Lexus RX Overview: Specs, Generations and Best Versions (1997–present)

Lexus RX generations from 1997 to the present: a five-door SUV with 188–371 hp across five generations, with specs for notable gasoline and hybrid versions.

The Lexus RX is a five-door SUV produced from 1997 to the present, with outputs ranging from 188 to 371 hp across five generations. It suits buyers who want a comfortable automatic or hybrid crossover, and this guide to lexus rx generations and lexus rx specs shows which versions stand out by the numbers.

Lexus RX generations

1 generation (1997–2003)

The first Lexus RX was built from 1997 to 2003 as a five-door SUV with 4 modifications, all with automatic transmissions, in FWD and 4x4 form, spanning 201–223 hp. The 3.0 AT (223 hp) with 4x4 was the mass version, reaching 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds from its 2995 cc engine. The same 3.0 AT (223 hp) was also offered with FWD, matching the 8.5-second sprint at a rated 13.0 l/100km, while the entry 3.0 AT (201 hp) FWD did the run in 9.2 seconds at the same 13.0 l/100km. All three notable versions of this generation shared the identical 2995 cc displacement, so the choice came down to output and driven axles rather than engine size.

2 generation (2003–2006)

The second generation ran from 2003 to 2006 with 6 modifications, 204–230 hp, and added a CVT alongside the automatic; both FWD and 4x4 remained available. The most powerful was the 3.3 AT (230 hp) 4x4 with a 3300 cc engine, 8.3 seconds to 100 km/h and 11.2 l/100km. The hybrid 3.3 CVT (211 hp) with a 3311 cc engine was both the mass version in 4x4 form (7.6 seconds, 8.1 l/100km) and the economical choice in FWD form, combining 7.5 seconds with 7.8 l/100km — the hybrid was quicker than the more powerful gasoline automatic.

2 generation, restyling (2006–2009)

The 2006–2009 restyling offered 5 modifications from 204 to 276 hp, again with automatic and CVT gearboxes in FWD and 4x4 layouts. The mass version was the hybrid 3.3 CVT (211 hp) FWD with a 7.5-second sprint, and the top gasoline choice was the 3.5 AT (276 hp) FWD with a 3456 cc engine and 7.3 seconds to 100 km/h. The economical pick was the same 3.3 CVT hybrid in 4x4 form: 3311 cc, 7.6 seconds to 100 km/h and 8.1 l/100km.

3 generation (2008–2012)

The third generation (2008–2012) had 5 modifications spanning 188–299 hp with automatic and CVT options. The 3.5 AT (277 hp) FWD with a 3456 cc engine was the volume version at 8.0 seconds to 100 km/h, while the hybrid 3.5 CVT (299 hp) FWD topped the range, accelerated in 8.2 seconds and consumed just 6.1 l/100km from the same 3456 cc displacement.

3 generation, restyling (2012–2015)

The 2012–2015 restyling kept the same 188–299 hp span across 6 modifications. The 3.5 AT (277 hp) FWD with the 3456 cc engine remained the mass choice, and the hybrid 3.5 CVT (299 hp) FWD again paired 8.2 seconds to 100 km/h with 6.1 l/100km.

4 generation (2015–2019)

The fourth generation, sold from 2015 to 2019, was the widest lineup with 11 modifications and 238–313 hp. The 3.5 AT (290 hp) 4x4 was the mass version at 7.9 seconds and 11.2 l/100km; the hybrid 3.5 CVT (313 hp) 4x4 hit 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds at only 5.2 l/100km. Both notable versions used the familiar 3456 cc engine, so the hybrid delivered 23 hp more while consuming less than half the fuel of the gasoline automatic.

4 generation, restyling (2019–2023)

The 2019–2023 restyling covered 8 modifications with 238–313 hp. The 3.5 AT (294 hp) FWD led sales with 7.9 seconds to 100 km/h and 10.7 l/100km. The RX 450h hybrid delivered 313 hp from 3456 cc with 4x4, 7.7 seconds and 6.8 l/100km, and the RX 450hL added a 262 hp 4x4 hybrid with an 8.0-second sprint and 7.2 l/100km.

5 generation (2022–present)

The current fifth generation launched in 2022 with 6 modifications from 245 to 371 hp, moving to smaller 2393–2487 cc engines while keeping automatic and CVT gearboxes in FWD and 4x4 form. The RX 350 4WD (279 hp, 2393 cc, automatic) is the mass version. The RX 500h 2.4 F Sport Performance 4WD tops the range with 371 hp, 6.2 seconds to 100 km/h and 8.7 l/100km from just 2393 cc. The plug-in RX 450h Plus 4WD (306 hp, 2487 cc) sprints in 6.7 seconds at a rated 1.1 l/100km, and the RX 350h (245 hp, 2487 cc, FWD) returns 6.5 l/100km with a 7.4-second sprint.

Which Lexus RX to buy

On the used market the fourth generation (2015–2023, including the restyling) offers the broadest choice, with 11 modifications before the restyling and 8 after. Earlier generations back to 1997 stick to a simple formula — one body style, automatic or CVT, FWD or 4x4 — which makes narrowing a search straightforward.

Lexus RX specs summary

Across all lexus rx generations the model stayed a five-door SUV, and every generation offered both FWD and 4x4. Power grew from 201–223 hp in the 1997–2003 original to 245–371 hp today, gasoline engines shrank from 3456 cc V6 units to 2393–2487 cc turbocharged and hybrid fours in the fifth generation, and acceleration improved from 8.5 seconds (3.0 AT, 1 generation) to 6.2 seconds (RX 500h). Hybrid versions appeared in the second generation with the 3.3 CVT (211 hp) and have anchored the range since, with rated consumption falling from 8.1 l/100km to as low as 5.2 l/100km in the 3.5 CVT (313 hp) and 6.5 l/100km in the current RX 350h. That long hybrid record is also a large part of the model's lexus rx reliability reputation: the same CVT hybrid layout has been carried and refined through four consecutive generations since 2003.