2009 Lexus RX

midsize luxury SUV / 4-door SUV

2009 Lexus RX 4-door SUV
2004 Lexus RX shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2004-09 models

Tested vehicle: 2004 Lexus RX 330 4-door 4wd

The Lexus RX 330 was introduced in the 2004 model year as a replacement for the Lexus RX 300.

A hybrid-electric version of the RX, known as the RX 400h, was introduced in the 2006 model year. The RX 330 was renamed the RX 350 beginning with 2007 models because a new gasoline engine was installed.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head slid along the roof rail and grab handle during rebound. Head acceleration from this hit was low.

The RX features an airbag that deploys from the knee bolster underneath the steering column. The dummy's knees and shins hit this airbag as indicated by greasepaint.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0322
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 5
Left (cm) 5
Center (cm) 6
Right (cm) 5
Brake pedal (cm) 1
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 0
Right (cm) 1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 2
Rearward (cm) -4
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0322
Head
HIC-15 360
Peak gs at hard contact 101
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.0
Extension bending moment (Nm) 31
Maximum Nij 0.33
Chest maximum compression (mm) 26
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 1.0
Femur force - right (kN) 1.5
Knee displacement - left (mm) 1
Knee displacement - right (mm) 4
Maximum tibia index - left 0.34
Maximum tibia index - right 0.37
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.6
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 2.4
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 53
Right 52

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: All seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type All seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 58
Distance below top of head (mm) 68
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 11.7
Head contact time (ms) 103
Force rating 3
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 114
Max neck tension (N) 1,509

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.