2018 Lexus RX 350

The 2018 Lexus RX 350 is a midsize luxury SUV offered in two trims namely base and F Sport. Both the trims are powered by a V6 engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with a choice of either FWD or AWD. The base trim starts at $43,470 and comes with almost all the advanced safety features as standard, it offers most of the features barring a couple of high-end creature comfort features.

The F Sport trim might give you an impression of something sporty and more powerful but you will be in for a disappointment when you know that except for adaptive suspension dampers, enhanced engine sound, and sports seats there isn't anything sporty about this trim. The F Sport trim starts at $49,120 and adds the high-end creature comfort features that the base trim otherwise misses. Apart from this, Lexus offers a couple of most sought-after packages: Premium, Luxury, and Navigation.

The Premium package, only for the base trim, adds leather upholstery, wood interior trims, driver-seat memory function, auto-dimming side mirrors, etc. The Luxury package adds 20-inch wheels, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel and rear seats, power-folding and reclining rear seats, etc plus features from the premium package. The navigation package adds a 12.3-inch display, a 12-speaker sound system, and Lexus Enform App Suite.

We Recommend:

We suggest going for the base trim and adding the optional package to get the missing features as per your requirement. In this way, your Lexus RX 350 will carry a sticker price of well below fifty grand compared to the F Sport trim that just starts at that price. Another reason to suggest this is that all the safety features are available as standard on the base trim. So except for some creature-comfort features you hardly miss anything when picking the base over the F Sport trim.

“The Lexus RX hybrid posts impressive gas mileage ratings, while the RX 350 is competitive in its class." – Carconnection

The 2018 Lexus RX 350 has an EPA estimated gas mileage of 20 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. Going for the AWD configuration sees a drop of one mpg across all three parameters.

In this comparison, the Lexus RX 350 is the most fuel-efficient SUV among all especially in the city and mixed driving while on the highway the heavier Acura MDX is able to match its gas mileage.

"This easy-to-master cockpit is a spacious and comfy place to pass the miles. Overall it’s excellent, but the huge rear entertainment screens should give you pause, and the cargo area isn’t as versatile as those of some rivals." – Edmunds

2018 Lexus RX 350 Seating and Comfort

Step inside the 2018 Lexus RX 350 and you will see an opulent and well-put-together cabin. The dashboard has a criss-cross of design elements but somehow everything is well amalgamated and nothing sticks out as odd. The material quality used is excellent and at par with the Germans and that's us talking about the base trim. If money isn't a problem and you can splurge fifty grand then go for higher trim which offers an even more luxurious interior. The overall visibility is great with minimal blindspot from the front pillars.

The ride height of the RX 350 is spot on thus getting in and out of it won't be an issue. The seats are comfortable and well-contoured with the F Sport trim getting power lumbar adjustment and heating and ventilation for the front sports seats for an even more comfortable experience. The space at the rear is decent while the seat comfort is at par with the front ones. If you go for the optional package then you can add heated rear seats with power recline and folding.

Except for the Acura MDX, all the other SUVs here are offered as a five-seater in their base form. The overall cabin space with respect to headroom and legroom in both rows remains the best in the Lexus RX 350 followed by Acura MDX. 

Interior Features:

• Power-adjustable steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Simulated leather upholstery
• Available leather upholstery
• Available heated and ventilated front seats
• Available heated rear seats and steering wheel

2018 Lexus RX 350 Infotainment System

As standard, the 2018 Lexus RX 350 gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a nine-speaker audio setup. The placement of the infotainment system is spot on and you won't need to take your eyes off the road to look at the screen. But the oddly placed controller makes it an uphill task to use it while driving. 

That said, optional for the RX 350 is a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen that comes with a twelve-speaker sound system, voice command, navigation, etc. Except for the increased screen size, the overall functionality of this unit remains the same as the 8-inch unit.

