2007 Lexus RX330 review, wallpapers, prices, picture gallery

The 2007 Lexus RX 330 excels at smoothness. It rides more quietly than most cars, not to mention most SUVs. It glides over bumpy roads. It's very easy to drive with light steering and excellent brakes. Its airy cabin is luxurious and inviting.

With the RX series, Lexus pioneered the crossover style of SUV, based on a unibody car platform rather than a heavy-duty truck frame; and in the process set new standards for the modern luxury utility. Crossover utility vehicles offer better ride and handling than truck-based SUVs, but with more cargo room than a car, a better view over traffic and a sense of security from an elevated driving position. Granted, crossover vehicles offer neither the big towing capacity nor the off-road capability of a true truck. But the RX 330 handles gravel roads just fine and can tow up to 3500 pounds with the optional trailer package.

The 3.3-liter V6 engine is smooth. And around town it's quite responsive. Last year it was rated 230 horsepower and 242 pound-feet of torque. Lexus expects those numbers to shrink slightly for 2006, because the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has revised its testing standards for horsepower and torque. At press time Lexus was estimating 223 horsepower for the '06 model; a torque estimate wasn't available, but we're guessing it'll be about 237 pound-feet of torque for the 2007 RX 330. What's important to note here is that the 2006 is just as powerful as the 2005 engine. It's just that the numbers are calculated differently.

The 2007 Lexus RX 330 is available with a choice of front-wheel drive ($36,370) or all-wheel drive ($37,770). Both are powered by a sophisticated dual overhead-cam V6 engine with variable valve timing, driving through a five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. (Lexus also builds a hybrid version called the RX 400h, which we have reviewed separately.)