2025 Lexus RX 500h F Sport offers concepts of sportiness
Sometimes the F in F Sport does not stand for “Fun.” Or “comFort.” But this luxurious SUV is still pretty Fast and eFficient.
2025 Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance AWD: Hybrid + F Sport = Fun and efficiency?
Price: $73,050 as tested. Panoramic view monitor added $1,670; LED lights, $1,565; fancy paint, $595. More noted below.
Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver’s pluses? “Three hybrid power trains to choose from, sharp bodywork, luxe interior.” Minuses? “Base hybrid system feels overtaxed, plug-in hybrid only available with everything on it, even the sportiest model is far from it.”
Marketer’s pitch: “The iconic midsize Lexus hybrid luxury SUV.”
Reality: Some fun, some fuel savings, some disappointments.
What’s new: The RX carries on from its 2023 redesign, only adding a Black Line Special Edition for 2025.
I’ve waxed on about various Lexus models over the years; their speed, handling, and comfort have made many models tops in my book. But they’ve had their misses as well.
Competition: Audi Q8, BMW X5 and X6; Genesis GV80, Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Lincoln Nautilus.
Up to speed: The F Sport RX 500h combines a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a hybrid motor, creating 366 horses. The result is almost neck snapping. I put the big SUV to its first test on an uphill ramp to Route 30 and was rewarded with practically unbelievable acceleration.
Car and Driver’s tests confirm this, as they noted 0-60 is 5.5 seconds.
Shifty: The gear selector follows the Prius pattern — up and left for Reverse, back and left for Drive. Shiftability happens via steering wheel paddles. It’s just a 6-speed, though, which seems antiquated for this price point. Still, nothing to complain about in the functionality.
On the road: As nice as quick acceleration can be, when I see F Sport Performance I’m also expecting a lot of fun off the main highways as well. Unfortunately this incarnation of the RX didn’t do the trick for me.
Winding roads are just OK, and the vehicle must be in Sport mode, or else even “just OK” is a wish. On highways and moderately winding country roads, any mode is fine.
Oh, and did I mention that the drive mode settings are inside the touchscreen? And that they default to Normal? At least the GM models I’ve tested that employ this method (Blazer and Optic EVs come to mind) stay in the last mode selected.
On the bright side, I got stuck in Schuylkill Expressway traffic, and the self-driving system in the Lexus RX 500h proved its mettle. I could just comfortably let the system take over while it was slow-fast-slow-fast from about 25 to 60 mph. It was a relaxing way to commute; usually these systems make me more nervous.
Driver’s Seat: Lexus usually likes to give drivers a nice cuddle as they ride around, but the wings on this Driver’s Seat are like an uncomfortably snug hug from that weird uncle or greetings from an obnoxiously over-affectionate dog.
And it doesn’t even feel that cuddly; the padding is just a different breed here. Further, as you reach down to adjust the recline and lumbar, you’ll find the lower portion of the seat is made of cheap fabric and hard plastic. The Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat thought it was up to snuff, but I felt wistful for that special Lexus touch.
Friends and stuff: The second row actually does offer the kind of Lexus cuddliness I’d been dreaming of. It’s also roomy, an RX mainstay.
The power seat-folding button provides a decent range of seat back adjustments, though not a deep recline. The corners are also heated and ventilated for $1,230.
Cargo space is 30 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 46 with the seat folded, although I think that second calculation is on the small side.
Towing capacity maxes out at 3,500 pounds.
Play some tunes: Sound from the Mark Levinson system is only about an A- or an A. Only bass, midrange, and treble adjustments are to be had, no special sound enhancements or equalizer, making me wonder if it’s worth its $2,265 price tag.
On the bright side, the infotainment screen is a large 14 inches, and there’s no more infuriating touch pad control.
But the steering wheel hover controls are still in place: Put your finger on the button and the windshield projection tells what the controllers are for, and then hit the controller once to adjust that setting. So rather than adjusting by feel, each change requires at least two motions and a glance. It’s like Lexus can’t help but make things more cumbersome.
Keeping warm and cool: Awkward dials control temperature, and everything else happens in the touchscreen.
Fuel economy: Previous drivers and I averaged about 27 mpg, which is really not all that stellar.
Where it’s built: Cambridge, Ontario. Forty percent of the parts are from the U.S. and Canada; 45% from Japan; and the rest are of undetermined sourcing.
How it’s built: The RX Hybrid series scores a 4 out of 5 in reliability from Consumer Reports.
In the end: It’s still pretty Lexus-y overall. But it’s a miss on the handling and the front seats, which are some critical pieces to my driving experience.
I’d lean toward the X6. The Q8 is pretty nice, too, but I’d driven a far pricier version.