Compare the2023 Kia EV6VS 2023 Lexus RZ

Both the EV6 and RZ have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EV6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The RZ’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Both the EV6 and the RZ have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the EV6 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RZ has not been tested, yet.

The EV6 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The RZ’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV6 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the RZ. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the RZ ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EV6’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

The EV6’s optional electric motors produces 12 more horsepower (320 vs. 308) and 125 lbs.-ft. more torque (446 vs. 321) than the RZ’s electric motors. The EV6 GT’s standard electric motors produces 268 more horsepower (576 vs. 308) and 224 lbs.-ft. more torque (545 vs. 321) than the RZ’s electric motors.

On the EPA test cycle the EV6 gets better mileage than the RZ:

The EV6 can travel longer on a full charge than the RZ on a full charge:

For better stopping power the EV6 GT’s brake rotors are larger than those on the RZ:

For better traction, the EV6 GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RZ (255/40R21 vs. 235/60R18).

The EV6’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RZ’s standard 60 series front tires. The EV6 GT’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the RZ’s optional 50 series front and 45 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the RZ. The EV6 GT’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the RZ.

The EV6 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 RZ’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EV6’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the RZ (114.2 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

The Kia EV6 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 600 pounds less than the Lexus RZ.

The EV6 Light/Wind is 4.9 inches shorter than the RZ, making the EV6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The EV6 has .3 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the RZ.

The front step up height for the EV6 is 1.4 inches lower than the RZ (16.6” vs. 18”). The EV6’s rear step up height is 1.3 inches lower than the RZ’s (16.8” vs. 18.1”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the EV6 easier. The EV6’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.6 inches, while the RZ’s liftover is 29.8 inches.

The EV6’s cargo area is larger than the RZ’s in almost every dimension:

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the EV6’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The RZ doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The EV6 offers up to a 2300 lbs. towing capacity. The RZ has no towing capacity.

The EV6 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The RZ 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.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the EV6 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Lexus doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the RZ.

The power windows standard on both the EV6 and the RZ have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the EV6 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The RZ prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The EV6 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The RZ doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia EV6, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The EV6 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The RZ has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV6 as the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The RZ has never been chosen.