My mother-in-law has been on quite a journey to find her latest ride. She considered the Toyota Prius, appreciating its sleek style, utility and hybrid fuel economy. But…, it was small so she drove the much larger Toyota Crown hybrid. She liked it, but decided she wanted legit luxury, so the redesigned Lexus ES hit the map. Then, she saw the RX 350 crossover and found her vibe. Good choice, but I like the RX 450h+, the plug-in version even better.

She was pretty clear she wanted a modern car, but nothing wildly futuristic. The front greets with a monochromatic swath of Lexus’ trademark spindle grille flanked by squinty LED headlamps. The side profile is more crossover coupe planted over 21-inch wheels. A swoosh from the front rocker into the fat rear fenders adds sportiness while the floating rear roof imbues a sense of speed. You can park the original 1998 RX 300 next to this one and know one begat the other.

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