2023 Lexus RX | Talking Cars with Consumer Reports

[@jsfbay1]

I feel you guys should clarify "CVT" when you are reviewing a car with a CVT in available models. The CVT is called, I believe, an eCVT, and It's a planetary split gearset, totally and completely different than a traditional CVT with a steel braided belt on opposing "cones" (if you will.)

[@toronado455]

Amazingly this continues. Even though virtually everytime someone on KZbin calls a planetary power split device a "CVT", they don't ever stop. I've given up trying.

[@anotheran]

All CVT suck so it wasn’t important enough to differentiate.

[@petegalindez9961]

This car didn’t have a CVT/eCVT…they mentioned it quickly in passing about a different model….don’t think they needed to address it since they weren’t reviewing that transmission in this video…

[@petegalindez9961]

31% use voice to change temperature? More than people who use voice to make a phone call (30%)? I don’t see how that’s even close to possible….I only use voice to make phone calls….and it works accurately 95+% of the time. The rare misses are when it’s noisy in the car…not sure what cars these guys are driving that it’s not reliable…I drive a Kia, Jeep, and Honda, and works equally well across all 3…but worked equally as well in my last few cars…Tesla, Porsche, Audi, BMW, Chrysler…

[@G.Uppercut123]

My cats breath smells like cat food

[@IamGroot786]

You know who else is gonna wanna get their hands on that video? The insurance companies...

[@0HOON0]

The color is really striking. A green with these same effects would be amazing.

[@ihop4no14]

Lexus makes a color of the 2023-24 RX350 called Nori Green Pearl. It's more of a dark forest green.

[@craigmerkey8518]

Great panel! All egos are fluid, one person can finish their point, and someone else responds on topic!

[@j96700]

I'm a listener who is so over the "amping up driving dynamics" fanboy drivel. I'm in stop-and-go traffic all day dodging folks who are texting and driving. I just want something safe, affordable, reliable & with good gas mileage. This economy has not been kind to non-Trust Fund types, so please don't forget the rest of us!

[@rightlanehog3151]

CR, RX 350h mic drop!!!!! Actually the 350h is a careful, responsible and sensible return of the microphone to its stand. 😁

[@JTKels]

Not once did you mention Lexus extreme reliability. Just complaints about the heads up display. I own a 24 Lexus RX 350 yes, gas powered as I prefer that.. and no hybrids are not the same price as gas powered This was a video of your personal opinion and not specific details.

[@altisamuels8694]

The first thing you guys should have addressed is that 70 thousand price tag, this is no X5 competitor still

[@bobripley7138]

What happens if you put a piece of electrical tape across the driver camera in the RX500h to simulate a camera failure? Does the car continue to operate, does it go into a limp mode, does it display annoying messages every 5 seconds? I find that a lot of electronics take themselves too seriously. (Perhaps I'm simply scarred from experiencing the early '80's "Your door is a jar" and "Fuel is low" warnings in Chrysler products).

[@ddhsd]

"your door is a whore" is what our Pastors wife said it sounded like on her Chrysler ;-)

[@ihop4no14]

At around minute marker 16:33, when she is talking about the gradual braking - something to note: if you look at the driver's display, you can see two "red" lights appear. Those two red lights represent the brake lights and indicate that the brakes, are indeed, being applied.

[@AnalogueKid2112]

I have a GM vehicle with Super Cruise. The only reason I’m comfortable with the driver monitoring camera is because it *doesn’t* save any recordings. I wouldn’t buy this Lexus for the sole reason that the company is obfuscating how the recording is used and accessed

[@JDere]

Over the years, we own two Lexus RX's including the most recent 350L. Love the older models. The 2019 350L sucks in term of acceleration and braking. This current version 500H, you'd expect much better combined fuel economy being hybrid other than 27/28. The only plus about the 500h is power. For the price tag of $75K, I'd look elsewhere.

[@edisonliu1879]

same here ..both ex and interior are terrible

[@jsfbay1]

Lexus made a huge mistake not making a cleaner V6 (like Honda did for the Pilot) vs putting the 2.4T I4 what is, by almost all accounts, noisy and unrefined by comparison.

[@Boston_canon]

2.4t is fine like all other competitors doing the same, but toyota is sucks at fuel economy with its 4 cylinder

[@petegalindez9961]

I totally agree, but it’s more due to the taxes levied on engine size in a lot of European and Asian markets…But, that said, with the US market being as big as it is, you’d think they’d keep a V-6 option here…V-6 hybrids are way smoother than a 4cyl hybrid….I’m a NA fan and don’t like turbos, so I’m with you on this….

[@user-tb7rn1il3q]

@@Boston_canon The mpg and refinement of the turbo 4 is much better than the bastardized V6 which is a bad engine configuration especially in a transverse mounting configuration. Good riddance to the V6. Honda will be getting rid of theirs soon as well.

