![]() While the RX 300 was known for its good crash test scores, Lexus will meet its German competitors on their terms this year. As on the RX 300, cloth upholstery is standard, but most vehicles will have the optional leather. Power tilt and telescope adjustment for the steering wheel is new this year, and we found that it did make it easier to find a comfortable driving position. Up front, the captain's chairs are supple, as Lexus tradition dictates, if a bit more tailored than before, with eight-way power adjustment for the driver and four-way power adjustment for the passenger. Further, the seats themselves offer a pleasant blend of softness and supportive contouring in the outboard positions, as well as sufficient bench height for proper thigh support characteristics that were lacking in the RX 300's accommodations. When you aren't hauling bulky items, you can slide the seats all the way back, yielding enough legroom for all but the tallest adults. With the seats in their forward-most position, legroom is still passable for adults, though only for short trips. The seat partitions move independently, which gives you more flexibility when you have a mix of passengers and cargo. The RX 330's seats offer a six-inch range of adjustment compared with the RX 300's 4.7. The new RX holds 38.3 cubes with the rear seats in use, which is actually a bit less than the RX 300's 39.8 thankfully, the rear suspension arms aren't quite as intrusive in the new model.Īs in the previous RX, fore and aft adjustment for the rear seats makes it easier to accommodate adults, while allowing owners to maximize cargo space when needed. Note that 84.7 is conspicuously close to the MDX's max cargo capacity of 82, a number we're sure that company engineers wanted to meet or exceed the MDX still wins with the second-row seats up with its total of 49.7 cubic feet. The biggest spatial gain is in the cargo bay, where the RX 330 offers 84.7 cubic feet of capacity (compared to the RX 300's 75 cubes) with the 40/20/40 rear seats folded. This expansion results in a couple more inches of legroom in the front seat, as well as an inch and a half more shoulder room front and rear (oddly, there's about an inch less headroom in the front seat, so six-footers may want to check this out on a test drive). Overall, it's six inches longer, one inch wider and about a half-inch taller, and rides on a four-inch longer wheelbase. The rear fascia is again easily identified by clear-lens taillights, but now they bleed into the rear glass.Ī quick scan of the specs shows that the RX 330, like most successors, is larger than the RX 300 in just about every way. We found it sleeker, more sporting and much less like a minivan than before aided by the mildly aggressive slant of the rear glass and rearmost pillars, monotone body paint (in lieu of lower-body cladding) and the standard 17-inch and optional 18-inch wheels. We also noted the 330's stronger performance provided by a new 3.3-liter V6 and a reengineered suspension that yields tighter handling around corners without compromising its plush ride quality. During our drive, we took note of the roomier interior with even classier furnishings, better ergonomics and additional convenience and safety features. But Lexus, noting competition from the Acura MDX, BMW X5 3.0i and Volvo XC90, has refined the package in ways that should appeal to buyers, certainly those who have an RX 300 coming off lease. ![]() And after spending several hours with the new RX, we have no qualms about saying to current owners: You'll love it.Įverything people found so endearing about the first RX the elevated stance, forgiving ride, smooth drivetrain and luxurious cabin is intact. The RX 330 is the successor to the RX 300, still the best-selling Lexus model after five years on the market (without the use of incentives). Lexus anticipates that only 30 to 35 percent of RX 330 buyers will have children under age 18, and as such, "they don't want to be tied to a vehicle that screams 'soccer mom.'" The reporter's question? Why doesn't it have a third-row seat? Apparently, much as the ES 300 needn't shoulder the burden of being the company's sporty entry-luxury sedan, the RX can pass family-hauling duty to either the all-new GX 470 or the revered LX 470. It was the first night of the RX 330 introduction, and everyone was gathered around a perfectly lit specimen of the redesigned crossover SUV. "We don't have to be all things to all people," said a Lexus executive to an inquiring journalist. ![]()
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