Verdict
B
Luxury SUV · Japan · 1998-Present
Lexus RX
Lexus RX — spec data and generation history.
Years
1998-Present
Generations
5
Segment
Luxury SUV
Lexus's defining SUV and the car that made full hybrid acceptable in the premium SUV class. XU10 (1998–2003) launched as the RX300 with the 3.0 V6; XU30 (2003–2009) introduced the RX400h, the world's first luxury SUV hybrid; AL10 (2009–2015) was the second hybrid era as RX450h; AL20 (2015–2022) added the spindle grille and the F Sport trim; XU8 (2022–Present) is the current car with RX350h hybrid, RX500h F Sport (turbo hybrid 366 bhp), and RX450h+ PHEV. Conservative to drive, exceptional reliability, the kind of car that turns up in MoT histories with no advisories at 200,000 miles.
What changed
Era-to-era deltas
AL10 2009-2015 → AL20 2015-2022
BHP +13 bhp
Torque +30 Nm
0–60 mph −0.4 s
Top speed +5 mph
MPG +5 mpg
AL20 2015-2022 → XU8 2022-Present
BHP +58 bhp
Torque +50 Nm
0–60 mph −1.6 s
Top speed +5 mph
MPG +8 mpg
Generations
Click any generation for the full deep dive
1998-2003
XU10
→
RX300 3.0 V6 — 218 bhp, 0-62 in 9.1s.
Verdict
C
BHP
218
0–60
9.1 s
Top
124 mph
MPG
23.0 mpg
Used
£1,500-£4,500
- + Defined luxury SUV in UK
- + Toyota reliability
- − Cabin dated
- − Petrol-only thirsty
2003-2009
XU30
→
RX400h 3.3 V6 hybrid — 268 bhp combined, 0-62 in 7.6s.
Verdict
B
BHP
268
0–60
7.6 s
Top
124 mph
MPG
34.0 mpg
Used
£2,500-£8,000
- + First luxury SUV hybrid (RX400h)
- + Quiet, refined
- − Hybrid inverter water pump failures
- − Dashboard cracking on UK cars
2009-2015
AL10
→
RX450h 3.5 V6 hybrid — 295 bhp combined, 0-62 in 7.8s.
Verdict
B
BHP
295
0–60
7.8 s
Top
124 mph
MPG
37.0 mpg
Used
£8,000-£18,000
- + RX450h hybrid drivetrain refined
- + Bulletproof reliability
- − Hybrid 12V battery weak
- − Some pre-collision sensor faults
2015-2022
AL20
→
RX450h 3.5 V6 hybrid — 308 bhp combined, 0-62 in 7.7s.
Verdict
B
BHP
308
0–60
7.7 s
Top
124 mph
MPG
36.0 mpg
Used
£18,000-£42,000
- + Spindle-grille distinctive
- + F Sport trim adds character
- − Touchpad infotainment frustrating
- − Hybrid only in UK (no diesel option)
2022-Present
XU8
→
RX500h F Sport turbo hybrid — 366 bhp, 0-62 in 6.2s.
Verdict
A
BHP
366
0–60
6.2 s
Top
130 mph
MPG
36.0 mpg
Used
£42,000-£75,000
- + RX500h turbo hybrid genuinely brisk
- + Cabin tech finally good (touchscreen)
- − No more 3.5 V6 NA
- − Touchscreen replaces some buttons
Known issues by generation
Common faults reported on each generation — useful when shopping the used market.
1998-2003 · XU10 (RX300)
- Sludge build-up on 1MZ-FE V6
- Steering rack leaks
- Suspension bushes wear
2003-2009 · XU30 (RX300/350/400h)
- Hybrid inverter water pump failure (RX400h)
- Dashboard cracking on UK cars
- Power tailgate motor
2009-2015 · AL10 (RX450h)
- Hybrid 12V auxiliary battery weak
- Pre-collision sensor faults
- Mark Levinson speaker rattle
2015-2022 · AL20 (RX450h)
- Touchpad infotainment frustrating
- Hybrid 12V battery
- Suspension bushes on 7-seat L variant
2022-Present · XU8
- Software updates needed at launch
- PHEV cell faults early VIN (RX450h+)
- Lane-keep over-eager
Rivals
BMW X5 · Mercedes GLE · Audi Q7 · Volvo XC90