Lexus RX 350
17-May-2009
- Vital Stats
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$81,900 - $97,900
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Runs on 95+ RON Unleaded
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446 litres
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5
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Review by Janina Geraghty
Who would drive this car?
Victoria Beckham - the ultimately pampered soccer mum with style.
Describe this car in three words
Intelligent. Sophisticated. Practical.
What was your first impression of the Lexus RX 350 Sports Luxury?
From the first glance, it is obvious that the Lexus RX 350 Sports Luxury has been designed with sophistication and practicality in mind. The aerodynamic body is sleek, sporty and looks great in any of the nine exterior colours including -
Blue Pearl
White Pearl
Sapphire
Metallic Silver
Graphite
Onyx (Black)
Metallic Beige
Vermillion (Red)
The interior offers comfort and style for all passengers with leather upholstery, which is easy to clean, and real wood accents which feel great on the steering wheel.
What are your favourite features?
The Lexus RX350 is more than just a pretty face, it's extremely intelligent too. There are so many amazing features on the Sports Luxury model using the latest in car technology.
I spent quite some time pressing buttons, flicking through the manual and saying "That's so cool!"
Firstly, the wireless remote smart entry system enables you to unlock your door by touch and start your engine by simply pressing a button. The remote enables you to open the boot when your hands are full and the boot will automatically close itself when in auto mode.
Once you've settled into the driver's seat and pressed the ignition button, your seat, mirrors and steering wheel automatically adjust to your programmed setting. You are able to program up to three driver settings.
The Remote Touch on the console allows the driver to control the satellite navigator, audio, climate and other features via a mouse-like device moving the cursor on the dash mounted display screen. This takes a little getting used to at first but soon becomes second nature and is very convenient.
Other automatic features included rain sensing windscreen wipers, dusk sensing headlights with AFS which adjusts the direction of light according to driving conditions and automatic locking doors.
As much as I love the luxury of having almost everything automated, my most favourite feature is that you have the option to turn most of them off if you want control.
An "old fashioned" mechanical key resides within the remote in case anything goes wrong with the battery and you have to revert to basics.
How was the drive?
The RX350 handled well for a larger car on suburban streets with electric power steering making manoeuvrability around schools and shopping centre car parks a breeze. Visibility is excellent thanks to the park assist, rear and side reverse cameras and large side mirrors which make parking safe and easy.
The 3.5 litre V6 engine is quiet and smooth both on bitumen and dirt roads and is quite economical for a car of its size, particularly on the open road, with fuel consumption averaging at 10.8 litres/100km.
On our weekend family drive to the Blue Mountains the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control kept the speed in check as well as maintaining a safe driving distance from the car in front by automatically slowing and accelerating with the traffic flow.
Safety Features?
The RX350 has had is the perfect family car loaded with safety features including:
- 10 airbags including for front and rear passengers
- 3 child seat anchor points
- Stability control system VDIM (Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management) to help maintain control in the event of emergency situations incorporating our favourite car safety acronyms ABS, EBD and VSC and Active Torque Control
- Pre-Collision Safety System (PCS)
- Safety alarm on remote can be triggered manually to attract attention to the car in dangerous situations
- ANCAP rating not available as yet but has received a 5 star rating on crash tests overseas
- HUD (Heads Up Display) - pretty much what it says - reflects your speed and other information on the windscreen at eye level to help you keep your head up and eyes on the road.
Was there plenty of room for the tribe?
The RX350 is no built for families so doesn't compromise on space, legroom and comfort in the front or back seats.
There's also 446 litres of boot space for children's school and sports luggage, grocery shopping and most importantly, holidays!
There are handy cargo hooks to help stop your items scattering everywhere too.
Bear in mind that a considerable amount of space is taken up with the upgrade to a full sized spare wheel.
The kids all gave the RX350 the "thumbs up". My only complaint is that there isn't a model with 7 seats for the larger family.
Any other things we should know about?
Nice big vanity mirrors on driver and passenger side with lights, lights on side steps are great in the dark, 5 cup holders but not for larger cups, DVD Player - but not on back of head rests, great 15 speaker AM/FM/ 6 CD /MP3/WMA Mark Levinson audio system which also allows you to adjust the sound to rear, front, right or left speakers, USB/ iPod connectivity, Bluetooth, electric moon roof, temperature controlled front seats, nifty headlight cleaner, heated mirrors plus much more.
REVIEWED BY: Janina Geraghty
