Sometimes when you’re testing a car, it’s all trips to the seaside and open roads.
Sometimes it’s more about necessity. The Lexus RX 450h F Sport hyrbid was one of those times.
I needed to move. That’s three trips across London and if all goes to plan, well-earned a trip to the seaside at the end.
Hopefully on an open road where I could really test the petrol part of this dual-action beast.
And yes, the RX was big. One of the largest in the Lexus arsenal and one of those cars that you climb in one side and by the time you climb out the other side you've actually reached your destination.
I had the F Sport – near top of the range and tipped to be the best seller – with a 3.5ltr petrol engine and hybrid electric motor.
However despite generous dimensions – this behemoth is 4.9 metres long and 1.9 metres wide - and it’s not all space inside the cab.
The boot is not market leading but it was still enough for what I needed with 924 litres of space with the seats folded down.
Believe me, that's enough for a few big bags worth of clothes, a 55inch TV and a hand-painted picture of Spock from Star Trek.
The electric hybrid engine does take up some room in the centre of the car however - so it better be worth it.
Luckily it is, and works really simply. Anything at low speed is on the electric motor, which recharges at low revs – meaning you never have to get the electric cable and socket out.
When you put the pedal down the petrol engine kicks in, delivering real power when you need it.
There was a lot of low-speed driving as I crept around London with a car full, but despite all those trips I didn’t have to put more fuel in as the load was shared between two engines.
When I did get on the motorway, another added little function of the RX brought more driving pleasure.
Turning the dial on the driving mode opens up more possibilities, with sports mode turning the dials red and delivering much more zip through the automatic gearbox.
It was pure joy to put your foot down and see everything light up as a sizeable SUV felt nimble and alive.
The dashboard was pure Lexus and best summed up as “reassuring complex.”
In fact it was a little daunting at first, especially the finger tracking computer which works like a laptop.
It’s different but a little distracting as you’re trying to drive at any sort of speed – especially if you misjudge the sat nav and type in the wrong address. Believe me that happened a few times.
We had a difficult relationship as it darted towards the places I did not need it while I was trying to keep my eyes on the road, but eventually we came to an understanding.
But overall there are good range of toys including that all-important reversing camera, heated steering wheel and heads-up display.
It also comes with the Bladescan high-beam system which Lexus assure uses revolutionary technology to make it easier to spot pedestrians and other road hazards - without dazzling oncoming drivers.
When I did break loose from the city, on the open road the gearbox was responsive and the ride high and firm thanks to various stability controls, traction controls and F Sport tuned suspension.
I didn't know what it all did, but I felt safe letting it do it.
The Lexus RX made moving house fun. But more that, that the Lexus RX made moving fun.
The facts
Price: From £52,565
Combined MPG: 36.2mpg
0-62mph: 7.7 seconds
The rivals
BMX X5
Volvo XC90
Mercedes Benz GLE