2018 Lexus RX 350 Cargo Capacity

The 2018 Lexus RX 350 offers 18.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up while the rear seats offer 40/20/40 split-folding for increased cargo space. 

Also, you can completely fold flat the rear seats to liberate as much as 56.3 cubic feet of cargo space.

In this comparison, without doubt, the Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 offers the highest 38.2 cubic feet of cargo space which is more than double what the Lexus RX 350 offers.

Lexus doesn’t do boring anymore. The brand has moved away from its attractive but stoic styling and now creates some of the most daring and dynamic shapes on the road. – Kelley Blue Book

2018 Lexus RX 350 Dimension and Weight

Two years back when the Lexus RX 350 was redesigned then it was the boldest design in the entire automotive world. The front Lexus spindle grille dominated the front fascia with sharp headlights flanking from the sides and fangs like foglight unit lower down. 

The side profile has a fair share of cuts and creases that continues the design theme. In between the wheels, you get 109.8-inches while the overall length of the RX 350 stands at 192.5-inches. Move to the rear and you would see how beautifully the roof reclines at the back to give it a hunkered-down look. 

Dimension wise Lexus RX 350 isn't near any of the rival SUVs except for the ground clearance which is highest for the Lexus at 8.2-inches. The three-row Acura MDX is the longest while the Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 is the widest and the tallest SUV. That said, the BMW X5 has the longest wheelbase among all yet it is the Lexus that offers the best cabin space even though it has the smallest wheelbase.

Exterior Features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic LED healdights
• Power liftgate
• Rear privacy glass
• Available 20-inch alloy wheels

Since last year the Lexus RX 350 comes standard with the Safety System+ package which bundles forward collision warning and mitigation with automatic emergency braking and lane departure alert with intervention. Other standard safety features include adaptive cruise control and a rearview camera. That said, the 2018 Lexus RX 350 performed really well in the crash test bagging the 'Top Safety Pick' award from IIHS with the highest rating of 'Good' in all its five parameters. As for NHTSA, it gave the Lexus RX 350 an overall safety rating of four out of five stars.  

Safety Features:

• Available adaptive headlights
• Available surround-view parking camera
• Available blind-spot monitor w/ rear cross-traffic alert

2018 Lexus RX 350 vs 2018 Acura MDX

The 2018 Acura MDX is a tough rival of the Lexus RX 350 it is spacious and more practical than the Lexus. It also offers more standard and sought-after features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay which aren't available on the Lexus. While both of them share a similar ride and handling and also safety ratings.

But the Lexus RX 350 is more engaging and fun-to-drive between the two, has better gas mileage in the city, more cargo space, and higher reliability compared to the Acura MDX. So unless you want that extra third-row seats for a price of two-row Lexus the RX 350 is a better pick over the MDX.

2018 Lexus RX 350 vs 2018 BMW X5

The 2018 BMW X5 is expensive than the Lexus RX 350 but it does get a turbocharged engine over Lexus' naturally aspirated one. The luxury and opulence in both the SUVs are second to none. The more powerful BMW X5 is also quicker in acceleration and offers an engaging driving experience compared to the RX 350.

But it offers lesser gas mileage and smaller cabin space than the Lexus even though dimensionwise the X5 is bigger. That said, the bigger X5 does have better cargo capacity than the RX 350. Thus if you can't extend your budget then go for the Lexus eyes closed otherwise if money isn't the problem then no harm in picking the X5 over the RX 350.

The Lexus RX 350 comes with high aspirations and a lot to prove in the German-dominated luxury SUV segment. The RX 350 has got the luxury and comfort feature right but missed on the fun-to-drive and performance part which remains the main USP of its main competition the BMW X5. But to counter that the Lexus offers better reliability and a lower entry price which is sufficient to lure a considerable amount of shoppers in this segment. Thus if you are looking for a refined and smooth ride that is high on luxury without burning a hole in your pocket then the Lexus RX 350 is the perfect car for you.