Overview

What's New for 2025

The 2025 Lexus RZ offers two powertrains: The front-wheel-drive, single-motor 300e and the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 450e. Each comes in base, Premium, and Luxury trims. The 450e Premium is popular with buyers, but we think the 300e Premium is the better choice. We'll explain why below.

300e

The RZ 300e base trim starts at $43,975 (including a $1,175 destination fee) and comes with 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and dual-zone climate control. In-car tech includes a 14-inch touchscreen, cloud-based navigation and connected services, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, five USB-C ports, a Wi-Fi hotspot and a 10-speaker audio system.

The RZ also comes standard with a full complement of driver assistance features, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, left-turn collision avoidance and evasive steering assist. Adaptive cruise control with curve speed management, lane-keeping and lane-centering assist are also included.

300e Premium

Moving up to the RZ 300e Premium ($48,175) adds a panoramic glass roof, a hands-free liftgate, ventilated front seats, driver's seat memory, ambient cabin lighting, surround-view camera display and front and rear parking sensors. Twenty-inch wheels are optional for an additional $1,240. The Premium gets our recommendation since, for a modest price increase from the base trim, it adds some luxury touches befitting the Lexus badge including the hands-free liftgate, ventilated front seats and glass roof.

300e Luxury

The Luxury trim lists for $53,905 and adds 20-inch wheels along with finer details such as genuine leather upholstery, front radiant heater, heated rear seats, acoustically-insulated front and rear side windows, a digital key, and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound system.

Extra tech features includes front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, traffic jam assist (which allows for semi-hands-free driving at low speeds), a head-up display and an automated parking system.

450e

The new-for-2025 450e base trim ($48,675) comes standard with all-wheel drive, but is otherwise equipped like its 300e counterpart.

450e Premium

Upgrading to the Premium ($52,875) brings the same features found on the 300e Premium. It's also available with 20-inch wheels ($54,115)

450e Luxury

At the top of the lineup, the 450e Luxury — like its 300e counterpart — adds genuine leather, heated rear seats and other refinements. It lists for $58,605.

Several of the Luxury trim features are available for the Premium and base trims as options. All three trims can opt for a cold weather package (headlight washers, windshield wiper de-icers) and an illuminated front badge. The Luxury trim can also add an electro-chromatic dimming glass roof, while both Premium and Luxury trims can opt for a digital rearview mirror.

The 2025 Lexus RZ is available with two powertrains. The 300e trims are powered by a single electric motor (201 horsepower, 196 pound-feet of torque) driving the front wheels, while 450e trims come with a dual-motor electronic all-wheel-drive system rated at 308 horsepower and 321 pound-feet of torque. Like most electric vehicles, the RZ uses a single-speed gearbox.

When cruising, the 450e's computer-controlled all-wheel-drive system is biased to rear-wheel drive. When extra traction is required, the system can send power to either or both axles, and apportion torque to any of the wheels.

The RZ delivers a typically Lexus ride — stable, comfortable, and remarkably quiet — with a modest side of sporty handling and steering. There's little body roll through curves and most bumps and potholes are diffused before they're felt in the cabin. The RZ is almost 3.5 inches shorter than the midsize Lexus RX, making it easy to wheel through traffic and a breeze to park, especially when equipped with the automated parking system.

The RZ isn't especially quick, but gets up to speed in respectable time. Lexus says the single-motor 300e can cover zero-to-60 mph in 7.4 seconds, while the dual-motor does it in 5 seconds. That's not quite as fast as Tesla Model Y, Volvo C40 Recharge or Genesis GV60 rivals, but still swift enough for merging and passing at highway speeds.

The 2025 Lexus RZ 300e with standard 18-inch wheels gets the best range of the lineup at 266 miles. Opting for 20-inch wheels drops range to 224 miles. Moving up the all-wheel-drive 450e gets 220 miles with the smaller wheels, or 196 miles with the 20-inch variety. These are decent results, but still well short of most competitors.

The subcompact Volvo C40 Recharge gets an impressive 297 miles in rear-drive configuration and 257 miles with all-wheel drive, while the Genesis GV60 posts up to 294 miles (248 miles with all-wheel drive). The Audi Q4 e-tron comes closest to the RZ's range, with 265 miles (236 miles, all-wheel drive), while the Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 covers 250 miles (243 miles with all-wheel drive).

