TEST DRIVE: Lexus's $50,000 Luxury SUV Isn't Fun To Drive, But It May Be The Perfect Ride For A Road Trip

We took the 2013 Lexus RX 350 F-Sport for a 300-mile drive from our Manhattan office, to the Jersey Shore, and back, and had a great time, even in ghastly, leaving-Manhattan-on-Friday-afternoon traffic.

The RX 350 F-Sport starts at $47,000. The model we tested cost $53,924, which isn't a huge jump. But the F-Sport performance package, to our disappointment, didn't actually make the SUV fun to drive. It provided enough power, but the steering response was "meh."

That said, the RX is excellent in just about every other way. The original luxury SUV has been on the road for 15 years, and time has been good to it.

The interior is well thought out and perfectly comfortable. The ride quality is sublime: You barely feel the road, even at over-the-limit speeds.

If only Lexus would get rid of that mouse-like control for its infotainment system.