Lexus RX450h Review & Road Test

Pros: Open road performance; equipment level; passenger comfort

Cons: Initial take-off lag; some wind noise; body roll; fuel economy

By Matt Brogan | August 14th, 2009

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Price: $58,520 to $67,210

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Performance, Ride & Handling	3
Comfort & Interior	3.5
Quality & Design	4
Value & Features	4
Green	5

2009 Lexus RX450h Review & Road Test

Is the existence of the hybrid SUV motoring’s greatest oxymoron?

Model Tested:

2009 Lexus RX450h; 3.5-litre V6 hybrid; six-speed variable automatic; wagon – $107,900*

Options:

Full-size spare wheel $1000 (Fitted)

CarAdvice Rating:

By Matt Brogan

As the only hybrid SUV currently on sale in Australia the Lexus RX450h symbolises a lonely datum by which all future models of this kind will no doubt some day aspire to.

The question remains, is the environmental sentiment for which this hybrid model stands substantial enough to make the long reach to the bottom of your pocket worth it over the RX450h’s conventionally powered sibling?

RX450h picks up where the previous generation RX400h left off, and if past experiences have taught us anything, this new ‘h’ will attract the same type of buyers its forebear did.

They are those who somehow feel emancipated of their environmental baggage by driving a vehicle that comes with all the green prestige of a hybrid badge, and those frivolously chasing the published fuel economy figures while at the same time wanting to enjoy the status and surrounds of a luxury family hauler.

While its a worthy notion, the fact of the matter is that expecting such minimalist fuel economy figures from a hefty 2115kg SUV is akin to having your cake tucked safely in the Kelvinator while wolfing down slice after slice with both hands.

Lexus claims a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 6.4L/100km – or roughly that of a manual Honda Jazz – but as we discovered this week trying to achieve a figure any where near that number is about as easy as trying to understand quantum physics, making this claim fanciful at best.

Now were the fuel economy figures achieved one or two litres above the claim then you might put the result down to atmospheric conditions or driver input, but when through real world driving – or more specifically a 50:50 blend of city and highway driving with two passengers and luggage – the car’s returns were steadily more than 60 per cent higher than the manufacturer’s claims then it’s pretty easy to understand my bugbear.

For the record the result CarAdvice achieved during this week was a combined average of 10.03L/100km, and when you stop to consider this result is only 1.7 litres off the petrol powered, $13,000 cheaper RX350 we tested earlier this year, the rationale behind buying a hybrid SUV will mean sorting out not only your environmental priorities, but your economic rationale too.

Now sure it could be argued that within that additional charge the RX450h picks up the scintillating Mark Levinson audio system, which on its own is valued at $3000, but that still leaves the question of a further 10 grand, or driving a further 86,700 kilometres in a standard RX, and it’s this point which to me just doesn’t make sense.

But enough prognosticating on my behalf, what about the car itself. Well aside from looking nearly identical to the conventionally powered Sports Luxury model, and the previous generation RX for that matter, the h is a clean yet tough looking SUV that somehow remains subtle, contemporary and conservative.

Inside it’s much the same story, and although the classy interior is heavily revised over that of its predecessor, it is unmistakeably Lexus, right down to the gaudy woodgrain steering wheel and trademark green LED clock.

For all its sweet user-friendliness, and indisputable comfort, the RX450h does omit a few features one would expect of an SUV of this status – most noticeable when compared to similarly priced rvials – such as rear seat HVAC controls and DVD screens.

On the plus side though the RX450h does include as standard satellite navigation, six-CD tuner with DVD capability, auto dimming mirror, dusk sensing xenon headlamps with cornering function (which I might add are brilliant), rain sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors, radar cruise control, self-folding electric wing mirrors with puddle lamps, power windows, electrically adjustable seats and steering column with three memory settings, heated and ventilated (front only) leather seats, iPod connectivity and Bluetooth integration.

Powering the RX450h you’ll find the joint forces of a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine producing 220kW/317Nm and 183kW/335Nm worth of electric motors that provide bountiful acceleration and steady cruising almost everywhere across the rev range.

