Our cars - Final report
Yes to all-electric, front-wheel drive large Lexus
: Conclusions on our AWD and FWD Lexus RZ variants are clear... Guy Bird
June seems like a long time ago, but it was then that our all-wheel drive, all- electric RZ large crossover arrived. A plan was hatched, half out of curiosity and half out of necessity, due to the front-wheel-drive variant only going on sale later in the year. The question was simple: what’s the better bet for company car drivers – more power and all-wheel drive with a slightly lower electric range for a higher price; or less power, front-wheel drive and a slightly longer range for a lower price? We started with the 450e all-wheel drive (AWD) model launched in 2023 for a month and then swiftly swapped to a very early example of the 300e front- wheel drive (FWD) version in mid- summer which officially went on sale in autumn 2024. At 4805mm long the RZ is at the larger end of the all-electric crossover market, longer than the Audi Q6 e-tron (4771mm) and shorter than the Mercedes EQE SUV (4863mm). It’s a big car, but we always liked its sharp and angular lines and smart proportions which hide its size well. The AWD’s bi-tone paint model – featuring a black gloss bonnet, door mirrors, roof, pillars, wheel arches and lower rocker panel against blue metallic bodywork elsewhere – was also a hit with most who clapped eyes on it.
Both cabins were calm-feeling spaces. On approaching the car with
Why we’re running it
To see how the costs and driving experience stack up for the AWD and FWD Lexus RZ variants.
key in pocket, concave grab areas behind the exterior door handles lit up helpfully to guide the user to the opening mechanism and once inside, the main controls were all easily within reach, assisted by the large 14in central touchscreen angled towards the driver. The wide centre console features two shapely cupholders alongside a nicely knurled gear selector – with push down- and-left for Reverse and push down-and- right for Drive soon becoming second nature. Surrounded by matt grain wood veneer sloping gently down and away from the driver to a wireless charging mat for a smartphone with two USB-C
ports above, there were connectivity options galore. Apple iPhone mirroring was easy for CarPlay and wireless too, although Android Auto-compatible phones currently still need to plug in. The car’s endless beeping for supposed safety issues was an aspect that needed speedy attention to switch off to avoid unsafe distraction though. For this driver, turning the Drive Assist function to ‘visual only’ rather than ‘visual and audible’ through the Settings section of the centre touchscreen was a ritual to be undertaken before every journey due to the (over) sensitivity of various alerts. If the Lexus user experience design team are reading this, please make any future facelift switch-off process a one or two-button process at most, or build it into a memory setting so as not to require starting afresh every journey. The current system requires far too many layers and repetition. The ambient interior door lights were jazzy too, but could do with highlighting the door buttons as well, for simpler departures for the unfamiliar.
Back to the positives, varied passengers in the rear seats reported very good levels of leg room and not bad shoulder room, even with three six-footers sat abreast. The fixed twin panoramic roof added to that feeling of
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)
space and light and the boot’s 522/1451 min/max luggage space seldom found us wanting more.
In daily life, the sprightlier 303hp 450e Premium Plus Pack with Bi-Tone paint at £64,640 P11D, might have been good for a 5.3-second 0-62mph sprint, but never felt that sporty or necessary. Plus its 252 official miles of electric range wearing 20in wheels (18in versions promise 272 miles) often made for a real-world distance of just over 200 miles. That isn’t great for a big car you might expect or need to go further. By comparison, all-hail the £52,240 204hp 300e in mid-range Premium 18in wheel trim. Although posting an official 8.0-second 0-62mph time, it didn’t feel much slower and offered a real- world 280-300 miles before re-charging (versus a 295-297-mile official range), plus a very credible 4.1 miles per kWh efficiency. Both the latter stats are very good indeed for a big EV.
Almost without exception then, the £12k cheaper and 50 miles longer range RZ FWD version feels like the smarter and more decent value package.
Lexus RZ 300e FWD Premium 18”
P11D £52,240 Price as tested £52,545 Official range 297 miles Average consumption 4.1m/kWh Mileage 2,160 miles
www.businesscar.co.uk | November/December 2024 | 53
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