2016 Lexus RX 350: The real ‘telenovela’ of cars that fans always adore

2016_Lexus_R2016 Lexus RX 350X_350_020_CE551100EDD71FF83192616528EF420FC785F4E1My favorite new TV show this year is Telenovela starring Eva Longoria, who portrays soap opera actress Ana Sofia Calderon, who can’t speak Spanish but plays a Spanish-speaking character named Pasión on a fake telenovela called Las Leyes de Pasión (The Laws of Passion). Everything in her life is over-the-top and stunning, even when she appears without makeup and wardrobe. Her co-stars are glamorous and her spicy Latin Miami life is always fabulous. Sure, it’s fake and kitschy, but who cares? What’s the point of living if you can’t make at least some fake stuff real, que no?

In many ways, I am just like Ana Sofia Calderon: I can’t speak Español worth a dime but I am elegant and have tons of pasión. (I can’t prove that, but trust me, I’m classy.) I love it beautiful and over-the-top, and for someone like me, I couldn’t help but fall for the 2016 Lexus RX 350.

2016 Lexus RX 350Last year, I had a chance to test drive the new RX 350 before it hit dealer lots, and it really was love the first time my ass was firmly in place (click here for that fabulous review). I couldn’t stop gushing, even though this gem will always be out of my league and far outside my price range. This is one of the best-looking Lexuses (Lexi?) to ever hit the road, and its big, classy upgrades make it very seductive. In fact, “Seductive Strength” was one of the guiding principles for Lexus when they came up the new design for this classic SUV. Corny, sure, but believe-you-me, this car is beautiful – and more than a tad pricey. The base trim is around $43,000, and the price and style only goes up from there. I Can Dream, Can’t I? Follow along as I revisit a truly spectacular car.

Last month, I finally got a chance to drive the RX 350 for a week to see how it handles when I am in a great mood and when I’ve had a crap day. Honestly, it’s a joy all the way around, every day. If you’ve got the money, honey, other luxury brands can give you that country-club-sense of luxury and make you feel like you are better than everyone else.  But how many cars can give you the luxury, the power, the glory, all the stuff you aren’t supposed to get until the afterlife? The 2016 RX 350 is one of the gayest cars out there, and still a top contender IMHO for gayest car of the year.

2016 Lexus RX 350Let’s see, where to start?  Take a look at this precious baby from any angle and you will see something that sizzles more than MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts wearing Duluth Trading Company underwear or Sofia Vergara making habanero hotcakes. Whether you dress the RX in Matador Red or Nightfall Mica – or a stunning black, brown, white, grey or whatever – the 2016 Lexus LX 350 is just – aaahhh!

Step inside and the luxuriating continues. The shine never ends and the beauty never stops inside. The seats are comfortable, the refined air is captivating and debonair and heck, you don’t even need a symphony to feel like you really are the aria of this Tuscan rancho del cielo. Okay, okay, I’m running out of 25-cent words.  Now, here’s what I really found stunning:

Ever wondered what you would do with a foot-long that you can touch and pinch and command at will?  Take a look at the touchscreen command center right on the dash.  The functioning part of the screen is just 8 inches (hehe, just 8 inches) but the total screen is 12.3 inches, one of the classiest foot-longs in the world. Everything was right there for me to enjoy, along with one of the most elegant rides of 2016. It was better than a milk and honey bubble bath with a Dom Pérignon / Norco aperitif.

Telenovelas are all about glamor, passion, beauty and some kitschy drama.  To me, that’s the 2016 Lexus RX 350. I can’t live without it……

Well, I can and have to live without it … but I can dream, can’t I?