Lexus offers significant improvements to its popular RX Series

What it is:

An admirable mid-size luxury crossover

What’s new?

Significant refinements for 2019, such as two-tone instrument panel required on RX 350 Premium and RX 450h Premium w/Noble Brown interior; Intuitive Parking Assist no longer a stand-alone option; Lexus Enform Remote (smart watch and Amazon Alexa skill integration). Even more refinements for the 2020 model:

Pros: Clean design cues, unparallel build quality. A true hybrid in every respect.

Cons: There’s little not to love, except the hard to use Enform Infotainment System.

What’s the competition?

Acura MDX, Alfa Romero Stelvio, Audi Q3, 2020 Audi Q5 55 TFSI, BMW X3, Cadillac XT5, Infiniti Q50, 2020 Lincoln Aviator Hybrid, Jaguar E-Pace, Mercedes-Benz GLC 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE 53, Porsche Macan, Volvo XC60 T8.

Base price: $53,730

As tested: $61,735 (incl. designation)

I’ll be the first to omit that I’m a tree hugger. As a now semi-retired architect I’m into sustainable and have been most of my life. But that’s not to say I’ve given up on performance, going fast, and such. That’s why when I had my week with the 2019 Lexus RX 450h F Sport I thought I was in seventh heaven. My spouse even had to agree with me, for she’s never too trill when they deliver a sports-oriented vehicle, one that goes fast, sips a considerable amount of fuel, and is hard as nails to get in and out of. In fact, we’re currently in the market for a luxury-oriented crossover, yet I’m being very careful of what we wind up with, since price point and being” green” are parts of the equation.

In case you haven’t notice there is a lot of luxury mid-size crossovers; more so than when the Lexus RX made its debut for 1999. One could say the RX created the segment. Nowadays you have competition from Cadillac and Lincoln, along with Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, to name a few. But of these brands, which offers hybrid power? Believe it or not, the Volvo XC60 8T and the brand-new 2020 Lincoln Aviator. The Lincoln Nautilus is more on par with the RX-L with its three-passenger seating.

Next to that would be the Infiniti QX50 with its Viable Compression engine, which it shares with the 2019 Nissan Altima. Beyond that is your typical 2.0T inline fours and V6 engines.

The category I mentioned is really broken down into two parts, maybe three; FWD and RWD, and AWD. The BMW X5, Merc3edes-Benz GLE, and Jaguar E-Pace come as RWD. The Audi Q5, Jaguar E-Pace, Volvo XC60 and Lexus RX models come standard with FWD but can be had with AWD. Besides the Lexus 450h the Acura RDX is the only model among this group that comes standard with AWD.

Where at one time I thought the RX to be the ultimate crossover, especially with hybrid technology, it’s a growing and different playing field. As I mentioned the field is filling up with competing crossovers, such as the Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLE 350e, and Volvo XC60 T8. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo are about to debut their EVs, with the e-tron, ix3, EQC, XC60 Polestar, respectively.

And on the other side of the fence is performance models, where there’s the Acura MDX R-Spec, Audi QX5, BMW M 55, Mercedes-Benz GLE AMG 45 & 65, and Porsche Macan S.

However the Lexus RX 450h, in F-Sport trim, is considered the most powerful of the RX lineup. That’s all well and good, but it’s hard to combine performance along with economy, unless you have a powerful mill in the process.

The Lexus RX is the best-selling luxury SUV in America, and has been for several years, with one caveat. Up until recently, it was the best-selling overall luxury vehicle until it was dethroned by Tesla’s Model 3. However, I still have issues that the Model 3 is a crossover. Even Elon Musk’s admits it’s not, with the potential launch of the Model Y.

Lexus sold 111,641 RX’s last year, almost double the sales of luxury SUV competitors such as Acura RDX, AudiQ5, Cadillac XT5, Infiniti QX60, Jaguar E-Pace, Mercedes-Benz GLC/GLK, Porsche Macan and Volvo XC60. But among that list of competitors, which one would you say is the most fun to drive? Perhaps not the Lexus.

Out of the mix above, more of these automakers are offering Hybrid, PHEV and EV models. Porsche already has announced that it will offer an EV version, as well as a gasoline version of its popular Macan, both using the same platform. On the other side of the coin, another batch offers more performance-oriented sub-models, such as the S Series for Audi, M Series for BMW and AMG for Mercedes-Benz.

Clearly, the RX has some outstanding attributes, but there has always been one major grip I've had, which is that god-awful remote touchpad Enform infotainment system. Journalists, as well as owners have found this system to be highly distracting to operate, which has only recently gained Apple CarPlay compatibility.

