For years Lexus has played the safe card when it comes to being a performance competitor. Even when they had their racier IS F and GS F sports sedans, they made all the right noises but never really gave us that punch in the gut. And when it came to their crossovers, well that was the safest card they played… thankfully however, they are stepping it up. And no its not with a V-8 powered RX F, one could really hope though.  

Lexus has been dropping a new name, F Sport Performance. We first saw it on the IS 500 F Sport Performance packing the beefy 5.0-liter V-8. All the power of an IS F without all the IS F race car bits. With the RX 500h F Sport Performance, things are a bit different by way of hybrid performance instead.  

Best of Both Worlds 

It is nothing new that we have been seeing hybrid power going from driving Miss Daisy to driving like you’re Michael Schumacher. The amazing world of hybrids brought us the Acura NSX, McLaren P1, and Ferrari LaFerrari proving we can have the best of both worlds. Now, while the RX 500h F Sport Performance may not pack the kick in the throat of those mid-engine super cars, it does kick it up a nickel with a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine and a pair of electric motors producing a combined 366-horsepower with 406 lbs-ft of torque. The hybrid system essentially works as a booster to help carry the load while the turbocharger catches up; thus making for a seamless lag-free quick betty as the RX 500h can see 60-mph in just under 5.5-seoncds.  

One the road, the hybrid powertrain is smooth paired with its six-speed automatic transmission and goes completely unnoticeable to the naked ear. With our foot pressed to the accelerator, the active engine sound management system is piped through the speakers making a surprisingly good grunt that has us forgetting the RX is even a hybrid. Most importantly, however, the RX 500h provides the best of both worlds using its electric power to make for snappier acceleration all while continuing to be fuel efficient. Unfortunately for us, our RX example arrived primed time in the middle of the holidays where we didn’t drive all that much to get an accurate reading on fuel economy; we averaged just short of 25-mpgs combined. It is rumored however that the RX 500h can achieve higher than its EPA rating of 27-mpg’s – guess we just needed to drive it more than 200-miles.  

Drives Like A Lexus 

Exploring the limits of the RX 500h is probably something you’re not going to do. The 21-inch wheels with all-season tires provide a comforting road worthiness as long as one doesn’t get aggressive in the corners. Putting the drive mode into its sportiest of sport settings and the RX starts to feel out of place – the steering is numb with unenthusiastic feeling; you get the sense the tires don’t want to be burden with such aggressive behavior and we start to feel the weight when turning to harshly.  

So, what we have is a Lexus that drives like a Lexus. And that’s okay… if you want a crossover to drive like a Porsche, you’d probably buy a Porsche. Instead, the RX keeps things composed with its adaptive dampers providing a firm ride quality that is comfortable ushering over unwarranted bumps while still feeling sturdy on the road.  

All The Premium Comforts  

Inside, the RX is tastefully designed with a large center infotainment screen dominating the dash and eliminating the need for unwarranted buttons (which we miss). The latest Lexus software is an easy-to-use system that also uses wireless phone pairing. But not all features are simple. Simple tasks like wanting to change a drive mode become quickly annoying when we must dive through the system’s vehicle settings menu. We get the hint; these drive modes are not meant to be changed.  

Things become even more annoying when trying to navigate the touch sensitive d-pad steering wheel controls that require you to look at the heads-up display to understand and verify what you’re clicking is what you want. While annoying, it does take time to get used to and eventually doesn’t require looking elsewhere to navigate.  

Cons: Complicated steering wheel controls, numb driving dynamics, and overly snug front seats. 

At least when it comes to passenger comfort, the RX comes in making sure all the passengers have equality. Rear passengers get their own climate control with heated and ventilated seats as well as generous leg and head space. Because this RX was the F Performance, the front seats are more bolsters than the normal RX giving that that performance car hugging sensation to ensure you won’t slide out of your seat.  

Sticking to the RX Hybrid family, the base 350h starts in the low $52,000 range and carries some not so premium features like the small 9-inch infotainment display and NuLuxe faux leather seating. To get the larger 14-inch display and proper leather seats, the 350h Premium+ kicks it off a mere $4000 more. And to step up to the performance performing F Sport Performance, it starts around $64,600. However, things like the heated and ventilated rear seats, power folding rear seats, digital rearview mirror and Traffic Jam Assist Adaptive Cruise control all cost extra – putting our tester at $70,780. OOph.  

Pros: Quick performance, serene driving comfortability, ample passenger comforts & features 

We can’t blame Lexus for playing it safe. Taking a generally uneventful crossover and sprucing it up with performance attributes means opening your demographic to something different while not scaring them away. The RX 500h F Sport Performance offers a better powertrain whiling keeping to the basics of what Lexus buyers are looking for out of their premium luxury crossover. It just comes with a little extra oomph.  

Side note: 
Super Pro: A proper spare tire. 

In the 10 years that I have been reviewing cars, not once have I ever talked about a spare tire. The reality is, I’ve never thought about it… until now. On a cold, wet Friday morning on my way to the office the tire pressure monitoring alerted me of a low pressure on the rear left tire. I didn’t think much of it, it was cold and wet after all, but I thought I would monitor the situation just in case. 2-miles later I noticed the pressure dropping significantly quickly and decided to pull off at a gas station and asset the situation – sure enough I picked up a chunk of metal. Most new cars come with a “fix-a-flat” filler and I don’t know how they work nor how to do it, but I was thankful there was a spare tire in the back, and I made quick with the tire change. So, thank you Lexus for putting a spare tire on your RX so I didn’t have to call AAA for a tow.