2023 Lexus RX 350h

Name: 2023 Lexus RX 350h Base SUV
Brand: Lexus

Release Date: Fall-Winter 2022

Estimated Price: Starting around $51,000

What to expect

Part of the RX lineup redesigned for 2023
Features a redesigned hybrid powertrain
Touchpad controller is finally gone and replaced by a standard touchscreen
Kicks off the fifth RX generation for 2023

Contact your local dealers about upcoming availability and pricing details.

2023 Lexus RX 350h Review

The new RX 350h promises better efficiency

by the Edmunds Experts

•5/31/2022

What is the RX 350h?

Recent years of the Lexus RX have had three primary attributes to potentially win over midsize-SUV shoppers: distinctive styling, a lower-than-average price tag among its peers, and the perceived reliability of its parent company. But it's also not been all that exciting to drive and let down by a central display screen's user interface that's frustrating and distracting to use while you're behind the wheel.

At least, those are the traits exhibited by the prior-generation RX, which dates back to 2016. Lexus is debuting a redesigned RX for 2023, replete with a range of new powertrains and other upgrades. Chief among them is — finally! — the removal of the much-hated touchpad controller.

We'll be covering the standard 2023 Lexus RX 350h hybrid model here, but you should know that there's also the standard RX 350 that features a new turbocharged engine, the RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid (or PHEV) and RX 500h performance hybrid. All are covered separately on Edmunds.

What's under the RX 350h's hood?

The 2023 RX 350h serves as a replacement for last year's RX 450h as the 2023 450h+ is now a plug-in hybrid. The RX 350h uses a more traditional hybrid powertrain, although unlike last year's model, it now employs a 2.5-liter inline-four engine rather than a V6. So we can expect slightly improved fuel efficiency over last year's model. Final EPA estimates haven't been announced, but Lexus expects 33 mpg combined compared to the last model's 30 mpg combined.

All that said, the RX 350h makes much less power — 246 horsepower — than the RX 450h, which packed 308 hp. If that's not enough grunt, it's worth checking out the new-for-2023 RX 500h F Sport Performance that makes 367 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Power is fed through a continuously variable automatic transmission. The RX 350h does come standard with all-wheel drive, and despite the power loss, Lexus' 0 to 60 mph estimate of 7.4 seconds is right on par with the last RX hybrid Edmunds tested.

How's the RX 350h's interior?

Lexus hasn't released full information about the RX's interior, but we do know a few things. The wheelbase is a couple inches longer for 2023, which should translate to a slight bump in legroom for front and rear passengers. Standard and available tech features will include a head-up display, configurable ambient lighting and a panoramic sunroof — all typical stuff for a luxury crossover SUV at this price point.

The most significant change, however, comes in the form of the new infotainment system. Lexus has finally done away with the touchpad controller that made the user interface so clunky and difficult to interact with. For 2023, the RX 350h instead uses a simple touchscreen, albeit punctuated with a pair of physical dials that allow you to quickly input the desired temperature for the front-seat climate system. We've tested this interface in several newer Toyota and Lexus products — including the new Toyota Tundra and Lexus NX — and while it's not 100% user-friendly, it is significantly easier to navigate around the menus.

Edmunds says