Notably, there is a slower gain in momentum from standstill until roughly 30km/h than elsewhere across the spectrum, which can see getting started from the lights a slower affair than the figures would have you believe.

Thereafter acceleration is brisk and Lexus claims a 0-100km/h time of under eight seconds, which feels about right. Overtaking too is a breeze and in fact, in terms of drive and dynamics, the h is very near identical to the petrol engine model it sits above.

Handling is typically SUV, presenting an understandable level of body roll at ten-tenths. Strangely this wasn’t a trait noticed in the petrol powered model tested earlier this year and by my best reckoning, it could be an attribute of the additional weight carried by the hybrid system.

Realistically though for all intended purposes the RX450h’s strut front/multi-link rear arrangement is dynamically well sorted and despite being a little stiff of ride thanks primarily to the lower profile rubber on those impressive 19-inch alloys, the h didn’t present any other qualms and even manages purposeful braking thanks to 328mm discs up front and 309mm in the rear.

Remaining at the rear end of the h we find an electrically operated tailgate covering a 446 litre cargo area that may be extended thanks to 60:40 split fold rear seats, and in case that’s not enough, the RX450h can also tow 1500 kilograms, exactly the same amount as its petrol siblings.

Safety comes courtesy of dual front, side and curtain airbags as well as the added precaution of a driver’s knee airbag. Electronic aids include ABS, EBA, EBD, ESC and Traction Control while up back, a reversing camera also comes standard.

The new RX has yet to receive an ANCAP rating though it’s a safe bet to expect five-stars given the level of safety gear on offer.

In isolation the RX450h is a pleasurable and suitably comfortable drive that, were it not for the question of its relevance and price as a hybrid, would be well up there on my wish list, but with the RX350 representing such excellent comparable value no amount of environmental brownie points are going to swing my vote.

*Pricing is a guide as recommended to us by the manufacturer.

For a full review on the Lexus RX350, click here.

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Owner reviews of the LEXUS RX450H

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Skoda Freak

CA, the clock is a VFD type (Vacuum Fluorescent Display), not a LED type as you keep saying.
Sco

Matt, the 3.5L V6 produces 183kW and 317nm of torque alone.
There are two electric motors one producing 123kw to the front wheels, another producing 50kw for the rear wheels.
Bavarian Missile®™

Honestly,how many people that spend 100k on a vehicle give two hoots about fuel economy .

Simply bragging rights…………..
- Tired
  
  Well, tell me this…if you regularly travel with 2 adults, one who is tall with a bad back; 2 children, who both require properly fitted car seats; 2 dogs, one big, one small, who even in a big car can’t always be properly harnessed, plus extras, what vehicles are out there that fit! So, we, after poo-pooing suv’s for years, found ourselves with one. Now I’m thinking that with all the griping about big cars that maybe we should look at the only larger car available that doesn’t emit so many fumes etc.
  
  And then I read that you think people only buy them for bragging rights! I really want to do the responsible thing…set an example for my kids…and don’t care less for brands or status. We presently drive a Ford and before that a Subaru…which I loved by the way…yet we could afford a more expensive car but did not see the need or point.
  
  All the info out there is conflicting and confusing to a mere car buyer who is not an expert but still has the right to purchase a car! What the hell should one do?
Joe

Hi Matt,So exactly how many kw’s and nm’s does this vehicle actually produce? How do we calculate this? Do we add them together(306kw/672nm)or what? On the road if you put your foot down, say to overtake,what’s actually happening under the bonnet? I am confused!
Hagar

Great review, the best thing about this car is that the old RX400h is now a bargain as dealers try to clear stock.
Jenso

Gee, a Mitsubishi Magna can tow more than this.
The Realist

X5 diesel for me thanks.
Pops

Just wanted to check…. yep… still ugly.
It still boggles my mind that some folk are going to spend +100k on this eyesore.
alexmack

I think the lexus is one of th better looking suv’s around. And yes a hyrbid suv makes about as much sense as racing stripes on a hyandai but its a much better idea than a bmw X6 for example. And while all the other manufacturers ‘TALK’ about hybrids coming to the market in 2012, lexus has had them for quite a number of years!
PaulS

This kind of car always confuses me and, from what I could tell from the comments, a lot of other readers too.

