Used 2018 Lexus RX 350L Base for sale 

The 2018 Lexus RX 350L is available in 2 trims, namely Premium and Luxury with both FWD and AWD versions. The Premium trim with the front-wheel-drive option starts at $48,695 while the Luxury trim with front-wheel drive starts at $50,095.

The Lexus RX 350L AWD variant comes with the leather-wrapped steering wheel, keyless start, and keyless entry as a standard among the two trims. While the Luxury trim adds on the Heated steering wheel, heated and cooled front seats.

2018 Lexus RX 350L Buying Advice

The standard equipment that Lexus offers with the RX 350L is quite impressive. It is the Luxury trim that makes the most sense as it offers a lot of additional features for just a bit more premium. The added attributes include heated and cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel. These features actually help increase the daily comfort and usability of the car. Hence, we recommend going for the 2018 Lexus RX 350L Luxury trim. 

The 2018 Lexus RX 350L is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, which can produce a maximum power of 290hp and 268lb-ft of torque. The car is available in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations.

The 8-speed gearbox makes sure of an easy highway cruiser. However, the gearbox always feels eager to shift into the highest gear which results in the gear kicking down very often on the highway. The RX 350L is not a sports car, and it does not drive like one.

When compared to rivals, the Lexus is more powerful than the European Audi and Volvo. Acura provides a similar engine configuration as the Lexus that produces, therefore power and torque. All the cars in comparison are at par in terms of torque, though the Audi beats out the competition.

2018 Lexus RX 350L Acceleration and Braking

Acceleration is definitely not the strong suit of the Lexus. The 3.5 liter V6 is capable of launching the car from a standstill to 60 miles an hour in 7.1 seconds, which is okay for this category of cars. The 2018 Lexus RX 350L delivers a decent braking performance.

The extra row of seats does add some weight and hampers the braking performance of the car over its five-seater sibling.

When compared directly to its opposition, the Lexus is slower to 60 MPH than the Audi and the Acura but it does manage to beat the Volvo XC90 by a fraction. The Audi Q7 offers the best braking performance in this group of cars. Even though it is the heaviest of the bunch, it manages to deliver an exceptional result. The Lexus offers a light brake pedal, and it feels predictable, but at the same time - the weak braking performance means that it is hard for the driver to feel confident in taking the car to its limits.

2018 Lexus RX 350L Ride and handling

The steering is easy and precise, but the lack of feedback from the road is a concern. The car feels calm and composed on twisty roads, but the added weight over the five seater RX350L is apparent. The suspension is good enough to even out most of the bumps on the road and provide a comfortable ride to the passengers, but it is definitely stiffer than a lot of other luxury SUVs.

When it comes to buying a luxury family SUV, the gas mileage does matter, and the Lexus RX350L delivers on that front. Even though it is not the best in class, it performs well. The 3.5 liter Lexus engine manages to give a combined gas mileage of 22 MPG.

Even though the Acura is the lightest, it fails to deliver the best gas mileage. Among all the four vehicles, Volvo provides the highest fuel economy. Lexus also offers hybrid cars that offer superior gas mileage.

The RX 350L comes as a 7 seater but captain chairs are available for the middle row for that executive feel. In terms of roominess, the RX 350L offers a decent amount of space for the front and middle row passengers. The 3rd row does feel cramped and less roomy when compared to rivals and is sufficient only for children.

For the first two rows of seats, the Lexus does offer a lot of room yet the Acura offers the most amount of space to its passengers. The Acura provides an exceptional amount of shoulder room. The area where Lexus lacks behind the most is the third row, it provides the least amount of room to its third-row occupants when compared to its rivals. Some key interior features offered with the 2018 Lexus RX 350L include:

• Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel
• Heated Steering Wheel
• Heated and Cooled Front Seats
• Heated and Cooled Rear Seat (optional)
• Upgraded Leather
• Driver Seat Lumbar Support
• Sun/Moonroof (optional)
• Driver Illuminated Visor Mirror

2018 Lexus RX350L Infotainment

The Lexus comes with a 12.3 display, which is big enough and allows the user to split it into two screens. But the system is complicated and feels difficult to operate especially through the joystick. Some of the controls for the system are even out of reach for the driver. The infotainment system in the Lexus RX 350L seems to be in need of an urgent upgrade.

