The Lexus RX 500h F SPORT Performance Is Good, But I'd Buy This Instead
The Lexus RX has long been the go-to SUV for attainable luxury, and assuming you can get past the love-it-or-hate-it grille design, the automaker's ample application of hybrid drivetrains has also checked off plenty of frugality boxes, too. The arrival of the RX 500h F SPORT Performance, however, set the venerable RX on a collision course with speed expectations I'm not convinced it can entirely meet.
Like most automakers that discovered people would buy performance-branded cars just so long as they looked the part (and even if the performance itself wasn't really changed), Lexus has taken a liberal approach with its F SPORT badge. On the one hand, there's what purists might describe as "true" F SPORT models. For instance, fiery sedans like the IS F SPORT Performance – with its 5.0-liter naturally-aspirated V8 packing a healthy 472 horsepower — fit that ideal quite nicely.
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At the same time, though, F SPORT means something very different elsewhere in the Lexus line-up. At its most tame — or, you might argue, diluted — it's a styling exercise. The introduction of the Performance suffix seems, indeed, to be an attempt to wrest back the focus that Lexus' branding gush muddied (just as there are now "F SPORT Design" and "F SPORT Handling" variants).
Performance, but not of the huge-V8-engine sort
Lending to the confusion, the RX 500h F SPORT Performance straddles several lines. It has, like the Performance chunk of the badging suggests, the most grunt out of all of the RX variants: 366 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. A 5.9 second run in the 0-60 mph dash isn't going to upset most of the sports-minded SUVs out there, but it's sufficient to make this particular model the fastest-accelerating of its nameplate.
Look to the little "h" tagged onto the 500h, however, and you realize this is one of Lexus' many hybrids. That's far from being automatically disqualifying when it comes to speed, mind. After all, the Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance is a hybrid, and nobody is calling that slow.
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The AMG, though, counts on a 4.0-liter V8 biturbo to cement its credibility. In comparison, Lexus' 2.4-liter turbo inline-four — as used elsewhere in the RX hybrid lineup — feels a little underwhelming, especially when the automaker still has (rare) V8 models elsewhere.
Swifter in a straight line, but not entirely convincing
On the road, this spicier SUV isn't slow. Dig into the infotainment to switch to Sport mode — come on, Lexus, why no dedicated mode button or dial? — and things feel perky around town. The electric contribution of instantaneous torque leaves the RX zippy from a standing start.
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You could say the same about most Lexus hybrids, however. Meanwhile, once you hit the corners, the RX 500h F SPORT Performance's sportier-tuned suspension — which shares the front adaptive shock absorbers, stabilizer bar, and performance dampers with models like the RX 350 F SPORT Handling — helps keeps things level, but you never forget you're in an RX. Nor, really, are you especially encouraged to push hard.
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Does the RX 500h F SPORT Performance need to be a canyon-road-crushing beast of a sports SUV? Absolutely not, and there was certainly something to be said for how surefooted it felt in the snow and ice. I'm just not convinced that this iteration best suits the RX's overall personality.
The RX PHEV makes a more compelling argument
Aspirationally-speaking, I regularly found myself wishing I was at the helm of the RX 450h+ Luxury AWD, instead. Lexus' sole plug-in hybrid version of the RX falls short on horsepower in comparison, though its 304 hp means it's the second-most potent in the lineup. Despite that, however, it's only three-tenths of a second slower in the 0-60 mph run.
More important, to my mind, is its 37 miles of electric-only range. For all the EV contribution the RX 500h's dual motors make, the SUV isn't designed to run on electric power alone. Honestly, I think that talent will make more of a difference to RX owners than the slight bump in straight-line speed.
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Neither SUV is inexpensive. The 2025 RX 500h F SPORT Performance starts at $66,150 (plus $1,350 destination), while the RX 450h+ Luxury AWD kicks off at $72,610 (plus destination).
Either way, there are all the toys (and pricing to match)
Your money gets you a decent equipment list. Both have leather interiors, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a wireless phone charging pad.
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Only the plug-in hybrid gets swankier semi-aniline leather as standard, along with more power-adjustability on the front seats. It also makes heated and ventilated rear seats standard — an option on the RX 500h — and includes a radiant knee heater. A useful 120V AC outlet is also standard on the RX 450h+ too.
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Don't get me wrong, the RX 500h F SPORT Performance is a fine luxury SUV. I may not be convinced by the exterior design, but the cabin is spacious and handsomely-equipped, it's smooth to drive, quiet, and generally easy to live with. There is, after all, a reason it has been the best-seller in its segment for more than two decades.
The RX 500h is neither one thing nor another
As a flagship for the RX line, though, I'm not so sure. F SPORT fans will likely find this interpretation of Performance leaves them on the cool side; electrification enthusiasts would undoubtedly be better-served by the RX plug-in hybrid.
Meanwhile, crowding from the sidelines, a rival like the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 may be slightly smaller (though it has almost identical front and rear legroom to the Lexus) but it has more power, is markedly swifter, and is about the same price. It's less frugal, but as already noted, those looking for maximum economy should already be considering plug-in hybrids.
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Or, for that matter, something like the RX 350h F SPORT Design AWD. That starts just over $57k and boasts a 36 mpg combined rating, nine points higher than the more potent, more expensive hybrid. Sure, it'll take you a second and a half longer to get to 60 mph than in the RX 500h, but with 619 miles of range from a full tank of gas (versus 464 miles for the 500h), I suspect I know which direction most Lexus shoppers will lean.