Lexus RX v Range Rover Velar 2020 Comparison

German prestige SUVs are not as exclusive as they once were. If you have money to spend on a high-riding family wagon, you want your friends and relatives to know you're a cut above the rest. A BMW X5 or a Mercedes-Benz GLE... well they're practically the automotive equivalent of a corporate uniform.

No, what you need is a premium SUV that should keep the neighbours guessing. The newly arrived Lexus RX 300 fits the bill, and so does the Range Rover Velar, which has been the subject of a recent rationalisation of its line-up.

The Velar is shorter but wider than the RX 300. Although there’s not actually much difference in size between the two, the Range Rover is a medium SUV and the Lexus is a large SUV, according to VFACTS.

Both models occupy the middle ground in their respective product portfolios, not quite as small as an Evoque or NX, but not as large as an LX or Range Rover Sport.

Pricing runs from around $82,000 for the entry-level Velar, all the way up to $176,412 for the flagship. Lexus positions the RX lower across the board, with the front-wheel drive RX 300 starting from just under $72,000 and working up to the hybrid-powered range-topping model at a little over $111,000.

These are two SUVs that don't get as much love from the motoring media as they deserve. The Range Rover Velar does have a following, based primarily on its styling, but in the main the Velar and the Lexus RX 300 are both overshadowed by prestige SUVs of similar distinction and higher profile from other brands.

Given a lot of prestige SUVs rarely if ever venture off the bitumen but are status symbols in suburbia, it was time to take these two examples to their natural environment to evaluate their fitness for survival there.

Do they represent good value, respectively, and in light of the surprising capability of the last Lexus RX we tested – one of the longer seven-seat models, do they measure up dynamically?

While both five-seat models are powered by 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines matched with automatic transmissions, the Velar is all-wheel drive and a diesel whereas the RX 300 is front-wheel drive powered by a turbo-petrol engine. There's a substantial price gap between the two, favouring the Lexus, but if you want your RX with all-wheel drive in the same level of trim, that gap narrows considerably.

Both the Lexus RX 300 F Sport and the Range Rover Velar D240 SE are vehicles aimed at buyers on a budget capped at $100,000. They're large enough to accommodate a family of five, without being so massive that they need a bloke with high-vis paddles to guide the driver into a parking spot. It goes without saying that buyers will be aspirational and cashed-up.

The boot of the Lexus is rated at a capacity of 506 litres, which is in accordance with the VDA standard of measurement. Land Rover applies a different ('wet') standard of measurement for the Velar, arriving at a figure of 673 litres.

In practice, they are quite close and roughly the same volume as the boot of a traditional passenger sedan of the large kind. Forget about towing much with the Lexus though; it's limited to 1000kg braked, versus 2500kg for the Velar.

These two vehicles start out at $86,800 for the Lexus RX 300 F Sport or $97,723 for the Range Rover Velar – close to $11,000 between the two.

At prices like those, both SUVs incur luxury car tax, although the more expensive Velar only incurs the tax for the amount above its green car dispensation threshold of $75,526 for using less than 7.0L/100km in combined-cycle testing.

The tax is payable for the Lexus from its threshold of $67,525 for the 2019-20 financial year. Since the Lexus is priced lower as well ($88,300 as tested), the LCT payable is not as high in dollar terms as it is for the Velar.

The only option specified for the Lexus was its metallic paint, costing $1500. Myriad options for the Velar – for an as-tested price of $114,034 – raise the total LCT payable further, what's more, and some of those options merely serve to match features fitted as standard to the Lexus.

The British SUV's warranty (three-year/100,000km) is 12 months shorter than the warranty Lexus is offering for the RX 300 (four-year/100,000km).

For two cars that are similarly sized – which is to say more than big enough for most nuclear families – the Lexus RX 300 F Sport and the Range Rover Velar D240 SE both deliver safe vehicle dynamics. These SUVs don't roll around and plough on through corners like the SUVs of old. The Velar has the edge for driving enjoyment – handling, braking stability and tactile steering.

