Lexus RX 350 Ground Clearance: What To Know

Published June 30, 2021
in Model Info and Features

The ground clearance of a vehicle can be a very important dimension when looking for your next ride. If you’re shopping for a sedan, ground clearance may not be your biggest concern, but if you’re shopping for a crossover, SUV, or a truck, ground clearance might be a big topic on your mind. Let’s take a quick look at the Lexus RX 350 ground clearance: what to know and how does it measure up to its competition.

How is Ground Clearance Measured?

Ground clearance is how high the lowest point of your vehicle sets off the ground, not including tires. This is also known as ride height. This number can vary from a manufacturer’s site to non-affiliated auto sites for the same particular vehicle. This is because a manufacturer might manipulate the numbers up or down depending on what the best selling point is for the vehicle. It sounds illegal, but there are always little things a manufacturer can get away with.

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How Much Ground Clearance Does the Lexus RX 350 Have?

Ground clearance for the Lexus RX 350 is measured at 8.2 inches, which is not extremely high for an SUV, but this SUV has more crossover-like dimensions, making 8.2 not so bad. You may wonder why should you worry about ground clearance?

The answer is because it’s important depending on the activities you plan on using your SUV for.

If you plan on doing some hiking or camping with your SUV, then 8.2 inches of ground clearance is pretty good if you stick to the well-traveled back trails. If you plan on taking the road less traveled, you might run into some rough terrain that could leave you stuck.

If you really like your Lexus RX 350, but still need some more drive height, there are some options.

Lexus RX 350 Ground Clearance: What to Know About Changing the Ride Height

A taller set of tires can always be an option. A taller set of tires that are made more for a four-wheel-drive terrain can increase your outdoor adventure capabilities. There are plenty of options for tires that can both accommodate daily driving and the off-road without commissioning comfort or performance in either situation.

If you’re are serious about putting a lot of space in between you and the road, then you might want to go with an aftermarket suspension package. This route would be a little bit more money than going with the larger tire options, but sometimes if there are goals you want to achieve, you have to spend money.

Both routes can offer you a chance to advance the way your Lexus rides. You can make the ride softer or tougher depending on the tires you purchase. And if you go with an upgraded suspension, by choosing an adjustable suspension, you can go with both. Adjustable suspensions are nice if you find yourself driving on a variety of different surfaces.

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What Are Some Important Things to Remember About Ground Clearance

The reason why this dimension is important is that it will most likely affect you in your day-to-day activities.

Lexus RX 350 Ground Clearance: What to Know and Remember

Better Visibility: The higher you are up in a vehicle, 9-times-out-of-10 you’re going to have better visibility. This is why you might notice that a lot of drivers of crossovers are shorter people or women.

Not Too High: Since the Lexus RX 350 is 8.2-inches off the ground, this gives drivers a good visible vantage point, but it’s not so high where you feel like you’re getting in and out of a treehouse every time you enter or exit.

If you own a vehicle that is too high for you, you won’t only feel the hassle of getting in-and-out of it yourself, but also loading the vehicle with groceries, kids, and elderly people every day may become more than you can handle.

Rollover Danger: This is highly unlikely if you’re in a crossover or SUV where the ground clearance has not been raised. But the truth is in the statistics, higher vehicles have a higher risk of rolling over in an accident.

Safer for the Underbelly of Your Vehicle: The higher your vehicle sits up from the ground, the safer your underbelly of the vehicle will be. Having a higher vehicle is a huge plus when you’re off-road, but even on some city streets, you might find your vehicle more protected by being higher up in the air.

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How Does the Lexus RX 350 Stack Up Against Its Competitors?

When compared to its competitors, there is only one SUV that has a higher ground clearance than the Lexus RX 350, and that is the 2021 Volvo XC60 with a ground clearance of 8.5-inches. The Audi Q5 matches the Lexus’ ground Clearance at 8.1, while the rest of the competition falls under with ground clearances of 6.9 to 8.0 inches (BMW X3, Cadillac XT5, Lincoln Nautilus, Acura MDX, and Nissan Murano).

If you were looking at an older model and were wondering if the ground clearance has changed throughout the years, they really haven’t. Since 2016, ground clearances have been right there at about 8.2-inches for both 2WD and AWD models.

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Lexus RX 350 Ground Clearance: What To Know When Shopping

Sure you can visualize yourself in a vehicle that is right in front of you in a car lot or in the showroom, but you need to think a little deeper before you purchase your Lexus RX 350. Can you visualize that particular vehicle handling your lifestyle? Will it work with you day-to-day through all your responsibilities? Will it make it through your weekend adventures? Does the vehicle you’re looking at have the cargo space and passenger space you need?

These are all good questions you need to ask yourself along with the ground clearance question. Make sure you don’t end up with a vehicle that doesn’t suit you well just because it looked good in the showroom with a good price tag on it. Most of the time paying more for a vehicle that suits you better is the way to go in the long run.

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