The 2005 Lexus Rx 330 Sets the Standard in Its Class - Again

Well, the RX 330, Lexus's near-flawless crossover SUV, is back for another model year. Little wonder, too, as the popular five-seater that takes on the likes of the Acura MDX, Cadillac SRX, BMW X5, Infiniti FX (and, we suppose, any midsize premium sport-ute daring to show up with an "X" emblazoned somewhere on its nameplate), has sold pretty well.

While we can now report that - tada! - a standard-equipment-powered rear lift gate distinguishes the 2005 RX from its immediate predecessor, it's unlikely to win us any Pulitzers. However, other than some additional features (such as sensors designed to detect a rollover and deploy the curtain airbags) that you might check off an option list and never bother to think of again, that's pretty much it for changes. Truly, 2005 is a carryover year for the Canadian-cobbled RX, but one in which it will again present its streamlined body and implacably upturned grille to the world and dare it to pro duce something better in the cushy midsize sport-ute class.

As a carried-over crossover, Toyota builds the new SUV in the same way that it did last season - on a platform borrowed from the Toyota Camry and Lexus ES 330 sedans and shared with the Toyota brand's midsize sport-ute, the Highlander (which, unlike the RX, offers third-row seating). Similarly, the RX still provides front- and all-wheel drive, a five-speed automatic transmission, and a smooth, 3.3-liter V6 engine.

With its taut, flowing lines, the Lexus nicely conveys something of its essential character. Of course, from the eager-looking grille's anime grin to the awkward way in which the black glass roof-spoiler combines with the canted rear post and clear-lensed taillights, there's a charming (some might say ugly) element of Japanese insouciance in the crossover's styling. Even so, the vehicle's look succeeds in correctly imparting an impression of fluid vitality.

The test car was an all-wheel-drive model soberly painted a kind of Quinkink-blue metallic. Its interior was first class and featured a monumental-looking, wood-trimmed dashboard that had a full complement of easily found controls surmounted by a navigation system with some climate functions and a reverse-gear camera ready to televise a whole new season's episodes of "Don't Back over the Cat Theater." This overlooked a comfortable expanse of premium-leather seating, variably heated up front, with the driver's portion powered to adjust eight ways. In the absence of a third-row bench, there was plenty of room for passengers in the back and cargo-area storage, although any inboard backseat passenger was likely to feel cramped. Options turbo-charge the price of the RX 330, and this one's DVD rear-seat entertainment system, moon roof, 18-inch alloy wheels, and more brought its sticker up to nearly $46,500.

The tester accelerated to 60 mph in about nine seconds while demonstrating a swiftness certainty made even more exhilarating by the soft growl of its 230-horsepower six. In its quietness and ride quality, the Lexus was gratifyingly premium sedan-like; handling, while passably nimble, was undercut by steering that had a surfeit of boost and dearth of on-center feel. Driving the RX, we felt as if in its desire to avoid associating the 330 with truckiness, Toyota overshot the mark and left the SUV to impart an unmerited sense of featheriness. That said, the Lexus's antilock braking was strong, its lean in corners modest, and the grip with which it held these solid.

The Lexus RX 330, now oft imitated, still sets a standard for its optimized mixture of comfort, quality, and refined performance, if not also its looks. If, however, you're still not satisfied with the SUV's pretty good 18- to 24-mpg fuel use, you can await the hybrid gas electric version due out midyear.