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Long range good and IT improving
The Lexus 300e is proving its longer-legged worth, while and app and IT teething problems have now been largely ironed out…
Guy Bird
Three months into our RZ 300e long- term test, this man and his machine are feeling more harmonious. And I have no desire to go back to the more powerful all-wheel drive, but shorter range 450e. The front-wheel drive 300e has offered a solid and consistent 300 miles per 100% charge in the summer months which makes all sorts of longer journeys stress- free in a way that the 450e (with its 252 official and real-world 200-220 miles) never quite managed.
Recent one-day return missions to the Sussex and (deep) Essex coastlines from south London haven’t required a moment’s thought about charging along the way. Even a long circa four-hour business trip from Bentley back to home – some 180 miles – was also managed without recharging anxiety and averaging 4.5 miles per kWh – which is good for a big EV. The journeys have also been calm drives, with the 300e’s gentle suspension and easy steering inspiring relaxed confidence, while still able to get a little spirited on country roads. This is especially so with regen braking dialled up a few notches via the steering wheel paddles – left paddle for more regen and right paddle for less – as the net effect is a car that doesn’t run away with itself after bursts of acceleration and a driver that feels in control.
The higher brake regen levels are also handy at much slower speeds – to more easily keep within 20 or 30 mph zones for instance – although it’s been a boon to finally find out how to more easily turn off the car’s otherwise incessant beeping that accompanies any minor
infringements of those limits, which is a big issue in 20mph zones so common in London. The audible beeping can be turned off within the somewhat ironically named ‘Driver Assist’ section of the car’s settings before every journey – leaving only the more helpful and less distracting
Lexus RZ 300e FWD Premium 18”
P11D £52,240 Price as tested £52,545 Official range 297 miles Average consumption 4.5m/kWh Mileage 1,497 miles
visual speed limit signage displayed in the driver cluster. But turning that feature off before Apple’s Car Play took over the screen was causing some stress. After much head-scratching and menu perusal, I gave up and contacted the press office to find out how to return to the Lexus system for that all-important ‘beep off’ switch (official name: ‘Excess speed caution options’). It turns out the shortcut is to press the Lexus logo button within Apple CarPlay to flip back to the car’s settings. When the Lexus settings have been adjusted the Apple CarPlay can be restored by pressing the sideways triangle ‘play’ button in the top right of the Lexus screen (as is usual). This is useful. Also useful is the Lexus Link + app which I’ve downloaded to my phone after struggling with the basic Lexus Link app – which is still available for older Lexus cars but didn’t let me register without freezing. The newer Lexus Link + app is much better and links with the car in a two-minute process way easier and quicker than previous long-termers (Citroen, Volvo and more). Now I can see remotely, the state of charge, miles driven, miles remaining and lots more. All good. The only outstanding IT issue on the RZ 300e is Apple Car Play’s inability
Why we’re running it
To see how the costs and driving experience stack up for the new FWD Lexus RZ variant.
48 | September/October 2024 |
www.businesscar.co.uk
Standard equipment on Premium Pack: Nine airbags, front-wheel drive, emergency brake, traction, vehicle stability and hill assist control, front and rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitor, lane change, road sign and safe exit assist, LED headlights with automatic high beam, panoramic view monitor, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, dual-zone aircon with air quality system, heated front seats and steering wheel, digital colour driver display and 14-inch central touchscreen with satnav, DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay (wireless) and Android (wired) smartphone integration, wireless smartphone charging, four USB-C ports (x2 front, x2 rear), OTA updates, power tailgate, fixed twin panoramic roof, 10-speaker audio system, 18in wheels.
Optional equipment: Sonic White special paint (£250)
to reply to texts or WhatsApp via Siri through the speakers. Annoyingly Siri pretends it can, asks what you’d like to reply and then fails, adding mysteriously and slightly pointlessly, “Sorry, I can’t show you the result while you’re in the car”. Another call to the Lexus PR reveals they know about the problem and it’s going to be sorted at the next software upgrade this autumn.
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