The display is crisp and big enough, but the only high point is the Mark Levinson sound system. Some of the features of the infotainment system are:

• AM/FM Stereo
• Smart Device Integration
• HD Radio
• Satellite Radio
• Hard Disk Drive
• Audio Theft Deterrent
• Concealed Diversity Antenna
• 2 LCD Monitors in the front

2018 Lexus RX350 L Cargo Space

When it comes to cargo space, the 2018 Lexus RX 350L does not disappoint in the seven-seat configuration when compared to rivals. But once the third and second rows have been folded down, the 350L starts to struggle especially when compared to the Acura.

In terms of numbers, the Lexus offers 16.3 ft. cube of space with all its seats up, which is better than the competition. But once the seats are folded down, the Lexus loses, and it loses by quite a margin. The Acura MDX offers the most amount of cargo space in this category of cars with an overall cargo space of 90.9 cu-ft.

At 4464 lbs, the Lexus 350L isn't exactly light, and evidently affects the driving dynamics. The Lexus is also the narrowest of the bunch, which also impacts the driving feel of the car. The SUV is comparatively the most compact in the segment as it measures the least in width, height, and wheelbase.

In comparison to its competitors, the Lexus is lighter than the Audi. The same can also be the reason for the car's weak acceleration and poor braking performance. Some vital exterior features offered with the 2018 Lexus RX 350L are:

• Rear Spoiler
• Rain Sensing Wipers
• Power Mirrors
• Heated Mirrors
• Roof Rails
• Auto-Off Headlights
• Remote Trunk Lid Opener
• Running Boards (optional)

Both IIHS and NHTSA ratings are available for the 2018 Lexus RX 350L. The car receives a “Good” rating for side and roof strength. The front crash prevention is awarded a “Superior” rating. The 2018 Lexus RX 350L has also been awarded an overall rating of 4-star by the NHTSA, which undoubtedly is a good score in terms of the car’s safety. The abundance of safety features includes Low Tire Pressure Warning, Airbag Occupancy Sensor, Rear Child Safety Locks among others. Some of the major safety features offered with the 2018 Lexus RX 350 L are:

• Front Airbags
• Front Head Airbags
• Rear Head Airbags
• Front and Rear Side Airbags
• 4 Wheel ABS
• Child Safety Lights
• Traction Control
• Blind Spot Monitoring

Lexus RX 350L Vs Acura MDX

The 2018 Lexus RX 350L and the Acura MDX are at par when it comes to engine specs. The MDX offers more practicality in terms of boot space. Where the Lexus loses the most points is the third row - the space available to the third-row passengers is well below average.

The Acura provides ample space to the third-row passengers as well. Considering all of the above, and the fact that Acura is considerably cheaper than the Lexus, makes it a better deal.

Lexus RX 350L Vs Audi Q7

Audi Q7 can be considered as the benchmark for luxury SUVs, and it does not disappoint. The interior quality feels amazing and premium. The Audi clearly beats the Lexus when it comes to the interior, especially the infotainment system - Lexus's Enform system is no match for Audi's MMI. The Audi has a smaller engine and produces less power when compared to Lexus but manages to beat it off the line mainly because of the low-end torque. The superior braking performance also instills more confidence in the driver.

The Audi is also a better package than the Lexus since it also comes at a slightly higher price.

Lexus RX 350L Vs Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 is the costliest car out of this group. The interior feels premium and upscale. The infotainment system feels futuristic, which cannot be said for Lexus's system. Volvo also offers better space for the third-row commuters. In terms of safety, Volvo provides more safety equipment as standard.

Volvo delivers the best fuel economy out of the group. But, even with these premium features, a major drawback of XC90 is the bad reliability, which impacts the practicality and daily usability of the car.

Overall, the 2018 Lexus RX 350L is an upstanding car, although the vehicle lacks behind in some key aspects. The lack of room for people seated in the third row, the dated and impractical infotainment system are the biggest drawbacks. The exterior looks good and elegant yet it creates huge blindspots. Even though the interior is practical, and there are plenty of interior storage spaces, nonetheless, the actual cargo space is unsatisfactory. The Acura MDX is the best package out of the group as it provides similar practicality, performance, and luxury at a lower price.