So, for 2020 Lexus has made its RX series “a little bit” sportier, not “a whole lot” sportier; but maybe you’ll feel it to be slightly more response when you hit the boulevard on the way to the grocery store. Lexus doesn’t claim sportier, either, but calls the changes “improved driving dynamics.” In truth the 2020 RX includes seven significant enhancements.

First, both the regular RX and extended RXL platforms get an additional 50 spot welds and 14 feet more adhesive bonding between body panels for a stiffer, quieter ride-and-handling experience. Front and rear anti-roll bars are thicker and hollowed-out for 2020, while the shocks have been “retuned” accordingly. Paddle shifters are available across the line, as well.

On the outside, Lexus hasn't gone out of its way to critically redesign the RX because why fix what isn't broken? The signature spindle grille and floating C-pillar remain unchanged, but the headlights are now slightly slimmer than before. Lexus has also added a new kick sensor to the rear tailgate so it can be opened even when hands are full. Two new colors have been added for 2020 - Moonbeam Beige Metallic or Nori Green Pearl - the latter of which comes from the smaller Lexus UX. There are also two new wheel patterns in 18-inch and 20-inch sizes.

Under the skin, Lexus has made some minor changes to improve the RX's drivability. The front and rear stabilizer bars are now hollow to reduce weight, limit body roll, and improve steering response. Lexus has also re-tuned the shock absorbers to pair with stiffer roll bars in order to decrease vibration and create a smoother ride.

There are now two new ways to order F Sport on an RX: The Appearance Package and the Performance Package. Of course, the Performance Package, with the latest active variable suspension, electric power steering, new performance dampers and Drive Mode Select with Sport +, is the one most preferred.

The tried and true powertrains carry over, so don’t expect quicker launches and higher top ends. The front-drive RX 350 still comes with a 3.5-liter V6 producing 295-hp and 267 lb.-ft of torque (AWD is an option on the RX 350). The hybrid-powered RX 450h, with standard AWD, tops out at 308-hp from a combination of 3.5-liter gasoline V6 and three electric motors. All non-hybrid models are mated to an eight-speed automatic while it itself gets a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Electronics may represent the biggest changes for the new models. The standard multimedia system on the RX includes an eight-inch screen, HD Radio, Scout GPS Link, Bluetooth audio, voice recognition, an auxiliary mini jack, two USB ports and nine speakers for the RX 450h. An optional 12.3-inch touchscreen means you don’t have to use that despised Lexus touch pad as much. The base 8-inch touchscreen also features pinch, pull and poke responses from one’s fingertips. Dynamic voice and navigation functionality have been improved. And, lo and behold, Android Auto is finally available, to go with the existing Apple CarPlay. There’s even a new dedicated space to stow smart phones near the front of the center console.

Safety is important to Lexus buyers and the 2020 RX gets Lexus Safety System+ 2.0. That adds daytime bicyclist detection, low-light pedestrian detection, road sign assists and lane trace assist to an already full palette of safety technologies.

"The RX remains an important vehicle for us since it pioneered the luxury crossover market 22 years ago,” said Lexus vice president of marketing Lisa Materazzo. “But it is an icon that never rests on its laurels. So, in addition to its iconic status of the Lexus brand, it also represents the future chapter of the brand design.”

The RX 450h comes with a plethora of safety features like stability control, side curtain airbags, driver’s knee airbag and the Safety Connect» emergency communications system, which includes automatic collision notification, button and stolen vehicle location help services. Adaptive cruise control, frontal collision warning and automatic braking, warning and lane change intervention. The adapted cruise control system includes a pre-collision warning system.

The RX 450h comes standard with adaptive cruise control, frontal collision warning and automatic braking that detect other cars and pedestrians, and lane maintenance assistance. However Blind spot monitoring and back cross traffic alert are optional. Most of these features are optional on most competitor SUVs.

All RX models include a suite of standard advanced safety features called Lexus Safety System+ 2.0, which now adds daytime bicyclist detection, low-light pedestrian detection, Road Sign Assist (RSA), and Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) to the mix. The latter includes a new active variable suspension that was borrowed from the LC coupe, a cold air intake, active sound control, electric power steering, a heated steering wheel, new front and rear performance dampers, and Drive Mode Select with Sport+ mode.

While more specifics haven’t been announced, it’s likely the same six models will carry on: the 350, 350 F Sport and 350 L, the latter with three-row seating; and the 450h hybrid, 450h F Sport and 450hL three-row hybrid. Both the specific models as well as pricing will be announced closer to the launch date in late summer but consider that the current RX 350 starts at $43,820 and my tester for the week, a 2019 RX 450h F Sport Hybrid, stickered for $61, 735.

Perhaps a conceived notion, but Lexus’ in general, command higher residual sales, especially the ever-popular RX series. That could be in large part, to its parent, Toyota, which is noted for its outstanding quality.