2018 Lexus RX 350L: Cramped third-row quarters

[MUSIC] It wasn't long ago that if you wanted a Lexus Crossover or SUV with three rows of seating, you had to get the body-on-frame GX. Leaving a sizable void in the lineup for a more compliant unibody based three real crossover to battle it out with things like the Acura MDX, infinity Qx 60 and Buick Enclave. Well that's now changed with the arrival of this the RX 350L. [MUSIC] The RX350L is a stretched version of the wildly popular RX350, but it rides on the same 109 point inch wheel base, meaning the additional 4 point for inches of length comes behind the seat pillar. That's fine for more cargo room, giving it 70.7 cubic feet of space with all the rear seats folded, to better the standard 350's 56.3 cubic feet, but doesn't translate well for the all-important third row. [MUSIC] For starters, getting in and out of it isn't the easiest. Then once back there things are cramped in providing enough leg room even for small passengers requires not sliding the second row back much and thus limiting leg room there too. Really if you plan on using both rows of seats you're only going to be able to carry young kids or maybe [UNKNOWN] [MUSIC] [UNKNOWN] are x features like [UNKNOWN] system that features a giant 12.3 [UNKNOWN] screen, a 12 speaker audios system, navigation, and bluetooth. But surprisingly still this is a support [UNKNOWN] total common this is [UNKNOWN] 2018 Also not so good is that infotainment is controlled by the remote touch mouse controller, which is distracting to use while driving, and is among the worst interfaces available on the market today. For safety, forward collision warning with automatic braking, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control are standard. While this test car also features optional blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic But for a deeper dive into the cars tech equipment make sure that you check out the separate tech check video. Everything else in the 350L is typical Lexus fare. There's a nicely finished Cabin with soft mothers that Bambi trim quality feeling controls and cushy seats in an environment that always stays quiet. Right quality is very well damped and great over broken roads. However, it's no corner Carver which isn't a surprise on the more forgiving suspension and light steering but it's not sloppy on the 20 inch tires either. It's simply a confident comfort focus crossover. [MUSIC] Motivating the RX is a 3.5-liter V6 with 290 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque, which works with eight-speed automatic transmission that drives all four wheels. That's estimated to return 18 miles per gallon in the city, and 25 miles per gallon on the highway. Power is adequate when you have the car in sport mode, but things do feel a little sluggish when you have it in In the normal setting. But like the ride, smoothness is the name of the game in the drivetrain. With the transmission performing imperceptible shifts. [SOUND] So the good news is that Lexus customers now have a well-trimmed and comfortable-riding three-row unibody crossover to buy. It starts at $48,665 with front wheel drive and about $50,000 with all wheel drive. The bad news, the third row has been shoe horned into the RX as after thought and suffers from package compromises because the RX wasn't originally developed to have three rows. And for that reason, things like the MBX, QX60 and Enclave are better choices in this segment for those who carry six or seven people on a more regular base [MUSIC]