Lexus RZ 2025 Review

Introduction

Lexus is a manufacturer that quietly bubbles away in the background – often unassuming in terms of its challenge to the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

But its magic is often in its modesty.

Yes, it's had the odd mad moment – the LFA supercar, from around 15 years ago, is one example.

However, overall, Lexus is understated and, as such, rarely receives the recognition it deserves.

It is consistently among the most reliable brands in the world and often ahead of the curve in terms of technological developments, too.

For example, it’s been 20 years since it launched its first hybrid, the RX SUV, beating fellow premium brands by several years.

Of course, things have moved on since then. In 2023, Lexus ushered in the RZ – its first-ever from-the-ground-up all-electric car – following its earlier all-electric UX, which was based on a predecessor hybrid model.

Despite its young age, the RZ has already received a modest facelift, although you’ll struggle to notice any changes. The addition of two new range-topping models and adjustments to the powertrain lineup are the primary purposes of the tweaks.

But a couple of very intriguing features have been introduced, which we’ll explore shortly.

Are they fads or fundamentals? We will see if we can find out.

At A Glance

The Lexus RZ looks menacing and futuristic when viewed from the front.

Like many a Lexus nowadays, it has an ‘X’-shaped front grille panel, with aggressive diagonal lines carving out enormous arrows at each side, which house the headlights.

The sharply pointed bonnet adds to its uncompromising stance.

Around the sides, the RZ remains very shapely, with two large creases emanating from the top and bottom of the wheel arch and extending back across the doors.

The rear door has a jagged bottom, while further up, at the bottom of the side windows, the bodywork steps upwards from the C-pillar.

Its roofline slopes downwards, although the rear windscreen is at such an acute angle that most of the slope is provided by the glass, rather than the bodywork.

The rear is just as busy, with two bulging air intakes at the sides, a horizontal light bar, and cladding that dominates the lower bodywork.

It is certainly a striking design which is bold, dynamic and contemporary. Whether the Lexus is attractive depends on individual tastes, though.

Key Features

The RZ is available in five trim levels.

The old entry-level Urban model has been discontinued, leaving Premium as the new base trim.

With this, you get 18-inch alloy wheels, a 14.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB radio, voice control and dual-zone climate control, front radiant heaters (which we’ll cover shortly) and power-folding door mirrors.

You also receive heated synthetic leather eight-way electrically adjustable front seats, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, rain-sensing wipers, and LED headlights with adaptive high beam.

Premium Plus adds a driver's seat memory function, a 13-speaker Mark Levinson premium surround sound system, a panoramic view monitor, heated rear seats, LED cornering lights, a panoramic roof, and hands-free rear doors.

Takumi adds ventilated front seats with Ultrasuede upholstery and 64-colour ambient lighting.

The F Sport houses some sportier aerodynamic elements, including lower front-end bodywork, a rear spoiler, and a diffuser, plus steer-by-wire dedicated 'yoke' steering with touch tracer switches, and a digital rear-view mirror.

However, certain features are dropped compared with the Takumi trim, including the 13-speaker audio system, panoramic roof and panoramic view monitor.

The F Sport Takumi adds them back on, as well as including 20-inch wheels and blue brake callipers.

The number of power options has been increased from two to three, resulting in performance improvements across the board.

The old 300e and 450e powertrains (201PS and 313PS respectively) are out, replaced by new 350e, 500e and 550e units.

These new motors output 224PS, 380PS, and 408PS, respectively, with the latter two featuring all-wheel drive, while the entry-level motor is equipped with front-wheel drive.

The F Sport trim can only be paired with the 550e powertrain, and vice versa.

Range & Batteries

The Lexus RZ now has a larger 77kW battery across the entire range.

That should be sufficient for a 353-mile trip in the entry-level 350e model with 18-inch alloys, although upgrading to 20-inch alloys reduces this to 316 miles.

The 500e will manage 311 miles on the smaller wheels, reducing to 283 miles on the larger ones.

The 550e is only available with 20-inch rims, resulting in a 280-mile range.

Of course, expect the real-world range to be less than this in practice. Want to know more about EV range? Check out our complete guide to electric car range.

Performance & Drive

We are testing the mid-range 500e in Takumi trim – the highest trim level you can have with this powertrain – and it looks lovely in Lexus’s red-orangey ‘Sonic Copper’ colour.

It is pacey, managing 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds – hair-raisingly quick for an SUV– with a top speed of 112mph.

If that isn’t overkill, the 550e F Sport certainly is, especially as it only shaves off 0.2 seconds from the 500e's time and shares the same top speed.

Even the entry-level 350e will do the same in a respectable 7.5 seconds, a time that's still more than acceptable for an SUV, although its maximum speed is only 99mph.