[@shivamarya5225]

I mean of course thats why they have the active noise control, its fake noise and not actually making a noise

[@colechapman6976]

The worst part of this is the 4-cylinder replacing the reliable v6. My parents have a 2016, and it is so smooth. This new one is kinda rattly since it is a 4-cylinder and a Toyota 4-cylinder at that.

[@Mark-de4hj]

Great analysis of the upcoming 2023 RX. Fantastic looking SUV! I always turn to Consumer reports as my main source for reviews (cars and appliances etc). Can't wait to personally experience this new RX and also your complete review of the upcoming electric RZ!

[@howlingwolf125y]

Wow.. what a mess.. I mean listening at 11:30.. Why can't auto makers just make things simple.. The talk of unlabel buttons, and pop up menus and I have heard menus within menus, etc. Just listening to you guys talk about this gives me a headache.. Way, way, way, waaayyyy too complicated. Guys, we are driving a car (or SUV).. We need to focus on driving the vehicle safely... Just use simple manual controls of 10 or 20 years ago. We don't need buttons on steering wheels and multiple touchscreens and lap top displays built into the dash.. and then use your finger to try touch the right spot on the screen to try to do something - all while doing 70 mph down a winding road??. Wow.. I guess nobody has common sense anymore..

[@LorenDavis]

Using voice controls isn't a good fit when riding with passengers. I'll continue to buy vehicles with controls for the basics.

[@catcait2547]

Beautiful color 😍

[@Jrbettis]

2001 brand new Monroney sticker was $40,000. Airbags, anti-lock brakes and VCS (Vehicle Skid Control) that's your safety back then.

[@midhunn]

What was Lexus thinking here with the new update. Common guys think about the your main demographic buyer. HUD system is too complicated. Also if am buying $60k plus SUV I would love a smooth quite v6 after than a noisy 4cyl. Also what the bs with recording your face all the time and god knows who all they sell that info to. Not great not great

[@robertehlers3757]

I have been a very satisfied RX driver since 2004. I have purchased model after model because of the comfort, reliability and safety inherent in these vehicles over the years. Every one of those cars has been equipped with the native navigation system, and I prefer not to use Apple Carplay, Android Auto or a subscription system like in Audis. Rumor has it that going forward, Lexus will no longer offer an embedded, subscription-free navigation system, starting with this new RX. I was disappointed that this topic was not discussed in the initial review today. I hope that you will address that topic and clarify the situation at some time in the future. This issue will be a deal-breaker when I next consider getting a new RX.

[@hereigoagain5050]

Yikes! Lexus failed if TCwCR spends a podcast complaining about poor controls. I love data too!

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

A few years ago, I drove a Subaru Forester with a camera monitoring system and in addition to lots of false alarms, every time it beeped at me and flashed a light on the dashboard, I took my eyes off the road and was looking for the light and trying to figure out what was going on.

[@gmfitzg]

Lexus really needs to get rid of that large ugly grill already.

[@dannyferguson9415]

16:40 "alerts you and puts your attention on the road"( referring to the driver) Please CR don't normalize distracted driving. If you are driving and your attention is not on the road then you are reckless or incompetent and should not drive.

[@petegalindez9961]

Great review guys. Good group. Love the color!!! And I’m shocked that Toyota/Lexus made a complicated/hard to use UI! LOL…I’ve never driven a Toyota that had a easy to use UI…they are all terrible. And when they fix what is terrible, they replace it with something else terrible, so not surprised at all. Too bad, because that’s a deal breaker for me. I purchased a RAV4 Prime a couple of years ago and from a powertrain/comfort perspective, it was perfect. HOWEVER, the infotainment system seemed like it came off a 1994 Toyota and was extremely frustrating to use…I sold it after 9 months of ownership finally…luckily, I got it right before COVID and sold it for 9k more than I purchased it for! Someday Toyota and Honda will learn how to do infotainment/UIs…but I doubt it’ll be in my lifetime.

[@Baber_Shareef]

So, what did you buy after selling your RAV4 Prime?

[@MEAMERIE]

I don't like the color, and that extra plastic portion over the grille looks terrible.

[@altisamuels8694]

From discussing cars to nail polish

[@howlingwolf125y]

Another comment about the Lexus RX .. This new version now looks more like a coupe.. It looks so low - with a low roofline.. It does not look like this has very good outward visiblity.. Good visibility is needed for safe driving..

[@Shoebutie]

Whoever is responsible for the exterior body styling should look for alternative work…that color is also awful

[@dansu92833]

Ooooooo v4 turbo hybrid? The repair cost is going to be rocket.

[@petegalindez9961]

They’ve been around for years without many issues…it’s in just about every other Toyota.

[@TwentyOneThirty]

No such thing as “v4”. All 4 cylinders are “I4” or inline 4 except for the boxer engines. The Toyota 4 cylinders are one of the most reliable and proven engines

[@user-tb7rn1il3q]

Your ignorance shows with the V4 comment.

