2007 Lexus RX the best yet
All summer long, we’d play baseball in the street, fighting for each large and small victory; when a passing car drove us to the curb, we fought to be first to call its name.
We were living Ronald Reagan’s America, pure-hearted (and simple-minded) lads wrapped up in a pair of national icons.
We didn’t know much then, but we did know that baseball and cars were part of what made our country great. Those Godless Commies couldn’t hold a candle.
It was a fine time to be 12.
As it happens, though, someone neglected to secure our exclusive rights to the dream. Here I point to the runaway success of both cars and ball players coming from the Land of the Rising Sun.
We could have seen it coming, when Japanese Little Leaguers began winning world titles and Honda motorcycles stormed our school parking lots.
A Direct Hit
A few weeks ago, we called the 2007 Lexus ES 350 “the best mid-size American sedan a domestic manufacturer never built.”
Now, we need to go on record re: the 2007 Lexus RX 350, a crossover sport-ute that hits its target as squarely as its sedan sibling does. Designed for the American market and built here for the most part, the RX is Lexus’ best-selling model.
One of three high-end, midsize SUVs introduced in the late-‘90s, the RX 300 was conventionally derided for being neither rugged as Mercedes-Benz’ M-Class nor as sporty as BMW’s X5. Lexus proceeded to sell about 108,000 copies a year, more than three times as either.
Moreover, I defy you to name a single, right-handed reliever from Germany.
A Work in Progress
Over the years, the RX has undergone constant refinement. A full makeover in 2004 brought a dramatic new exterior, a roomier cabin and a more powerful and fuel-efficient engine.
That model was named the RX 330, for its 3.3-liter powerplant.
For 2007, the changes are more modest, but bring yet another name change. The 230-horsepower, 3.3-liter V-6 of the previous edition is replaced by a 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 270 hp.
Torque is up, too, and the power band is broader, yielding 0-60 times that range from 6.8 to 7.3 seconds, depending on your source — or about a second quicker than the RX 330.
At 19 city/24 highway, the RX 350 is among the most fuel-efficient of the midsize SUVs.
Credit in part goes to a very good, five-speed automatic that works hand-in-glove with the creamy-smooth engine to find the correct balance between power and economy.
To accommodate this year’s power increase, Lexus gives the AWD version a new viscous limited-slip center differential that distributes power front-to-rear in a 50/50 split. When slip occurs, power is redirected to the wheels with traction.
Other improvements include an acoustic-glass windshield and increased insulation throughout.
The AM/FM/CD audio system is now satellite-ready and compatible with MP3/WPA-formatted CDs. It’s also equipped with an Automatic Sound Levelizer, Radio Data System and digital signal processor.
Endless Amenities
The RX 350 is available in two trims, front-wheel-drive (from $38,115, including destination) and AWD ($39,515). They are identically equipped, with such standard features as 10-way power front seats; a full set of auto-dimming mirrors; dual-zone automatic climate control; steering wheel-mounted audio controls; one-touch power windows all around; sliding and reclining rear seats; and a power liftgate.
Also included are electronic stability and traction control systems, anti-lock brakes, with brakeforce distribution and brake assist, and a full complement of airbags.
No matter which trim you pick, the interior will impress, with its rich blend of real wood trim and leather accents (leather seats are optional). I’m not wild about the metal-look sleeves that flank the instrument panel; even so, this is one of the segment’s most welcoming and comfortable interiors.
A series of options packages elevates the RX 350 into some adjacent dimension.
Chief among them is what may be the granddaddy of all options packages, the $7,090 Navigation System/Mark Levinson Package. It packages Lexus’s voice-activated nav system (it now includes a rearview monitor) with the uplevel Mark Levinson Audio System (11 speakers, CD/DVD audio playback) and a host of unrelated items, such as a power/tilt steering column, high-intensity-discharge with adaptive lighting, leather seats, moonroof and more).
A Performance package fetches an air suspension and 18-inch wheels with low-profile performance tires.
A separate hybrid model, the 400h, is available from $41,895.
A Low-key Experience
Of the available midsize luxury and near-luxury crossovers, the RX 350 is perhaps the purest expression of the form. Designed to comfortably accommodate five and their gear, it is a spry and lively performer in traffic and an outstanding long-distance cruiser.
Even with the Performance package aboard, the RX is more capable than compelling through the twisties. It has more than enough grunt, though, for passing and freeway-merge situations.
This year’s gains in power and insulation make the RX 350 the best RX yet. Lexus is a Japanese company, but it was dreaming an American dream when it came up with this one.