vs Seven-a-Side

What we like:

Build quality

natural breathing V6 delivers the goods more in a more gentle fashion versus a force-fed engine

What we dislike:

Some vibration which intrudes into the cabin

I’m being a little fussy

but maybe a little too much was taken off the car to make it more affordable

Our test car’s burgundy themed interior, accented in wood veneer and frosted silver trim, comes across as well-built, and it does look and feel expensive too. Siting proud on the dash, its large 12.3” multi-media display makes for an easy read of information, with the display being able to split, for greater flexibility. Navigation comes by way of a mouse-like Remote Touch Interface.

Overall ergonomics is pretty good, and driver ease of use is further helped by the toggles on the steering wheel. Adding to clarity, the analogue dials on the instrument binnacle are large and clear. We would have loved a Heads-Up Display (HUD), but this was one of the features Lexus had omitted to cut down the cost of producing the longer RX.

Passenger accommodation for front and middle row occupants is excellent. Passengers seated at the back do get their own air-conditioning controls, and while shoulder room is pretty good, middle row passengers may need to compromise on a little bit of leg space in-order for those at the rear to fit in. Like most backrow seats in cars like this, thigh support is negligible to say the least.

While there is plenty of glass around the car, there is no panoramic sunroof, perhaps not an important feature since Lexus wanted to reduce the production cost of the car, but those things do let quite a good deal of light into a car’s cabin.

Fold the backrow seats down, and there is a tonneau cover which is neatly stowed away in the floorboard, which you can deploy to hide what you may be carrying in the back from prying eyes. With second and third row seats lowered, the longer RX offers up to 1,656 litres of flat-loading cargo room, while added convenience thanks to a power tailgate with sensor means easier hands-free operation.

The RX 350L does not leave any impression that it is some rugged off-roader you can take off the beaten path. It truly is more at-home doing the soccer mom run, supermarket run, and all sorts of family errand runs. Its four driven wheels, though is a boost to driver confidence, and the car comes across largely as luxurious and refined.

Perhaps the RX 350L does not function as the ideal full seven-seater, but it does however deliver very well if you were to see it as a 5-seater luxury SUV with the option to ferry the occasional +2.

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