Pretty penny: Reworked Lexus RX hits the right notes

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- Lexus rolled up with something new, and well, my first thought was that it looked like a giant penny.

The striking "Copper Crest" paint job certainly made an impression, and judging from the popular vote during my week in the vehicle, that impression was positive.  Not only did I like it, but multiple passersby and motorists stopped me in my tracks and told me how much they liked the paint job.

But there was much more to like in the 2023 Lexus RX 500h F Sport Performance, a seriously reworked five-seater marking the RX's fifth generation in 2023.

The redesign highlights a sleek profile riding on a sedan-based platform. The wide-mouth grille appears ready to devour anything in its path.  Lexus notes that the exterior redesign resulted in more interior space, particularly legroom.

From the cockpit, everything is within easy reach.  And the standard features on the tester -- priced at $70,830 on the sticker's bottom line -- included state-of-the-art multimedia, safety, driving-enhancement, comfort and convenience perks. Notable among the features were intuitive parking assist (with auto-braking), an easy-to-see 9.8-inch touchscreen display and a kickin' 12-speaker sound system.

Lexus apparently wanted "Performance" in the vehicle name, although it was obvious from the start that this SUV could cook.

The powertrain package is anchored by a turbocharged 2.4-liter in-line turbo 4 matched with an electric motor. An electric inverter/motor powering the rear wheels throws in to raise total horsepower to 366; torque maxes at 406 foot-pounds ... all of it orchestrated through a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system.

Power management makes the vehicle a pleasure to drive.  Brisk accelerations off the line turn into seat-pressing sprints with the AWD system seamlessly managing front and rear power demands. Excellent suspension balance on the front and rear delivered a monorail-solid ride, but without uncomfortable stiffness normally experienced with sport-tuned platforms.

Thanks to the hybrid assist, fuel mileage comes in at a pretty decent 27 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

Overall, this RX is a flagship, show off, pretentious, bells-and-whistles-laden sport-ute made better than it has ever been with a thoughtful redesign and top-drawer engineering.