The concept of the corporate grille, as far as I can make out, is that it should allow passers-by to immediately know what brand you're driving, no matter whether sedan or SUV. Thus, we have BMW's everbroadening twin-kidney grilles, propeller-sized Mercedes-Benz threepointed stars, and now this. This is what Lexus refers to as their spindle-grille, a wasp-waisted design that adorns everything from the IS sedan up to the popular RX-series crossover. Its purpose appears to be frightening small children.
Yikes! That's quite an angry looking mug for such a former laid-back cruiser. Clearly, Lexus is anxious to inject some personality into their somewhat-vanilla people hauler. It looks like it might actually bite you.
But on the other hand, the RX was always the prescription for pillowy softness - has the addition of the F-Sport designation transformed it into a combat cushion? Let's find out.
Design: Aside from the Predator/Cylon/Darth-Vader frontend, the rest of the RX350 remains relatively pleasing in its anonymity. The F-Sport designation adds 19" gunmetal alloys, LED strip-lighting up front, some minor sporty-looking trim and, of course, badges.
The RX line is designed to appeal to as broad a range as possible, and clearly succeeds. Fully half of all Lexuses (Lexii?) sold in Canada are RX crossovers, either in hybrid trim as the 450h, or V6 , as here.
The styling may be conservative, but it works, and the larger wheels pair nicely with the sheet metal. Strong accent lines run along the belt-line, and the folded-paper crispness of some of the angles is very Japanese. While it might not look radically different from something like a Venza in profile, it's a pretty goodlooking rig.
It should be noted that this shape has been with Lexus for some time - it's a face lifted version of the model that debuted in 2008 - but it has aged nicely. There's a reason the Lexus brand retains their value, and any subsequent model that will replace this car in the near future is unlikely to get wild and crazy curves.
Environment: Regrettably, the inside of the RX350 hasn't aged quite as nicely as the exterior. When compared to brand-new offerings like BMW's redesigned X5 or Acura's fresh MDX, the RX can be a little dated.
For instance, there is more hard plastic than you find in competitors, although Lexus does a pretty good job of hiding most of it out of sight. The forward-mounted gated shifter is not a very modernlooking device - it's a bit old-school in here.
However, there are a few things the RX350 does very well. First, it's extremely easy to get in and out of, hitting the Goldilocks driving position even for shorter drivers.
Next, the infotainment system may not have the flash of next-gen systems found elsewhere, but it's very simple to use. Lexus's track-ball based interface system takes some time to feel natural, but the menu and sub-menu layout are easy enough to navigate. You might never need to refer to the manual.
It's also, despite the declared sporting intent, a very comfortable vehicle. The seats are great up front, and while the rear-seats aren't perfect for passengers with longer legs - legroom is fine, but they're mounted a bit low - there's plenty of space for kids to spread out.
Performance: But then, what minivan features sport-tuned suspension and paddleshifters? Along with the lower-profile tires and suspension tweaks, the FSport designation also gives the RX350 a unique eightspeed transmission. However, somewhat disappointingly, there isn't any more power on tap.
The engine, a silkysmooth 3.5L V6, still pumps out 270hp and 248lb/ft of torque.
