The RX 350 is the blue blood of luxury crossovers; it's well-appointed but sometimes it's just too reserved to elicit any excitement and pales in comparison to some of its rivals.
Acceleration, braking and everything in between was smooth. So smooth in fact that I barely even noticed any of it. However, I'd still recommend this car; it's comfortable, user-friendly in its simplicity and roomy enough for a family of four. However, if you want a car with a third row, an exciting driving experience and lots of high-tech standard features, this isn't it. The RX 350's competition — the Acura MDX, Cadillac SRX or BMW X3 or X5 — offers plenty of those things, though. The RX 350 is a crossover your mom would adore, but your younger brother would find totally dull, so make sure you know who you're shopping for (even if it's yourself) before you buy.
Besides a few new exterior colors and a new brake override system that is now standard across the line, the RX 350 doesn't have many new features for 2011. The 2011 Lexus RX 350 with all-wheel drive that I tested had a price tag of $51,234, though the base trim's starting MSRP is $39,075.
EXTERIOR
The 2011 RX 350 says luxury without being ostentatious and offers soft lines and curves that create a perfectly well-rounded facade. From the outside, it's easy to see why so many people drive this five-passenger crossover.
My test car had the optional 19-inch alloy wheels, folding heated side mirrors and headlamp cleaners. The retractable mirrors came in handy when I parked the RX in a crowded city lot on a busy Friday night. The parking spaces were tight, yet we had no problem getting in and out of it and no fear that anyone would skim the mirrors when walking by or pulling in next to us.
The featherweight doors and liftgate are great. They're not flimsy; they're lightweight and easy for me and my children to maneuver. With a car this easy to get in and out of with the kids, I might someday experience a life without neck and shoulder pain since the usual lifting of kids was kept to a minimum.
The power liftgate also made life easier. The rear cargo space was large enough and offered a cargo cover, net and under-floor compartment. There really was a place for everything.
Given my depiction of the Lexus as the blue blood of luxury cars, it was befitting that my test car came in a color called Satin Cashmere Metallic. Nothing says luxury like cashmere, and my test car's color spiced things up a bit.
The 2011 RX 350's 3.5-liter V-6 engine delivers 275 horsepower and uses premium fuel. The front-wheel-drive RX gets an EPA-estimated 18/25 mpg city/highway, and my all-wheel-drive test car gets 18/24 mpg. I split my time with the RX almost evenly between the city streets and the highway and ended up averaging upward of 22 mpg.
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