Lexus RX350 2019 review: Crafted Edition

With soccer season over, it was our first Saturday free in a while so I decided to plan a day that included a trip to the Powerhouse Museum, lunch and a few games of indoor putt-putt golf. A full day of city and suburban driving.

The black-on-black look of this Lexus dials up the street presence.

The RX 350 is a good looking and distinctive SUV that successfully translates the bold styling that is a hallmark of the Lexus brand. The black-on-black look of our test car dials up the street presence even further and works well to set this SUV apart from its European counterparts. 

There are a number of key exterior styling features that distinguish this Crafted Edition from the RX family, including a moonroof, front-door puddle lamps, black 20-inch alloy wheels, and a black grille insert.

The Crafted Edition scores black 20-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, we were greeted by a cabin featuring a blend of soft and hard finishes, decked in an unusual mix of beige and brown - if that's not your cup of tea there is a basic black option available.

Looking past the colour palette, there are plenty of premium features to catch the eye with a well laid-out yet slightly dated dash, complemented by quality materials throughout. The leather used across the doors and seats looks top notch and definitely adds to the comfort factor.

The Crafted Edition adds a number of notable extras to the cabin over the standard Luxury pack, including a colour head-up display, keyless entry, upgraded 15-speaker premium audio and a 12.3-inch multimedia screen.

Inside is a 12.3-inch multimedia screen.

Despite looking like a serious piece of tech, the big screen was quick to reveal its shortcomings, starting with a poorly designed interface that makes it difficult to glean information at a glance while driving. Worse still, the joystick used as the sole means to navigate the system is fiddly and difficult to master,  creating an unnecessary distraction behind the wheel.

Conversely, the premium 15-speaker Mark Levinson system was excellent and provided a crystal-clear sound track to our weekend. This was helped in no short measure by the well-insulated cabin, which kept road, wind and engine noise to barely detectable levels.

There's plenty of room up front and in the rear, with the kids given ample space to call their own in the leather-appointed back seats. Sitting behind my driver's seat there was more than a hand width of space in front of my knees and the same again above my head. The rear of this car is an incredibly comfortable place to sit for short hops or extended periods, just like the front seats. 

Sitting behind my driver's seat there was more than a hand width of space in front of my knees and the same again above my head.