The 2023 Lexus RX and the 2023 BMW X5 are impressive, well-equipped luxury sport utility vehicles (SUVs). They each have a lot to offer San Jose drivers, and you may find it tricky to decide which might be the one for you. So we’ve decided to take a closer look at each to see which one comes out on top. Let’s compare them in detail below.
Trim Levels and Core Feature Comparison
Here we’ll cover the various trim levels of these luxury SUVs and detail their core features, including their engines, transmissions, drivetrains, and suspension systems.
The 2023 Lexus RX
The 2023 Lexus RX comes in the Base, Premium, Premium+, Luxury, and F-Sport Handling trim levels. The RX 350 is the only gas-powered option, and it’s the model we’ll look at here. While other types of RX are available, they’re all in hybrid form. Powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the 2023 Lexus RX provides 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. The engine comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an overdrive gear. This Lexus is available in front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive formats. Its suspension system is a unified multi-link strut version.
The 2023 BMW X5
Four gas-powered trim levels are available for the 2023 BMW X5: the xDrive40i, sDrive40i, M60i, and the M Competition. The first two are powered by a 3.0-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo six-cylinder engine that gives 335 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. This option comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The M60i version comes with a 4.4-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo V-8 engine that provides 523 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. It also has an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The M Competition has a 4.4-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo V-8 that generates 617 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. This trim level has a specialized M-Sport transmission with Drivelogic programming. The first two trim levels are available in rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, but the rest are all-wheel drive only. You get a unified multi-link double-wishbone suspension system with the first three trims, while the M Competition has an adaptive M Professional suspension system.
The Verdict on the Core Features
The BMW may have more options in terms of engines, transmissions, and suspension systems, but their designs present a pair of major issues that you’ll need to factor in. The first is the gas-chugging nature of the engines. The fuel expense over time for the BMW X5 is far higher than that of the Lexus RX.
Second is the X5’s specialized engines, transmissions, and suspension systems. They require far more expensive and specialized maintenance and almost always need dealership attention. The Lexus RX’s engine, transmission, and suspension systems are of a simpler design, so they’re quicker and easier for mechanics to service or repair, costing you far less in hours and parts.
Entertainment, Infotainment, and Interior Feature Comparison
Each vehicle has extra aspects that make driving a more luxurious experience. These include their entertainment and infotainment systems and other interior features.
The 2023 Lexus RX
Every trim level of the 2023 Lexus RX comes standard with a 12-speaker premium sound system with high-definition radio, speed-compensated volume control, steering wheel sound system controls, and voice activation programming. This luxury SUV’s infotainment system is also the same across all trim levels. It consists of a 9.8-inch high-definition Lexus Interface with a touch-screen display. The infotainment system includes GPS navigation, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Android Auto, hands-free Bluetooth, multi-information display data sharing, and advanced voice command programming suites. The infotainment system can understand both formal and casual speech with ease.
Standard technological features in the 2023 Lexus RX include distance-pacing stop-and-go cruise control with steering wheel controls, a compass, a driver information center, a day-night rear-view mirror, concealed storage in the cargo area, one-touch up-and-down power windows, and auto-locking doors. To make your ride more comfortable, you also get heated eight-way power-adjustable seats, NuLuxe synthetic leather upholstery, and independent front and rear heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems with console and under-seat ducts.
Interior options for this luxury SUV include an auto-tilt-away steering wheel, specially detailed upholstery for the highest trim level, versions of the front seats with three memory settings each, a head-up display, and genuine wood and metal-look interior trim with aluminum accenting.
The 2023 BMW X5
The standard entertainment system for the 2023 BMW X5 comes with a 10-speaker hi-fi sound system, speed-compensated volume control, sound system steering wheel controls, and external memory control. Its standard infotainment system is a 12.3-inch high-definition screen with Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, and GPS navigation programming suites. While some other infotainment and entertainment features are available, they’re all optional, and there are considerable extra fees for installation.
As standard, the 2023 BMW X5 includes a day-night rearview mirror, a valet function, and memory settings for the side-view mirrors, driver’s seat, and head restraints. The standard comfort features include heated 12-way power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone air conditioning, an auto-tilt-away leather steering wheel, a driver’s footrest, an air filtration system, and Sensafin synthetic leather upholstery. Optional interior extras include multi-contour 14-way power-adjustable versions of the front seats, a rear air-conditioning system with separate controls, wireless device charging, and additional heating and air ducts.
The Verdict on In-Cabin Features and Options
It’s quite clear that the 2023 Lexus RX comes out on top in almost every area of this comparison. Even though the infotainment system has a slightly smaller screen, it’s far superior in its programming and capabilities. While the X5 has many cabin options, they’re costly to buy and install. This is especially true for the entertainment system extras, which cost thousands of dollars.
Are you looking for a driving experience that’s more entertaining, user-friendly, and comfortable? If you are, then the experience you’ll get from the RX is far superior to its BMW competitor.
Are you ready to learn more about the incredible luxury vehicle that is the 2023 Lexus RX? If you are, come to Lexus Stevens Creek of San Jose, California. Feel free to reach out to us to schedule a test drive so you can see for yourself what this vehicle can do. We’re open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Our service center is open for upgrade, repair, and maintenance work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Connect with us
