In this episode, we dive into the 2025 Lexus TX350 F Sport, examining its sleek design, advanced technology, and practical features. From its impressive 22-inch wheels to its innovative driving aids like the 360-degree camera and compression braking, learn how this SUV combines the driving comfort of a smaller vehicle with the robust functionality of an all-wheel drive system. Listen as we discuss its usability for everyday family needs while maintaining the high luxury standards of the Lexus brand.
SPEAKER 01 :
And we are back, Rush to Reason, Denver’s Afternoon Rush, KLZ 560, that time of the week where we do our car reviews. And Richard, what have you driven lately? This particular car, by the way, I got a chance to get behind the wheel of as well, but let’s go ahead and talk about it.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, this will be a fun one, Dad. It’s the 2025 Lexus TX350. This is the F Sport handling trim, and the price for this vehicle came in just under $70,000 at about $69,430. This was also the all-wheel drive version, Dad. It’s got the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Turbo engine, 275 horsepower. Like we mentioned, all-wheel drive. It’s got the F-Sport tuned suspension. It’s got an F-Sport exterior styling. The 22-inch wheels on the panoramic glass roof. Let’s see here. Heated and ventilated second-row captain’s chairs. Heated and ventilated… front power seats. You’ve got a third row in this vehicle, Dad. And for those that are familiar with not only Lexus, Dad, but also Toyota, this is the Lexus version of the Grand Highlander, right? And that’s just the best way I know how to describe it. So if you look at this vehicle, see it down… driving down the road. It’s really, in my opinion, a really good-looking vehicle. And in terms of functionality, which we’ll get to here in just a second, great. It was introduced in 2024, Dad. The F-Sport handling is new for this year. Also, the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel is now standard. and there’s automatic curve speed reduction for the cruise control. All of that to say, folks, this is a three-row SUV that is really phenomenal for a family. And if you’re looking for… I’ll be honest, I’ve got a family of six. If you’re looking for a vehicle… that is a people mover, not necessarily going to take you a ton of places off-road, but you need to get to baseball practice or football or soccer or hockey or swim lessons or whatever it is, or school. And maybe you’ve only got three kiddos, but maybe you want to have room for that other friend that hops in. And you want to do so in style, that, right, of the luxury that Lexus provides with the soft-touch materials. And I know in a lot of cases, some dealer benefits that we’ll get to here in a second. This is the vehicle for you. It drove really well. I really like the turbocharged engine. And again, you don’t necessarily get in a lot of these vehicles, but I think you will enjoy this vehicle the same way that I did.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, car worked great. I had a chance to get behind the wheel for a couple of days, and it worked very well. One thing about this car that… Actually, I really enjoyed, and I didn’t get into the technology end of things and study how they’re doing this, but the deceleration end of things on the car, it feels very much like you’re driving an EV, I guess you could say. The compression braking that they’ve put into the powertrain is probably the best way for me to say that, Richard. Works great. You literally feel yourself slowing down without the need to really use the brakes. Brakes are still needed, of course, to come to a complete stop and so on. But as far as driving it, you almost feel like you have one pedal driving like an EV has.
SPEAKER 02 :
You did, and I’m with you. I didn’t quite expect that. And normally, folks, unless you get an EV vehicle, even some hybrids that don’t quite have the sort of deceleration that this vehicle did, which made it actually easier to drive, and you combine that with a lot of the other technology features, i.e. the 360-degree camera and kind of the cross-traffic alerts and some of that, it’s really not difficult to drive. Because this is a larger SUV, right?
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s a bigger car, yeah, absolutely, yeah.
SPEAKER 02 :
not the largest by any means, and not that that’s a bad thing, but it is a little bit bigger, like you said. So it felt, when they combine that technology, it doesn’t necessarily feel like you’re driving a larger SUV. It sort of almost feels like you’re driving, I guess, well, I’ll just say it’s a smaller SUV, right? Not quite a sedan, but definitely something that’s smaller in size. Because this, I believe, is equipped with the 5,000-pound towing capacity as well. So you could do kind of a small trailer, that sort of thing, depending on where you’re going. And as far as room, folks, the third row, again, I did put the kids in there, put them in with some booster seats. They were able to get back there. Even with that being said, there was still room for some backpacks and some cargo behind the third row. And that’s always the question, right, Dad? A lot of these vehicles, they say they have a third row, but that third row is really not a full third row. In this case, I can confidently, well, I can’t say a full-size adult is going to fit back there, Dad, but you’ll be able to get someone up until 12, 13, 14 pretty easily, depending on their size, without too many issues. And, again, I really enjoyed it. And one thing I’ll note, and I don’t know if this is for all Lexus dealers, but I can’t say, but if you’re looking at maybe comparing this to similar vehicles or maybe not the luxury, I do know that a lot of Lexus dealers, well, actually, if you take it into the dealer, you know, needs its normal service, whatever it is, will give you a courtesy car to drive, which you don’t necessarily see in a lot of cases. And if you go with maybe, again, a different manufacturer or whatever it might be, you may not get that. And so if you are limited in your car options or whatever it is, that may set it apart. However, we are going to put the caveat, Dad, which is that they don’t know if every dealer… Every Lexus dealer does that, but it’s definitely something that we noted on a personal experience with just some friends and family out there. But outside of that, really enjoyed the vehicle. Last thing we’ll say, Dad, is fuel economy, 20 and 26 for an average of 23, and I think you and I were right there, right about 24, 25 miles per gallon, which is really, I guess the only negative I would say, Dad, I would love it to have a little bit larger of a fuel tank. being as big of a car as it is because after about a week’s worth of normal driving, we were kind of running on the low side on the fuel side of things. So that’s the only thing there. But outside of that, I encourage folks to check this vehicle out. Again, 2025 Lexus TX350 F Sport handling. This is the all-wheel drive model. And when you do that, let them know that John and Richard Rush from Drive Radio and Rush to Reason sent you.
SPEAKER 01 :
This is John Rush from Rush to Reason and Drive Radio. Thank you so much for listening. Check out more of our podcasts at RushToReason.com or Drive-Radio.com.