2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid vs 2022 Lexus RX

The 2022 Lexus RX was available in several trims, including the base 350, F Sport, and L for its gas powertrain, with a hybrid model known as the RX 450h. The RX 350 and F Sport accommodated five passengers, while the L trim offered a three-row, seven-passenger configuration. The RX's design, refreshed in 2020, maintained a modern and sporty appearance, standing out with its aggressive styling among competitors like the Audi Q5 and BMW X5. The exterior featured sharp character lines and angular boomerang-like elements, creating a striking yet balanced design. The F Sport trim, in particular, emphasized performance with 20-inch wheels, unique front fascia, and sporty accents, while the interior offered luxury with a sporty twist, especially in the F Sport models.

Inside, the RX continued its luxury appeal with a variety of color combinations and materials, including NuLuxe synthetic leather and semi-aniline leather options. The F Sport trim added sporty elements like Scored Aluminum trim and model-specific badging. Despite the high-quality materials, the center stack felt somewhat dated, with an abundance of buttons. Comfort was a mixed bag, as the NuLuxe seats in the F Sport trim were less cushioned, and finding an ideal driving position proved challenging. The limited-edition Black Line trim added exclusive black-colored features and contrast stitching for a premium look.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid, built on the N3 platform shared with the larger Kia Sorento, offered increased size and improved rear-seat legroom compared to its predecessor. The new model was 7.1 inches longer, with a 3.4-inch longer wheelbase, and slightly taller and wider. The Sportage Hybrid featured a bold front-end design with angular LED headlights and boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights, creating a distinctive appearance. The LX trim came with 17-inch alloy wheels, while higher trims had 18-inch wheels. The interior boasted a minimalist design centered around a large optional infotainment display, with elegant touches like air vents echoing the door handles' shape.

The Sportage Hybrid's interior offered a clean and elegant look, with SynTex artificial leather upholstery on higher trims. While the material felt somewhat cheap, the steering wheel was wrapped in real leather. The SX-Prestige trim featured gloss black plastic trim and silver metallic finishes, which looked nice initially but quickly accumulated fingerprints and glare. The Sportage Hybrid's interior design was more refined than the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and contrasted with the ruggedness of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

The 2022 Lexus RX 350 was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 295 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque, while the hybrid RX 450h combined the V6 with two electric motors for a total of 308 horsepower. All RX models featured an eight-speed automatic transmission, with front-wheel drive standard on the RX 350 and all-wheel drive available. The hybrid RX was exclusively all-wheel drive. Despite its sporty appearance, the RX's performance was underwhelming, with a lackluster engine note and unimpressive acceleration. The F Sport trim included performance dampers and an optional F Sport Handling package, but the driving experience remained uninspiring, with minimal differences between drive modes.

The RX excelled in comfort and cabin quietness, absorbing road imperfections and providing a serene driving experience. Fuel efficiency for the RX 350 was rated at 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined, with slight variations for all-wheel drive and three-row models. The RX 450h hybrid achieved better fuel economy, with 30 mpg combined, 31 mpg city, and 28 mpg highway.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid utilized a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor, producing 227 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The base LX trim offered front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available, while the EX and SX-Prestige trims were all-wheel drive only. The Sportage Hybrid's powertrain delivered smooth and predictable acceleration, with seamless transitions between electric and gasoline power. The transmission provided smooth shifts and quick responses, contributing to a pleasant driving experience.

The Sportage Hybrid's cabin was quiet, and the ride was comfortable, even with the larger optional 18-inch wheels. While not a driver's car, the Sportage Hybrid offered a maximum towing capacity of 2,000 pounds, slightly less than the non-hybrid version.

The 2022 Lexus RX offered 99.8 cubic feet of passenger volume in its standard two-row configuration, comfortably accommodating four adults. The rear middle seat was best suited for short trips. Front headroom measured 39.4 inches, with 39.1 inches in the rear. Front legroom was generous at 44.1 inches, while rear passengers had 38.0 inches. The three-row L models shared the same wheelbase, resulting in limited space for the third row, suitable mainly for groceries. Cargo space in the standard RX was 16.0 cubic feet behind the second row, expanding to 32.6 cubic feet with the seats folded. The three-row models offered 7.45 cubic feet with all seats up, 23.03 cubic feet with the third row down, and 58.48 cubic feet with both rows folded. The RX featured thoughtful interior elements like a smartphone slot, adjustable-height cup holder, and a flat-bottomed cargo net.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid had slightly less headroom and cargo space than the non-hybrid version but remained competitive in its segment. It offered more front-seat headroom than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 hybrids but less rear-seat headroom. Rear-seat legroom was best-in-class, tied with the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. The Sportage Hybrid featured a dual-level cargo floor, providing 39.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up and 73.7 cubic feet with them folded. This configuration offered more cargo space than its hybrid rivals, except for the Tucson Hybrid with seats folded. The Sportage Hybrid's interior included a rotary shift knob, a large bin for phones with USB ports and optional wireless charging, and clever cupholders with adjustable rings.

The 2022 Lexus RX came with an 8-inch touchscreen display as standard, with a 12.3-inch version available. Despite being moved closer to the driver in a previous refresh, the touchscreen's positioning was ergonomically challenging, with a lip obstructing access to icons. The touchscreen was responsive, but alternatives like voice commands and a touchpad were less user-friendly. The touchpad was hypersensitive and unintuitive, leading to frustration. The RX offered a range of tech features, including six USB ports, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, wireless charging, Amazon Alexa compatibility, a WiFi hotspot, premium audio systems, and more.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid featured an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The EX model had a 12.3-inch touchscreen, while the SX-Prestige combined it with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster in a panoramic display. The panoramic display was visually impressive and user-friendly, with pleasing graphics and a responsive touchscreen. The Sportage Hybrid included touch controls on a thin bar below the screen, which could switch between audio and climate controls. Hybrid models had four standard USB-C ports, with additional rear USB-C ports, wireless phone charging, and an upgraded Harman Kardon audio system available on higher trims.

The 2022 Lexus RX came equipped with the Lexus Safety System 2.0+, which included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, road-sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, a pre-collision system, and intelligent high beams. Additional safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a head-up display, and Lexus Enform Safety Connect. The RX was named a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS when equipped with optional triple-beam LED headlights but missed the top-tier "plus" designation due to headlight ratings. The NHTSA awarded the RX four stars overall, with five stars in side crash tests and four stars in frontal crashes and rollover resistance.

The 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid's safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of testing. The base LX trim included forward collision warning, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and a driver attention monitor. The EX trim added blind-spot monitoring and safe-exit warning, while the SX-Prestige trim offered adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot view camera, a 360-degree camera system, Remote Smart Parking Assist, and Highway Driving Assist. The Sportage Hybrid's advanced safety features set it apart from competitors, with unique offerings like Remote Smart Parking Assist and the blind-spot view camera.