Both the 2023 Lexus RX 450e and the 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70 are great examples of up-to-the-second electric technology wrapped around the familiar trim Americans love so well – the Sport Utility Vehicle. They have very different characteristics, though, naturally. I drove both vehicles back-to-back recently. Which was “best?” Here are my findings.
2023 Lexus RZ 450e
Looks – RZ
It really isn’t any contest. The RZ is a movie star, all sharp Lexus angles from any side, and I received more than a few “Nice wheels!” comments. The GV70 is, from a looks standpoint, ordinary and unremarkable. Nobody knew what it was when I was in it. One person thought the flying wings badge meant “Chrysler.”
2023 Genesis Electrified GV70
Price: GV 70
The GV70 starts at $43,150, the RZ at $58,500. If pricing is your main concern, it’s the GV70, hands down.
2023 Lexus RZ 450e
Performance/power/drive RZ
The GV’s horsepower GV’s is 429, as opposed to the RZ’s 312, but each vehicle had the requisite amount of power needed to accomplish any task required. Each drives as you’d expect it to – no surprises. You zip zip around parking lots to your heart’s content, then sweetly cruise on the highway at speed. Cornering is tight, brakes work well, and both are pleasant ride-wise for the whole family, and Fido, too. Yet the RZ’s considerably higher horsepower means a win in the power and performance department.
2023 Genesis Electrified GV70
Range – GV70
The GV70 reports 238 miles on a full charge, with the RZ coming in at 220. Both ranges are fairly bad, though – you can’t dash around doing errands during the day and then get in your vehicle to go out to the club that night and back without charging, and unless you’ve got a fast charger, you’ll have to use another vehicle, which is one of the reasons why some people turn up their noses at electrics.
2023 Genesis Electrified GV70
Inside – GV70
The RZ has a fine, upscale, Lexus flavor inside, but the GV70 immediately impressed me with its cushy-yet-firm, plush interior and its ability to raise its driver seat to the extent that you practically feel you’re driving a truck. Both vehicles feature wheel shifters which many people dislike due to their awkwardness, me included, but that’s the current trend. Genesis has just done particularly well on the interior in this case.
2023 Lexus RZ 450e
Tech – RZ
Both vehicles arrive with HD Radio, Bluetooth Connection, Premium Sound System, Satellite Radio, Smart Device Integration, WiFi Hotspot, Auxiliary Audio Input and MP3 Player as standard.
Each is easy enough to work, and the sound is about the same. However, the RX wins for the “tech” category due to the GV70’s volume control button also being used to activate the system. Unless you use a finger with a lighter-than-a-feather touch when you adjust the sound lower or higher, half the time you shut the system off or on. I never got used to it, and it never stopped being annoying.
That’s not to say the RZ is off the hook, though – it has so many buzzers, beepers, warnings and “be carefuls” going off constantly that sometimes it made it no fun to drive. Wish they’d let us shut that stuff off.
Safety: Tie
The vehicles are about evenly matched, each arriving with Back-Up Camera, Cross-Traffic Alert, Rear Parking Aid, Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, ABS, Tire Pressure Monitor, Brake Assist, Stability Control and Traction Control.
2023 Lexus RZ 450e
Verdict – RZ
It was close, but the RZ “wins” for its looks and solidity.