Item: Used Lexus RX 2016-present
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

Our favourite luxury SUV is the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/used-review/n813">Audi Q7</a>; it's&nbsp;classier inside and better to drive than the RX&nbsp;and&nbsp;comes with the added bonus of seven seats as standard. Choose one with optional air suspension and you’ll have one of the most comfortable cars around – although even without, it rides pretty smoothly.

If you want a luxury SUV that’s good to drive, you could look at the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x5/4x4/used-review/n839">BMW X5</a> instead. It came with only five seats as standard (although a vestigial third row of seats was an optional extra)&nbsp;but its engine range is punchy and it's&nbsp;one of the best-handling SUVs of its size.

But if five seats are enough and reliability is important, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/touareg/4x4/used-review/n17424">Volkswagen Touareg</a> should be on your list. It doesn’t feel as special as the Lexus inside, but it’s almost as comfortable and much more spacious – and it fared well in our 2018 Reliability Survey.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3>Passenger airbag</h3>

There has been one recall for this generation of Lexus RX that applies to those made from the start of production up until 13 June 2016, where the passenger airbag might only partially inflate during a collision. Your Lexus dealer will be able to confirm if your car&nbsp;is affected and will replace the airbag for you if it is.

Almost certainly.&nbsp;RX owners were generally&nbsp;satisfied with their cars according&nbsp;to our most recent Reliability Survey, which that found it to be&nbsp;the fourth best&nbsp;hybrid and electric vehicle out of a class of 15.&nbsp;This was backed up by the Lexus brand being the&nbsp;top-scoring manufacturer in our survey of 31 car manufacturers.

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

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In the same way that Infiniti acts as Nissan’s premium arm, Lexus has a similar tie-in with Toyota. And since most of Toyota’s models are offered as hybrids, it’s no surprise to see the same from Lexus, although there are some traditional petrol engines, too.

The brand focuses heavily on SUVs – namely the NX and RX – but also has the CT hatchback, ES executive saloon and LS luxury car among its portfolio. More small and large SUVs are expected in the future.

Like Toyota, Lexus has built a very strong reputation for reliability and regularly finishes very close to the top of our annual Reliability Survey.

LEXUS

A comfortable and reliable left-field alternative to the usual luxury SUVs, the RX is worth considering – especially if you don’t want a diesel, and don’t need seven seats

Used Lexus RX 2016-present

MPG

Avoid the RX 200t if you need to keep fuel bills to a minimum; it averages just 36.2mpg in the older NEDC official tests, dropping to 34.9mpg with larger wheels fitted. The hybrid 450h version is much better, with an official average figure of 47.9mpg under NEDC testing; a&nbsp;better performance than most five-seat diesel SUVs can muster.&nbsp;

<h3>CO2 emissions</h3>

The 200t has the highest emissions of the RX range at 181g/km; the 450h hybrid emits a&nbsp;more creditable at 127g/km.&nbsp;

<h3>Car tax</h3>

Buying an RX registered before 1 April 2017, when the tax regime changed, is a smart move, especially when it comes to&nbsp;the hybrid. Of the two models, this will cost you considerably less to tax, because it’s rated according to its low CO2 emissions. Every RX registered after 1 April 2017, by contrast, will set you back&nbsp;a lot&nbsp;more; even the entry-level version cost over&nbsp;£40,000 when new, breaking the threshold for the higher tax bracket.&nbsp;To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.

<h3>Servicing</h3>

Servicing costs are roughly on a par with the RX’s premium rivals – no better or worse – but one advantage Lexus does offer is clear and transparent service pricing, available on its website. Prices for the popular 450h are £245 for a minor service and £455 for a major one.

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A comfortable and reliable left-field alternative to the usual luxury SUVs, the RX is worth considering – especially if you don’t want a diesel, and don’t need seven seats

You can pick up an early RX 450h for around&nbsp;£25,000. This amount will get you&nbsp;an early&nbsp;2016&nbsp;car with an average mileage for its age and a full service history. Spend&nbsp;£29,000 or more&nbsp;to secure a good average mileage from the 2017 model year, and between £32,000 and £37,000 on a 2018&nbsp;model. Expect to spend upwards of £38,000 on a 2019 car.&nbsp;

Check the value of a used Lexus RX&nbsp;with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Engines and trims</h3>

Don’t bother with the RX 200t; there are better and more numerous options if what you really want is a luxury SUV powered by a petrol engine. Instead, choose the RX 450h – and pair that engine&nbsp;with the widely-available&nbsp;Luxury trim; it offers all the toys you could ever want without the price premium of the Premier or F Sport versions.

