2025 Lexus RX350h Review - Yuck

[Nick1994]

I see there’s a couple reviews on here for these, but mine will be a bit different.

My aunt had surgery and asked me to drop off her GX550 for service, so the dealer gave me a loaner. It was a 2025 Lexus RX350h (hybrid) with 5k miles. I had it for 3 days and 200 miles.

The good:

• Suspension was firm but overall for 21” wheels, it rode pretty darn good.
• Great highway vehicle, good road manners and I wouldn’t mind driving across the country in it. Nice and quiet.
• Great looks IMO, modern design inside and out. Not stuck in the past.
• Good mpg. I reset the meter when I got it and it averaged 34 mpg.

The bad:

• It had the Mark Levinson stereo. I was so excited once I saw that badge to try it out. I HATED the stereo in this thing. Absolutely terrible sound quality that I don’t even know where to begin.
  • The stereo basically only has front speakers. If you turn the fade to the rear, it’s mostly only tweets. Not a bit of bass. The sound is not clear and sounds like the front speakers are under the dash, the sound does not surround you at all despite “surround sound” being either on or off.
  • The bass is literally comes and goes under high volume. This is well documented in the Lexus forums as some sort of defect, perhaps an undersized amplifier or software that’s trying to protect it. The bass will be fine for 15-20 seconds, then fade out for 15-20 seconds like a rhythm.
  • Songs with decent bass rattle the front speakers to their limits, sounds like they’re going to blow but without being blown yet. Not a premium stereo at all.
• It’s underpowered. I thought being a hybrid it would help give it a little more get up and go but other than casual driving, it’s slow.
• The tablet stereo on the dash would rattle on the highway at times, giving it a pull would stop the rattle for the rest of the drive.
• The 4 way buttons on the steering wheel are unlabeled, and you rest your finger on them so it shows on the screen above what they do. Then you push them for the option like going to the next song or adjusting your cruise control. One thing is, once you learn what the button does, you can’t just push right to go to the next song. You have to rest your finger on it for a second and then push to go to the next song. There’s a delay that means you’re pushing it twice usually.
• Typical Toyota technology that requires too many menus and button pushes to get to what you want to do, like switching from bluetoootj
• The seating position is kind of awkward and the seat bottom is hard as a rock.
• The materials in the car are fine, but I feel like this is a RAV4 and not a Lexus.

I was shocked with how disappointed I was with this car, as I’m a Toyota/Lexus fan-boy. My daily driver is a 2014 ES350 and I drive my aunt’s 2024 GX550 often.

 

[The Critic]

My MIL has the same car - but in a lower trim. The ML stereo has been a sore spot for many recent models due to their tuning.

The A25A hybrid powertrain gets the job done but it isn't quick by any means -- it's 4-cyl Camry territory. The 500h really moves though.

I'm surprised you got a loaner. The new LCCS policy is you must be a registered owner of the vehicle (or their spouse). I had to bring my MIL's RX350h in and they were unable to give me a loaner for that reason.

 

[CKN]

There are those who have never bought a new car on here-and will never buy one. So this thread will have plenty of naysayers. Respectfully -your daily driver is 12 years old-and a lot has changed since then.

 

[Oliveoil2]

The sun always sets…even on the most beautiful day.

 

[The Critic]

There are those who have never bought a new car on here-and will never buy one. So this thread will have plenty of naysayers. Respectfully -your daily driver is 12 years old-and a lot has changed since then.

We're in a similar situation with my mom. She wants to upgrade from her 2010 Altima with the VQ35 V6. She wants something with a low step-in height and a lot of power, and doesn't want German. Unfortunately, the current market for Asian vehicles tends to favor fuel economy over straight-line performance. We test drove two Toyota hybrids with the same A25A hybrid powertrain and she was thoroughly unimpressed.

 

[tbm5690]

We're in a similar situation with my mom. She wants to upgrade from her 2010 Altima with the VQ35 V6. She wants something with a low step-in height and a lot of power, and doesn't want German. Unfortunately, the current market for Asian vehicles tends to favor fuel economy over straight-line performance. We test drove two Toyota hybrids with the same A25A hybrid powertrain and she was thoroughly unimpressed.

TLX or Q50?

 

[CKN]

We're in a similar situation with my mom. She wants to upgrade from her 2010 Altima with the VQ35 V6. She wants something with a low step-in height and a lot of power, and doesn't want German. Unfortunately, the current market for Asian vehicles tends to favor fuel economy over straight-line performance. We test drove two Toyota hybrids with the same A25A hybrid powertrain and she was thoroughly unimpressed.

Have her drive a CPO Volvo XC60.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Have her drive a CPO Volvo XC60.

Given there now made in South Carolina it must be good!

