Lexus RZ 2023 long-term test
Upmarket electric family SUV arrives with plenty to prove, especially to its keeper
*Why we’re running it: * To see if Lexus’s famed attention to detail makes up for the modest range
-Month 1 - Specs-
-Life with a Lexus RZ: Month 1-
*Welcoming the Lexus RZ to the fleet - 26 July 2023*
Spending £70,000-plus on a car is quite a privilege at the best of times, but throw in the current cost of living crisis and impending recession and it becomes an even more extravagant proposition.
So, with opinions like that, seeing the keys to such a vehicle land on my desk at Autocar Towers was a bit of a surprise – but maybe that was the point. The very plush Lexus RZ will be in my keep for the next few months, possibly in the hope that I’ll become an advocate for high-end cruising, or at least understand its place.
What’s more, the brand’s new flagship is an EV, and Lexus’s first bespoke one at that (after the also-a-hybrid UX) – albeit a reskinned Toyota bZ4X. Sorry, being cynical.
But it’s hard not to be in the world of lavish EVs. Just look at the spec sheets that accompany some cheaper models such as the Skoda Enyaq iV, which in £45,000, bigger-battery form delivers more than 300 miles of real-world range.
It makes you wonder why Lexus (and Toyota) didn’t want to offer more than the RX’s on-paper range of 251 miles (we’ll come to that later) and whether a car like this, at this price point has a place in the world – especially when battery technology has yet to catch up with combustion power in terms of how far it can take you between stops.
Anyway, we’re going to start with a clean slate.
First, let’s have a look at what we have here: a 309bhp, four-wheel-drive, two-tonne family SUV that has been created to offer “confidence, control and comfort”, according to Lexus.
Although this is my first report, I’m already more than 700 miles into our relationship, which has included airport trips and motorway runs. B-road blasts have figured too, and they’ve been surprisingly quite fun in this EV, despite its weight.
I’m happy to report Lexus has hit the mark: this is a comfy car. And plush – especially in the Takumi trim of our model. As a result, every journey has been one of comfort – from being lightly manoeuvred into my driving position at the press of the start button to the in-seat fans keeping me sweat-free on scorching days.
This is a key point for a car at this price point: it needs to be as nice as, if not nicer than, your lounge. Odd analogy, but you get my point. The infotainment, with its large, 14.0in screen, has a raft of features that we will dive into later.
I’ve sat in the back of it and it’s very pleasant. Those seats recline, which makes it one of the most comfortable rear benches I’ve sat on, although passengers have reported feeling the bumps, something I’ve not noticed in the front.
The faux suede (an environmental decision) across every seat and touchpoint adds to the plushness. Then there’s the opaque glass sunroof that, as if by magic (it’s actually science), switches to clear at the touch of a button. The interior is just such a good place to be.
The RZ also drives well for a 4.8m-long family SUV, and with the Takumi trim adding performance dampers front and rear (which means no towing can be done), it handles well too. The four-wheel steering also means our car can manoeuvre slickly in town.
Good news, then? Well, ish: there are some caveats. The beeping is one. The RZ has a host of safety features, from speed limit monitoring and lane assist to driver concentration technology.
They’re all good things, but they’re just very sensitive (the driver monitoring system hates sunglasses), and when alerting – which it does with loud beeps and bongs – it is quite aggressive.
You can, as with most safety systems, turn these off but it must be done for each journey. This seems a world away from the if-not-safer Volvo XC40 Recharge, my previous long-term test car, which doesn’t feel the need to constantly bong at you as part of its uncompromising quest to keep you driving legally and safely.
Which brings me on to the range. The RZ has a claimed a top end of 271 miles, but as ours is fitted with 20in alloys, this immediately drops to 251 miles.
Yet this is the dreaded ‘fan off’ range, so the reality is even lower. How low? After our first few weeks with the RZ, even in stints of especially conservative driving (the app has been scoring my driving at 84 out of 100 for efficiency), I’ve achieved no more than 180 miles from the fully charged 71.4kWh battery.
That’s 180 miles for a car that costs £74,000. Not great, but it’s a good benchmark to attempt improvements during our tenure.
This is going to be an interesting test, then. We have here a car that Lexus has entrusted as its new flagship, so is it up for the task? Let’s see what it’s made of.
*Second Opinion*
The RZ is a beautifully finished, smooth-riding car, so I imagine it will be a very pleasant companion for the next few months if Will can find a way to tame the overzealous safety systems. I’m also curious to see if the RZ’s range prediction in winter will be more accurate than the Toyota bZ4X’s.
*Illya Verpraet *
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-Lexus RZ 450e Takumi specification-
*Specs: Price New* £74,000 *Price as tested* £74,000 *Options *None
*Test Data: Engine* xxx *Power* 309bhp *Torque *321lb ft *Kerb weight* 2055kg *Top speed* 99mph *0-62mph* 5.6sec *Range *252 miles (WLTP) *Economy* 3.4mpkW *CO2 *0g/km *Faults* None *Expenses* None
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