Our favourite Lexus RX: RX 450h Luxury

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Logical and beautifully built interior, with great infotainment</li> <li>More than enough space for five passengers or, even better, seven</li> <li>Strong performance along with impressive efficiency</li> <li>Composed handling that limits any feeling of unwieldiness</li></ul>

We class a luxury SUV as being anything where our pick of the range costs more than £45,000 – and at this price point, buyers' expectations are high. So, as well as all of the qualities that make regular SUVs such well-rounded choices –&nbsp;such as decent space for passengers and luggage, a classy interior and robust materials – we also want a cosseting ride, the latest driver assistance technology and enough space to really stretch out.

The Land Rover Discovery proves that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get a luxurious SUV, but if you've got a bit more to spend, the Audi Q7 is perennially popular among buyers, and with good reason. Or, at the very top of this market, there are newer additions such as the BMW X7 to consider.

Luxury SUV

We haven’t heard of any serious problems affecting the RX – so there’s nothing specific&nbsp;you need to be looking out for when checking your prospective purchase over.

However, do keep an eye on the usual things. For example, the RX is quite a big car, and it’s quite hard to tell where it ends from the driver’s seat; every model has parking sensors, but still, it’s worth checking the bodywork and wheels for scuffs or grazes.

If you're looking for information on the older model, click here for our used review of&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/lexus/rx/4x4/used-review/n748">2003&nbsp;- 2009 RX</a>, or here for the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/lexus/rx/4x4/used-review/n440">2000 - 2003 version</a>.

So, you want a luxurious used SUV – but you also want to stand out from the crowd. Not for you the German SUVs that dominate this sector; you want something a little different – something that feels just as upmarket but won’t make you look like a follower of the crowd. Maybe something that comes with hybrid power. And of course, something that’s efficient and dependable. The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/lexus">Lexus</a> RX looks like it could tick all of your boxes – but should you buy one?

Most RXs you’ll find on the used market are hybrids, combining a 3.5-litre V6 with two electric motors to produce 308bhp. They’re badged RX 450h, and Lexus sold them in lieu of a diesel model; there are no diesel versions available. However, if you don’t want the hybrid, you could always seek out the other engine option, a 225bhp 2.0-litre petrol turbo, which is badged RX 200t – although these are vanishingly rare.

Variants of the RX kicked off with the most basic S version and topped out with the luxurious Premier model, with SE, Luxury and F Sport versions filling in the middle ground. Hybrid models were also available in a version called F Sport Premier, which took the F Sport’s sporty styling and teamed it with the luxurious trimmings of the Premier model. Confusingly, Lexus also added a version called Sport to the range in 2018. Of these, it’s the Luxury version that was the most popular; expect leather upholstery with heated and cooled front seats, dual-zone climate control, an infotainment system with sat-nav and a 12.3in display, and a powered tailgate as standard, among other features.

The petrol version offers adequate performance, but you have to push it quite hard to extract it, at which point it gets rather noisy. That’s why we prefer the hybrid; it, too&nbsp;can be rather vocal if you accelerate hard, but&nbsp;it’s not an unpleasant sound.&nbsp;At a cruise it quietens down significantly, and around town the petrol motor can cut out altogether to leave you running on electricity only, keeping things even more tranquil.

The RX isn’t exactly a sports car – it leans over through bends and the steering is uninvolving – but it’s nevertheless light and easy to drive, and the soft suspension has it lolloping over all but the most sudden of bumps, smoothing them out nicely. The brakes in the hybrid version can sometimes be a little grabby, though, making smooth stops an art that must be mastered.

Inside, you’ll find a dashboard that feels incredibly solid and looks very appealing, with sweeping lines and some neat styling touches. A few of the materials are a little low-rent, and some of the switchgear is shared with lesser Toyotas, but on the whole the effect is upmarket enough, if not quite up there with the best luxury SUVs.

The same can be said for the seating; both the front and rear seats offer less room than you'll find in most rivals, and,&nbsp;while most SUVs of the Lexus’s size these days offer seating for seven, early RX buyers have to make do with five. The seven-seat RX L was introduced in 2018 and remedied this to a point, but there’s more room in the rearmost seats of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/used-review/n813">Audi Q7</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/used-review/n838">Volvo XC90</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/discovery/4x4/used-review/n974">Land Rover Discovery</a>.

While most five-seat luxury SUVs make up for their less versatile seating arrangements with a big boot, not so the RX; you’ll fit far less in the back than you will in a contemporary <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/touareg/4x4/used-review/n17424">Volkswagen Touareg</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x5/4x4/used-review/n839">BMW X5</a> – whether the seats are up or down.

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Used Lexus RX 2016-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Lexus RX 4x4?