I'm going to disagree with the majority of commenters here. First, I don't subscribe to the view that range is the end-all and be-all of BEVs. What a BEV should do is offer a driving experience that is superior to a gas ICE car in terms of quiet acceleration and smoothness as well as hopefully offer an interior full of sustainable materials and some new innovations in terms of the driving or passenger experience. The RZ does these things. The acceleration is excellent. And yes, it is excellent. I think most BEV acceleration is overkill and most BEV drivers don't use it fully because it wastes range. The RZ has sustainable materials. The RZ has a decent infotainment. But the RZ also has radiant heating which is a good idea to help aid the climate control HVAC system. The other big thing is the steer by wire. That saves motion and is variable. That's really the biggest thing about the car. Then, it's a Lexus with the build quality, refinement, and likely reliability, though that remains to be seen. I think those are saying it's worth $30K or so are way, way off-base. That's just not even practical because $30K is for a mainstream, not premium car and certainly not even a Lexus this size with this sort of driving experience and build. Saying because of range the car should cost what a mainstream car of a lower rung costs is not practical or realistic. BEVs cost a premium from similar gas car and this is similar to a RX so won't be less than an RX. I just think all the talk of range is overstated and made too much the very focus of everything about a BEV. I think a car should have usable range. This BEV has usable range if you don't do a lot of road trips. I rarely drive more than 40 miles a day. So I don't need the 300 miles mythical range feature that people say is necessary for a car of this price (something I don't agree with). Could the RZ use more range? Sure. I think it'll get it in OTA updates. But range is not a dealbreaker for me. Not even close to it. What I really like about this car is the lack of gimmicks we find on so many other cars. I know this Lexus is a "warm up" for Lexus and I think there are people who will find it an attractive option. The Lexus badge does carry weight as well. Overall, a very good and fair review. I think at some point in time, BEVs have to be about the car and range will get to like it is with gas cars, something most people couldn't care less about because charing up, like gassing up, will be a quick experience. Or it will be a different one because it is done while people work, shop, dine, basically, anytime the car is someplace and stationary. So charging speed may not be the big factor it is now. Battery preservation and longevity may take its place and guess what, Lexus is already thinking about that.
Nice review but still waiting for the "catastrophic" issues. Yes, a bit less range than some but from what I understand, there is a decided play here by Lexus to focus on the longevity of the battery performance over time by how they are approaching range and charging. Fast changing a battery often will diminish its performance very quickly. I bet this battery over the course of about 4-5 yrs when vehicles generally fall off warrantee, will be in much better condition than some of the other vehicles you mentioned. Additionally, "missing out on the EV experience" is a bit of an obtuse statement, don't you think? Some additional thoughts; the RZ is larger and roomier than the other cars you mentioned and that can be important to people buying an SUV; Panoramic roofs, especially without a cover to insolate, allows more noise into the cabin of any vehicle; the potential reliability of this vehicle versus all the others might outweigh the need of the few, who might consider being thrown back in the seat of a car, luxury.
Man, Lexus design team KILLED IT! They gotta be so disappointed by the drivetrain team only being able to offer ~200 miles of range and sucky charging.
It could have been worse when you compare it with the UX300e in the spec it comes in Europe, still with Chademo connector, poor efficiency and a shocking charge curve peaking well under 50kW! Let's wait for the full driving reviews with achieved range and actual charge curve - that sorts the good from the bad, 150kW won't be too bad if it holds up well with a late taper. Over to Tom & Kyle... The IR heater panels get a bonus point, this is a 'good idea', I've read another OEM is exploring this but I forget which.
This thing is worth 30k max lol. You can only charge on DC fast charger 3x a day, so on a trip that will be terrible. Who puts a max on that? Toyota trippin.
Hold on, there! I see no reason why a drive-by-wire system couldn't offer a more natural or communicative feeling, especially since video game steering wheels with direct drive motors already do this with great results in racing sims.
30 days of loaners is nice on paper but sucks in real life. Dealers are selling every vehicle they have on their lot and don't have spare loaners just sitting around at their stores waiting for RZ owners to call up and borrow one.
@@LearningFast I don't equate the cost of a car to how much range it has. And if you put 18 inch tires on it, it's 220 miles. And at some point, OTA updates will increase the range. However, I look at the full car and yes, it's a good deal for its cost even if the range is lower than competitors.
