Yahoo Autos 1998 Lexus RX300 Might Be the OG Mall-Crawler
From the March 1998 issue of Car and Driver.
The folks at Lexus think they've determined what it is that attracts so many buyers to sport-utes. They say it's the commanding driving position, the rugged, secure feel of the vehicles, the roominess inside, and the adventurous styling. Which, to us, begs the question: What about the off-road, four-wheel-drive traction that dictated the design in the first place? Apparently, that's just a bonus. Apart from drivers who fall asleep at the wheel, few people ever leave the road in these things.
So Lexus took a look at the reasons people chose not to buy sport-utes, and discovered dissatisfaction in the following areas: comfort, refinement, stability, fuel consumption, and sophistication. Then Lexus set about making a vehicle that retained the SUV assets and yet provided a carlike ride, secure handling, good fuel economy, and class-beating refinement. To control costs, it used as much off-the-shelf technology as possible. The result? The Lexus RX300—a vehicle that looks very much like the Mercedes-Benz ML320, even if its roofline is almost five inches lower than the German sport-ute's. Even the price is close: $33,445 buys a four-wheel-drive model—that's $1100 less than the Benz. Are these guys all reading the same script, or what?
But there are important differences. The RX300 is available with front-wheel drive or the more traditional full-time all-wheel drive (borrowing technology and components from the RAV4 and Celica All-Trac). Also, the RX does not offer a low-range transfer case and is thus unsuitable for drivers who are serious trail busters.
Still, with almost eight inches of ground clearance, and with short overhangs and reasonable approach and departure angles, the RX300 will certainly go places your average sedan fears to tread. Yet it still has a lower step-in height than do typical sport-utility vehicles, which gives it almost station-wagon-like accessibility.
Lexus used a highly modified version of the existing Camry/ES300 engine to power the RX, but it added so many modifications that no one will mind. The 3.0-liter V-6 wears a variable-volume intake system and a variable valve-timing (VVT-i) mechanism to boost low- and midrange torque. This VVT-i system differs from others in the Lexus lineup by using a vane-type mechanism instead of a helical gearset to conserve space, but the effect is the same. Camry drivers will scarcely recognize the hearty step-off and potent midrange throttle response (80 percent of peak torque is available at just 1600 rpm, says Lexus). Only the melodic high-rev cry and accompanying thrust are the same, and they were ample anyway. To make low-speed operation even more serene, the RX300 wears a two-way exhaust-bypass valve that opens only when high volumes of gas are flowing. And to cut the vibes to the steering wheel at idle, an active engine mount, powered by engine vacuum, creates pulses that are opposite and equal to those of the engine. As a result, the wheel is unusually calm in the driver's hands.
Even under way, when the active mount ceases operating, the steering is remarkably detached from vibrations or kickback shock. It's perhaps a little too isolated for the enthusiasts among us, who find the wheel so devoid of feedback that it might be a steer-by-wire system.
Under the RX300 is a front suspension borrowed directly from the Camry/ES300 cars, but with specific struts, springs, and shocks that provide a relatively soft ride. The geometry seems to encourage more self-centering in the wheel than we recall in the cars, but it certainly tracks accurately. At the rear, there's a subframe-mounted suspension (new to this market, but derived from RAV4/All-Trac models), with lateral and trailing links and an optional Torsen limited-slip differential for use in slippery conditions.
As with Toyota's All-Trac vehicles, the RX uses a center differential with a viscous limited-slip device to split power fore and aft. (Traction control is optional with two-wheel drive.) Combined with the Torsen rear diff, the system directs torque to the axle with the most traction and keeps the four-wheel-drive RX300 going through some nasty situations. We drove it into deep snow on a test route in British Columbia, and while the highway-friendly tires had their grooves pack instantly with snow, the Lexus still chugged out of the drift without drama.
Admittedly, most owners will enjoy the sumptuous interior more often than they will marvel at the wonders of torque-sensing differentials, and one senses that quite a chunk of Lexus's investment went into interior design and quality. The dash is a swoopy, modern design with edges and creases, and every plane abuts the others with pleasing precision. A large liquid-crystal screen in the center (where the Japan model's navigation system lives) displays trip data along with the status of the ventilation and audio systems. Below it are the stereo and ventilation controls, and below them is a transmission selector lever in a housing that juts from the base of the dash. The whole center console is encircled by a U-shaped swath of glossy wood.
In the space saved by this crafty selector location is a storage tray just ahead of a multilevel center console box with lids and drawers and cup holders and so much room you could lose things there and never see them again. Behind that is a rear passenger compartment spacious enough to accommodate a six-foot-five car tester sitting behind a six-foot-one driver with room to spare. The rear seats have adjustable reclining backrests, too, and there is plenty of headroom. Slightly longer and wider than a Jeep Grand Cherokee, the RX claims more rear-seat space than that sport-ute or the Infiniti QX4.
It's perfectly clear that the RX300 was also designed to be faster, quieter, more spacious, and more comfortable than other near-luxury SUVs on the market. In the process, it has become a kind of hybrid vehicle type, a luxury-utility vehicle perhaps, or maybe just a tall four-wheel-drive wagon. Whatever it is, Lexus is betting the RX300 suits the real needs of SUV candidates better than anything else out there. You wanna put some money on it?
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