Lexus RZ550e review: is this the future of the family SUV? I think so…

I do like a Lexus, I always have. I may have fallen for the brand’s big, comfortable saloon cars back in the day, but I’m rather partial to the new LBX, UX and the even posher RZ electric SUV.

The RZ was never perfect, though, especially in terms of efficiency and real world range. It was a pleasant car to drive, yet alongside an improved battery, Lexus has introduced an all new steer-by-wire system in the updated model – something I’ve been dying to get to grips with since its announcement.

Is the new-fangled yoke a welcome addition, or just a gimmick in an otherwise good car?

What is steer by wire?

To put it plainly, steer by wire tech means there’s nothing connecting your hands to the front wheels…at all. That’s made possible by the RZ’s array of sensors and motors, which means you turn the steering yoke, the car’s computers read your input, amplify your input and send that to a motor which turns the front wheels. Phew.

The important thing to note is this: you turn the yoke a little, the front wheels turn a lot, so you don’t need to crank the steering wheel from lock to lock to make tight manoeuvres. In theory, that makes for far easier day-to-day driving.

What’s the Lexus RZ550e like to drive?

It drives very well, actually. The RZ was already a comfortable, quiet and composed car – no matter what road you point it down – but the yoke has actually made things even better.

I spent my first fifteen minutes in the Lexus getting used to the yoke’s rapid steering. My first task was to pull the RZ out of a very tight parking space, where the delivery driver had snuggled right up against the curb.

I had to slow my movements right down to make sure I wouldn’t scrape a wheel or clip the corner of the car ahead of me; the manoeuvre felt like playing a game of Operation, to be honest.

After settling in, I actually found the yoke quite pleasant to use around my local, tight, North London streets. The RZ550e is a big, heavy car, but the fact you can go from lock-to-lock without ever letting go of the yoke means it feels remarkably agile when flicking through traffic or around sharp corners.

It’s also massively comfortable, with soft suspension and big tyres brushing off my local crater-sized potholes and mountainous speed bumps with ease.

There’s an odd sense of sportiness on a country lane, with how little input is required to change direction. Yet at high speeds the yoke gets ‘heavier,’ meaning you’re unlikely to send the RZ veering across the motorway when simply trying to move across a lane.

What’s the Lexus RZ like to live with?

In short, great, but with a few caveats. I think it looks awesome, for starters, and it turned more heads than I was expecting on the high street. I even had someone come up to me to strike up a conversation about the RZ’s looks, totally unprovoked.

The seats are very comfortable, but the driving position – and interior storage on the whole – is a bit odd. Even with the seat in its lowest setting the yoke feels a bit low-set, and I can’t get over the RZ’s lack of a glovebox. The through-load cubby in the centre console is a total faff (too shallow and with annoying flaps as covers), but the boot is a useful size and shape – even if the load lip is a bit high.

I also managed to achieve 3.5mi/kWh in my time with the car, which may not be exemplary when compared to a Tesla Model Y, but it meant I could achieve a 267-mile range with the RZ. That’s only 10 miles off of its claimed maximum range, which is far more impressive than most manufacturers.

Things I didn’t like about the Lexus RZ’s new steering

It’s a good piece of tech on the whole, but there are a few cons to the steer-by-wire system. For starters, while the yoke makes you feel a little like you’re driving an F1 car, it does look awkward, and it’s uncomfortable to use at times.

The indicator stalk is mounted to the yoke, rather than the steering column, which means there’s no guarantee that the indicator will be where you’ve ‘left it’. It left me confused at times, when coming up to a junction or roundabout.

Lexus’s engineers may have nailed the steering weight and variable input across speeds, but if you’re expecting any real steering feel through your hands – don’t. That’s the downside of there being no physical rod between the steering and the front wheels.

Also, the rectangular shape pretty much forces your hands to be at nine-and-three. Whether you think you’re in a music video with one hand at the top of the wheel or you like to hold the bottom of the wheel on a long drive, the yoke seriously limits where you can comfortably grip the controls from.

My biggest issue is with the funky shape. The steer-by-wire setup works very well, so why not feature it with a normal, round wheel?

Verdict: would I buy a Lexus RZ?

Honestly, I think I would. The claimed range may not be all that compared to the BMW iX3 or upcoming Volvo EX60, but it’s refreshing to see an ‘honest’ claim, which I found easily achievable in the real world. I like the interior design – bar the lack of glovebox, I never wanted for more space inside and I found it relaxing to drive.

I went into the RZ not knowing what to expect, and I came out really rather impressed. It’s just a shame it costs so much, and the steer-by-wire system is only available on top-spec F-Sport models, starting at £68,000. Ouch.

So yes, Lexus’s steer-by-wire is the future of the family car, but now it’s time to put the same yoke in a small, affordable hatchback – just like Peugeot is about to.

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*Savings are made up of the maximum dealer discount off RRP – subject to dealership, location and trim. Prices correct at the time of writing.