Test drive Lexus RX 350 F Sport
Lexus RX is one of the company's best-selling models and the most sought-after crossover in the history of the Japanese brand. The car has already received a successor: the new RX debuted at the New York Motor Show. Seeing off the crossover, we gave people with different car preferences a ride on it and found out why, after 7 years of being on the assembly line, it still looks fresh.
Yes, I hardly touched this pedal, honestly. But he suddenly jerked off and teleported three buildings further than expected. And this steering wheel, in Lexus light, reacts to the smallest touch. And more rigid, in comparison with "civilian" trim levels, suspension. I look at the 45-degree gear lever, like in a minivan - very family-like. What am I doing wrong?
Absolutely, when a Japanese company speaks of a 35+ customer audience, they mean whatever Lexus RX, but not the 350 F-Sport, which turned out to be frisky not according to the passport. For an all-wheel drive crossover of its size, 277 hp and acceleration in 8 seconds to a hundred are far from shocking figures. The three-liter Audi Q5 with all-wheel drive, for example, develops 272 hp. and accelerates to 100 km / h in 5,9 seconds.
But the RX F Sport, nimble and desperate, at the start from the traffic light announces to everyone in the neighboring rows its plans to be at least on Saturn, and he wants to believe. At least on the acceleration segment up to 60 kilometers per hour. One gets the impression that the Lexus engineers put up with the marketers, but in this performance they decided to wipe their nose at all hot hatches at once. And he's not feminine at all.
The Russian market has been so distorted that the competitors RX F Sport (this one accelerates to a hundred in 5,4 seconds at 340 hp, and its cost starts from a little over three million. But, $ 44) you can even write down Porsche ... True, only Macan S, and then if you have the patience to stand in line for him. This one accelerates to a hundred in 078 seconds at 5,4 hp, and its cost starts at a little over three million. But to put together a really good package, you will have to add about a million options. And it is noticeably closer - this is still a slightly different segment.
Therefore, the RX F Sport has the right to trump both utilitarianism, and this is a really spacious car, and absurd character, which made it the most amazing car for me in recent years. Didn't expect this from Lexus, but it turned out bad - and this is its main charm. Good girls love them.
Technique
Lexus RX 350 is equipped with a 3,5-liter six-cylinder petrol engine with a capacity of 277 hp. from. with a maximum torque of 346 Newton meters. Peak power is reached at 6200 rpm, torque at 4700 rpm. The model accelerates to 100 km / h in 8 seconds. Average fuel consumption in the combined cycle is declared at 10,6 liters.
Therefore, the RX F Sport has the right to trump both utilitarianism, and this is a really spacious car, and absurd character, which made it the most amazing car for me in recent years. Didn't expect this from Lexus, but it turned out bad - and this is its main charm. Good girls love them.
The moment to the wheels of the crossover is transmitted using a 6-speed "automatic". The transmission is all-wheel drive with an intelligent AI-Shift system that adapts the shifting to the driving style and road conditions. A multi-plate friction clutch with an electromagnet is responsible for the distribution of torque between the axles. In normal driving mode, most of the torque is transferred to the front axle, but in the event of wheel slip, it can be distributed in a ratio of up to 50:50. The center console has a Lock button that locks the variable distribution, transferring an equal amount of torque to the front and rear axles. This mode can operate at speeds up to 40 kilometers per hour. The ground clearance of the crossover is 180 millimeters. The RX suspension is fully independent - McPherson strut in front, multi-link rear.
On the test was the F Sport version, which only appeared in the RX model line after the last update two years ago. It differs from the rest with an aerodynamic body kit in a circle, a different radiator grille, 19-inch discs and more rigid shock absorbers.
The RX was one of the first test cars of my career. Naturally, we have a special relationship with him. Seven years ago, a crossover hit me, driving a 1996 Honda Civic at the time, with all the power of modern technology. A color screen with a navigation system, electrically adjustable seats, light and rain sensors, a cool full-time audio system - for me the RX in functionality and manufacturability was akin to the DeLorean from Back to the Future.
The problem is that, having gone through a lot of updates over the years, the Japanese crossover has noticeably changed in appearance (which are only these strips of diode light), but inside everything has remained in place. Yes, now in the top trim levels there is a Mark Levinson audio system previously available only in America, a lever similar to a computer mouse has appeared, with which you can control the multimedia system (and yes, it is convenient and does not slow down).
Alas, this is not enough. Compared to many of its competitors, the RX looks dated. This is, of course, about the interior decoration. More specifically, the graphics of the multimedia system, which seems to have come from the era of the game "Wait a minute!" At the New York Auto Show, a new generation of the crossover was presented, which received a much more modern filling.
Surprisingly, despite the primitive graphics, my attitude towards the RX has not changed one iota. Perhaps it was our first meeting, but I still continue to consider this crossover an ideal car for myself: fast, comfortable, capable of jumping on the curb and taking me to my dacha in winter. In general, it was a pity to part with him. I hope I won't have to wait 7 years for our next meeting.
