Toyota Venza and Lexus RX Are Top Safety Picks

The all-new 2009 Toyota Venza and redesigned 2010 Lexus RX received Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To earn Top Safety Pick status, vehicles must rank Good — the institute’s top crash rating — in front, side and rear impacts. They also must be equipped with electronic stability control.

The two models join 20 other Top Safety Picks in the midsize SUV category. Cars.com’s David Thomas recently reviewed the new Venza and thought it was an attractive buy for small families. Mike Hanley took on the updated Lexus, which is one of the company’s most popular models.

2010 Lexus RX 450h review (Cars.com) 
2009 Toyota Venza video (Cars.com)

2010 Lexus RX 350 Priced at $36,800

The 2010 Lexus RX 350 will start at $36,800, not including a destination fee of $825. Upgrading to the all-wheel-drive version means you’ll spend $38,200. No word yet on how much the hybrid version will cost.

Lexus hopes the all-new, redesigned 2010 model will capitalize on the SUV’s highly popular predecessor while making improvements in key areas, including a longer and wider design for more cargo room and a more powerful V-6 engine with 275 hp.

A drastically redesigned interior will include a center LCD screen with an optional navigation package.

The RX 350 is slated to arrive at dealerships late this month. You can read our full review of the new RX here.

2010 Lexus RX, RX Hybrid Reviewed

Cars.com editor Mike Hanley had the tough assignment of hitting the California wine country for a test of the all-new Lexus RX crossover. The RX has remained one of the most popular luxury crossovers even years after debuting. Does the new model live up to the high-standards of the old? Is its new control interface as monstrous as iDrive?

Check out Mike’s review of both the 2010 RX 350 and the RX 450h hybrid to find out.

If you want a mom's perspective on the new RX, you can check out Lori Hindman's take on the RX over at MotherProof.com.

Up Close: 2010 Lexus RX

The old RX aged well, and the new one holds promise. The styling promises similar well-to-do appeal, choosing safer lines over some of the racier curves of its competitors. My only complaint is with the grille: It seems too narrow now, wedged into the tight space between the widened headlights.

Interior quality keeps with that of the old RX, which was fairly good. Various touch points, from the armrests to the center controls, have the sort of premium, soft-but-substantial feel you’d expect in a luxury car. There’s a new mouse-like controller that operates the navigation system, something I’ve never used in an automotive setting before. It’s basically a joystick that operates a moving arrow on the nav screen, and you'll feel the controller respond when the arrow jumps to different on-screen buttons – marking waypoints or zooming in, for example.

2008 L.A. Auto Show: 2010 Lexus RX 450h

• Competes with: GMC Yukon Hybrid, Chevy Tahoe Hybrid
• Looks like: Lexus is upgrading its stable of hybrid models
• Drivetrain: 295-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 teamed with electric motor and continuously variable automatic transmission
• Hits dealerships: Spring 2009

Green drivers who like a little luxury will be impressed with the redesigned RX 450h. The hybrid crossover gets the same redesign as its gasoline sibling, the RX 350, but it also gets an upgraded hybrid powertrain.

The new system pumps out more power — 295 hp — than both the 2010 RX 350 and the 2008 RX 400h it's replacing. Unfortunately, Lexus didn’t provide mileage figures; all it's saying is that the new RX 450h is more efficient than the outgoing model, which got 27/24 mpg city/highway in the front-wheel-drive model and 26/24 mpg in the all-wheel-drive model. Lexus says the new all-wheel-drive version will generate more power from its regenerative braking system because it's connected to all four wheels.

Like the RX 350, navigation will be optional, as will be features like a pre-collision system and adaptive front lighting. The hybrid will also feature optional LED headlights. More photos below.

2008 L.A. Auto Show: 2010 Lexus RX 350

• Competes with: Acura MDX, Infiniti FX35
• Looks like: Lexus took a page from Toyota for its redesigned crossover
• Drivetrain: 275-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 with six-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: February 2009

Lexus’ wildly popular RX SUV has been withering on the vine, waiting for a redesign, for some time now. Lexus has finally delivered with an all-new 2010 model that shares a lot with the new Toyota Venza crossover. The new RX is slightly longer and wider than the 2009 model, and it packs a more powerful V-6 engine that produces 275 hp, versus the 270 from last year's engine.

While the look outside seems like an organic upgrade from the past, the interior is radically different. The dashboard features swoopy curves around the controls and center LCD screen, and the shifter is mounted smack in the middle of the center stack of controls. Like many competitors, a square-ish control now manages the navigation system, but if it becomes too bothersome there's voice activation as well. The navigation system is optional.

2010 Lexus RX to Debut at L.A. Auto Show

Lexus has confirmed it will debut its all-new 2010 RX 350 and hybrid RX 450h crossovers at the L.A. auto show next week. The company didn’t expand on what the new models would offer, beyond typical PR speak like “raise the bar above the current best-selling products by offering outstanding luxury, comfort, technology, safety and efficiency.”

We can guess from early images we’ve seen that the new RX will likely be based on the new Toyota Venza, with the obvious Lexus upgrade in terms of luxury appointments.

Lexus will also show off its new IS 250 convertible and LS 460 all-wheel-drive models in North America for the first time.   

Cars.com Reviews 2009 Lexus RX 350

As far as gas mileage goes, the Lexus RX 350 sits at the good end for luxury SUVs, giving it an important leg up before you even step foot in the SUV, now entering its 11th model year. Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley found plenty of additional reasons to give the RX 350 his recommendation, although he eagerly anticipates Lexus giving the model a redesign in the next couple of years. Check out Mike's full review — including what he found to be most irritating about the interior — at the link below.

2009 Lexus RX 350 Expert Review

Lexus LF-Xh Concept: The Next RX SUV?

• Looks like: Lexus stole the plans for the next Ford Edge
• Defining characteristics: Powerful stance, narrow headlights
• Ridiculous features: Buttonless cockpit
• Chance of being mass-produced: This could be the look for the next RX SUV; expect to see some of the styling translate to the real thing

Lexus is using the high visibility of the Tokyo Motor Show to debut the LF-Xh concept. The SUV could be the next RX, which is the brand’s best-selling model in the U.S. Yes, this is a big deal. Of course, besides the hybrid drivetrain, Lexus isn’t revealing much about this concept.

We can tell you that the design language — a fancy term for style — of the LF-Xh falls in line with the company’s other concepts of late. However, we haven’t seen any of those other Lexus concepts yet come to fruition as production cars. But Lexus needs to replace the RX sometime around the end of the decade, so we’d guess this concept is a stab at a replacement. What do you think? Check out the photos below and tell us if this is a step in the right direction for Lexus.   

Reader Review of the Week

We’ve missed a week or two because of auto show scheduling, but we’re back with a take on the Lexus RX 400h hybrid SUV from a reader in Rockville, Md. We know, we’re suckers for the hybrid reviews, but almost all of them articulately point out why they decided to take the plunge and buy an alternative vehicle despite the added cost. Thankfully, our friend Rockville1 also gives his or her real-world fuel economy. As always, you can write your own car review right here.