2021 Lexus RX 450hL
The 2021 Lexus RX returns this year as the brand's mainstay crossover SUV. More than twenty years after its introduction, the quiet, refined RX remains the one to beat. Lexus' 2021 RX adds a little more value by making blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alerts and power-folding side mirrors standard. Wireless smartphone charging is newly optional.
Most RX models will wear the 350 moniker, which designates the standard 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 295 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard but all-wheel drive is on the menu. An 8-speed automatic handles gearchanges.
The 450h hybrid model keeps the 350's V-6 but adds a pair of electric motors that get juiced by a small battery. Total combined output is 308 horsepower, which gets sent through a CVT. The rear wheels are driven exclusively by the electric motors, making every 450h all-wheel drive.
All the wizardry of the hybrid results in fuel economy of 31 mpg city, 28 highway, 30 combined. The RX 350 carries an EPA rating of 20/28/23 mpg for front-wheel-drive models and 19/26/22 mpg for all-wheel-drive models.
Aside from the choice of powertrains, the RX also gives buyers a choice of wheelbase. The standard length model sticks with two rows, while the long-wheelbase variant makes room for a small third-row seat. Both powertrains are offered with both lengths.
Newly standard blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert join a list of safety equipment that includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and active lane control. The lIHS found the RX to meet their standards for a Top Safety Pick award, but the NHTSA only gave it a four-star overall rating.
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Lexus' 2021 RX adds a little more value by making blind-spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alerts and power-folding side mirrors standard. Wireless smartphone charging is newly optional.
Most RX models will wear the 350 moniker, which designates the standard 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 295 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive is standard but all-wheel drive is on the menu. An 8-speed automatic handles gearchanges.
The 450h hybrid model keeps the 350's V-6 but adds a pair of electric motors that get juiced by a small battery. Total combined output is 308 horsepower, which gets sent through a CVT. The rear wheels are driven exclusively by the electric motors, making every 450h all-wheel drive.
All the wizardry of the hybrid results in fuel economy of 31 mpg city, 28 highway, 30 combined. The RX 350 carries an EPA rating of 20/28/23 mpg for front-wheel-drive models and 19/26/22 mpg for all-wheel-drive models.
Aside from the choice of powertrains, the RX also gives buyers a choice of wheelbase. The standard length model sticks with two rows, while the long-wheelbase variant makes room for a small third-row seat. Both powertrains are offered with both lengths.
Newly standard blind-spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alert join a list of safety equipment that includes adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and active lane control. The lIHS found the RX to meet their standards for a Top Safety Pick award, but the NHTSA only gave it a four-star overall rating.
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Retail Price
| Engine | V-6 |
| MPG | Up to 29 city / 28 highway |
| Seating | 6 Passengers |
| Transmission | CVTi-S 2-spd CVT w/OD |
| Power | 259 @ 6000 rpm |
| Drivetrain | all wheel |
| Curb Weight | 4,905 lbs |