But then I imagine myself as a really wealthy man who, quite frankly, has no concerns of fuel affordibility, who doesn’t read this forum, and who wants to project the trendy environmentally conscious image on my face…. Suddenly it all makes sense…
Baji

After seeing one of these in person, it actually looks a lot nicer in the metal than in the pictures. And it looks a hell of a lot better than the old model it replaces. But i still have to say the rear end looks very Mazda CX9′ish. But for this money, I would be looking at an Audi Q5.

Oh and in regards to the green clock? i actually quite like it. Looks quite retro and thats something i like. I might be biased though, because green is my fav color.
Model T

These hybrids are niche cars that are more about perception and the car maker’s image than any real concern about their environmental impact. I think one needs to take into account not just the lower emissions at the “back end”, but also the much higher emissions at the “front end” – the additional resorces used to manufacture such a car in the first place. Not to mention our coal-generated dirty electricity used to re-charge the “clean” hybrid. When everything is taken into account, I would’t be surprised if the Lexus actually had a greater environmental footprint than its petrol-only siblings. Another smoke and mirror act from Toyota.
- matt
  
  you dont plug this one into the wall mate, coal fired power generation is a mute point here.
Skoda Freak

Model T Says:
August 14th, 2009 at 1:01 pm

“Not to mention our coal-generated dirty electricity used to re-charge the “clean” hybrid.”

MT, these are self-sufficient hybrids, they don’t need to be plugged in when not in use.
Howie-R31

I definately agree with the statement saying the rear looks a bit CX9ish. 0-100 is reasonabley impressive considering its over 2 tonnes!
Buck

Matt, Great review and what you had to say about the fuel economy, or (lack thereof) is both interesting and unsurprising. 60% more fuel use than claimed.

There’s a huge stink in the U.S.A. about Lexus, “claimed” economy figures.

My wife has a Honda Civic hybrid, current model which she has run since we bought it new just over three years ago.

She never plays with the trip computer and all the other electronic “Jazz”, excuse the pun, but she has complained it doesn’t seem to save that much fuel, so once or twice before I’ve checked the trip computers long run average consumption, and today I checked it again. Over 27,000 km’s its consistently consumed 7.0 litres per 100km’s against a claimed consumption of 4.6 litres by the Manufacturer, that’s 52% more than the B.S. Honda claim.

I guess you could say that the extra 8% making 60% greater you experienced could be down to the engine being relativly tight….

Bloggers can draw their own conclusions about these fanciful hybrid fuel efficiency claims, but the real world figues, as a derivitive of the extra initial capital cost simply don’t add up.

These are by no means isolated examples. Auotcar N.Z. did a side by side test of a Lexus LS460 and LS600 and they were within 0.1 litres per 100km’s of each other with the writer concluding you’d have to do 6,000,000 km’s of travel in the LS600 to recover the extra up-front capital cost…enough said.
Skoda Freak

Buck, the Civic Hybrid is only a mild hybrid, i.e. does not have electric only functionality, plus the A/C in the Civic Hybrid is driven conventionally by the internal combustion engine. So I wouldn’t expect spectacular fuel consumption figures either from it.

It all comes down to how your wife drives the car. And you should be calculating your fuel consumption figures via your trip meter and how much fuel it takes to fill the tank. Trip computers aren’t always that accurate. Especially one that has never been reset for 27K.
http://internode.on.net Pete

Is it just me or do Japanese manufacturers openly lie about their fuel figures. We had a fleet of Toyota Camrys and couldn’t get anywhere near the claimed average fuel consumption even though the fleet average was 55% country/extra urban and 45% urban.
Taking Buck’s experience above with Honda, Lexus in deep poo in the States (and in the article above), the volumes written about the Prius plus many other bloggers over the years and it makes me wonder.
- Rohan
  
