Thanks to the valuable credits earned by Toyota’s Corolla export program, the company’s now in a far better position to price its imports keenly, and the newly arrived RX300 is the first Lexus badged vehicle that can justifiably be called a bargain in South Africa. At R462 695 it’s not cheap, but it’s exquisitely built and a fair bit cheaper than the German opposition it’s taking a tilt at.
The RX300 is not a serious off-roader. It’s a svelte alternative to the luxury saloon, and in Europe and North America it does sterling service during the winter months when ice and snow are commonplace. Here in Africa its ground clearance and permanent four wheel drive make it perfect for dirt roads and the moderate degree of off-road usage that the average soft-roader will most likely be expected to deal with. Thanks to the lack of a low-range transfer box and ultra-fancy traction management electronics you maybe wouldn’t choose a vehicle like this to traverse Africa in on a regular basis, but for occasional light adventuring it’ll get the job done as well as most soft-roaders out there.
While the exterior styling of the RX 300 is as futuristic as they come the interior is tastefully understated, with retro-styled instrumentation and just the right amount of classy-looking wood inlays. The parking brake emulates Mercedes-Benz’s pedal-on-the-floor system, but works better because the same pedal actuates and releases the brake – none of this fumbling under the dash stuff. Standard equipment includes a dual-zone climate control, electric windows, a posh radio/tape/ front-loading six CD player with auxiliary controls on the steering wheel, cruise control, and electrically adjustable seats, as well as traction control and ABS.
At the heart of the Lexus lies an all aluminium 3 litre, quad cam engine producing 148 kW of power at 5800 r/min and 283 Nm of torque at 4400 r/min mated to a full time four-wheel-drive system and a five-speed automatic transmission with a manual override. A viscous coupling is used in the centre differential to distribute torque between the front and rear wheels as necessary. The combination does a good job of getting the big wagon up to speed – the 0-100 dash takes around 9,5 seconds, and the speedo needle stops moving around the dial at the 185 km/hr mark.
Driven at speed on tar the ride and handling of the Lexus is superb, and the suspension does a great job of making the car a planted, European feel. Ten out of ten for this, Toyota.
The Lexus RX300 smells of old money rather than new. It’s classy, understated and unfussy, and it grows on you as time goes by, rather than arriving with a bang only to lose its lustre after a month or two. At R 462 695 (including a 5 year/90 000 km service plan) it should attract a contented and loyal following.