2010 Lexus RX350/400h @ 2008 LAAS
- 15 years ago
http://blogs.edmunds.com/straightline/2008/11/2008-la-auto-show-2010-lexus-rx-350.html
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The big story about the 2010 Lexus RX 350 is that there's nothing big about it. Due to its wider track, it's slightly broader across the shoulders than the 2009 RX 350, but otherwise it has the same overall footprint. Its 107.9-inch wheelbase is only an inch longer than before, but there's still no third-row seat. RX owners, we're told, still don't want one.
""Keeping the right size was something we heard a lot of, because we certainly studied whether we wanted to add a third row,"" Ben Mitchell, an RX product planner, told us. ""The majority of RX owners prioritize space in back, room for luggage.""
To that end, the 2010 RX 350 has a more compact double-wishbone rear suspension, and after inspecting the cargo bay, we can attest that it intrudes less than the previous strut arrangement.
The previous RX's 3.5-liter V6 carries over but makes 275 horsepower this year (an increase of 5), and last year's five-speed automatic gives way to Toyota's six-speed unit with a manual-shift mode. The RX 350 gained some weight in the redesign (same basic platform architecture but more luxury gadgets), but we're told 0-60 times won't be affected much.
Electric power steering assist is new this year, but based on our recent experience with the Toyota Venza, we don't think this is a bad thing for the RX. ""Owners asked for a little bit tighter response in the steering,"" said Mitchell, and we think we've delivered that without compromising comfort.""
Probably the biggest change on the 2010 Lexus RX 350 is that it no longer has a touchscreen-style navigation system. Really. You now have to use a console controller called Remote Touch. We're told you can adjust the controller's sensitivity much like a computer mouse. To ease the transition, Lexus has a couple hands-on tutorials set up in the convention center that you can play with if you go to the show.
The 2010 Lexus RX 350 goes on sale in February 2009.
---
The big story about the 2010 Lexus RX 350 is that there's nothing big about it. Due to its wider track, it's slightly broader across the shoulders than the 2009 RX 350, but otherwise it has the same overall footprint. Its 107.9-inch wheelbase is only an inch longer than before, but there's still no third-row seat. RX owners, we're told, still don't want one.
""Keeping the right size was something we heard a lot of, because we certainly studied whether we wanted to add a third row,"" Ben Mitchell, an RX product planner, told us. ""The majority of RX owners prioritize space in back, room for luggage.""
To that end, the 2010 RX 350 has a more compact double-wishbone rear suspension, and after inspecting the cargo bay, we can attest that it intrudes less than the previous strut arrangement.
The previous RX's 3.5-liter V6 carries over but makes 275 horsepower this year (an increase of 5), and last year's five-speed automatic gives way to Toyota's six-speed unit with a manual-shift mode. The RX 350 gained some weight in the redesign (same basic platform architecture but more luxury gadgets), but we're told 0-60 times won't be affected much.
Electric power steering assist is new this year, but based on our recent experience with the Toyota Venza, we don't think this is a bad thing for the RX. ""Owners asked for a little bit tighter response in the steering,"" said Mitchell, and we think we've delivered that without compromising comfort.""
Probably the biggest change on the 2010 Lexus RX 350 is that it no longer has a touchscreen-style navigation system. Really. You now have to use a console controller called Remote Touch. We're told you can adjust the controller's sensitivity much like a computer mouse. To ease the transition, Lexus has a couple hands-on tutorials set up in the convention center that you can play with if you go to the show.
The 2010 Lexus RX 350 goes on sale in February 2009.