[@paulhenry913]

How about talking about the price? 60-70k Is it worth it.

[@fanzhang6486]

great insights!!

[@TealSide]

Can we have a talking cars episode with 3 women?

[@TwentyOneThirty]

Currently have a 2008 RX350 with 252k on the odometer. Got it new and it’s been the best vehicle my wife has ever owned. I will be getting the 2013 RX350 hybrid to replace the ol’ faithful.

[@altisamuels8694]

Did mean 2023 or 2017?

[@toronado455]

@@altisamuels8694 yeah was that a typo?

[@TwentyOneThirty]

@@altisamuels8694 2023…

[@Rubyred-rb2fe]

I agree! I have the 1999 RX300 old goat with 307,000 miles and zero problems. It still looks great but I've ordered the 2023...it should be at the port on 11/21!

[@alanbuck9237]

I’m a very disappointed owner of a 2022 RX 350 F sport. It has a terrible droning noise and vibration around 1300 to 1800 RPM that makes driving the car miserable, and Lexus has no clue how to fix this. It’s been a widespread issue on these since the body style came out in the 2016 model year, and the Lexus forum has about 1300 posts of people complaining about this exact issue. Seems to vary widely from sample to sample. Some cars are fine and some are terrible and many are in between. I am surprised that consumer reports has failed to ever notice this when they test the car. Previously, I have owned a couple of Highlanders with the same power train, and they did not exhibit this problem whatsoever. Sad that Lexus has dropped the ball so badly on these. Just wondering how noisy and unrefined the 2023 model will be with a four-cylinder.

[@FrederickGFX]

There's a good chance what you're hearing is noise from the "sound generator" which is only on the F Sport models. It's a physical device on the air intake designed to amplify intake noise. I had a GS with the same feature, and it sounded amazing on that car, but I think they got the tuning wrong on the RX. It was one of the first things I noticed when I got my F sport RX, and fortunately you can buy an OEM part to replace the sound generator, which gets rid of that sort of low RPM grumbling sound. Here's the part number for that: 178930P150

[@lukerinderknecht2982]

Voice control to change the temperature? I'll pass. Give me a knob that takes half a second to adjust. Voice controls to search an address and set navigation? Sure. (But leave that to Android Auto it Apple Carplay)

[@tinhinnh]

better panel with Mike than Jon

[@michaelschneider-]

What an ugly automobile ... Damn,,, Toyota / Lexus. .. Good discussion! .. As always, Thanks...

[@OldRustySteele]

Nothing says UGLY like the Lexus RX350. Nothing says UGLY like Toyota and Lexus grilles in general. Which is too bad. I own 2 older Toyotas and love their reliability. But they’re not ugly.

[@hdhdhhehe6709]

Consumer reports tried to say that bmw x5 is reliable. Lol

[@timothyhh]

It looks like Lexus is slowly de-uglifying at least.

[@altisamuels8694]

This Lexus is too expensive, better to buy a BMW X5

[@cmdrdarwin3682]

OMG, this new RX sounds like a train wreck! I have a 2016 RX-450h & it has lots of little stupid crap that goes bad. Toyota has failed to fix any of these issues in 6 years & I expect the same with these redesigned models. My voice control is worthless! It ends up either not doing anything or doing something incorrect.

[@ms-jl6dl]

OMG I'm so sorry for you,you poor thing!

[@europec2082]

expected more fro9m Lexus

[@altisamuels8694]

This color is for younger people

[@hdhdhhehe6709]

That’s right you can’t hang go play bingo.

[@Buc_Stops_Here]

I am sorry, no matter how reliable Toyota is they make lousy controls. This sounds worse than ever. If Toyota is the only manufacturer making gas engines still in 2030 and I need a car, I may have to get one or buy a used car. Electric cars where I live do very badly in the in the winter needing snow tires and AWD to get home. Hybrid will be the only way to go. So far only Toyota is committed to providing gas engines in 2030. We will have to wait and see what is going on then before I buy a new car (expect my 2018 Buick to last that long as my last car, a 2006 Saab, lasted 12 years and 195,000 miles before I sold it still running).

[@user-tb7rn1il3q]

I seriously doubt that the ICE will be gone from other manufacturers in 2030. Realistically it will probably be more like 2045. By that time battery energy density will be so high that ICE will have less range even in the winter. California will end up delaying their ICE soft ban from 2035 to 2040.

[@reymustanggt4082]

WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANYONE TEST THIS SUV???? LOLOLOL

[@altisamuels8694]

Because it is benchmark of Premium SUVs

[@FakeAccount-df7ny]

Because their CR and they test vehicles for a living.

[@petegalindez9961]

Because Lexus sells tons of them….

[@benc4181]

Anyone that’s thinking of buying it?