Curbside Editorial: Lexus in 2025 – They Aren’t Not What They Used To Be

 

I saw my first Lexus TX in the wild not long ago and I was a bit conflicted about it.  It’s a massive crossover clearly on a transverse-engine FWD platform, which isn’t exactly aspirational for us car dweebs.  Huh, I thought. Looks like Lexus is finally getting in on the 3-row troop transport game.  It lacked the pricey gravitas of an X7 or GLS but looked fully capable of taking on the Q7, XT6, MDX, and LT70x in the suburban status derby. 

That last one isn’t a real car, by the way. This alphanumeric naming soup is so overcooked that you can invent a plausible one by just mashing your fist against the keyboard.  TR-55e. See? 

I was driving our GS350 AWD (fist mash!) when the TX went by.  Quite the contrast.  I like our Lexus, it reminds me very much of what made the brand in the 90s. It’s a genuinely nice sedan, palpably well-made, flies a bit under the radar, and provides a high refinement quotient within a decent performance envelope for less money than a similar European.  In my mind, this is exactly what a Lexus was designed to do.  That TX?  Dunno.  Different beast entirely.

 

I have since read reviews on it and the other members of the Lexus jelly bean fleet.  Critical reception is mixed and the commentariat is cruel.  Glorified RAV4s and Highlanders, they scream. For hairdressers! And real estate mavens!  So much for the legacy of the purebred LS400, it’s all downhill from here!  

The 30 year rant continues.

Yes, 30 years.  Lexus has always played in both sandboxes and someone’s always squawked about it.  Sure, they made a big noise with that ambitious slap across the face of the S-Class, but the brand actually had to start making money alongside the headlines. They expanded, covering the other Euro RWD segments with the GS, SC, and eventually IS, but they weren’t going to make sufficient volume on those.  So they extended the high refinement and material quality to less expensive FWD platforms: the ES and RX.  Those printed the big bucks and earned the ire of enthusiasts annoyed at the idea of a FWD luxury car which couldn’t properly tingle their jollies. 

We’ve even jumped on this bandwagon ourselves, and I have to say I think we missed the mark.  I’m skeptical of the pejorative suggestion that the 1990s ES was little more than a rebadge for those too snooty to own a Camry but too cheap and ignorant to appreciate the RWD “champagnes” that an uncompromising auto connoisseur sips upon.  The implication being, of course, that Lexus buyers didn’t know any better and were willing to settle for less.

Baloney, I say.  I’m just old enough to remember when the first two generations of the ES300 hit showroom floors. They were unapologetically nice cars and well received by the public and automotive press alike.  They were somewhat exclusive. And they performed.  The ‘92 ES300 could pace an equivalently-priced automatic 325i, gap the V6 Audi 100S, and streak far away from the more expensive 525i and A6.  The V6 was silken, and unlike the 3 Series the interior required no apologies. They even received decent handling marks for a FWD sedan.  The ‘92 and ‘97 were awarded 2nd and 1st place finishes in Car and Driver comparison tests against fields of 7-8 competitors.  So much for a fancy Camry. 

 

They helped set expectations for the brand.  I found an old magazine ad for the ‘92 ES300, the new sedan looking sleek and fast and the headline instructing owners to “Revise your E.T.A.”  That’s right.  Lexus owners, like the machines, are sophisticated.  And important!  They have people and places waiting for them. Things can’t happen until they arrive, so they don’t have clock-in times. They have E.T.A.s.  Arrogant, but subtly so, and effective.  They advertised as if they’d always been there, always been the standard, even though they were all of 3 years in the market.  Between the impeccable machinery and the power suit advertising, we understood Lexus to be a refined, capable, and tasteful machine–the ES very much included. 