The Tesla Model Y Long Range reigns supreme, however, at 330 miles. The Model Y Performance trim is close behind at 303 miles. Finally, the Cadillac Lyriq, while larger and less expensive than the RZ after incentives are applied, delivers up to 314 miles (307 miles, all-wheel drive).

A 6.6 -kW onboard charger allows the RZ to fully charge in about 9.5 hours on a Level 2/240-volt connection. On a 150-kw DC fast-charger, the battery can fill from 20 percent to 80 percent in 30-35 minutes. These are average charging times for the segment, with the Model Y and GV60 as outliers. The Genesis, for example, can handle twice the charging rate and can top up from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes on a 350-kW fast charger.

Inside, the 2025 RZ blends traditional Lexus sophistication with the clean, minimalist design of a modern EV. Soft-touch surfaces, ambient lighting, cushy and supportive seats, and a 14-inch digital touchscreen round out the cabin's comfort and tech highlights, while the roomy interior is pleasantly quiet even without the Luxury trim's acoustic windows.

In a unique twist, designers omitted the glovebox, replacing it instead with an upholstered surface that hides wiring for a radiant heat system. It works with the seat heaters to keep the driver and front passenger warm while reducing the main heating system's drain on the battery. It also frees up a lot of knee- and legroom for the front passenger.

The RZ's front legroom (42.1 inches) is nearly identical to the spacious GV80, while rear legroom (37.5 inches) trails the Tesla Model Y and Mercedes-Benz EQB. It's still plenty for all but the tallest passengers, along with plentiful headroom in both rows

There's 23.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats — enough for 10 bags of groceries — and 55.6 cubic feet with the seats folded. That's less than most competitors, with the Model Y and Cadillac Lyriq offering between 28-30 cubic feet, and the Audi Q4 e-tron and GV60 each yielding about 1.0 cubic foot more than the Lexus.

While there's no glovebox or underhood "frunk," the RZ has hidden storage beneath the cargo floor and there's also plenty of small-item space in the center console, door pockets and seatback pockets.

The Lexus RZ's in-car tech centers around a 14-inch touchscreen running Google-based software. While it works great with voice controls, and the screen's icons are smartly arranged and easy to see and use, too many controls rely on the touchscreen and require some menu-diving. Accessing the RZ's various drive modes (Eco, Sport, etc), making temperature adjustments and changing radio channels all require poking the screen several times. The screen is at least angled toward the drive for easier access.

Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Alexa connectivity are standard, while navigation and Wi-Fi access are available with a subscription to Lexus's connected services package (a three-year trial comes standard). A wireless charging pad keeps phones up front charged up, while five USB-C ports ensure everyone else can also top up. Base and Premium trims get a standard 10-speaker Lexus audio system, while the Luxury goes all out with a premium 13-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound system.

The 2025 Lexus RZ earned a full five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with five (out of five) stars in all safety tests, except for a four-star result in rollover resistance. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) hasn't yet rated the 2025 model, but named the identical 2024 model a Top Safety Pick after posting top scores of Good or Good+ in nearly all individual tests. Only the RZ's headlights came up slightly short, earning a second-best rating of Acceptable for how well they illuminate the road.

The RZ's comprehensive standard safety bundle, called Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, comes with forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, left-turn collision avoidance, and evasive steering assist.

Adaptive cruise control with curve speed management, lane-keeping and lane-centering assist are also included, while moving up to the Luxury trim adds front cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and a free three-year trial to traffic jam assist, a low-speed, semi-hands-free driving mode.

The 2025 Lexus RZ doesn't stand out in any one way relative to its rivals. Instead, it's the sum of its parts. It's not as quick or roomy as the Tesla Model Y, nor as sporty as the Genesis GV60. It offers less cargo space than the Model Y, Mercedes-Benz EQB, or Cadillac Lyriq and doesn't cover as much range as the Tesla, GV60 or Volvo C40 Recharge. And since it doesn't qualify for a federal clean vehicles tax credit, the RZ is more expensive than some rivals.

But the RZ's tastefully appointed interior, bold exterior design and smooth, undisturbed comfort still give it an edge in a competitive class. And it's still a Lexus, with all the refinement, build quality, and cozy customer care that entails. There are more compelling picks, but the Lexus still appeals.

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