Lexus RZ - Anyone have any first hand experience?

That would be me if we didn’t have kids. As long as you have an ICE car in the household, you don’t have to worry about range. My wife is open to a PHEV, but not a pure BEV, but she also doesn’t like the look of the Volvo XC90 and she thinks the NX is too small. She’s on her third MDX lease, and spends about $400/mo in fuel. I swear, if she had the option, she would modify her car to roll coal.

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Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring, Audi Q5e, BMW X5 PHEVs?

I know that OP is looking for a SUV now, rather then in the future. But from what I understand of the product pipeline, the next two electric CUVs are the 3 row CUVS Akio Toyoda showed back in 2021. Those are going to be built stateside from what I understand, hence the ES production went back to JP and Avalon got cancelled.

bZ4X drove alright but I hated the seating position, couldn’t really get comfortable and it didn’t help I couldn’t see the speedometer. Sat in a few RZs and even though it’s based on the same platform, it’s as comfy as a Lexus always is. My parents have been Lexus loyalists since they could be and I understand why. It’s not too exhilarating to drive but it’s the most comfy and quiet point a-to-b vehicle you could drive which also has Toyota reliability.

I’ve been meaning to test drive the RZ one of these days, but I fear I will enjoy it.

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While I agree with you, it’s not how the market works. Range is a headline number for an EV just like HP is for muscle cars. Imagine if Ford announced that the 2024 Mustang GT would have 325 HP.

How many people need more? Actually use more? Not many. But no one can be seriously entering a market with a headline number that so drastically underachieves the market’s expectations.

Which is why trunk money keeps going up. Brokers are now showing $6,500 off before rebates.

Are you saying that the panoramic roof does not have a sun shade and there’s no other way to stop the sun from baking you on a hot summer day? That’s common on so many SUVs. That was the deal breaker for us on the Volvo C40 and XC40 Recharge. Put a shade in there!

I agree to a certain extent, but comparing HP to range is not a straight apples to apples comparison. HP has benefits to more people than range. Being able to get up to highway speeds quickly and passing efficiency is something almost everyone will appreciate. Range is only beneficial if you need to go long distances at a time. In reality most people will not need or use it.

The RZ, a 4 door CUV is the fastest vehicle they make currently (ok maybe the RCF which most of forgotten does it a .4 secs quicker).

I wonder if TMC will announce a NACS adoption from 24 or 25?

Lexus does offer 30 days of a free ICE rental for the first 3 years of ownership. So, for the 2% (or less) that most people will need that extra range, there you go.

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No, they do not offer a sun shade. What I can say is that the glass does seem to be treated with something however. It’s not completely clear, even when we have the ‘tint’ off. We drove it to the beach with it off and it didn’t seem to get all that hot inside despite the current heatwave we are experiencing. Not sure if both models are the same though. We have the added bonus of having the acoustical glass that might be adding some extra insulation.

Both trims use AGC’s UV coated, low E glass, which they claim provides better thermal performance better then the previous NX with a panoroof. The Lux model has the Starlight Venza E chrom tech.

The dealership nearby sells an official Lexus RZ Pano Roof Cover I believe for $400. I assume you could get one uber cheap elsewhere. You could also get a tint shop to wrap it as well?

Agree. Range vs hp is not an equal comparison.

We have an X3M and we don’t need or use the HP everyday but it can be used at anytime (and I have a great time). The long range is only relevant/is used when you need to drive a long ways in one sitting or don’t can’t charge or an extended period.

I think long range will prove irrelevant to most people who are worried about it, but HP will always be relevant to those who are worried about it, even if it’s just a couple of on ramp accelerations + easily passing people.

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That wasn’t the point. It doesn’t matter what the actual application is. A headline number that’s well below benchmarks is a huge hurdle to overcome. And it’s a big consideration for resale / value retention too.

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I tend to agree with @max_g on this one. With EVs and ICE vehicle I think people are looking for baseline numbers to be in the same ballpark as the competition. The RZ and BZ products are great if they were launched in 2018 but for a new EV in 2023 its not a primary car. Hence the low sales target.

For those who can use it to its full potential and get a good deal though its an excellent Lexus.

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Actually saw one today for the first time. White. Not bad.

I would have considered if it leased well. Range doesn’t bother me.

What’s the RV and MF like on these? I’d consider one for the wife. She’s been driving RXs for years and I think she’d like it. She was open to an electric and we looked at Tesla when we got her last one in 2021, but she didn’t like the ride and thought the interior looked/ felt cheap. We looked at both Tesla SUVs.

Right now the best programs for mainstream EV are for Ioniq 5 and 6 and Kia Niro

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Yeah, but wives tend to not necessarily like the best deals that we get for them. I think the Lexus RX and the Acura MDX are designed for women. All the EVs so far seem to be designed primarily for men.

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It doesn’t lease well. We immediately bought out the lease to capture as much of the discounts as we could.

Man that’s too bad because the RZ is around the same price as the C40/XC40, and even similar discounts, but the Volvo is leasing so much better.