Well, that’s ancient history and even I am now becoming skeptical and worried about where this car division is heading. They’ve plunged deep into FWD crossovers, which is appropriate for the market, but seem close to giving up on the RWD cars that have anchored them to the luxury realm.  They don’t make my GS anymore.  The IS is getting old.  The LS is gorgeous but selling poorly.  The LC strikes me as a brilliant one-off flagship that won’t be reinvested in. The V6 is going bye-bye and I’m wondering if the V8, like the LC itself, will make it past the current model cycle.  The Lexus lineup is in danger of becoming lopsided.  

Even the slogan has deteriorated from the on-point Relentless Pursuit of Perfection to the forgettable Experience Amazing.  Who’d they hire for that one?  I’m not sure what comes to mind when walking up to a UX300, but “I shall now experience amazing” isn’t it. 

So if they’re not playing in the fun sandbox anymore, they’re still hitting it out of the park in the refinement and sophistication that set the ES and RX apart, right?  Not so sure.  The crossover interiors get generally high marks for material quality and features, they seem to have figured out their long-running infotainment problems, and they ride on well-sorted chassis that deliver cohesive and refined (though often not sporty) ride and handling.  So far so good, really. 

 

The ascendant powertrain lineup is where it becomes concerning.  It is capable but dull, and that most un-Lexus of words: unrefined.  It’s nearly all 4 poppers, some with turbos, some with hybridization, some with both.  It starts with either the 203 hp 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine from the RAV4 and prior Camry, or a 196 hp hybridized 2.0-liter four from the Corolla Cross. You’ll have to experience the amazing on your own to decide which method of buzzing to 60 in eight to nine seconds is more shameful for a $43,000+ near-luxury offering.  

The powertrain nomenclature has become complicated and unintuitive.  ES250s and NX250s get the 2.5, which makes sense.  The UX300h gets the 2.0 Hybrid, which doesn’t.  The RWD IS300 also gets a 2.0…turbo. Not hybridized. The AWD IS300 is neither 2.0 hybrid nor 2.0 turbo, nor 3.0 anything. It’s a detuned 2GR 3.5-liter V6.  Makes sense to me!

Any model with a 350 now has the 275 hp 2.4-liter turbocharged four cylinder, unless it’s an IS or ES. Those still have the full-strength 3.5-liter V6.  A 350h denotes the 2.5 liter naturally aspirated hybrid making roughly 240hp…unless you have an ES. Then it makes only 215 hp and is called the 300h. No, not the same hybrid as the UX300h. 

Geezus.

There’s more.  Further up the power ladder is the 500h.  If you were excited that the crossover fleet can get the LC500’s 5.0 liter V8, make sure you note that little “h” at the end.  It’s another hybrid!  Nope, not the V6 hybrids in the LS 500h and LC500h.   In the crossovers, 500h means a combination of the turbo 2.4 with electric motors.  It makes a fairly serious set of power figures that somehow doesn’t quite materialize in the usual drag race stats.  Quick but not fast, and barely competitive for the price and power rating.  Passing times are unusually brisk, though, so it appears to be responsive. This powertrain uses a 6-speed automatic rather than the planetary CVT.   

 

Finally, a new pair of plug-in hybrid systems add both power and electric-only range.  If you paid an eye-watering MSRP for your new Lexus crossover and have a “+” on the tailgate, you got a plug-in.  The 450h+ is a version of the 2.5 liter hybrid.  It makes 300 hp, a lot of torque, and will generate similar acceleration numbers as the 500h.  The 550h+ lashes a detuned version of the 2GR 3.5-liter V6 to electric motors to provide 400 hp, but it runs through the planetary CVT.  That one is fast, but has been panned for the rough fixed-rpm engine note.  

I haven’t even discussed the RWD truck chassis SUVs.  We’ll skip those. 

These powertrains are scattered unevenly across the FWD lineup and provide an alphanumeric mumbo jumbo to decipher.  From bottom to top in the transverse model lineup: 

 

UX300h.  $38,000 to $48,000.  

Thirty-eight thousand won’t get you much these days.  But it will get you a Lexus.  Well, it will get you a flashy but slow subcompact hatchback with a Lexus badge on it.  Authenticity is up for debate.  The little runt has received good marks for ride, handling and interior quality and poor marks for its lame powertrain.  It is overshadowed by the suddenly fashionable Prius, which raises a question: at which point does your entry-level model damage the brand rather than expand it?  

