Compare the2022 Lexus RXVS 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Lexus RX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the RX and the Highlander Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lexus RX is safer than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus RX is safer than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The RX comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Highlander Hybrid’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Highlander Hybrid. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Highlander Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The RX’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Highlander Hybrid’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates rated the RX first among midsize premium suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Highlander Hybrid was rated third in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 13th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fourth.

The RX 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 52 more horsepower (295 vs. 243) than the Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The RX 450h’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid produces 65 more horsepower (308 vs. 243) than the Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the RX 350 3.5 DOHC V6 is faster than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

The RX’s standard fuel tank has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Highlander Hybrid (19.2 vs. 17.1 gallons).

The RX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Highlander Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The RX has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The RX 350 handles at .79 G’s, while the Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RX 350 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Highlander Hybrid Platinum AWD (27.1 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the RX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Highlander Hybrid (8.2 vs. 8 inches), allowing the RX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers or raises the RX’s optional rear seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The RX uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Highlander Hybrid uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 49% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

The RX has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The RX’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The RX’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Highlander Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The RX’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Highlander Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Lexus RX as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.