Were all the previous XC60's we got in USA made in Sweden? I know they had several build locations.

 

[CKN]

Most

Given there now made in South Carolina it must be good!

Were all the previous XC60's we got in USA made in Sweden? I know they had several build locations.

Most have been made in Sweden.

 

[loneryder]

There’s something wrong with that stereo. It should sound very good.

 

[The Critic]

There’s something wrong with that stereo. It should sound very good.

No, it’s the ML tuning. The ML in my TX500h sounds equally terrible and I have the updated amp.

 

[Frankrank]

No, it’s the ML tuning. The ML in my TX500h sounds equally terrible and I have the updated amp.

That's a shame. Mark Levinson was part of the Harmon group and was their pinnacle brand. Samsung purchased Harmon a few years back. Looks like they just want the brand names without keeping the quality.

 

[tbm5690]

I had the ML system in a 2005 RX...same story, it fell far short. Sad to see it continues to be a sore point 20 years later.

 

[tbm5690]

There are those who have never bought a new car on here-and will never buy one. So this thread will have plenty of naysayers. Respectfully -your daily driver is 12 years old-and a lot has changed since then.

I don't see what your point has anything to do with a crappy "premium" stereo, underpowered drivetrain, or anything else the OP commented on...unless by saying "a lot has changed since then" you are implying that buying a new car means being OK with mediocre performance and compromises?

 

[trd1zz]

350h is obviously the wrong trim to get if you are concerned with it being underpowered.

You want the RX with T24A-FTS. The base 350 or 500h.

 

[KrisZ]

Sounds like the operation of the buttons on the steering wheel is downright dangerous. More gimmicks that look “high tech” that are anything but high tech.

 

[CKN]

I don't see what your point has anything to do with a crappy "premium" stereo, underpowered drivetrain, or anything else the OP commented on...unless by saying "a lot has changed since then" you are implying that buying a new car means being OK with mediocre performance and compromises?

Having an "more mature" person (like many on here) get in to a new car is pushing against the tide. Where are the buttons? and what are these "driver aids" (that make the vehicle inherently safer)? Not to mention miles per gallon range that was unheard of 20 years ago. BTW-these small 4/6 cylinder motors are putting out horsepower numbers of V8's in the 60's. And getting 30plus miles to the gallon.

I don''t believe his aunt has a critical enough ear to tell the difference on stereo. Remember-she wasn't
posting.

And yea-there is very little objectivity with new cars on this board.

I have a 2023 Silverado-1500-it's the best truck I have owned. BTW-GM sold just shy of a million last year, SIlverado-Sierra combined.

 

[PWMDMD]

I know they sold a ton of them (relatively speaking) but my 2019 RX 350 is kind of a hot mess too. Base model but the stereo is abysmal. The infotainment is one of the worst ever made with the stupid joy stick. The 8-speed auto hunts gears constantly - barely touch the gas and it down shifts, let off and it up shifts, barely touch the gas and it down shifts, rinse and repeat 100x going to the local grocery store. There is a very significant rattle/vibration in the driveline when in Drive and stopped. This things eats tires despite it being aligned. With 70k miles the interior has roughly 10 distinct rattles. The suspension is rough and booms over bumps and rough pavement. It's not a "luxury" SUV, it's a Toyota with some extra soft-touch materials/surfaces. But it's 7 years old and only has 70k miles on it and my wife loves it so we'll keep it until it dies. Honestly, the 2025 Subaru Forester is a better vehicle IMO in every way. I think the hybrid without the traditional CVT, and even with the dated infotainment, is a home run.

I drove 2025 RX 350 last year and I thought it made some progress in certain areas like ride quality and the infotainment was better (not great) but honestly not enough to make me want one anytime soon. I drive a 2020 Tundra but I don't think I'll ever consider a new model Tundra because it seems like Toyota is more about cost-control than quality these days. I like the idea of the Land Cruiser/GX but it's too small, too much cheap plastic, and not enough value given its price. I WILL NEVER pay a monthly fee to use technology I already purchased. Toyota has lost its way IMO.

 

[The Critic]

350h is obviously the wrong trim to get if you are concerned with it being underpowered.

You want the RX with T24A-FTS. The base 350 or 500h.

base 350 and 350h acceleration times are within a few tenths of each other. No real difference aside from the soundtrack.

500h is a very different story. Mine feels like a mix of EV and NA V6; the performance hybrid powertrain is a true gem.

 

[trd1zz]

base 350 and 350h acceleration times are within a few tenths of each other. No real difference aside from the soundtrack.

In a 0-60, yeah, because of the instant hybrid torque from a stop. But the electric motor is not nearly as effective when accelerating already at speed such as passing on highway or 2 lane road. The T24A is much quicker.