Whatever the answer, this much is clear: as the entry point for Lexus, this is no 1992 ES300.  Of course, it doesn’t cost an inflation-adjusted $65,000 either.  Entry-level luxury cars were bleeping expensive 30 years ago. 

 

ES250AWD, ES300h, ES350.  $43,000 to $54,000.  

 

The ES became a stodgy Buick-slayer with the frumpy 2002 redesign, but the current generation resurrected it with a far sleeker exterior, high quality interior, and the correct powertrain option of a refined and powerful V6.  An ES350 FSport with the adaptive dampers and Mark Levinson is still a very nicely executed Lexus sedan.  You can get slow and noisy 4-poppers if you need either AWD or better fuel economy.

 

NX250, NX350, NX350h, NX450h+.  $42,000 to $64,000.  

The competitor to the transverse-platform X2, Q3, XC40.  Four engine options on this compact crossover.  The base 2.5 and the 2.5 hybrid are very pokey, but the 2.4 turbo and 300 hp plug-in hybrid 450h+ put up appropriate numbers.  The MSRP becomes unserious with the 450h+ and starts encroaching badly on the segment above.  

I’d have to want AWD an awful lot to pick any NX over an ES350.  

 

RX350, RX350h, RX500h FSport, RX450h+.  $50,000 to $73,000.  

Like the ES, on paper this long term employee holds its ground as a legitimate luxury vehicle.  Reviews suggest it’s very quiet, well-equipped, well-appointed.  But don’t look at the front end because you’ll want to puke.  A four-engine hierarchy is here as well, each tier a step up from the NX. The least powerful is the 246-hp 2.5 hybrid, followed by the 2.4 turbo.  There’s more curb weight to contend with in the RX, and more performance is expected at this price, so both of these still provide uncompetitive acceleration.  Perhaps not a big deal, the RX was never very quick–it first made its name by being unusually clever and refined. 

You can relive that late-90s glory with the $55,000 RX350h Premium, painted in metallic green with the tan and ash wood interior.  Drive the electric torque so the obnoxious 2.5-liter doesn’t go into a high-rpm tizzy and it’s probably an impressively relaxed and refined experience at a lower inflation-adjusted price than the original RX300.

 

The 2.4 turbo hybrid and the plug-in scoot much better, reaching 60 mph in six seconds or under.  The former is available only as the 500h FSport trim that bested an MDX Type S in MotorTrend instrumented testing and subjective driving impressions. I’m not entirely sure I believe that one, as the MDX’s numbers were strangely slow and MT’s subjective impressions tend to flail around like the end of an unsecured fire hose.  Still–the 500h FSport looks like the well-executed pick of the RX litter.  With a $66,000 MSRP, it is just about bang-on the inflation adjusted sticker price of the original 1998 and much quicker.  Cut Lexus a break with this one, it looks like they did a thorough job.

 

TX350, TX500h, TX550h+.  $56,000 to $81,000.  

Eighty-one thousand!  For a transverse-engined bus!  To be fair, it’s a big bus.  You’re buying a lot of cubic feet.  It’s also a fast bus.  0-60 in 5.2 seconds.  It’s quicker everywhere in Car and Driver instrumented testing than a 6.2-liter Escalade or the BMW X7 xDrive40i if you remove launch control from the equation, and those can be 10-20 grand more.  There are thirty or so miles of EV range and 28 mpg combined when in hybrid mode, which is impressive for a 17-foot long 3-row with this kind of acceleration.  

This heffalump is the range-topping TX550h+, with the 400-horsepower plug-in V6 hybrid.  The TX500h is a step down and has the 2.4 turbo hybrid and a fully-acceptable 6-second run to 60. It weighs a bit less, has rear-steer and adaptive dampers, and so covers a nimbler ride/handling range.  $72,000 for that one.  It’s the one I’d want, because the plug-in is excessive and the base TX350 is insufficient.  That one has the modest 2.4 turbo and can barely outrun the UX.  