The RZ performs reasonably well around corners, with oodles of grip, but body roll is less well contained than some other premium-branded rivals.

Nevertheless, the steering weights up nicely as speed increases, offering enough precision and feedback to give you confidence in taking a bend quickly.

Speaking of steering, though, the RZ has a bit of a trick up its sleeve – one that’s been promised since it was first launched.

It is called One Motion Grip – although you may hear it referred to as ‘steer-by-wire'.

This essentially means that the steering wheel has no physical connection to the wheels; instead, it is transmitted via computer signals that receive information from sensors detecting your inputs.

You may have heard of brake-by-wire systems, which apply the brakes via similar methods. In aircraft, this concept is often referred to as 'fly-by-wire', where the aircraft’s cockpit controls have no physical connection to the aircraft's aerodynamic parts.

The aircraft comparison is quite apt, as One Motion Grip includes an aircraft-style ‘yoke’ steering wheel – essentially the bottom half of the wheel, and more rectangular than round.

If steering without a direct connection to the wheels sounds unnerving, you'll be pleased to know that a backup system is in place, just in case it fails.

It is included as standard on the 550e F Sport, so we've been able to take one of those for a test drive as well.

Lexus doesn’t officially abbreviate One Motion Grip to ‘OMG’, but, frankly, it would be appropriate if it did.

You will be accustomed to turning a steering wheel several rotations to reach full lock, but with the One Motion Grip wheel, it's not even half a rotation – 150 degrees – from dead centre to full lock.

That means small inputs at lower speeds have about four to six times the effect compared with a conventional wheel, making it extremely sensitive, and that takes a bit of getting used to.

It is more damped out at higher speeds, thankfully, making it easier to place the car where you want it. However, you'll still want to get in some serious practice before attempting any performance driving.

In all trim levels, the RZ feels well-planted, although at quicker speeds, the suspension can feel too slow to react to repeated lumps and bumps, making the ride feel unsettled on poorer roads.

This impacts ride comfort when trying to make good progress, but at sensible speeds, such as driving around town or maintaining 40-50 mph, you'll encounter no such issues.

Both our Takumi and F Sport models (as well as the F Sport Takumi) feature 20-inch wheels. While they're not quite as absorbing as the 18-inch alloys in the lower trims, they still don't feel excessively hard.

The RZ is a comfortable cruiser with a hint of agility, though it's no sports car – but it isn't trying to be one. As a result, it isn't especially thrilling to drive, despite its impressive straight-line performance.

You will cruise along in silence, too, as the RZ is very quiet.

All-wheel drive models come with a system called Direct4, which alternates acceleration and braking between the front and rear wheels to help keep the Lexus level when accelerating and decelerating.

It works well, although you'll be able to outpace it if you floor the throttle or attempt an emergency stop.

You will want to consider an all-wheel drive version if you’re towing – the 350e’s towing capacity is only 750kg, but the 500e and 550e double this to 1,500kg.

Charging

The RZ can charge at a maximum rate of 150kW DC on all models.

That should be sufficient to achieve a 10-80% top-up in 30 minutes if you use Lexus's battery preconditioning feature, although it'll take 55 minutes if you don't.

Onboard charging has been improved, too, from 11kW to 22kW AC.

As a result, a 10-100% top-up can be achieved in just three and a half hours.

Mind you, few AC chargers can support these speeds yet. This is what you’d have at home, but many homes are incapable of supporting such speeds even with the right equipment, so it’s best to check beforehand.

Running Costs & Emissions

Being an all-electric car, the Lexus RZ has no miles-per-gallon figure and no carbon emissions.

That makes it cheaper to tax, but you won’t get a free ride on Britain’s roads anymore – the standard rate of £195-a-year now applies, although you’ll get the first year’s road tax for just £10.

At least you can claw back some savings if you’re after a company car – the RZ’s zero emissions make it a favourable candidate due to its very low Benefit-in-Kind tax. Still, any other electric vehicle can make the same claim.

In terms of reliability, Lexus has always been one of the most dependable brands on the planet and that reputation shows no sign of changing.

Interior & Technology

The interior of the Lexus RZ is sophisticated and well-designed.

It also appears to be packed full of air vents, which dominate much of the shapely dashboard, which is much lower on the passenger side than the driver’s.

Speaking of which, our Takumi-trimmed test car is fitted with infrared heaters – and it’s standard across the range.

These radiate heat, focused on your legs, and use a fraction of the power compared with a conventional heating system, which is one of the main reasons electric cars' ranges aren’t as good in colder weather.

It works well, although we still think you'll use the standard climate control to heat the cabin, and then use the infrared system to maintain the temperature thereafter.

Elsewhere in the cabin, the centre console looks broad and imposing.

