2021 Lexus RX MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2021 Lexus RX gets up to 23 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 30 mpg as a hybrid, across 6 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2021 Lexus RX · 6 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

23MPG combined

20 city 27 highway

$2,800 a year to fuel15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.32 a gallon (regular gas)

Fuel economy score5/10

3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic

Best hybrid version

30MPG combined

31 city 28 highway

$2,650 a year to fuel15,000 miles a year at EPA's $5.32 a gallon (premium gas)

Fuel economy score6/10

3.5L 6-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT

Best version costs $1,750 more in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 27, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $2,650 to $3,100 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2020.

Every 2021 RX version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Hybrid
3.5L 6-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT Best EPA listing: RX 450h AWD · Premium fuel	30 mpg	31 / 28	$2,650
3.5L 6-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT · L EPA listing: RX 450h L AWD · Premium fuel	29 mpg	29 / 28	$2,750
Gas
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic EPA listing: RX 350	23 mpg	20 / 27	$2,800
3.5L 6-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic EPA listing: RX 350 AWD	22 mpg	19 / 26	$2,950
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic · L EPA listing: RX 350 L	22 mpg	19 / 26	$2,950
3.5L 6-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic · L EPA listing: RX 350 L AWD	21 mpg	18 / 25	$3,100

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.32 a gallon for regular gas and $5.32 a gallon for premium gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
3.5L 6-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT	$2,660	$222	$13,300
3.5L 6-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT · L	$2,752	$229	$13,759
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic	$2,817	$235	$14,087
3.5L 6-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic	$2,945	$245	$14,727
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic · L	$2,945	$245	$14,727
3.5L 6-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic · L	$3,086	$257	$15,429

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Lexus RX MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 23 to 25 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); 25 since 2023. Hybrid: 30 to 36 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); 36 since 2023.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2021: gas 23 mpg · hybrid 30 mpg

Show as a table

Lexus RX best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2016	23	30
2017	23	30
2018	23	30
2019	23	30
2020	23	30
2021	23	30
2022	23	30
2023	25	36
2024	25	36
2025	25	36
2026	25	36

How the 2021 RX compares

2021 midsize SUVs covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2021 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Kia Sorento Best: hybrid	37 mpg	26 mpg	$1,750
Toyota Highlander Best: hybrid	36 mpg	24 mpg	$1,800
Hyundai Santa Fe Best: hybrid	34 mpg	26 mpg	$1,900
Lexus RX This page Best: hybrid	30 mpg	23 mpg	$2,650
Ford Explorer Best: hybrid	27 mpg	24 mpg	$2,400
Chevrolet Blazer Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,600
Ford Edge Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,700
Kia Telluride Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Honda Pilot Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Subaru Ascent Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Hyundai Palisade Best: gas	22 mpg	22 mpg	$2,950
Jeep Grand Cherokee Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100
Chevrolet Traverse Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100
Dodge Durango Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100

2021 RX recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 70 owner complaints for the 2021 RX.What they cover, and crash test ratings

Questions

Does AWD lower the 2021 Lexus RX's gas mileage?

Yes. On versions that differ only in drive, AWD lowers the combined rating by 1 mpg: the 3.5L 6-cyl gets 23 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 22 with AWD.

How much fuel does the 2021 RX hybrid save?

Comparing AWD or 4WD versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.32 a gallon), the hybrid costs $2,650 a year to fuel against $2,950 for the gas model: $300 a year, or $1,500 over five years.

Does the 2021 Lexus RX need premium gas?

Some versions do. EPA lists the 3.5L 6-cyl hybrid versions on premium, the rest use regular.

How does the 2021 RX's MPG compare with the 2020?

For 2021, the best gas version is rated 23 mpg, the same as the year before and the best hybrid version is rated 30 mpg, the same as the year before.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.32, midgrade $4.93, premium $5.32, diesel $6.29 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.