Honda's luxury three-row splits the difference between sport sedan reflexes and family hauler practicality, torque-vectoring AWD that actually makes winter fun, a V6 that runs forever, and enough cargo space to shame the Germans. The catch is a generation-specific landmine: 2016-2020 V6 models grenade their rod bearings at 30k-60k miles, stranding owners with five-figure engine replacements now covered under recall 23V-751. Avoid that window entirely. The current 2022+ generation sidesteps the issue and earns genuine owner loyalty, but it drinks premium like a pickup (16-21 MPG real-world) and costs nearly X5 money while delivering a noticeably less plush cabin. Buy it if you value sharp handling and Honda durability over German badge prestige, and you're fine burning a tank every 350 miles. Skip it if fuel economy matters or you need that third row for actual adults.
There's a reason used-car shoppers hunt the 2020-2022 RX like treasure: those V6 models are the last of a breed that could cruise to 300k miles on oil changes alone, with interiors that still felt worth the luxury badge. The current generation split the fanbase, sharper styling and better tech, sure, but the four-cylinder turbo sounds coarse under throttle and the cabin took a step down in material quality, swapping soft-touch surfaces for more hard plastics. Worse, the hybrid variants have a documented 12V battery defect that leaves owners stranded often enough that keeping a jump pack onboard is now common practice among RX350h and RX450h+ drivers. If you want the bulletproof Lexus experience, buy a late V6 model. If the new look calls to you, skip the hybrids or accept you're beta-testing a fix.