not researched what that doc, dealer and other fees are so could just be a gimmick. I do expect prices to continue to fall as the impact of record interest rate hikes start to hit.

jer

Is this discount the dealership has for the '23 RX's? The dealerships by me seem to be getting only 1 or 2 at a time, nothing to test drive yet.

ishh

lexus of Lehigh valley seems to be discounting some of their 2023 Lexus Rx350 gas models by 1-2k as well. As tempting as that is, I’m still going with a hybrid as the long term savings on gas will be far more.

toyotaman7

I think buying a Gas only car in 2023 is a mistake. Days of Gasoline only cars that burn that much gas while not delivering much more than hybrids are over and price of gas and resale value of the vehicles will eventually force everyone in that direction.

lexusnyca

Well, the gas RX is 73% of production - somebody has to buy them. I agree that Lexus has miscalculated demand for the 350h, the result of that will be long waits and dealer markups on the ones that come in. Plenty of older buyers for this car who only drive 5-6K miles a year.

rroman001

There seem to be a lot of RX’s hitting the lots vs the Sequoia for example where the Toyota dealer next to the Lexus dealer has 1 sequoia available with a 2500 market adjustment. My dealer has a one RX350 luxury as it’s demo to test drive right now. I would consider a luxury but the suede gets bad reviews over time it seams on car seats but I’m going off of what I read. If your willing to spend time on Autotrader and then using it to click through to dealer websites you may find a dealer or two advertising their discount off msrp on a 2023 Rx. Seems to be hit or miss

misher

Rather than say it miscalculated I suspect that's as many as it could get out given the current shortage in batteries and chips. Car companies are all having shortages, the Land Cruiser has a 2-3 year wait list I think as does the toyota/lexus electric cars and most hybrids/PHEVs. Likely Toyota only has its gas engine lines that can keep up with demand while its hybrid and electric stuff is still new and spinning up.

703

They didn't miscalculate. Lexus just wanted to sell petrol only to those who don't want to wait as hybrids are limited more by supply chain constraints on batteries and electric motors.

Freds430

Accurate. Lexus has stated their future lies in hybrids and electric.

hugsmindy

My personal opinion (coming from a 2021 RX350 to a 2023 RX350h):
1. My husband and I have mentioned multiple times over the month I've owned the car that it is very quiet. I drive a combination of city and highway too. Cabin noise level is a big deal for me as I am hard of hearing. Any background noise makes it difficult for me to understand conversation. I have NO issue at all in my 2023 no matter the driving conditions.
2. I have absolutely no issue at all with the power. It gets out of the way when you need it to just fine. It's not a sports car, but it moves. I haven't missed the 6cy at all.
3. I think it smoother and (see above) quiet.
4. The new RX is actually ~200lbs lighter than the previous generation. That is considerable. A previous reply to your post mentioned that the 4cy have come a long way and I have to agree. I feel like my car is smoother, quieter and has almost no difference in pick up yet I've gone from 19/22 MPG to 34/38 MPG. HUGE! IMHO and I believe the quality of the redesign, inside and out is fabulous.