Lexus RX 350L 2018 Review – Long-term test #2

Lexus has bolstered its popular five-seater RX range of large SUVs with a seven-seat variant, the RX L. Available in two trim grades, Luxury and Sport Luxury, the newcomer also comes in a choice of two powerplants: the RX 350L with a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and the RX 450hL, an electrically assisted hybrid version.

The latest addition to the carsales long-term test fleet is the Lexus RX 350L Sport Luxury; the top trim grade of the standard petrol V6. With premium Deep Blue paint ($1500) pushing our test vehicle to $103,000 plus on-roads, it comes loaded with $16,800-worth of extras compared to the RX 350L Luxury which, in turn, is nearly $3300 more than the five-seater RX 350.

Australia's blossoming love affair with SUVs is well documented – SUV sales now surpass those of regular passenger cars by some measure – and it's fair to say that 'practicality' is one of the format's biggest drawcards.

With our test vehicle's dynamic qualities already thoroughly assessed in our introduction and first update on this long-termer, in this second update we'll be putting that practicality to the test by loading the Lexus up for a weekend camping trip in Victoria's spectacular Grampians National Park.

With Lexus finally adding a third row of seating to its second-best-selling RX platform – it's been around for more than 20 years purely as a five-seat proposition – the newcomer should be right up there in the practicality stakes, right?

The RX 350L is 110mm longer than the five-seat RX 350 to better accommodate that third row – also aided by the use of a single exhaust outlet and by moving the space-saver spare wheel from the boot to under the body – and we made full use of the additional length when packing for our weekend away.

Lexus says that, with the third-row seating upright, the RX 350L offers a class-leading cargo length of 566mm, with 176 litres of luggage space. Folding the 50/50-split third row flat, achieved at the touch of a button in the boot, delivers 432 litres of space, while folding the centre row flat – via manual levers – ups the figure to 966 litres.

We should point out early that, to a degree, we were cheating on this 'family' camping trip – we left our two boys, eight and 10, at grandma's for the weekend, instead opting for an all-too-rare 'couples retreat'.

While fitting everything in for a camping getaway for a family of four isn't outside the bounds of possibility for the RX 350L, it would certainly be a squeeze – if trips of that nature are on your agenda regularly, moving up a notch to the 'upper large' SUV category would pay dividends, albeit at significant extra expense.

Of course, you could always opt for a camper trailer or even a box trailer to expand your camping or holiday carrying capacity, but here the Lexus – with its braked towing limit of 1500kg – doesn't fare well, especially when compared to seven-seat rivals like Audi's Q7 (3500kg), BMW's X5 (2700kg) and Volvo's XC90 (2250kg).

Still, packing the Lexus for a trip is an easy affair, with a modest load floor height and an auto-opening tailgate – simply wave your hand over the Lexus badge for it to open. It's a neat feature when your hands are full of gear, be it sleeping bags and tents or simply bags of shopping, and somewhat more covert than the waving of your foot beneath the tailgate required of some other models.

Shifting the seating about is fairly simple. For the second row, there are levels located outboard on top of the seat backs to fold them forward, while a second lever at the outboard front edge of the seat base allows the unit to slide forward. They don't fold totally flat, but maneuvering them through their available adjustment generally requires only minimal effort.

The second row also features ISOFIX mounting points on the two outboard seats and a fold-down centre armrest, the latter complete with cup holders, two USB ports and seat heating controls, while there are spring-loaded blinds for the windows.

HVAC ventilation outlets are located on the rear of the centre console and have their own dedicated controls, and even third-row occupants get their own vents and controls.

With the second-row seating folded forward, access to the third row is still a bit of a squeeze, while the space here in general – as documented in previous updates and reviews – is cramped at best.

Even our 10-year-old, who is admittedly on the lanky side for his age, struggled for legroom in the third row, although he fared better for headroom. As such, this third row is strictly for kids only – ideal for times when you need to take along a couple of your own kids' friends for a weekend outing, but not a practical proposition as far as adults or even larger teenagers are concerned.

Still, for this weekend escape kids were off the agenda, and with both the second and third rows folded flat we had ample space to store our tent, cooking and camping gear, along with a bulky, double-size self-inflating sleeping mat.

Even though the seat backs are lined with what appears to be a reasonably hard-wearing synthetic material, we took care so as to not scratch any of the sidewall plastics, wrapping sharp-edged items with bedding and towels.

A number of recessed tie-down points are set into the boot floor and third-row seat backs to help secure larger items, and there's a 12-volt socket in the back for a fridge.

