The lexus rx has never made it into the Driver Power chart before, but it?’s certainly made its presence felt now! The statistics speak for themselves –? two category wins, five top five finishes and an overall average rating above 90 per cent.

Ever diligent in its “Relentless pursuit of perfection,” Lexus completely revamped its RX 300 midsize luxury crossover SUV for 2004. This already popular model in the Lexus lineup received a radical makeover that included a new 3.3-liter V6 and a resultant new name: RX 330.

With the first-generation RX’s style being deemed a bit too soft, stylists gave the new Lexus RX 330 a more aggressive character. A sharply angled grille and rearmost roof pillar gave the RX 330 more visual attitude, while more power, more backseat room, a number of new high-tech features and tighter handling made the RX better than ever before. Still, the folks at Lexus were careful to retain the beloved features of the previous model, and this meant keeping a plush ride, a rich cabin, fantastic build quality, a serene demeanor on the open road and a strong reputation for reliability intact.

Indeed, take the hefty running costs out of the equation, and it would have finished comfortably in first place with an average of 92.98 per cent, which would also have been a record-breaking score. But with even the hybrid variant quite thirsty and no diesel option available, keeping an RX fuelled up isn?’t cheap.

However, you tell us nothing on our roads is better built or easier to drive, while the 4×4?s reliability has lived up to the Japanese firm?’s legendary reputation.