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Nadine Armstrong18 Nov 2018
REVIEW

Lexus RX 350L 2018 Review – Long-term test #3

Family smarts abound but you’ll be paying at the pump
Review Type
Long-Term Test
Review Location
Update #3

The 2018 Lexus RX 350L Sports Luxury seven-seater conveniently took up residence at my house for a two-week test over the school holiday period. During this time the 2018 Lexus RX 350L Sports Luxury proved itself more luxury than sporting, but nonetheless fairly well-equipped for the family load. With seven-up on a regular basis, I was able to give the Lexus RX 350L the family-fit once-over.

Luxe looks

It’s fair to say that above all else, it was the plush interior of the RX 350L that tickled my fancy the most. I know, I know, that sounds terribly shallow. Whatever. Perhaps if the Lexus RX 350L was more inspiring at the wheel, things may have turned out differently.

But who’s to say a high-end cabin isn’t just as important as vehicle dynamism?

Particularly if your ‘normal’ driving duties are limited to school runs (a whole 500m), to the office (around 5km) or the occasional weekend away (100km tops). For my family liFe, I value a luxurious cabin packed with soft leather and tech savvy mod cons. Make it a seven-seater and everyone is happy.

The front cabin offers pointy-end airline comfort, with its perforated heated and ventilated leather seats that envelop your entire body. The large centre console separates you from your equally comfortable front passenger. The leather steering wheel feels beautiful in hand and other touch points feel of a quality finish. There’s a bit of dust-attracting piano black gloss to deal with, but it looks the business.

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Well-positioned cup holders (x 2) sit to the front of a large lidded armrest that offers great (hidden) storage solutions. The small storage position to the right of the front passenger’s knee is large enough to stow a small handbag, too. Thoughtful, although probably designed for storing maps (actually, who has these?) or something less exciting (less exciting than handbags, not maps – clearly).

We’ll dig deeper into the Lexus’ technology and infotainment suite in a separate review, but it’s certainly not my favourite on the market. I struggle with the remote touch controller used to navigate the dash top screen, despite now being exposed to this in several Lexus models. It’s ergonomically great, looks nice and the mechanism itself makes sense, but I don’t gel with it. I prefer a rotary dial as you’ll find in the likes of Audi, Mazda and others.

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In a vehicle of these proportions, the 360-degree camera was mighty useful.
The plush interior front of cabin extends not only to the second row, but third row occupants, too. Their heated leather seats are beautifully comfortable and a plush armrest with two USB outlets and two cupholders keeps the troops in line.

While I shudder at the thought of cream leather and kids, the chocolate toned carpets and back of (front) seats make great sense. I did however notice signs of wear and tear on the soft leather seat backs – and this press car (often without second row passengers) ain’t seen nothing yet. Moulded plastic never looks quite as nice, but by gosh its robust.

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Excess kids and gear

Third row seats are accessed by a sliding mechanism that is a little heavy to move. The third-row seats are electrically operated and they’re a little slow to be honest, seconds feeling like hours when you’re trying to load a car full of kids desperate to get to Bounce!

I’m not sold on electric folding seats for that very reason.

Third row space and comfort is good for two kids. They even get their own cup holders. Tri-zone climate control is a winner with a full load of kids, too.

Despite its considerable proportions, the Lexus RX 350L is chasing its competitors such as the Mazda CX-9 for overall passenger comfort.

As ever, I’m thrilled to see 40:20:40 split fold seats. Without a full load, you can fold the centre position flat to open up the third row to the rest of the cabin.

A large boot is great, but what’s even better is a neat space in the boot floor to stow the cargo cover when you’re not using it. There are also bag hooks and anchor points. Winning!

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On the road

The V6 power does a great job of propelling this hefty vehicle and the eight-speed transmission is smooth and reasonably responsive. There’s little to complain about where this vehicle’s on road experience is concerned, with comfort levels of a very high standard and smart technology helping to keep you safe. What you won’t find however is thrilling driver engagement. Instead, you’ll get a marvellous feeling of zero effort – which is exactly what most parents crave with up to six kids on board. You don’t have to work hard with the RX350L, it simply goes, stops and turns as it should, leaving you with maximum brain capacity to play referee to the (usually always) rowdy occupants.

The RX350L doesn’t behave anything at all like a sports vehicle, but it consumes fuel like one with my average fuel consumption lingering around 13.5L/100km. My short commutes are not conducive to good fuel economy in any vehicle, least of all one of this size.

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Great kit, as standard

Accustomed to driving press vehicles that regularly have options lists to the value of a light car (our fully-packed Range Rover Velar for example), it was a big surprise to find that the only cost option on our RX 350L was its premium paint job ($1500). The kit you get as standard is impressive and strengthens the Lexus’ value for money proposition. In a tick list challenge, it’d beat a lot of its European rivals. Heated leather seats, head-up display, a 360-degree camera, tri-zone climate control and safety features such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and lane keep assist.

Value wins

The Lexus RX350L delivers a sumptuous cabin that is packed with excellent kit as standard, leaving you thoroughly satisfied that you’ve found good value for money. It’s a win for luxurious motoring that can be enjoyed by the whole family – and a few hangers on.

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How much does the 2018 Lexus RX 350L Sport Luxury cost?
Price as tested: $101,500 (plus ORCs); $103,000 (as tested, plus ORCs)
Engine: 3.5-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 216kW/358Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.2L/100km (ADR Combined); 13.5L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 234g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2015)

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Pros
  • Luxury finish
  • Excellent standard kit
  • Flexible format
Cons
  • Tech interface
  • Zero thrills
  • Heavy second row
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