► Lexus RX long-term test
► What’s it like to live with an RX?
► Read month 3 here
Contributor Ben Pulman’s departure left us with a bit of a hole, but conveniently filled the car-shaped gap on my drive. Ben was vacating the RX at the same time my CX-60 was returning to Mazda, so we engineered a last-minute swap that had me jumping from one grey luxury Japanese PHEV SUV to another with a very similar name – but a totally different character and level of polish.
Maybe that should be expected given the £21k as-tested gulf in price between these two similarly sized cars but I was still shocked by the RX’s vastly superior refinement.
The Lexus rides so much better, is dreamily quiet in EV mode and, unlike the Mazda, has zero driveline shunt. It also ekes a few more miles from a charge, seeming to regularly manage at least 32 before asking for the plug.
The RX doesn’t win every comparison, though. I like the RX’s larger (and more touchable) touchscreen, but I also miss the Mazda’s rotary controller as well as all its hard keys for things like the heated seats and wheel.
And while the RX’s wheel requires less twirling thanks to snappier gearing, the turning circle is notably worse; blame the engine being mounted across the nose. Overall, though, I’m impressed – and soothed. Ahhh.
Logbook: Lexus RX 450h+ Premium Plus Pack (Month 4)
Price £73,100 (£73,350 as tested)
Performance 18.1kWh battery plus 2487cc four-cylinder, PHEV, 304bhp, 6.5sec 0-62mph,124mph
Efficiency 256.8mpg (official), 108.8mpg (tested), 26g/km CO2
Energy cost 9.2p per mile
Miles this month 1135
Total miles 7098