Top Safety Pick +

2023 Lexus RX

midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Small overlap front: driver-side
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Moderate overlap front: original test
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Side: updated test

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Headlights
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)
Standard system	Superior
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (night)
Standard system	Superior

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Seat belt reminders
LATCH ease of use

Other available safety features

Standard blind spot detection
Standard lane departure warning & prevention
Optional rear automatic braking

Key

G
Good
A
Acceptable
M
Marginal
P
Poor

Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2023 Lexus RX 350 4-door 4wd

The Lexus RX was redesigned for the 2023 model year. Driver-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2023 RX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating

Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTN2209
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	2
Footrest (cm)	2
Left toepan (cm)	3
Brake pedal (cm)	2
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	0
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column	2
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	2
Upper dash (cm)	3
Lower instrument panel (cm)	2

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTN2209
Head
HIC-15	194
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.7
Extension bending moment (Nm)	6
Maximum Nij	0.30
Chest maximum compression (mm)	25
Femur (kN)
Left	0.9
Right	1.3
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	1
Right	1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.41
Right	0.35
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	2.0
Right	2.4
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	59
Right	42

About the small overlap front test

Small overlap front: passenger-side

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2023 Lexus RX 350 4-door 4wd

The Lexus RX was redesigned for the 2023 model year. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2023 RX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2224
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	1
Footrest (cm)	4
Right toepan (cm)	6
Center toepan (cm)	5
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	0
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm)	3
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	2
Upper dash (cm)	5
Right lower dash (cm)	5

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2224
Head
HIC-15	83
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.8
Extension bending moment (Nm)	14
Maximum Nij	0.20
Chest maximum compression (mm)	21
Femur (kN)
Left	0.2
Right	0.5
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	2
Right	2
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.43
Right	0.82
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	1.3
Right	2.4
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	56
Right	69

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP2224
Head
HIC-15	244
Peak gs at hard contact	78
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm)	11
Maximum Nij	0.24
Chest maximum compression (mm)	30
Femur (kN)
Left	0.5
Right	1.4
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	0
Right	1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.35
Right	0.39
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	1.0
Right	2.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	52
Right	58

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2023 Lexus RX 350 4-door 4wd

The Lexus RX was redesigned for the 2023 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2023 RX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF2211
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	3
Left (cm)	4
Center (cm)	3
Right (cm)	4
Brake pedal (cm)	3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	0
Right (cm)	0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	1
Rearward (cm)	3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	0

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF2211
Head
HIC-15	257
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm)	15
Maximum Nij	0.21
Chest maximum compression (mm)	25
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.8
Femur force - right (kN)	1.6
Knee displacement - left (mm)	1
Knee displacement - right (mm)	2
Maximum tibia index - left	0.36
Maximum tibia index - right	0.39
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	1.8
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	3.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	59
Right	64

About the original moderate overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: updated test

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2023 Lexus RX 350 4-door 4wd

The Lexus RX was redesigned for the 2023 model year.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Thigh/hip
Leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Thigh
Rear passenger restraints and dummy kinematics

View of the vehicle after the crash showing the airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

The rear passenger dummy's head remained a safe distance from the front seatback.

Rear passenger dummy injury values indicate a low risk of injury to the head or neck and a moderate risk of injury to the chest. During the crash, the shoulder belt moved too far upward toward the dummy’s neck, compromising the effectiveness of the rear restraint system.

The rear passenger dummy's lap belt moved from the ideal position on the pelvis onto the abdomen, increasing the risk of abdominal injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF2328
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	3
Left (cm)	4
Center (cm)	4
Right (cm)	4
Brake pedal (cm)	5
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	0
Right (cm)	0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	1
Rearward (cm)	1
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	0

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEF2328
Head
HIC-15	160
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm)	17
Maximum Nij	0.25
Chest maximum compression (mm)	28
Femur (kN)
Left	0.9
Right	1.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	2
Right	1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.38
Right	0.33
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	1.7
Right	2.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	59
Right	47