The aesthetic is enhanced by a nice dual-tone tan and black colour scheme, which is available in all models except the entry-level one.

Our Takumi test car features a hazel-coloured ‘Ultrasuede’ upholstery, reminiscent of a plush, luxury Vanden Plas Princess from the 1970s. Lower trims receive a slightly less expensive Tahara leather in the same hazel colour.

Both look nice, though, and brighten things up considerably.

Taking up a lot of the space in the centre of the large dashboard is the 14.0-inch infotainment screen.

The touchscreen is visually appealing, offering sharp graphics, and the system is responsive to your inputs; however, the menu isn't the most intuitive.

There is no rotary dial either, making it less user-friendly when on the move. Furthermore, Lexus has buried the climate control within the touchscreen, making it even less convenient. However, the voice control works reasonably well.

The overall build quality feels as good as you’d expect from a Lexus, with everything solidly screwed together, plenty of premium materials and lots of sophistication in terms of layout and colour scheme.

Lower trims feature fewer sturdy materials, which slightly compromises the feel, although higher trim levels appear to be a match for any of the premium brands.

Practicality & Boot Space

It is easy to find a comfortable driving position in the Lexus RZ, thanks to supportive and absorbing seats that, along with the steering wheel, offer plenty of adjustment. They are also electrically adjustable for added convenience.

You sit higher up in plenty of SUV rivals, though.

You won't struggle for legroom or headroom upfront, while the rear boasts an impressive amount of space for back seat passengers to stretch out and make the most of the available room.

The back seats can recline slightly, although the rear bench can't slide forward or backwards. But with so much room, it’s unlikely you’ll need to worry about that – it’s without doubt one of the most generous SUVs for rear legroom.

The only downside is that the floor is relatively high, so your knees feel higher than the rest of your body; however, the under-thigh support is reasonably good.

In terms of boot space, you'll find 522 litres – marginally bigger than some direct competitors, but the Tesla Model Y offers more than half as much again on top.

Capacity expands to 1,451 litres when the rear seats are folded down, although they only fold in a 60:40 arrangement, rather than the more versatile 40:20:40 split.

There is no boot lip, so sliding objects in and out should be straightforward. Additionally, there's some underfloor storage available.

However, it’s not all good news.

Unlike in some electric cars, there’s no additional ‘frunk’ offering storage underneath the bonnet, and the addition of the infrared heater means there’s no glovebox.

Interior storage isn't the best, with a small tray to store your phone, a couple of cupholders, a cubby in the centre console and relatively small door bins.

Safety

The RZ earned a five-star safety rating when tested by Euro NCAP in 2023, scoring 87% for adult occupants, 87% for children and 81% for safety assists.

All models come factory-fitted with the Lexus Safety System Plus, which includes Lane Change Assist and a Driver Monitoring System.

Automatic emergency braking, automatic high beam, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and a reversing camera are all included.

Takumi trim and above receive adaptive high beams, as well as front and rear performance dampers.

Options

There are several optional extras to personalise your RZ.

A detachable tow bar, trunk liners, mudflaps, seat protectors, illuminated scuff plates, and protection film packs for mirrors and door handles are all offered.

There are also different designs of alloys and several body colours, including black or grey/blue by default, or pearlescent white, dark grey, light grey and ‘sonic’ copper if you’re happy to pay extra.

Most trims also get a choice of interior colours.

As we indicated earlier, models with 18-inch alloys can also be upgraded to 20-inch wheels, although this comes at the cost of ride comfort.

Rival Cars

Lexus is regarded as a premium brand, competing with the likes of the BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Tesla Model Y, and Audi's Q4 e-Tron.

A Volvo EX90 – the electric equivalent of the XC90 -  is also a worthwhile consideration.

Don't forget that the partly Volvo-owned Polestar has launched the curiously rear-windowless Polestar 4 as well.

The RZ will also get competition from the very opulent Genesis, which makes the Electrified GV60 and GV70 SUVs.

While not necessarily direct rivals, you could also consider the Skoda Enyaq vRS, the Kia EV6 GT, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Lexus RZ is a strong contender if you're looking to lease a premium SUV.

It is highly practical, spacious, drives well, and is smooth and powerful, with a lovely interior, and it comes well-equipped as standard.

Unless you require all-wheel drive, we recommend sticking to the entry-level 350e, which offers ample power and still comes with a comprehensive set of standard equipment.

All that said, the infotainment system is somewhat complicated, and it's quite an expensive car.

However, when you compare the leasing price with plenty of other premium electric SUVs, you’ll suddenly see that the Lexus RZ looks to be the bargain of the century.

Where to next?

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Call us on 0118 3048 688 or hit the green 'Enquire' button for more details.

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Lexus RZ

**Correct as of 19/08/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 36 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £3,843.54  (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.