2009 Lexus RX 350 Overview Change Vehicle

This 2009 Lexus RX 350 overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2009 RX 350, and includes Lexus RX 350 safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

This is the final year for the insanely popular second-generation Lexus RX series. As such, there are no changes, save for a limited-edition Pebble Beach Edition for the RX 350. As for the hybrid, we’ll see the brand-new third-generation 2010 Lexus RX 450h midway through 2009, so there is no RX 400h for the 2009 year.

The 2009 Lexus RX 350 is a front- or all-wheel drive vehicle that comes in a single trim level. Standard equipment includes such features as 17-inch wheels, cloth-covered seats with wood accents decorating the cabin, dual-zone automatic climate control, power driver’s and front passenger’s seats, and a power tailgate. But you don’t want a Lexus with cloth seats, do you? You’ll want to choose one of three packages. The first and most popular is the Premium Package, which includes leather upholstery, a power sunroof a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and a roof rack. Next up is the the Premium Plus Package that also gives you adaptive Xenon HID headlamps. And the Performance Package await for those who want a little more verve in the driving department, which gives you all of the above plus a manual shifting feature for the automatic transmission, and a height-adjustable self-leveling suspension, all of which ride on unique 18-inch wheels.

Other options include an adaptive cruise control system, a rear-seat entertainment system, and a navigation system with a rearview camera. And, of course, the ruinously expensive but perfectly sublime Mark Levinson sound system awaits to take your music to the next level.

Press the accelerator of the 2009 Lexus RX 350 and an impressive 270 horsepower stirs from the RX 350’s 3.5-liter V6, enough muscle to move the midsize crossover from zero to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, as Lexus says. Power is delivered to the wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission, while opting for the Performance Package means that you get an automanual shifter. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the RX 350 is rated for 18 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway* with the front-wheel-drive version, while the all-wheel-drive RX gets slightly worse mileage, 17-city/22-highway.

The 2009 Lexus RX 350 takes passenger safety rather seriously, and boasts a long list of safety features, including antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, a tire-pressure monitor, traction and stability control, and a veritable fortress of airbags, including side curtain airbags and a driver’s knee airbag. Some further safety enhancements that are available include a reversing camera system that’s packaged with the optional navigation system, and adaptive HID headlights that swivel as you steer. Lexus also offers an adaptive cruise control system on the RX, which automatically maintains safe distance from traffic ahead but we’re more in favor of vigilance.

This careful approach to safety also extends to crash protection technology; the result is a perfect 5 Star rating in every parameter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) except for its resistance to roll over, for which it receives a decent rating of 4 Stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) agrees with this assessment, and it gives the RX a Good rating for frontal-offset impact crashworthiness. Noteworthy, however, is the Poor rating for rear-impact injury prevention. The IIHS has not performed side-impact crash tests on the 2009 RX.

Speaking of good grades, J.D. Power and Associates awards the 2009 Lexus RX its above average score for vehicle dependability, a sentiment echoed by Consumer Reports.

Take away all the great crash test scores, stellar retained value equations, terrific reliability assessments, and all the techno-whiz bang infotainment features, and really, what do you have in the 2009 Lexus RX 350? We’d say a superlative vehicle in its ability to deliver a combination of a serene driving experience in a tightly crafted cabin full of luxurious touches, and a versatile SUV able to pull more than a few tricks up its sleeves when it comes to little thoughtful touches to make transporting your passengers and their stuff in style. We’ll miss this generation of the best-selling RX, and look forward to seeing if the next one can fill its rather generously sized shoes.

By Liz Kim