 

The interior received mixed reviews because the basic design and build quality seem set to the $56,000 introductory price and don’t translate as well to the $70,000+ range.  Nice but not seventy-thousand nice.  Lexus may also be stupidly diluting their Mark Levinson brand, as there are complaints that the unit in the TX is wholly unworthy of the name.     

  

Where to from here?

This is a profitable lineup with plenty of variety compared to the sparse 90s, but that was achieved through a strong downmarket push in vehicle class and powertrain options. Downmarket was not a place Lexus risked going for the first 20 years of its life.  

It’s difficult to know what to think of this. No auto manufacturer can remain stagnant under changing market and regulatory environments, so a shift towards more affordable price classes and fuel efficiency was inevitable.  Jettisoning this much of their hard-earned 90s erudite cachet in the process? I wonder if that needed to happen.  Lexus has gone a bit far and there’s a sense of disingenuousness which I find off-putting, from the bright red leather seats on crossovers with no performance to speak of, to the dilution of FSport trims, to the use of grainy four-cylinder engines in a brand built upon refinement. 

Platform and powertrain sharing with a Toyota needn’t be an automatic sin.  The ’92 ES worked as a luxury vehicle because the Camry platform it rode on was exceptional and the 1MZ V6 was an upscale engine.  I’m not sure you can say the same about the current transverse crossover platforms and you certainly can’t say it about the first 4 engine options. 

Yet, when I look around the current automotive landscape I come back to thinking that Lexus isn’t positioned much differently than it ever was.  Lexus has always been a blend of entry-level luxury and more expensive RWD cars and SUVs.  The market has simply decided that “entry-level” starts far lower than it used to.  All three Germans have moved there as well, with stubby little FWD crossovers running quick but laggy and buzzy turbo fours that fail to impress the way an E36 325i did.  At the upper end, the LS is no longer quite the conspicuously excellent flagship it once was, but the LC500 is without peer at the price and shows what the company is still capable of producing.  And we’re probably being too hard on the LS; with the 7-Series and S-Class becoming rolling bordellos of crass and meaningless glitz, the LS still looks like a paragon of subtlety, craftsmanship, and good taste.  You know, like a Lexus.

 

The next few years will be important.  With the smooth naturally-aspirated engines being phased out and the desirable RWD car platforms long overdue for replacement, the brand risks losing its traditional credentials.  It can’t be all crossovers, 4-cylinder ES, and two peculiar Land Cruiser variants.  There needs to be an aspirational model set in the lineup that stands out and defines the brand.  And they don’t all have to be a six-figure halo cars.  Remember what set the original ES300 apart.  

 

Lexus has bills to pay and should by all means pay them.  Keep those lights on.  Make the profitable tinseled crossovers.  But throw those of us who bought into the 90s hype a bone and take the brand’s median back to entry-level luxury and performance rather than the “Toyota+” it appears headed towards.  Continue the LC, LS, and IS.  Ensure the ES and RX are unusually refined and expand their performance envelopes upward, not down.  If you’re going all-hybrid, for God’s sake go the extra mile and purge them of the inappropriate graininess and engine noise, get that electric Direct4 AWD to torque-vector the rear wheels and neutralize the handling rather than just braking the inside wheel, and put that system on both the ES and RX.  If Acura can do it, so can you.  The current ES in FSport tune with a torque-vectoring 300hp hybrid and AWD that can put power down–even slightly rotate–in a turn and not sound like a food processor when running hard?  Yeah, I’d be interested in that.  Not a bad replacement for the GS350, and a far stronger competitor for the 530i xDrive and E300 4Matic.  

You’re not much different than you were, Lexus.  You’ve still got this.  You can still keep your bona fides while competing with your rivals at the new lower end of the market.  Just remember who you are, and don’t give up the meaning and reputation behind the L on my GS’s steering wheel.   Good luck!