Test ID	CEF2328
Head
HIC-15 for head contact during forward excursion	no contact
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.8
Compression (kN)	0.1
Maximum Nij for head contact during forward excursion	no contact
Chest
Chest index	47
Shoulder belt tension (kN)	4.3
Thigh (kN)
Left femur compression	0.4
Right femur compression	0.2

About the moderate overlap front test

February 2024 adjustment to rating criteria

Side: updated test

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2023 Lexus RX 350 4-door 4wd

The Lexus RX was redesigned for the 2023 model year. Side 2.0 ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2023 RX conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis
Rear passenger head protection

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2302
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-18.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2302
Head
HIC-15	97
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.9
Compression (kN)	0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	17
Lateral force (kN)	0.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	41
Average deflection (mm)	26
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	2.44
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.47
Pelvis
Combined force (kN)	5.4

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS2302
Head
HIC-15	90
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.2
Compression (kN)	0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	29
Lateral force (kN)	1.1
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	33
Average deflection (mm)	27
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	3.55
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.51
Pelvis
Combined force (kN)	2.1

About the side crash test

Headlights

Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.

Trim level(s)

All trims equipped with Premium Triple Beam Headlights package

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good in all 4 tests.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and gradual right curves and fair on the sharp left and sharp right curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	All trims equipped with Premium Triple Beam Headlights package
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2023-25 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	95.6 m	None
Straightaway left edge	58.9 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	77.1 m	None
250m radius left curve, left edge	72.6 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	63.5 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	60.4 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	143.8 m
Straightaway left edge	142.1 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	82.9 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	88.1 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	63.7 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	64.4 m

Trim level(s)

All trims

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on both right curves and fair on both left curves.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and both right curves and fair on the sharp left curve.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on both left curves.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	All trims
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2023-25 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	102.2 m	None
Straightaway left edge	62.0 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	88.0 m	None
250m radius left curve, left edge	57.8 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	66.9 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	47.1 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	138.1 m
Straightaway left edge	129.2 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	89.0 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	82.6 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	67.6 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	64.7 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)

System details

standard Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation

This rating applies to all 2023-25 models

Superior

Crossing child

In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Crossing adult

In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Parallel adult

In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 37 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision. A warning was issued 2.5 seconds before impact.

About the pedestrian front crash prevention test

Front crash prevention: pedestrian (night)

Night

System details

standard Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation

Includes high-beam assist credit

This rating applies to all 2023-25 models

Superior

Crossing adult

In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Parallel adult

In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams. When using its low beams, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 37 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision when using its high beams and a warning was issued 2.5 seconds before impact. When using its low beams, impact speed was reduced by 32 mph and a warning was issued 1.5 seconds before impact.

About pedestrian front crash prevention test

Seat belt reminders

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Front row
Unbelted occupant alert (audible & visual)
Initiation time
Duration	Long enough (90+ seconds)
Volume
Audio frequency
Second row
Startup status alert (visual)
Initiation time
Duration at least 60 seconds
Belt disengaged alert (audible & visual)
Initiation time
Duration at least 30 seconds
Volume
Audio frequency

Technical measurements for this test

About the seat belt reminder evaluation

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2023-25 models

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	350
Seat type	leather

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	350
Seat type	leather

Rating icon	Rating
G	Good
A	Acceptable
M	Marginal
P	Poor
	Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol	Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol	Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol	Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
	No hardware available

Details by seating position

Position	Rating
1
1	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	not too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors
2
2	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	none available
3
3	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	not too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors

Technical measurements for this test

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	8
Clearance angle (degrees)	79
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	15
Clearance angle (degrees)	78
Tether anchor
Location	Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present	Yes
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
No lower latch for this seat position
Lower anchor B
No lower latch for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location	Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present	Yes
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	11
Clearance angle (degrees)	72
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	0-2
Force (lbs)	7
Clearance angle (degrees)	83
Tether anchor
Location	Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present	Yes
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation

Background cabin sound pressure level at 24 km/h	49 dB
Audible signal sound pressure level at 24 km/h	62 dB
Difference between background and signal	13.3 dB
Background cabin sound pressure level at 40 km/h	53 dB
Audible signal sound pressure level at 40 km/h	63 dB
Difference between background and signal	9.8 dB
Dominant audio frequency	592 Hz