Prices and the
The most affordable front-wheel drive RX 270 will cost at least $ 30 The crossover is sold with 896 airbags, hill start assist, 10-inch wheels, fabric interior, xenon headlights, rain and light sensors, cruise control, keyless entry system, electric drive of all windows, mirrors and front seats, as well as dual-zone climate control.
The price fork for the RX 350 version is from $ 3 to $ 176 (the version that we had on the test costs $ 500). Compared to the most expensive RX 45, the higher-end version also has ventilated front seats and a Mark Levinson audio system. The most technologically advanced hybrid version can be purchased for a minimum of $ 902. The top configuration will cost $ 44.
As for the competitors, in the current conditions, when manufacturers raise prices unevenly, the Porsche Macan has unexpectedly added to the standard RX rivals (BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLK), the 340-strong version of which costs from $ 40.
The sharp edges of the front end and optics do not suit this car. They do not fit too well with the rounded sides, which retain the spirit of the previous pre-styling version. Externally light Lexus NX with its drawing sidewalls is another matter, and massive to solidity RX could convey the old livery. It is much more suitable for a car that is ideologically outdated for 5 or 7 years, it seems. Yes, it has a completely modern and even designer interior, but in sensations it is still the middle of the XNUMXs - both the console display graphics, and the rocking temperature keys, and the smooth slippery the leather of the armchairs comes from the days when Japanese premium grew by touch and step along with the well-being of its loyal customers. Now he has grown up, and is quite ready to offer the market something more subtle, but for now it seems like he is asking to vilify quite suitable things.
The 3,5-liter engine could also be called old-school, if not for the impressive 277 hp. and a quick-witted 6-speed automatic. There is no turbine, and okay - the crossover shoots decently without it, the engine growls well at high revs. The devil is in the details. At the slightest touch of the gas pedal, the RX350 strives to jump from a place like a scalded one, although such behavior in the tightness of the capital's streets can hardly be called complaisant. And this unexpected insolence hints that the car is not at all ladies', as it might seem to someone. There is more than enough strength here, and in terms of habits this is far from a compact hatchback. A crossover weighing more than 2 tons has to be really controlled, putting forces into the rotation of a tight steering wheel and carefully looking around when parking.
It is too big for a city, imposing and sharp, but our cars still have not learned to choose based on practical considerations. There are always enough people who want to amuse their pride, and the combination of the Lexus brand with a completely masculine character will be in demand for a long time.
History
Lexus RX has been in production since 1998. The first generation of the car was supplied with a non-alternative 3,0-liter gasoline engine. In the second generation, introduced in 2003, the crossover received another version - the RX 330, which was equipped with a 3,3-liter power unit. After another 2 years, a hybrid modification of the RX 400h appeared in the lineup. Finally, in the current generation, which premiered in 2008, the car received the most affordable equipment - the RX 270 with a 2,7-liter engine and front-wheel drive.
The fourth generation RX was officially unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April this year. The design of the car is kept in the style of the younger NX, but from a technical point of view, the model has not changed much.
Getting to know the Lexus RX350 turned out to be too crumpled. Two o'clock in the morning, empty TTK, night M7 highway to Nizhny Novgorod. But for some reason it turned out to be much easier to understand the car on the highway than in the city traffic. Firstly, in the dark everything has to be done by touch - an ideal test of the ergonomics of the cabin. Secondly, you can also evaluate how good the Japanese V6 is only at highway speeds - it's not in the city to burn gasoline from traffic light to traffic light.
All in all, on the highway Lexus didn't disappoint. Almost, because the crossover did not reach the solid "five" because of the disgusting brakes. It was always necessary to slow down intensively - it was very difficult to calculate the braking distance from the first kilometers. In many ways, of course, studded tires are to blame. Dynamics is a completely different matter. In terms of how evenly the RX picks up speed, it has no equal (but only among those classmates who do not have prefixes like RS, M or SRT).
The excitement on the track passes quickly, one has only to look at the on-board computer screen. At a ragged pace of 110-140 km / h RX350 burns 12 liters of fuel per “hundred”. For a 3,5-liter engine, this figure is, of course, the average for the hospital, but in any case Lexus will teach you how to save money. And now I am already rolling into settlements on cruise control, but here you should be more careful: for some reason, the system can only maintain a given speed in the lower range. That is, if there is a descent from a hill in front of the crossover, then it will famously step over the line set on the display.
Still, the Lexus RX is exceptionally good for long journeys. It stands fundamentally on the road, has a perfectly tuned light and is very quiet inside, even with the spikes. And fuel consumption is a fair price to pay for important benefits.
Nikolay Zagvozdkin
Photo: Polina Avdeeva
We express our gratitude to the RED Development company for their help in filming
