“The turning radiation is not good!” I said.
“No Steven, its turning RADIUS. But yes, this turning RADIUS is awful” said my grandma.
Back when I was in elementary school, this RX300 that I am reviewing was my grandmothers car. I remember sitting in the back seat, feet not able to touch the floor, and watching my grandmother flip a U-turn or navigate a parking lot and hearing her complain over and over again about the turning radius. Somehow I always said turning radiation, which is pretty funny in hindsight. But here I am, 20 years later reviewing this very same car and still complaining about its turning radiation…I mean radius. It’s funny how things come…full circle! Haha! Okay I’ll stop.
Still a Great Looking SUV
Lets talk about the exterior a little bit. At 180 inches long and 71.5 wide, the RX300 is a pretty good size even by today’s standards. Sure it’s about 12 inches shorter than a modern day RX350, but its size is still on par to other compact SUV’s like the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4. Lexus facelifted the RX in 2001 adding more colors to the two tone paint scheme including black, and the Altezza style front and rear taillights. Looking at it today, it’s an old school, early 2000’s JDM appearance that comes off as retro cool nowadays thanks to the resurgence in 90’s and 2000’s JDM. A little rear spoiler on the rear hatch gives a nice finishing touch, where as non spoiler equipped RX300’s look a bit hunched.
I definitely recommend looking into the 2001+ models as the refresh significantly improved the appearance of the RX and added more safety features like stability control. Additionally, 2001 and newer model years seem to be more reliable as early models (1999-2000) had high transmission failure rates in the AWD trims. The 2001+ got the towing package as standard which includes a transmission cooler and larger radiator which helped to improve reliability. A larger fuel tank was also added upping the tank size to 19.2 gallons from 17.2.
They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To
Open the hefty door with a door handle feel that can embarrass some modern luxury cars, hear it close with a reassuring thud, you find yourself coddled in a plethora of soft leather that screams 90’s Japanese luxury and impeccable build quality. No weird soft touch, foamy textured material, or metallic finishes here. Instead you get pleated leather and glossy wood on the doors and steering wheel. Front and rear seats are wonderfully comfortable, though the rear bench (which can be split 60/40) could be a bit higher off the ground. Trunk space is excellent, and Lexus gives you a nicely integrated trunk cover and metal tie downs to secure your cargo and a power port as well to charge things.
The tape deck that sits in the middle of the center console is really the only thing that dates the infotainment. The four round knobs are rather confusing, as is the choice to leave out steering wheel controls, but the feel of those round knobs shows that Lexus attention to detail. The knobs on the left for the volume and A/C have a wonderful heft that feels solid and expensive but no steering controls is an odd omission. A good sized screen sits on top and if you could add Carplay and Android Auto into it, it would be perfect. A 200w Pioneer audio system, a Nakimichi system is optional, sounds decent but nothing like the Mark Levinson’s found in more expensive models of the time.
Speaking of modern features, the gauge cluster with its white needles and font look a million bucks. It really makes you question whether complex and cluttered digital dashboards are really necessary. Plus in between the front seats is a center console that can slide forward and back, and you can open a lower drawer to reveal four cupholders and cubby storage. It is honestly a brilliant feature that just isn’t seen today except in minivans.
Speaking of what isn’t seen today…Glass! OMG! Thanks to increasing regulation and stylization that reduce outward visibility, sitting inside this car literally feels like sitting in a greenhouse. A huge front windshield, and large windows all around, you can see everything. The Dumbo ears on the side, yeah those ginormous side mirrors that would be at home on an F250 pickup, give you so much visibility down the side it is impossible to miss what’s next to you.
The RX300 Still Drives Great
After driving a plethora of modern crossovers, the original luxury crossover still can hold its own 20 years later. Yes, this is the OG luxury crossover. Before the MDX or BMW X5 appeared on the scene, Lexus got it done first. Wanna know why crossovers are all the craze now? Just drive one of these, and you can see why us Americans fell in love.
Borrowing many parts from the Lexus ES (and Toyota Avalon), driving this car feels like any Lexus up to about 2010. Hydraulic steering is full of feedback compared to Lexus SUV’s of today, and is easy to drive both straight and when things get twisty. The suspension reminisces of when Lexus didn’t care about trying to be sporty, and as a result, ride quality is pillow-ey soft and the rough pavement of Los Angeles is absorbed through the front and rear macpherson struts and tall tires before it gets to the cabin. Sure the cabin quivers a bit compared to more modern crossovers, but for a 20 year old chassis, the RX feels reassuringly solid.
Handling is secure, but don’t let that rear spoiler make you think it’s sporty. The RX will roll thanks to its soft suspension, and lateral grip is about as good as bowling shoes on an ice rink. If the RX had some wider tires and wheels a couple inches bigger (factory size is 225/70r16) handling and road holding would be dramatically improved. Brake feel and power is good, but panic stops…or rather braking in general…will point the nose straight into the ground. Make sure you take advantage of those trunk tie downs! At the very least, the RX will teach you to be smooth on the brakes. For the 2001 model year, Lexus added vehicle stability control to the RX and proudly plastered it on the side.
The RX300 is motivated by a 3.0 liter, 220 horsepower V6 shared with the ES, Avalon, and Highlander, and it is supremely smooth and buttery, even by today’s standards. Under 3000 revs, it has the smoothness of a straight six…not kidding. Only when you rev the engine out does it show hints of V6 courseness. But you really don’t need to rev this car out. Torque is plentiful down low and moves the RX to 60 in 8 seconds. Not bad! The 4 speed auto is also a joy. Yes it could use more gears and it is a slushbox in every sense. But a slushbox made of pure KerryGold.
Quiet and refined also describes the interior noise. Car and Driver measured 67 db at 70mph. For comparison, a 2022 Honda Civic measured 69 db, and the 2021 Kia Telluride at 63 db, and these cars are some of the quietest cars in their class. So 20 years later, the RX is still holding its own.
As you know from the intro, the turning radius is pitiful. When a Suburban’s turning radius is nearly identical to this small SUV, you know it is not good. Sure a transverse V6 and AWD don’t help, but still. And a last point is fuel economy. Rated at 17 city, 21 highway and 18 combined fuel economy for AWD models, it is pretty dismal by today’s standards. I have been averaging 18 mpg in mixed driving. Your Costco card will definitely become your best friend, but at least it’s regular gas and not premium. When considered during its time, the RX’s fuel economy was actually not that bad besting competitors like the BMW X5, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and even the smaller Jeep Cherokee.
Still Relevant Today
The RX300 debuted in 1999 and started the luxury crossover craze. If you’ve read down to here, you probably know why. Car like handling, AWD (why would you buy a FWD model?), a high seating position, comfortable ride…these kinds of cars did it all without the sacrifices of rough and poor handling of a body on frame SUV. Though admittedly, many body on frame SUV’s today ride and handle surprisingly well…but that’s after 20 years of development. And while some things such as the interior, infotainment, and two tone paint date the car, it still feels modern in so many ways. I still see many RX300’s on the road today, thanks to Toyota’s legendary reliability, but also because this OG crossover can still hold its own in today’s crossover world.