  Japanese manufactureres are no different to any other manufactureres. Teh test is administered in Australia to a government standard called ADR 81/02 All cars sold in Australia go through the same test. The fact that Matt Brogan doesnt know any better shouldnt mean people like you should keep repeating his ignorant statements.
  The test is done in a temperature controlled environment on a rolling road. Every car uses more if you drive faster than the test ause more a/c or add extra load. The test is a comparison. Most cars use 20% more than the test figure when driven the way the average motorist does. 20% more when the figure is 6.4 is better than 20% more than 8.0 or 9.2 for example.
Camski

Model T – What Skoda Freak said and what you’re refering to wouldn’t be a hybrid because a hybrid by definition is “a composite of mixed origin” i.e two or more engines powered by different sources of energy, which is, what the RX450h is =).

Yeah agree with all who say it looks better in the metal, it looks lower slung and sharper than in the pictures.

I know the hybrid premium you have to question, but the RX has always been the “value” luxo SUV of the bunch, so great for the family, maybe not so great for the driver, but hey, small compromise to appreciate those long cruisy drives interstate.
http://internode.on.net Pete

Jenso says above “Gee, a Mitsubishi Magna can tow more than this.”

So can the VW Tiguan. In fact the the VW Eos can tow 1600kg.
tekkyy

Slow until roughly 30km/h? Lights a slower affair?
What happening? All the hype about low down torque – electric over diesel over petrol.

60% over 6.4L/100km ADR figure is no good. For other cars I can understand because 50% highway (CA test) is not even close to 63% freeway (ADR test). Not to mention the extra passenger and luggage.

Problem is Lexus claims a 6.6L/100km ADR urban figure!
- Lexusworker
  
  Lexus claims nothing. They submit a car for testing to the ADR authority who tests it according to the standard.
  I used to work selling European cars. Diesels rarely achived in the average persons use what was claimed for them.
  The thing about the hybrid is – the more you are in traffic the better they are relative to straight petrol or diesel vehicles.
  And most people do much more city driving than coutry driving. So they CAN get the low consumption figures claimed.
http://Caradvice.com.au Baddass

The pinched-cheeks look on the front of this thing horrifies me! Also, for a company claiming to be at the forefront of technology, 12 litres/100km is pretty ordinary for the normal V6 isn’t it? Especially since this is a new release you would have thought they could have done better. I reckon they didn’t work too much on the fuel economy of the normal V6 to leave some sales for this hybrid model. People aren’t as dumb as they look, Lexus.
Alex

I couldn’t take one of these, not when I could have a diesel X5 for less money. It sounds like the 3.0d X5 gets better economy too.
I think this thing must be a little bit worse for the environment than Lexus seem to think it is because if it’s using more fuel then it’s most likely putting out more emissions as well.
Something tells me that in ten years when we can no longer get oil for our cars, Toyota will probably regret spending so much on developing hybrid technology. I don’t know why they couldn’t have just taken the diesel road. A Lexus diesel would have been silky smooth and quiet as a hybrid. It would have sold better too.
I don’t hate Lexus, but I can’t stand the way that they make new cars that don’t beat the German ones that have already been out for three years, then they act as if they have a superior product.
This car is simply not better than the X5 which came out in 2006, but it does cost more.
I can’t quite get over how this thing looks either. It looks like they made a perfectly handsome car and then it melted slightly. That interior already looks dated. It has strange lines that aren’t modern or contemporary, it’s just a mess. And when will they stop putting so much wood in their cars? Lexus wood always looks cheap for some reason. Wood should never go on steering wheels; it looks like an after thought.
realcars

One word. Ugly!
Alonso

I would get the Murano over this. Has the same amount of toys in top spec, similar power to petrol RX, doesn’t look any worse. Costs half as half. To me the lexus brand isn’t worth that much…
The Realist

Alonso Says:
August 14th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
“To me the lexus brand isn’t worth that much…”

So what do you drive? BMW? MB? Audi?
John of Perth

Infiniti has a good case to bring their offerings to Oz. I don’t like this vehicle.
Wheelnut®™

Realist: The thing is that there will always be people like Alonso who think that a Lexus isn’t worth paying more that $70k for [let alone over $100K].
Therefore; they will never regard it to be a true Luxury car.. nor will they regard it to be a rival to a BMW or Merc-Benz etc.

