2023 Lexus RX Interior and Cargo

The RX 350 and RX 350 Premium have NuLuxe leatherette upholstery and the base car's interior is available in two color schemes - Macadamia/Black Cascade black/Black Cascade. The RX 350 Premium has access to four color schemes - Birch or black with black open-pore wood trim, or Palomino or Macadamia with Ash Bamboo trim. Moving up to the RX 350 Premium+, leather upholstery becomes standard but the available color schemes are exactly the same as those of the Premium. The RX 350 Luxury upgrades to semi-aniline leather upholstery and comes with a choice of three color schemes - black or Peppercorn leather with black open-pore wood or Macadamia leather with Ash Bamboo trim. The interior colors of the Lexus RX 350 F Sport Handling suit its sportier approach and it comes with either black or a striking Rioja Red NuLuxe leatherette, both with Dark Graphite Aluminum trim. The interiors of the hybrids mirror their corresponding gas trims and the RX 500h F Sport Performance mirrors the RX 350 F Sport Handling.

With a useful 29.6 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second row, the cargo space in the Lexus RX is much improved and nearly double that of the old RX, which had only 16 cubes. You'll fit at least six carry-on cases in there, which should suffice for four or five passengers. The 40/20/40-split rear seat in the new RX doesn't fold completely flat, making for a trunk floor that slopes upward toward the front seats. With the seat folded, 46.2 cubic feet of space is liberated.

There are two cupholders in the center console to the right of the shifter for the front-seat passengers and the rear occupants get two pop-out cupholders in the fold-down center armrest. The front passenger compartment has a traditional glovebox and a special phone cubby under a sliding lid at the front of the center console as well; there is center-console storage, and door pockets in all the doors.

The interior of the Lexus RX is well-equipped even from the base model and the leatherette upholstery looks smart, even if it isn't the real thing. The front seats are heated and there is ten-way power adjustment for driver's seat and an eight-way power passenger seat. Standard features include keyless entry and push-button start, an electrically adjustable steering column, three-zone climate control, ambient interior lighting, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob, the new Lexus Interface multimedia system, and the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 driver-assistance suite that includes features such as pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, intersection support, adaptive cruise control, and road-sign assist.

Further up in the lineup, additional features become available, such as leather upholstery, thematic ambient lighting, a ten-way power passenger seat, a heated steering wheel, heating and ventilation for both the front and rear seats, a power-folding rear seat, a wireless phone charger, and additional safety assists, such as a digital rearview mirror and a surround-view monitor.

The brand-new Lexus Interface infotainment system is a big advance on the old touchpad-based system and far easier to use, although it's still not quite as intuitive as we'd hoped. The base and Premium trims get a 9.8-inch touchscreen that offers subscription-based Drive Connect cloud navigation, a Hey Lexus assistant, and Destination Assist. Standard features include Bluetooth and USB smartphone connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Wi-Fi capability, SiriusXM with a three-month Platinum subscription, voice commands, and a 12-speaker audio system. A wireless charging pad is optional on the base car and standard from Premium level.

A larger 14-inch touchscreen is optionally available on the Premium and F Sport trims and standard from Premium+. Standard from Luxury level and up - and optional on Premium+ - is a ten-inch head-up display. A 1,800-watt, 21-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound audio system is available only on the Premium+ and Luxury trims and on none of the others.