@@benjaminsmith2287 that makes no sense at all. The range won’t increase. It is a flawed platform. Even 220 miles would be pathetic compared to almost every other EV. If you think it is fine then perhaps it is the car for you. However, most people understand that this car is inferior to every other EV on the market.
@@LearningFast Polestars are on a "flawed" platform. Has the range increased through OTA updates on the Polestar 2? Same is true of the Volvo XC40. They've been able to squeeze a lot more range, plus performance, out of what is a modified platform with Polestar. The eTNGA may be less flawed than Volvo/Polestar's CMA platform. And again, I'm not so hyperfocused JUST on range to say the Lexus is bad or inferior to other cars. As a car, beyond the range, it's quite good and no one has pointed out, beyond range, which is somewhat usable for many types of drivers, what's so bad about the vehicle?. It is not about the car for me personally, it's trying to see what type of customers this car will appeal to in the broad market. The broad market are not like most of the people commenting here. And Lexus isn't even looking to make or sell that many of them right now. This is a Lexus first, not an EV first. This is an electric motor version of an RX but more sustainable. That's what Lexus set out to accomplish.
The ubiquitous amount of luxury EVs will not last, they're a sign of an economy ready to collapse. The Korean and Japanese car manufacturers grew to power because they were able to flourish on their near monopoly on attractive, affordable the accessible cars, unlike the US big brands that only prioritised quick profit/dividends financed by high profit margin land yachts. But the electric revolution we had hoped for has not escaped that unsustainable and competitive business mentality (of "high quality"). There's still no affordable EVs on offer now after a decade of all the improvement, cost savings and engineering knowhow. China and at a stretch France honestly are the only leaders in that department.
I'm going to disagree with the majority of commenters here. First, I don't subscribe to the view that range is the end-all and be-all of BEVs. What a BEV should do is offer a driving experience that is superior to a gas ICE car in terms of quiet acceleration and smoothness as well as hopefully offer an interior full of sustainable materials and some new innovations in terms of the driving or passenger experience. The RZ does these things. The acceleration is excellent. And yes, it is excellent. I think most BEV acceleration is overkill and most BEV drivers don't use it fully because it wastes range. The RZ has sustainable materials. The RZ has a decent infotainment. But the RZ also has radiant heating which is a good idea to help aid the climate control HVAC system. The other big thing is the steer by wire. That saves motion and is variable. That's really the biggest thing about the car. Then, it's a Lexus with the build quality, refinement, and likely reliability, though that remains to be seen. I think those are saying it's worth $30K or so are way, way off-base. That's just not even practical because $30K is for a mainstream, not premium car and certainly not even a Lexus this size with this sort of driving experience and build. Saying because of range the car should cost what a mainstream car of a lower rung costs is not practical or realistic. BEVs cost a premium from similar gas car and this is similar to a RX so won't be less than an RX.
I just think all the talk of range is overstated and made too much the very focus of everything about a BEV. I think a car should have usable range. This BEV has usable range if you don't do a lot of road trips. I rarely drive more than 40 miles a day. So I don't need the 300 miles mythical range feature that people say is necessary for a car of this price (something I don't agree with). Could the RZ use more range? Sure. I think it'll get it in OTA updates. But range is not a dealbreaker for me. Not even close to it. What I really like about this car is the lack of gimmicks we find on so many other cars. I know this Lexus is a "warm up" for Lexus and I think there are people who will find it an attractive option. The Lexus badge does carry weight as well.
Overall, a very good and fair review. I think at some point in time, BEVs have to be about the car and range will get to like it is with gas cars, something most people couldn't care less about because charing up, like gassing up, will be a quick experience. Or it will be a different one because it is done while people work, shop, dine, basically, anytime the car is someplace and stationary. So charging speed may not be the big factor it is now. Battery preservation and longevity may take its place and guess what, Lexus is already thinking about that.
Nice review but still waiting for the "catastrophic" issues. Yes, a bit less range than some but from what I understand, there is a decided play here by Lexus to focus on the longevity of the battery performance over time by how they are approaching range and charging. Fast changing a battery often will diminish its performance very quickly. I bet this battery over the course of about 4-5 yrs when vehicles generally fall off warrantee, will be in much better condition than some of the other vehicles you mentioned.
Additionally, "missing out on the EV experience" is a bit of an obtuse statement, don't you think?
Some additional thoughts; the RZ is larger and roomier than the other cars you mentioned and that can be important to people buying an SUV; Panoramic roofs, especially without a cover to insolate, allows more noise into the cabin of any vehicle; the potential reliability of this vehicle versus all the others might outweigh the need of the few, who might consider being thrown back in the seat of a car, luxury.