The reason for this could be because they believe that it shares a number of its design features and components etc with [the lesser] Toyota

It’s the same as those who don’t think of HSV as a true performance car due to its links with the Holden Commodore – despite the number of changes or improvements they make.
Reality

Alex: If the world runs out of oil in ten years; any car manufacturer without a fully electric vehicle will be in trouble.

These current technologies, whether they be high efficiency diesels or hybrids or whatever else is out there are probably necessary steps that have to be taken for future vehicle development. If the greenies are right; the learning curve is pretty steep. Everybody has to look at what the alternatives are and who knows what may come out of it? A little bit from Toyota’s hybrid nous, a little bit from BMW’s efficiency dynamics and a little bit from GM’s Volt may come together to form the last car any current posters will be driving.:)
Alan

Wheelnut, i know what you’re saying and i think the problem is the people’s perception of Toyota in Australia. In USA, Lexus has sold quite well and the fact it’s related to Toyota hasn’t being a big issue. How about Audi though? seems like people will talk down Lexus due to its Toyota origin, yet they happily accept Audi depsite its component sharing with VW and even Skoda and Seat.

Hybrid SUV is just a marketing exercise for self consicious people who wants to be seen making an effort to reduce carbon foot print, if they really care about the environment then they should be driving a Prius or a diesel Golf for carrying their family around. Although, at least the RX450h makes more sense than the recently announced X6 hybrid, with a predicted 18mpg (US).
SteveH

Agree 100% Alan. A lot of people will say a Lexus is a tarted up Toyota, yet don’t seem to have a problem with the link between Audi and the other carmakers in the VAG Group.

The consumption on this Lexus hybrid seems pretty high and really doesn’t justify the extra spend, unless you are trying to make a green statement.
Alex

Reality, I didn’t write that the world would run out of oil in ten years, I wrote that it may well not be available for the fueling of cars. I think that’s quite likely.
I think if the world ran out of oil electric cars would have a pretty hard time; oil plays a pretty big part in the production of electricity.
Blue

That thing is dog ugly. Ssangyong must have sent some of their designers to Lexus.
Blue

Double posted. Oops
Freddo

On the question of misleading economy claims, I just want to say that I have driven Prius (two of them in fact) for the last 5 years. Economy, measured fill to fill, has never been worse than 4.4 litres/100 km, exactly as Toyota claimed (the new one is supposed to be a little better, but it demands premium fuel which the older ones didn’t).
As for the Lexus RX450h, I note that Mr Rudd’s mob have exempted it from the Luxury Car Tax (or at least a good bit of it) on the grounds that it gets better economy than 7.0 litres/100 km. So, did the government just accept Lexus’ claims, or did it do any testing of its own? If it did in fact test, then is the present reviewer a bit of a lead-foot? (I have seen other reviews claiming worse than 6.4 l/100 km, but nowhere near as bad as 60% worse.)
And for what it is worth, the official U.S. government test of the RX450h turned up 32 miles per U.S. gallon, which I think works out to 7.3 l/100 km. That’s 15% over the Lexus claimed economy – not good, but nowhere near as bad as 60%.
No, I don’t drive a Lexus – but it’s pretty tempting, apart from the obvious capital cost problem. Even then, if you’re going to compare it with BMW X5, Audi or whatever, be sure to take a hard look at the option lists!
Freddo

Hey, I just Googled up some more relevant info. The VCACarFuelData.org.uk
(“official UK source for Car Fuel Consumption and Exhaust Emissions Figures”) reports the following for the RX450h:

Urban consumption 6.6 l/100 km (or 42.8 mpg)
Extra Urban 6.0 l/100 km (47.1 mpg)
Combined 6.3 l/100 km (44.8 mpg)

That’s in fact slightly better than Lexus claims …
poorWheelDriver

If i can just afford this thing i will definitely buy it, looks like i’m still stuck with my ’92 ford maverick
Johnno

I ended up buying the Merc ML 320 CDI. Whilst looks are personal, I think the BMW/Merc brigade looks better. Further, Diesel technology is proven and tough. My friend has had problems with the Lexus Hybrid that came out last year. Diesle enginves are no where near as refined as the Lexus engines, but will still be “run in” at 100k’s ont he clock.
The Realist

Wheelnut®™ Says:
August 15th, 2009 at 10:05 am
“Therefore; they will never regard it to be a true Luxury car.. nor will they regard it to be a rival to a BMW or Merc-Benz etc.”

