The Lexus RX 350L – When only perfection will do

By Ané Theron

If you’ve always loved the look of the Lexus RX, can’t afford the LX, but desperately need seating for seven, Lexus has a stylish and somewhat less costly solution: An RX with seven seats. In order for this to be made possible, Lexus had to redesign entire areas to make space for the two sproglets who’d be sitting in the back: The roofline had to be extended and headroom had to be increased, while a space-saver spare wheel now finds its way to the underside of the vehicle. But despite its now-longer tail, the masculine RX hangs on to its moviestar-looks. From its sharp-edged, fiercely angular face, to its contoured flanks and eye-catching LED-taillights, the extended RX looks regal, modern and menacing.

Five-star road-tripping

As there were only four cars at the local launch, four journalists were assigned to a vehicle (instead of the usual two), which was a brilliant way for Lexus to illustrate how comfortable the cabin of the RX can be. While the two front passengers took their turn to drive, or navigate the route, the passengers in the second row could simply lounge in luxury until their time came to take the wheel. With highly supportive, ventilated and/or heated second row seats, designated USB ports and enough legroom to have a proper stretch every now and then, you can kick back and relax as your chauffeur gets you to your destination in style, while classical jazz fills the well-insulated cabin via 12-speaker Mark Levinson sound system (if that’s your thing…) There’s also a wireless charging pad underneath the 12.3-inch floating infotainment screen, which is a real novelty if you always forget to bring your cable.

Third-row seating

Access to the third row is quick and painless – just pull a lever to move the second row forward. With their own central cup-holders and a designated three-zone climate control panel, I don’t think the third-row inhabitants will find much reason to complain, if they’re not over 1,6 metres tall. The only person who spent longer than 20 minutes in the third row was the chauffeur who would bring us back from dinner later that night, and he didn’t seem too uncomfortable, although I should mention that he is quite short. The second row passenger directly in front of him moved her seat slightly forward, as to accommodate his legs better.

If you’d rather utilize the back row’s luggage space, you simply press a button to fold those seats flat, and you have 432 litres for all your designer bags. With both rows folded flat, there’s almost enough space to move the contents of a studio apartment. And with all seats upright? You can easily take all seven of you on a long weekend away.

Curtain airbags now extend right to the back to protect the rearmost darlings, and the total amount of airbags is 10, just like the other variants. The RX has a five-star passenger safety rating.

The drive

All of Lexus’s large SUVs have one thing in common – they are even bigger on comfort as they are on dynamism and performance. This was evident when my section of the launch route turned into the Franschhoek Pass. At over two tonnes, the considerably hefty RX 350L is no Lexus NX 200t, its smaller, impeccably- (road)mannered sibling. Rather forget about clipping apexes of fast corners while you’re behind the wheel of the super-sized RX – she’s a stately lady who much prefers the flowing bends, even though she’s equipped with a burly 261 kW/ 3.5-litre V6 engine, that sounds oh-so-sweet in Sport mode. I would have liked some steering-wheel mounted flappy paddles too, but the RX isn’t about shaving milliseconds off your lap time – she’s all about first-class travel and making a proper entrance.

As for fuel consumption – it’s an expense that will have to be bargained for, at 14-17 litres per 100 km. In heavy traffic especially, the 72-litre fuel tank is not going to remain full for very long.

Should you make debt?

If you’re going to spend just shy of a million Rand on a seven-seater, the RX 350L offers fantastic value when you start comparing it to the German brands who command top dollar for every little extra. Plus, the RX’s warranty is also looking more appealing, at four years/ 90 000 km, vs. Mercedes-Benz (2 years, unlimited mileage) and Audi (1 year, also unlimited). In this group, the Volvo XC90 (with a warranty of 5 years/100 000km) is the only other real consideration for me, personally, – but the Lexus is sure hold its value better.

Pricing

Lexus RX350L: R949 300

*Did you know…

that with every Lexus built, there are a 6 – 7 Takumi master craftsmen who oversee that every part of the interior and exterior detailing is done to absolute perfection? To ensure that these craftsmen are always up to stringent Lexus standards, they have to be able to fold a three-dimensional Origami cat with their non-dominant hand in under sixty seconds!