This electric crossover from Lexus is luxurious alright, but it's so meanderingly average everywhere else
2024 Lexus RZ 300e review by The Road Beat
Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman
Lexus, a longtime purveyor of hybrid vehicles in their lineup, has been quite late to the world of purely electric vehicles. This is also true of Toyota, the parent company of their premium Lexus brand. I previously tested the headlining RZ 450e last year, and this slightly more affordable version both improves and retreats in several areas. Unfortunately, the improvements still make this a lame duck for when choosing a brand new electric vehicle, and unless you can score one with some great rebates or lease promotion, I would steer clear and choose the plug of another EV-maker.
See also: 2023 Lexus RZ 450e review
What has been worth keeping is the star quality of the RZ's cabin. Featuring rich suede and all sorts of soft materials and exhibiting no rattles to be found nor heard, the RZ is a proper luxury car. And while the design flare isn't nearly as high as the eye candy that Genesis bestows upon their GV60 EV, the Lexus does give the impression of a higher tactile quality on many important touch points. The seats are great, too, and passengers in the rear have adequate leg room to not warrant complaint. Lexus consistently does nice and secure cabins, and the RZ holds up that strong standard. Well-equipped is an additional plus point that pairs with the nicely furnished interior, but also, what new cars aren't well-equipped these days? What used to be a strong suite of Toyota and Lexus cars, others have simply replicated, and often for less. Still, all the modern amenities and safety items are all present here, and the large center screen is easy enough to learn and use on the daily.
With less power than the 450e model, range increases to a real world 200 miles on this model. And also unlike the quicker 450e, I didn't see alarming drops in estimated range from simply turning on the cabin fans or air conditioning. Weirdly, the new and slower 300e has a larger battery pack, now rated at 72.5 kWh (verse just 62.5 on the former MY23 450e), thus helping contribute to the increased driving range. In 2024, being to travel at least 200 miles between charges should be the bare minimum, and even then I would (and many others) wish for anything extra to make daily driving and any kind of trips less of a worry and hassle.
Worth mentioning is that this 300e version is front-wheel drive, unlike the all-wheel drive of the faster RZ 450e. Over $60,000 for a front-wheel drive vehicle might sound strange, and I would agree to say it's not fitting of a luxury car at this retail price, but due to the apparent lack of power, you would rarely ever notice the burden placed solely on the front axle. Horsepower is a paltry 201, and while the instant response of electric motors make it perfectly adequate in urban environments, the passing performance at freeway speeds is terrible, and it's here where 201 horsepower in a heavy electric vehicle is all the more unacceptable with this steep of a price tag. 0-60 MPH might happen in as little as 7.2 seconds, but after 60 MPH, the Lexus falls off a cliff with worryingly waning acceleration. It's at this point where the 200 miles just isn't enough still given the relative lack of power and front-wheel drive drivetrain. Hyundai's and other cheaper EVs often pack 100 or more AWD horsepower while offering 10-25% extra range, so the 200 miles is frankly disappointing.
Also worthy of head shaking is how mundane and boring the RZ 300e is to drive. Other electric cars can be very fun to drive, but the RZ 300e does not possess any resemblance of the word fun in its vocabulary. The RZ 450e may have 50% extra horsepower, but it too suffers from the same lack of enthusiasm, as if the engineers behind the RZ (and the Toyota bZ4X on which it's based) do not understand passion nor have desire to embrace passion and what can make a car joyous to drive. At least it's quiet and the ride quality is decent, but turning the wheel reveals no such hidden talents. With the RZ 300e, taking the 'long way home' simply is just a waste of time due to the slow and delayed reflexes and dead steering.
To keep things short, I see little to no reason to consider any kind of Lexus RZ given the price premium they command over other EVs that perform admirably better, can be driven farther, and can even charge far quicker (350 KW fast charging vs only 100-150KW on the RZ twins). Yeah it's luxurious on the inside, but why not save thousands and go for the 30+ MPG Lexus NX 350h instead? That's just as nice when it comes to quality, gets fabulous gas mileage, and it can be quite cheaper. Moreover, Hyundai's ever-popular Ioniq 5 can be fully-loaded with 320 horsepower and AWD for considerably less (though less interior flair), and then the ubiquitous, but great Tesla Model 3 or Y would also be superior choices for the same obvious reasons. Unless you can get some screaming deal on one (Toyota's bZ4X was offered with a $16,250 in lease cash rebates at one point, which points to both how desperate Toyota is to move them), I'd readily avoid the RZ 300e and any current EV offering from Lexus. They're sadly an entire generation behind, and the RZ is (barely) living proof, clinging on to life support so suddenly following its release.
2024 Lexus RZ 300e
As-tested price: $63,390
Pros: Typically solid Lexus luxury and build
Cons: Weak performance; so-so range; too expensive; Lots of alternative EVs
2024 Lexus RZ 300e review and photos. Images by Mitchellweitzmanphoto.com.
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