What do you do when the game is tied and the clock is running down? You go long.
Lexus has literally done that with a version of its popular RX 350 crossover SUV, which is the granddaddy of all crossover SUVs. It is the RX 350 L — "L" for "longer" — and it has three rows instead of just two.
What It Is
The Lexus RX 350 is the original crossover SUV — the one that started it all almost 20 years ago.
Crossovers are taken for granted today. In 1998, the idea was radical. Would it sell? It did, so much so that everyone else jumped on the bandwagon.
But while the RX has many rivals now — including the Acura MDX, Cadillac XT5, Infiniti QX50, BMW X5, Audi Q5 and Jaguar F-Pace, to name just some — none of them are as comfortably familiar as the RX, which has accumulated generations of faithful buyers.
And buyers have a new RX iteration to tempt them.
Base price for the regular-length five-passenger (two rows of seats) RX with front-wheel drive is $43,470. Adding the optional all-wheel-drive system bumps the manufacturer's suggested retail price up to $44,870. There is a more aggressive-looking version, the RX 350 F Sport. The sticker is $49,120 for FWD form and $50,520 with the optional AWD system.
The RX 350L has a starting sticker of $47,670 for FWD and $49,070 for AWD.
What's New
In addition to the extended-length RX 350L, all RXs now come standard with a 10-year subscription to Lexus Enform Safety Connect concierge/roadside assistance service.
What's Good
It has extra seats without being extra large. The three-row RX is only about 4 inches longer than the two-row RX.
If you don't need the third row, you don't have to buy the additional inches. Some rivals, like the Acura MDX, offer a third row, but even if you skip it, you still have to buy the one-size-fits-all length.
This is still the most blue-chip luxury crossover. It has historically low depreciation rates and an excellent track record for being reliable and long-lived.
What's Not So Good
The third row comes at a cost: cargo capacity, which is about half that of the two-row RX (7.5 cubic feet versus 18.4 cubic feet).
The F-Sport performance upgrades are not available with the RXL.
Rivals like the MDX have higher max tow ratings (5,000 pounds versus 3,500 pounds).
Under the Hood
Both versions of the RX come standard with a 3.5-liter V-6 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and either FWD or AWD — the latter available with a driver-selectable differential lock feature that maintains a 50-50 power split for maximum traction on slippery surfaces.
Zero to 60 mph happens in 7.9 seconds.
Gas mileage is about the same between FWD and AWD: 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway; and 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, respectively.
On the Road
What makes the RX drive differently? It's a matter of what you can see. The dashboard is lower than typical, which affords a much better view ahead.
You're also up higher — which is true of crossovers in general but a bit more so in the RX — riding 8.2 inches off the pavement (about an inch higher than rivals like the MDX). This is another situational awareness edge, since you can see over things that would otherwise obscure your view ahead.
The generous clearance will also be helpful on snow days. As valuable as AWD can be when the flakes begin to fall, ground clearance matters at least as much when they begin to accumulate.
At the Curb
Both versions of the RX ride on the 109.8-inch wheelbase, but the RXL is 4.4 inches longer overall (196.9 inches versus 192.5 inches) to accommodate the extra row. It's a stretch but not a noticeable one. Unless you park a two-row RX 350 next to an RXL, you'd be hard-pressed to tell. The proportions of the L aren't awkward — as they sometimes are when a vehicle is extended after the fact.
But the more important thing here is that if you don't need the extra row, you don't have to buy the extra length.
What Lexus tried to achieve here is a right-sized crossover: not too small and not too big.
The Rest
The RX has been a best-seller for Lexus, in part because it got to market first and got a running start, and in part because it's a Lexus. It's also a Lexus that's based on what are arguably the best Toyotas ever made: the Camry and Avalon (the latter of which is also the basis of the Lexus ES 350).
These cars helped earn the company's reputation for blue-chipness, both in terms of reliability and holding value.
The Bottom Line
If you need a bit more crossover but not too much, Lexus has it.
To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com. His new book, Don't Get Taken for a Ride! is available now.
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