Noise suppression in both vehicles will have occupants checking their hearing aids, but despite its diesel engine the Velar holds a trump hand here too. Lexus has a reputation for building quiet cruisers, but the Range Rover engineers have eradicated more road and wind noise than the Lexus boffins working on the RX 300.

Performance is also up to par for the two SUVs, although the Velar does go harder and is more economical with it.

Packaging is a win to the Lexus, with a wider boot opening and a rear seat that will slide forward and aft to enhance the available luggage capacity or rear-seat legroom. In theory the Velar has the larger boot, but that advantage is based on Land Rover's use of a 'wet' standard to measure the volume, rather than the conventional VDA standard applied by Lexus.

The RX is just plain roomier in the rear, with more legroom, a flat floor and comfier seats than the Velar's.

Space-saver spare tyres are far from ideal if you have a long trip ahead of you and you're standing by the side of a road admiring a flat tyre. Both the SUVs on test are 'equipped' with space-savers, but it's particularly heinous in the case of the four-wheel drive Velar, which may be called on to go off-road or tow something.

The Lexus is let down by its haptic controller for infotainment functions. As has been explained on numerous occasions, it's hard to use with your left hand if your right hand is dominant, and in this country, where we sit on the right side of the car and the controller is in the centre, there is no other option.

For an SUV that's family friendly, safe and comfortable, you just can't go past the Lexus RX 300 F Sport.

It’s also better value overall.

The Range Rover Velar D240 SE is way more expensive, its warranty is shorter (and that is going to be a factor come time to on-sell it to the second owner), and it's just not as compatible with kids in the rear seat.

But... the Velar is a nicer drive, and its diesel engine and all-wheel traction mostly justify the added expense. It will tow and it will go off-road as well. The Lexus impressed us more than we expected, but the Velar remains our choice in this comparison.

How much does the 2020 Range Rover Velar D240 SE cost?
Price: from $98,350 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 177kW/500Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.7L/100km (ADR Combined); 7.6L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 176g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017)

How much does the 2020 Lexus RX 300 F Sport cost?
Price: from $86,800 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 175kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined); 9.1L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 189g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2015)

Reviewer Nadine Armstrong had some further observations about the two vehicles on test, and those observations may compel some readers to opt for the Lexus over the Range Rover.

Nadine notes that on paper, the Range Rover has a larger capacity boot, but when you take the tape measure to work, the differences are not as great as the numbers suggest. The Lexus has a wider opening and don’t forget you can slide that second row of seating to accommodate larger items.

They both have 40:20:40 split/folding rear seats, bag hooks (two additional hooks in the case of the Velar), anchor points and a 12-volt outlet. You can engage the folding seats from the boot of both vehicles.

One area in which the Velar does leap ahead is towing capacity, where it clearly out performs the Lexus.

Boot measurements:
Lexus: 116mm wide, 97mm deep and 44mm high (to cargo cover)
Range Rover: 108mm wide, 103mm deep and 47mm high (to cargo cover)

The second row of the Lexus is the place you want to be. Out back there are very comfy seats, much better leg room and the floor is flat (there’s a transmission tunnel in the Velar). Both feature two USB ports, two adjustable air-vents and an armrest with two cup-holders.

The Lexus also comes with side window blinds. Hard plastics at the rear of the front seats are durable and, with pockets, make the Lexus more family friendly than fabric or nets.

But passengers wanting some recline in the second-row seating of the Lexus have to make the adjustment manually. The Range Rover has its own electric reclining second row. Both have robust side scuffs for when the kids stand on them getting in/out of car.

Seat base width:
Lexus: 132mm wide, 49mm deep – better flat bench in the Lexus
Range Rover: 133mm wide, 49mm deep – more moulded in the RR

When it comes to packaging then, the Lexus does have the necessary attributes to match its ‘large SUV’ status.