Trims, Powertrains, and Performance
The 2023 Lexus RX is a luxury utility vehicle made in Base, Premium, Premium+, Luxury, and F Sport Handling trim levels. The powertrain is formed by a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (275 hp and 317 lb.-ft. of torque) and an eight-speed electronically controlled transmission (ECT). Front-wheel drive is standard on all but the F Sport Handling, which gets the all-wheel drive system that is optional for the others. While the ’23 RX is certainly a powerhouse, it also returns excellent fuel economy. As estimated by the EPA, the FWD models pull off 22 city/29 highway, while those with AWD achieve 21 city/28 highway. Each trim is capable of towing up to 3,500 lb. with the available towing equipment installed.
Standard Equipment
The Base RX comes with LED exterior lights (including fog lights), heated side mirrors with driver’s-side auto-dimming and reverse auto tilt-down, rain-sensing wipers, 19-inch wheels, a power liftgate, SmartAccess proximity entry, push-button start, ambient interior lighting, and automatic climate control. It also has synthetic leather upholstery, heated and power-adjustable front seats, a power tilt-and-telescopic steering column with paddle shifters, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, selectable drive modes (Normal, Eco, Sport, and Custom), and a 40/20/40-split rear seatback.
The Premium adds a moonroof, roof rails, ventilated front seats, position memory settings (for the driver’s seat, steering wheel, and side mirrors), wood interior trim, and a wireless phone charger. The Premium+ receives Thematic Ambient Illumination (a proprietary advanced interior mood lighting system), a smog-sensing automatic recirculation HVAC system, perforated leather upholstery, and a wood-lined steering wheel. The Luxury gets 21-inch wheels, perforated semi-aniline leather upholstery, additional power adjustments for the driver’s seat, Ultrasuede interior door trim, and a 10-inch head-up display.
The F Sport Handling comes with most of those premium features but has an overall sportier look with gloss-black exterior accents, an exclusive front bumper with a mesh grille insert, an F Sport-specific rear valence, synthetic leather seats, a perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum pedals and scuff plates, front seats with enhanced bolsters, and Dark Graphite aluminum interior trim. On the performance side, it has special front brake calipers, an adaptive variable suspension, and front and rear lateral performance dampers.
Digital Key and a windshield wiper de-icer are available as options across the board. A hands-free liftgate and a digital rearview mirror can be ordered for all except the Base, while a panoramic glass roof is optional for the Premium+, Luxury, and F Sport Handling. Exclusive to the Premium+ and Luxury are heated and ventilated rear seats, and the Luxury is the only trim to qualify for a power-folding second-row seat.
Advanced Driver Assist Technology
All trims are supplied with the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 suite, which, as we mentioned in the introduction, has been upgraded with additional technologies for 2023. It now includes motorcycle detection, an emergency stopping system, and all-speed adaptive cruise control with curve speed management. Those features join forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection and intersection support, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, road sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Safe exit assist with digital latching is standard as well. The Premium and above trims get an automatic parking system, which is available for the Base. A panoramic view monitor is optional for all but the Base.
Multimedia
The RX has the highly advanced Lexus Interface infotainment system for 2023. The Base, Premium, and F Sport Handling have a 9.8-inch touchscreen, while the Premium+ and Luxury move up to a 14-inch touchscreen. All trims get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth hands-free, SiriusXM satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a 12-speaker sound system. Connected services (Drive Connect, Cloud Navigation, Intelligent Assistant voice recognition, and Destination Assist) are available via subscription (the Premium+ and Luxury come with a three-year trial to those connected services). For the ultimate listening experience, the Premium+, Luxury, and F Sport Handling are eligible for the optional 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system with surround sound.