I agree. Just like Audi aren’t in the class of MB and BMW. Lexus do need to stop the cross platform sharing, just like Audi.

“It’s the same as those who don’t think of HSV as a true performance car due to its links with the Holden Commodore – despite the number of changes or improvements they make.”

The differences between a Lexus and Toyota on the few shared platforms are more marked than any HSV / Holden product.
Freddo

3+ months on, and it might be worth adding this, in case anyone is still interested …

I finally bought one of the RX450h beasts, and it’s quite nice though possibly overpriced compared to its full-petrol equivalent, the RX350 (fuel savings won’t pay the extra cost of the hybrid unless I get to drive it for at least 75000 km). But I do admire the hybrid technology and on the whole I’m quite happy with it. The electronic gizmos are something else! I didn’t realise fully how much I would like the “head up” display of speedo, satnav, audio settings etc and I think this is a real safety feature.

After 2500 km my experience with fuel consumption is as follows. The best I have achieved so far, over a trip of 75 km or more, is 7.5 l/100 km. I figure it’s possible to do even a bit better than this on a drive over level country (even small hills really chew into the consumption rate – the Lexus gives you several ways of keeping tabs as you drive, from refill to refill, for today’s drive as opposed to yesterday’s, last week etc). Don’t drive faster than 85 – 90 km/hr, and of course try not to go much slower and then have to accelerate to get back to speed. Don’t use cruise control; I found very delicate touch on the loud pedal to be more effective. And of course turn off the aircon etc. Given all that I think you could get down to around 7.0 l/100 km, and maybe even better under ideal conditions, so maybe the claimed 6.4 l/100 km is not totally absurd.

However if you drive like you’d like to drive – at highway max speeds, loud pedal when required for overtaking in the 90 – 100+ km/hr range, aircon on and just enjoying yourself, then I think you had better settle for at least 8.0 to 8.5 l/100 km. Which is still pretty good for 220 kw engine power pushing along GVW of 2500 kg. If you’re heavy-footed, 9.5 isn’t hard to get to. Short trips are also deadly because in the first two or three minutes after a cold start, while you’re backing out of the garage etc, average consumption flies up to around 15 l/100 km and you have to drive quite a ways at normal operating conditions to get that average down.

I’m only a little disappointed because my last two cars have both been Prius, and I could drive them flat out and still get 4.2 – 4.5 l/100 km (sometimes in ideal circumstances down to 3.3 l/100 km), which is what Toyota claimed. However I haven’t yet been able to get close to Lexus’ claimed 6.4 l/100 km. On the other hand, I do have a distinct feeling that consumption rates are getting better as the system is run in – not enough data to be sure, but the last couple of weeks have been distinctly better than the first. I can only hope …
Nat Redgrave

Juat replying to everyones comments about mb and bmw if currently own a lexus rx350 and did consider the others but after walking into their dealerships and getting crap service and treated like rubbish and then you walk into lexus and get treated like family a coffee cake sit down have a chat its not a car you buy its the whole package service top quality luxury cars i would own a lexus anyday free clean each time you take it in for a service also guaranteed to have a lexus while you car is getting serviced i dont think mb or bmw can even get close to that because i chased all that up before i bought one
Phil Masters

Living in London UK my RX gets about 40miles to the gallon while dring around town while my bmw 7 series could only do about 18 and my merc s class only 20. However, on a run on a motor way it only gets around 30 mpg while the other two did far better 32 and 36 respectivly. So its not all badnews owning one espercially if you live in or do a lot of driving in a large city.