I have always been a fan of Lexus; the vehicles they produce are of exceptional quality, especially in terms of build quality. Given the parent company is Toyota, this should not be a surprise. For me personally, you get a level of understated luxury that you don’t find when you see the German alternatives. When Lexus said they were releasing an EV based on a bespoke platform, I jumped on the opportunity to have a look at it!
The RZ 450e truly is a Lexus. It is ultra refined on the motorway, where it will likely spend most of it’s days. Even though the 272 mile WLTP (more like 200 mile range) may not be acceptable to the ultra high mileage company car drivers, it still will be great for the daily commuters.
For example, my current ~70 mile daily commute will be absolutely no issue for a couple days, and the increased sound deadening and suspension tweaks to make the RZ comfortable will certainly be appreciated. I note that on the M180/A180, where the road is concrete rather than asphalt, it is exceptionally quiet and almost a joy to drive on!
Another aspect that isn’t mentioned is that pricing compared to its petrol hybrid cousin, the RX, is certainly competitive. Sure, the base spec 350h will be cheaper (£61,700 as of November 2023), however, the RZ 450e is actually cheaper than the equivalent RX 450h (£64,500 vs £67,100). What this means is that it really is a direct swap for anyone who is willing to jump to the benefits of full EV (lower running costs, better environmental credentials etc) and shouldn’t be a massive side step.
Overall, when you look at the others in the market segment (pointing at the iX3 and EQC), if you are looking at solely range, then clearly the iX3 and EQC will beat the RZ 450e. If that was your sole requirement, then I would certainly point you in that direction. Until Lexus refine the e-TGNA platform to deliver a much larger total (and therefore available) capacity, it is just not competitive in that market segment. The others will give a substantially better range (although not due to efficiency).
However, the one major reason that many Lexus drivers stay is the customer service. I have never experience such a wonderful customer service from a main dealer as Lexus Hull has given to me, for both the RZ 450e and the UX 300e. Fact is, if I was in the market for a premium SUV, I probably would’ve ended up buying a Lexus!