2026 Lexus RZ 550e AWD F Sport - Review by David Colman +VIDEO

2026 Lexus RZ 550e AWD

It's so good; just don’t ask about mileage range.

David Colman

Story and Photos by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

My 5-year-old iPhone has a longer battery life than this Lexus EV. The day the RZ arrived, its dashboard range finder predicted battery power would expire in 207 miles. My first inclination was to conclude 'that can't be right.' 207 miles falls about 100 miles short of the worst predicted range of any EV I've tested since the prehistoric Chevy Spark. My first thought was that the Lexus hadn't been plugged in long enough to receive a full charge. However, such was not the case. In fact, the RZ had taken twice as long as expected to register a full charge at the local EV GO spigot.

2026 Lexus RZ 550e AWD

After my first brief drive to shoot pictures, I did some research and discovered that on its best day, the 550e's range maxes out at 229 miles. Subtract the 20 miles from recharge to my driveway and you end up with 207 miles.

So I reverted to Plan B, which consisted of adopting "Hyper Mile" tactics. This strategy focuses on extracting every last ounce of battery life by adhering to these basic tenets: Avoid Full Throttle, Apply Gentle Throttle, Coast Down Hills, Deactivate Motor When Parked, Minimize AC and Ancillaries. Using this formula, I was able to accomplish a couple of 40-mile round-trip forays, and still retain enough battery to return the 550 to Lexus with 150 mile showing on the range finder.

Given those constraints, however, my driving of this Lexus tended to be rather conservative. When it looked like I would have enough reserve to survive my week with juice to spare, I let this beast rip on a 7am coastal route run up CA 1. After all, the RZ 550e is the first Lexus EV to sport the vaunted F Sport moniker. This piece of equipment is seriously fast. So quick, in fact, that it does a semi-wheelie when you nail the throttle. If you want to drain your reservoir of e-power without regard for battery life, the RZ 550e will run from 0- 60 mph in 4 seconds, 0- 100 mph in 10.9 seconds, and post a standing start quarter-mile run of 12.7 seconds at 107mph. The RZ's F Sport suspension is perfectly calibrated for such endeavors. Contributing race-level cornering grip is a set of autocross-worthy (TW 280) Dunlop Sport Maxx rubber (235/50R20). These super sticky radials are mounted on a set of moon-faced 20-inch alloy rims "With Aero Covers." These wind-deflecting plastic inserts impart a sinister look to the matte black alloy spokes.

2026 Lexus RZ 550e AWD

While such exceptional performance can be breathtaking, maximum battery draw will result in severely curtailed range. Such is the perplexing conundrum that imposes a Faustian bargain on those driving high-performance EVs: the faster you go the further you won't go. So Hyper Mile or Mash the Throttle, the choice is yours. But you can't do both.

The RZ is a stylish-looking package, both inside and out. The pair of front row race inspired bucket seats are masterpieces of engineering, closely contoured for maximum support but softly receptive to your body's ever shifting shape. If I could, I would install these Ultrasuede-trimmed, heated and ventilated beauties in every car I drive from now on. They are as close to perfect as you can get. The chubby, heated steering wheel is covered in a seat-matching synthetic leather that feels so cool and coddling to your hands that you'll never want to let go. With these two major items so well delineated, the art of driving this Lexus becomes a tactile pleasure. The cabin's treatment continues the understated, tactile beauty with its black-on-gray patterned door cards and dash surfaces. The HVAC controls proved easy to operate without removing eyes from the road.

2026 Lexus RZ 550e AWD

The only quibble from the driver's seat is the disconcerting pair of tiny winglets which sprout from the rear deck. They tend to obscure rear-view mirror vision, and look more like epaulets than aero devices. Replace them with something useful - like a much-needed rear wiper. But the rest of the exterior styling brief is admirably free of unnecessary protuberances. A pugnacious snout, and starkly segmented aero-panels accentuate the bulbous contours of the RZ's body shape. Our loaner was painted a solid light gray color called "Wind" that perfectly complemented the imposing look. Combined with the bulbous V-shaped black nacelles which surround the headlights, and the soaring black over-fenders which visually lift the height of the RZ to SUV proportions, this styling exercise totally separates the RZ 550e from its more prosaic-looking gas-powered sibling, the Lexus RX.

2026 Lexus RZ 550e AWD

Add in enough interior storage capacity to accommodate a full bicycle, and you've got yourself a very quick and self-sufficient transportation module; for short distances.

2026 LEXUS RZ 550e AWD F SPORT

HYPES: Best Seats in the Business

GRIPES: No Lexus Should Have a Manual Prop Rod for the Motor Bay

STAR RATING: 8.5 Stars out of 10