Lexus: Too clever by half

The Lexus RX350 update is impressive but trying a bit too hard. Photo / Supplied

I rather liked the outgoing Lexus RX330. It had swoopy good looks, the traditional Lexus build quality and attention to detail, and was easy to live with.

This RX350 update? A bit of a disappointment, for all that it's still impressive.

The larger, 3.5-litre V6 engine boosts power and torque, 90 per cent of the latter delivered from 2300 to 6100rpm.

It's also more economical, boasts more high-tech goodies, and features a stiffer body.

But it's just a little too clever and in eschewing the simplicity of its predecessor for a more try-hard ambience, it's lost the ease which made the 330 such a pleasure.

For example, a fancy cruise control system not only effortlessly maintains cruise speed, but also ensures you keep a safe following distance. It will automatically slow the car as vehicles in front decelerate, and speed up when they do. That makes for such stultifying motorway boredom, only a cellphone chat or a quick read of the paper would relieve it. Except if you do that, you might need the 10 airbags.

Then you leave the motorway - and cruise through a school zone where the cruise stops working, for you've nudged under 40km/h, the speed limit around educational emporiums. By which time you've forgotten where your foot is; let's hope it's on the brake pedal.

Meanwhile, a green light's appeared on the dash. Is the car in fuel-frugal cylinder-cutting mode as used by Holden's Commodore? Um, no, it merely indicates you are driving frugally. If you can't already tell that's what you're doing, you shouldn't be driving. Except you aren't - it's the cruise doing it for you ...

And it's not that frugal. Lexus claims 10.8 litres/100km, better than before. But my hilly commute registered 14.0 after an extended motorway stretch reduced the previously eye-watering figure.

This asymmetrical dash is pleasant, although the materials are naff, particularly given my Limited test model costs $110,990.

If I were an undemanding driver, I'd probably like the silent performance and comfy ride.

But the engine doesn't go as well as the on-paper figures imply; the handling is soft and not as clever as a road-oriented SUV at this price could achieve; and the car just doesn't feel as special as that price suggests, though its hybrid sibling launching next month should address that.

LEXUS RX350

We like
Cruise control's ability to maintain following distance weird but effective; quiet, refined, Lexus build quality

We don't like
Tries to be too clever, naff materials

Powertrain
3.5-litre V6, 204kW at 6200rpm, 346Nm at 4700rpm, six-speed auto drives all wheels

Performance
0-100km/h not available, 10.8l/100km

Safety
Stability control, pre-crash brake control, ABS, 10 airbags including dual front knee, and dual rear side

What it's got
Dynamic radar cruise control, satnav, dual zone air con, front and rear park assist

Vital stats
4770mm long, 446-825-litre boot, 72-litre tank