2023 Lexus RX 500h F SPORT at AJAC EcoRun

The 2023 Lexus RX 500h F SPORT starts at $63,850 in the United States and at $82,005 in Canada, freight and delivery charges included.
The RX 500h F SPORT boats a combined fuel economy rating of 27 mpg or 8.6 L/100 km.
Output is rated at 366 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque.

Fully redesigned this year, the Lexus RX boasts fresh styling, a more modern and luxurious cabin as well as an all-new powertrain lineup. One of them is found in the 2023 Lexus RX 500h F SPORT, adding some extra performance to the popular midsize crossover.

The RX 500h F SPORT is equipped with a turbocharged 2.4L inline four-cylinder engine matched to a six-speed automatic transmission, a front-mounted motor-generator, a front-mounted propulsion motor and a rear-mounted propulsion motor, creating an all-wheel drive setup. Output is rated at 366 horsepower and a Lexus-estimated 406 pound-feet of torque, good for 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) sprints of 5.9 seconds.

The RX 500h was one of about twenty vehicles that took part in the 2023 AJAC EcoRun, an annual event during which automotive journalists from across Canada get to drive these energy-efficient vehicles over two days. This year’s event took place in British Colombia, as the group traveled from Vancouver to Kelowna, but looping through Kamloops. Each journalist got to drive a different vehicle on each of the trip’s 10 legs.

The 2023 Lexus RX 500h F SPORT is an odd choice for EcoRun, as there are more efficient RX variants in the lineup and our drives focus on efficiency over performance. Aside from the 275-horsepower, gas-only RX 350, there’s the 246-hp hybrid RX 350h with a combined fuel economy rating of 36 mpg or 6.5 L/100 km, while the RX 500h’s combined figure is a still-stellar 27 mpg or 8.6 L/100 km. The RX 450h+ is arriving for the 2024 model year with an EV-only range of 37 miles or 60 km and an overall fuel economy average of 84 mpge or 2.8 Le/100 km.

Nevertheless, I drove the RX 500h F SPORT on a rather uneventful leg, with no major uphill and downhill stretches of road to ruin or bolster my fuel economy average. The crossover carries city/highway/combined ratings of 27/28/27 mpg or 8.7/8.4/8.6 L/100 km, while all RX variants require premium fuel. During my time behind the wheel, I managed an average of 34 mpg or 7.0 L/100 km, which is pretty good given the vehicle’s performance potential, weight and size.

Meanwhile, some of my colleagues did even better, with most averages ranging from 31 to 39 mpg or 6.1 to 7.5 L/100 km, while others did worse, stuck on the most challenging legs that were mostly uphill highway jaunts.

	Average (mpg)	Average (L/100 km)
Best average	39	6.1
My average	34	7.0
Worst average	19	12.3

A more exhaustive review of the 2023 Lexus RX 500h F SPORT is available for your reading pleasure, while our time with the sporty RX variant at EcoRun proved that under more relaxed driving, it can end up being a pretty efficient vehicle. Its focus on performance is enhanced by the inclusion of 21-inch wheels wrapped in low-profile tires, all-wheel steering, a sport suspension and simulated racy engine sounds, but to get the full experience, we must activate the Sport mode. It’s also well equipped with a panoramic sunroof, black and dark chrome exterior trim, F SPORT leather and Ultrasuede seats and three-zone climate control, among other goodies.