Man, Lexus design team KILLED IT! They gotta be so disappointed by the drivetrain team only being able to offer ~200 miles of range and sucky charging.
Some of the late competitors really feel like they don't care about EV's. I'd stick to the original leaders
Said leaders would tell you that a 3 wheeler Aptera is too unsafe and nobody would want one. So...
@@toyotaprius79 wut?
It could have been worse when you compare it with the UX300e in the spec it comes in Europe, still with Chademo connector, poor efficiency and a shocking charge curve peaking well under 50kW!
Let's wait for the full driving reviews with achieved range and actual charge curve - that sorts the good from the bad, 150kW won't be too bad if it holds up well with a late taper. Over to Tom & Kyle...
The IR heater panels get a bonus point, this is a 'good idea', I've read another OEM is exploring this but I forget which.
This thing is worth 30k max lol. You can only charge on DC fast charger 3x a day, so on a trip that will be terrible. Who puts a max on that? Toyota trippin.
Hold on, there! I see no reason why a drive-by-wire system couldn't offer a more natural or communicative feeling, especially since video game steering wheels with direct drive motors already do this with great results in racing sims.
The plan is to trade these current ev’s for a higher battery capacity in the near future
30 days of loaners is nice on paper but sucks in real life. Dealers are selling every vehicle they have on their lot and don't have spare loaners just sitting around at their stores waiting for RZ owners to call up and borrow one.
They will improve give them another 4 years.
🤣 Ahh, the "competition is coming" .... in 2027 lol.
Toyota is trying to make BEV look as bad as possible. They are late to the game so they are trying to destroy the game since they can’t keep up.
This car isn't anywhere near bad.
@@benjaminsmith2287 you think less than 200 miles of range is good for $60k?
@@LearningFast I don't equate the cost of a car to how much range it has. And if you put 18 inch tires on it, it's 220 miles. And at some point, OTA updates will increase the range. However, I look at the full car and yes, it's a good deal for its cost even if the range is lower than competitors.
@@benjaminsmith2287 that makes no sense at all. The range won’t increase. It is a flawed platform. Even 220 miles would be pathetic compared to almost every other EV. If you think it is fine then perhaps it is the car for you. However, most people understand that this car is inferior to every other EV on the market.
@@LearningFast Polestars are on a "flawed" platform. Has the range increased through OTA updates on the Polestar 2? Same is true of the Volvo XC40. They've been able to squeeze a lot more range, plus performance, out of what is a modified platform with Polestar. The eTNGA may be less flawed than Volvo/Polestar's CMA platform.
And again, I'm not so hyperfocused JUST on range to say the Lexus is bad or inferior to other cars. As a car, beyond the range, it's quite good and no one has pointed out, beyond range, which is somewhat usable for many types of drivers, what's so bad about the vehicle?. It is not about the car for me personally, it's trying to see what type of customers this car will appeal to in the broad market. The broad market are not like most of the people commenting here. And Lexus isn't even looking to make or sell that many of them right now. This is a Lexus first, not an EV first. This is an electric motor version of an RX but more sustainable. That's what Lexus set out to accomplish.
starts at 74k euro in Belgium 🤣🤣
Too expensive for such a limited range. Lexus isn't taking EVs seriously
Lmao what garbage. A perk of getting the EV is switching it out for another EV or an ICE vehicle. They're not even trying anymore.
The ubiquitous amount of luxury EVs will not last, they're a sign of an economy ready to collapse.
The Korean and Japanese car manufacturers grew to power because they were able to flourish on their near monopoly on attractive, affordable the accessible cars, unlike the US big brands that only prioritised quick profit/dividends financed by high profit margin land yachts.
But the electric revolution we had hoped for has not escaped that unsustainable and competitive business mentality (of "high quality"). There's still no affordable EVs on offer now after a decade of all the improvement, cost savings and engineering knowhow.
China and at a stretch France honestly are the only leaders in that department.
Inside EV folks are bunch of nuts!
Yeah but are the wheels still falling off when your on the freeway?!? This vehicle is NOT worth it!!!
Compelling?, with less than 220 miles range and $65k price tag. This thing is dead on arrival
Is that a joke? Let’s see if it can sell even 100 this year, $60k and range sub 200 miles .. disaster car.
One word, underwhelming.