Lexus Cars and SUVs: Reviews, Pricing and Specs Driving
The upscale Lexus brand was introduced in 1989 as a competitor to established luxury marques like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In short order, it grabbed a chunk of market share and forced its competitors to up their game in terms of quality and value to remain competitive with this new Japanese brand. These days, Lexus is well entrenched and high on the shopping lists of anyone looking for a sumptuous vehicle with acres of brand appeal.
Some of the most popular Lexus vehicles are built right …
The upscale Lexus brand was introduced in 1989 as a competitor to established luxury marques like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In short order, it grabbed a chunk of market share and forced its competitors to up their game in terms of quality and value to remain competitive with this new Japanese brand. These days, Lexus is well entrenched and high on the shopping lists of anyone looking for a sumptuous vehicle with acres of brand appeal.
Some of the most popular Lexus vehicles are built right here in Canada, with the RX and RX Hybrid assembled in Cambridge, Ontario. A plant in Kentucky churns out copies of the midsize ES sedan but all other models are built in the brand’s home country of Japan. There, four facilities – Yoshiwara, Motomachi, Tahara, and Kyushu – make vehicles for several markets.
The compact IS four-door is a foil to sporty Mercedes or BMW sedans, packing rear-wheel drive and an available V8 engine. More sedate options are on tap. The ES is a tweener midsize sedan with either front- or all-wheel drive plus the option of a hybrid powertrain. F Sport design cues are new this year on the hybrid.
Finally, the big-daddy LS is a luxury tour-de-force, serving as the brand flagship and transporting its occupants in a cocoon of hushed luxury. Choose from a zoomy twin-turbo V6 or efficient hybrid powertrain; it’s unlikely back seat riders will ever hear either one.
A brace of coupes add spice to the line. All-wheel drive is standard on the RC, paired to a 3.5L V6 making either 260hp or 311hp depending on tune. An F trim adds that 5.0L V8 from the IS, good for 472 horsepower. The LC is a six-figure personal coupe, available as a bespoke build in your choice of V8 hardtop or convertible – or a V6 hybrid electric if you must.
At the entry-level rung is the UX crossover, a pint-sized machine perfect for city dwellers, offered only with a hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive in this country. A series of F Sport packages sharpen its styling but do not increase horsepower. The NX model is available in a dizzying 15 different models across four powertrains – gassers, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid. The latter, called NX 450h+, can travel up to 58 kilometres solely on electricity.
The made-in-Canada RX will have four engine choices for 2023 including a gasoline-powered unit, two different hybrids, and a plug-in hybrid packing an 18.1-kWh battery. Trims run the gamut from Executive to F Sport Performance, all pairing well with the RX’s new styling and entertaining paint choices. All-wheel drive is standard across the range in Canada. An all-electric RZ is planned for the near future.
Rounding out the Lexus showroom are two jumbo SUVs, the sizeable GX and the truly gargantuan LX. The GX has a V8 engine good for 301 horsepower funneled to earth through a full-time four-wheel drive system. The newly revamped six-figure LX utilizes a 3.5L twin-turbo V6 producing 409 ponies, riding atop a traditional body-on-frame construction and wielding enough road presence to clear out the left lane during rush hour.
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The 2026 Lexus RZ 350e is a 5-seat SUV priced at $59,990 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The RZ 350e is available in 1 trim with Electric power source producing 221 hp, and the Signature trim is highest rated at 4.38 out of 5 stars. The Lexus RZ 350e offers 966 L (34.1 ft³) of trunk space behind the rear seats and that opens up to 1,515 L (54 ft³) with the rear seats folded down.
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The 2026 Lexus RZ 450e is a 5-seat SUV ranging in Canadian pricing from $66,990 to $82,960 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The RZ 450e is available in 2 trims with Electric power source producing 308 hp, and the Executive trim is highest rated at 4.38 out of 5 stars. The Lexus RZ 450e offers 966 L (34.1 ft³) of trunk space behind the rear seats and that opens up to 1,515 L (54 ft³) with the rear seats folded down.
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The 2026 Lexus RZ 550e is a 5-seat SUV priced at $77,990 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The RZ 550e is available in 1 trim with Electric power source producing 402 hp, and the F SPORT trim is highest rated at 4.38 out of 5 stars. The Lexus RZ 550e offers 988 L (34.9 ft³) of trunk space behind the rear seats and that opens up to 1,515 L (54 ft³) with the rear seats folded down.
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The 2026 Lexus UX 300h is a 5-seat SUV priced at $44,795 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The UX 300h is available in 1 trim with Hybrid power source producing 196 hp, and the Premium trim is highest rated at 4.13 out of 5 stars. The UX 300h has a 8.00-inch touchscreen, Carplay/Android auto integration and 6-speaker audio, plus synthetic leather seats and 18-inch Alloy wheels.
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The 2026 Lexus NX 350 is a 5-seat SUV priced at $55,080 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The NX 350 is available in 1 trim with Gasoline power source producing 275 hp, and the Premium trim is highest rated at 3.88 out of 5 stars. The Lexus NX 350 offers 643 L (22.7 ft³) of trunk space behind the rear seats and that opens up to 1,328 L (47 ft³) with the rear seats folded down.
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The 2026 Lexus IS 350 is a 5-seat Sedan priced at $56,855 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The IS 350 is available in 1 trim with Gasoline power source producing 311 hp, and the F Sport Design trim is highest rated at 3.60 out of 5 stars. The 2026 Lexus IS 350 fuel consumption is as low as 10.8 L/100 km combined for the F Sport Design trim with its 3.5L V-6 Gasoline powertrain.
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The 2026 Lexus RZ 350e is a 5-seat SUV priced at $59,990 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The RZ 350e is available in 1 trim with Electric power source producing 221 hp, and the Signature trim is highest rated at 4.38 out of 5 stars. The Lexus RZ 350e offers 966 L (34.1 ft³) of trunk space behind the rear seats and that opens up to 1,515 L (54 ft³) with the rear seats folded down.
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The 2026 Lexus RZ 450e is a 5-seat SUV ranging in Canadian pricing from $66,990 to $82,960 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The RZ 450e is available in 2 trims with Electric power source producing 308 hp, and the Executive trim is highest rated at 4.38 out of 5 stars. The Lexus RZ 450e offers 966 L (34.1 ft³) of trunk space behind the rear seats and that opens up to 1,515 L (54 ft³) with the rear seats folded down.
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The 2026 Lexus RZ 550e is a 5-seat SUV priced at $77,990 plus $2,205 Freight & PDI. The RZ 550e is available in 1 trim with Electric power source producing 402 hp, and the F SPORT trim is highest rated at 4.38 out of 5 stars. The Lexus RZ 550e offers 988 L (34.9 ft³) of trunk space behind the rear seats and that opens up to 1,515 L (54 ft³) with the rear seats folded down.