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Its deep seats add another level of plushness that I’ve not experienced in something costing less than £100k. The £135k Range Rover P440e Autobiography, another on our long-term fleet, comes to mind. These seats also have internal fans to keep your back sweat-free – a pleasant addition on a summer’s day.
Speaking of the Range Rover, the RZ’s 14in infotainment touchscreen also wouldn’t look out of place in a car of that quality, although it’s not as slick as the best of them. It’s not bad by any means, just not as user-friendly as it could be. I find myself always switching to Android Auto now, especially for navigation.
What is great, though, is how the RZ is to drive, which again adds to its ‘get you there relaxed’ mantra. It rides quietly and in supple fashion and has a pleasing heft to its steering that speaks of plenty of dynamic fine-tuning, which Lexus is known for.
In tight spaces, such as car parks, it behaves like a much smaller car, having a fantastic turning circle, thanks to its four-wheel steering.
For those looking at this car now, from late 2024 the RZ will also be available with Lexus’s steer-by-wire system, One Motion Grip, complete with a yoke in place of a steering wheel. No, this isn’t a gimmick: as we said in our first review of the RZ, it’s actually quite good and very precise, so much so that you can complete a full lock in just 150deg.
Anyway, back to our car, and with all good things, there are, however, some drawbacks. As I mentioned in my first report, the overly sensitive active safety systems are a bit of an annoyance.
I get why they’re there, but instead of being a kind hand on the shoulder to give you a nudge that you’re, for example, getting just a little too close to that central line (easily done in a car that’s nearly two metres wide), it’s more like a driving instructor shouting at you for your ineptness. It feels like something out of the school of Sir Alex Ferguson. I’m much more Mikel Arteta.
Some good news to report. I wrote in my initial report about the SUV’s real-world range of around 180 miles and how, for a £74,000 car, this was awful. Update: I’ve been using the Fan Off range-extending mode, which has boosted it to 220 miles – and it hasn’t been as unpleasant as I had expected. Big bonus.
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