reviewed for Motor Matters Syndicate
by Dan Lyons

Lexus caught on early. Years before many manufacturers realized where the SUV market was heading, Lexus was already there. “There” was more car and less truck; more on-road and less off-road; more station wagon and less SUV. Lexus arrived in 1998 with their first luxury sport utility; the RX 300. The timing was perfect. The RX 300 quickly became the best seller in the luxury maker’s lineup, and the best selling luxury SUV, period. With success came a successor; the RX 330, which made its debut in 2003. Fast forward to 2006 and it’s year three of generation two for the Lexus RX. It’s still the company’s best seller, still tops the charts for luxury Sport Utility Vehicles. The secret of its success is really no secret. The RX 330 just does what it does, very, very well.

Many luxury cars are bought from the inside out; so too for luxury SUV’s. The RX cabin – already long on luxury features - adds a few more for 2006. Most notably new: the passenger seat joins the driver’s seat with 10-way, power adjustable controls. One reason for the popularity of the RX 330 is that it blurs the line between luxury car and SUV. Slip into the front seats and you’ll find all of the comfort and convenience features that you’d expect in a luxury sedan. Seating is quite accommodating of the tall and the small. Controls and switchgear are easy to find and operate. Lexus blends fine wood trim (walnut or bird’s eye maple) with fit and finish that are world class. Standard features include heated, power adjustable, auto-dimming outside mirrors, an electroluminescent instrument panel, power windows, a sliding center console, a stellar, eight speaker sound system with CD player, an anti-theft system, keyless entry, reclining/sliding rear seats, redundant controls on steering wheel and Vehicle Stability Control. Even with this high level of standard equipment, options abound. Choices on the menu include both the traditional and the cutting edge. Buyers can add leather seating surfaces, a choice of two moon roofs, adaptive cruise control, adaptive front lighting with HID headlamps, premium sound system, air suspension and DVD rear entertainment system, to name most (but not all) of the choices.

The navigation system option ($2,350) can help you figure out where you’re going, where you’ve been and how to talk about it. The navigation system has a 7” screen, voice activation and an easy to use interface. The screen also displays a wide-angle picture of what’s directly behind you, when you slip the transmission into reverse. Bluetooth compatibility allows the system to work with your Bluetooth equipped phone to allow hands-free calls through the touch screen control panel.

The interior holds 4-5 comfortably, and a good deal of cargo as well. Storage space runs the gamut from generous (38.3 cubic feet with rear seats up) to cavernous (84.7 cu. ft. with rear seats folded), and the one piece, swing up hatch door can be operated manually or by remote control. You can program the standard, power rear lift gate to open with the touch of a button – convenient, when you’ve got your arm’s full. Liftover height in back is low, and a tonneau cover provides cover for your cargo and automatically retracts when the hatch is opened.

The RX330 is offered in Front Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive versions, and both are equipped with a Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system. For my test driver, I chose an AWD model, as do 60% of RX 330 buyers. The Lexus AWD and VSC systems are transparent to the driver, requiring no input. When the systems detect wheel slip, they channel power from front to back wheels or side to side as needed, to maximize your grip. VSC also steps in during cornering, applying throttle or braking individual wheels as necessary to combat a slide. In sloppy winter weather, the Lexus is surefooted and easy to maneuver.

One drivetrain is offered: a 3.3 liter, 223 hp V6, linked to a five speed automatic transmission. It’s a really smooth engine; comfortably quick off the line (0-60 mph in 7.8 seconds) and it cruises easily at highway speeds. Gas mileage is in the ballpark for the breed. EPA says an AWD model will get 18 mpg’s city/24 highway.

The RX330 is refined and comfortable and offers a boatload of high tech electronics. Any luxury SUV that’s been developed in the past eight years has benchmarked it, and for good reason. Like I said, what it does, it does very, very well.

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