Our test vehicle features the 'Rich Cream' interior trim, and while the chocolate-brown finish should resist marking well, the ivory seating will not. Leather is easier to clean and maintain than cloth but even so, this light tone isn't a smart choice for families with younger kids. Fortunately, a number of other – more kid-friendly – schemes are available, including black.

Up front, and behind the wheel, life is good. With a six-figure asking price you could reasonably expect a high degree of comfort and convenience and this Lexus delivers, with supportive front seating with a wide degree of adjustment (including heating and cooling) and a large, feature-packed multimedia unit.

We appreciated the inductive smartphone charging pad at the base of the centre stack and the twin USB outlets in the (modest) centre-console bin. The front door side pockets are slim, however, and fail the wine bottle test – just as well you can fit one in the rear door pockets, then!

We also liked the array of cameras, which give a clear 360-degree view of the vehicle and its surroundings and aid parking considerably. There are front and rear sensors too, no bad thing in a vehicle with a claimed 11.8-metre turning circle.

The adaptable suspension tames the bigger hits and depressions of typical Aussie country roads effectively, if being a touch harsh over sharper, smaller imperfections at lower speeds. However, more problematic is the cruise control, which when engaged still requires a watchful eye on the speedo.

While we have no complaints about the healthy urge delivered by the 3.5-litre petrol V6, the eight-speed automatic transmission is too slow to react to inclines, slowing down on the early stages of uphill climbs and gathering pace on descents – sometimes adding 10km/h or more, in the case of the latter.

The virtual absence of engine braking doesn't help in this respect and, in speed-camera-festooned states like Victoria, this has the potential to land you in hot (and costly) water…

Exploring the Grampians provided a great snapshot of the RX 350L's general ability, both on-road and off. Despite its size, this vehicle can be pushed surprisingly hard along a winding sealed road, where its minimal body roll and precise steering impressed.

A degree of lag is present when you bury the right foot and the bulk of the RX's potential is found high in the rev range, but for a large SUV it offers an engaging and rewarding drive.

Off the bitumen things aren't so rosy, however. The suspension harshness at slower speeds is amplified over corrugations, and the traction control is out-foxed by fairly light coverings of sand. Switching it off helps, but we noted there's no permanently lit icon on the instrumentation to indicate whether the traction control is on or off – there's just a brief text message on the central display to tell you when it's been deactivated.

Lexus bills the RX as a 'recreational cross-country' SUV, but it's no hard-core off-roader and nor was it ever meant to be. Having said that, it comes in an all-wheel drive format with an electronic centre differential lock for use in instances of very low traction. The latter automatically deactivates once you pass a certain (low) speed threshold, but the dry conditions we experienced on this trip meant it was never needed.

Weighing it all up, the RX 350L is fine for graded dirt roads, if that's what it takes to reach your destination, but there are better options out there if dirt is to be a regular feature of your travels.

The RX 350L comes with a 72-litre fuel tank and we achieved an average of 10.4L/100km in open-road touring. That equates to a safe working range of around 650 kilometres. It seems a shame there's no diesel option in the RX line-up, although the hybrid RX 450hL offers more economical motoring, albeit at a roughly $9000 premium.

While the Lexus 350L Sport Luxury has the comfort, features and performance worthy of its price tag, it's let down in a couple of key areas, most notably the calibration of its automatic transmission and the somewhat cramped conditions of its third-row seating.

It's a beautifully constructed, feature-packed and luxurious proposition nevertheless, but if prospective buyers are intent on filling all seven seats regularly, the RX's Euro rivals in particular also deserve careful consideration.

Long-Term Tests
motoring.com.au aims to make your choice of vehicle easier. Our Editorial section does this via our mix of news, international and local launch reviews, as well as our seven-day tests.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend even longer with a vehicle. These longer-term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, but more recently we’ve settled on a three-month period as indicative of ‘normal’ ownership.

Long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel, the servicing, and generally use and live with the car as a new owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers a deeper insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

It comes as no surprise that manufacturers tend to have a love-hate relationship with long-term tests. Three months is plenty long enough to fall out of love with the latest and greatest and start to nit-pick — just like real owners do.

How much does the 2018 Lexus RX 350L Sport Luxury cost?
Price as tested: $103,000 (as tested, plus ORCs)
Engine: 3.5-litre six-cylinder petrol
Output: 216kW/358Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.2L/100km (ADR Combined); 10.4L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 234g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2015)