2010 Lexus RX450H Reviews

Lexus RX has been a huge success for the upmarket Japanese marque since its launch in Australia in April 2003. More a high riding station wagon than a 4WD it has mild to medium off-road ability in its AWD versions, though very few owners ever take advantage of it. The introduction of the fourth generation RX series in

...and what to watch for when you are buying it.Lexus cars are about comfort and refinement and the Lexus RX SUV leans very much in that direction and well away from the rugged off-road nature of its big brother the LandCruiser-based Lexus LX Series.The Lexus RX350 has significantly less ground clearance than the typical crossover. Which gives it road holding almost on par with that of a sedan or station wagon. While the Lexus RX350 does have all-wheel drive and can travel on dirt roads, forest trails and the like, taking it to the beach could leave it beached on its belly.Interior room is good for two adults and three junior travellers, but three adults in the back seats starts to stretch their friendship. It goes without saying that the choice of materials and the quality of fit and finish of cabin is immaculate in all models, and has been taken to even higher levels over the years. Boot space is reasonable considering the steep slope of the rear window, but most SUVs of this size give you more versatility when it comes to carrying boxy items. The rear seat has a handy 40/20/40 split to give you loading options.Australian buyers weren’t offered the chance to buy the first-generation Lexus RX300 as it was only sold in the USA. The second generation went on sale in this country in April 2003 as the RX330 (the numbers refer to the engine size in decilitres in most models, more about that later) and was a hit pretty well from the start.The third generation Lexus was introduced in February 2009 and, with a moderate facelift and the introduction of several new variants remains on sale today. The gen-three was virtually all-new, being longer and wider in the body than its predecessors and sitting on a longer wheelbase and wider track. The new model was designed to provide more interior space and even higher levels of interior comfort than before. It truly is a luxury wagon and the great majority of buyers use it that way.The twin-cam petrol engine V6 has a capacity of 3.0 litres in the 330 and 3.5 litres in the RX350. The third generation cars have noticeably lower fuel consumption without any loss of performance. The petrol engine was mated to a five-speed automatic transmission until the arrival of the all-new 2009 model saw it lifted to six-speed unit, which partly explains its lower fuel use.An interesting model is the petrol-electric hybrid RX. Sold since October 2006, it uses a 3.3-litre engine and an electric motor in combination. The hybrid’s model name breaks with convention by being tagged RX400h, that’s because Lexus reckons it has the performance that would be offered by a 4.0-litre petrol engine.A mid-life upgrade in July 2012 saw the introduction of an RX 2WD, four-cylinder model badged RX 270. Until then all RXs used 4WD and a V6 engine. The lighter weight of the 2WD model (which drives through the front wheels) means there is less loss in performance than you might expect. Naturally, it’s still a rarity on the used market but if you never plan any unsealed road driving its lower price may make it worth a wait.Lexus dealers are mainly in metropolitan areas of capital cities and major regional and country locations. Should you need work done in other areas some top Toyota mechanics have been trained in Lexus work. Service and repair costs are about average for an SUV in this upmarket class and we have heard of no real complaints about cost or availability of routine spare parts. Insurance charges don’t seem to vary significantly between major companies, but it may be worth shopping around.WHAT TO LOOK FORVery high build quality means that troubles are rare, but these are relatively complex machines and we highly recommend a professional inspection after you've completed yours to the best of your ability. If you find body damage indicating off-road use, a rarity, it’s most likely to be on the bumper corners, under the sill panels and in the form of scratches on the doors. Unless the price is right we suggest going for another RX instead.Look for a smoking exhaust on a high-mileage engine. It will be at its worst when the engine is worked hard. Check the automatic transmission is all but unnoticed in its actions unless you’re accelerating hard. Look over the interior and boot carefully because the RX is popular in the Mums’ taxi cohort.CAR BUYING TIPFaded paint on any vehicle, particularly those with strong colours, is likely to indicate it hasn’t been garaged very often. This can be hard on the interior as well as the body. 

Touted as the worlds most efficient and powerful luxury hybrid SUV, the Lexus RX450h should be a major force in it’s niche market. We agree and -- save for a couple of minor issues -- give it a big fat tick.DrivetrainThe RX450h hybrid system drivetrain is a 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine that puts out 183kW at 6000rpm and 317Nm at 4800rpm, a generator, a 123kW electric drive front motor, reduction gears to the front axle and continuously variable transmission. The hybrid system output is 220kW.Power is directed to the front wheels via a mechanical path or an electric path or a mixture of both. Power output is in part redirected back to the electric drive motor and is used for engine acceleration. There is another 50kW magnetic motor that powers the rear wheels during take off and acceleration.Extra urban fuel economy comes in at 6.1l/100km and the SUV emits150g/km of CO2.ExteriorWith a wider stance and more sculptured rear, chunkier bumpers and flared wheel arches the RX450h is a real presence on the road.Featuring a number of new design touches, it receives a tight vertical multi-bar grill, 19 inch alloy wheels, blue accents on the headlight lenses and blue Hybrid badging.With superior aerodynamics in mind the 450h has been built to achieve class-leading drag figures and negligible wind and vibration noise.InteriorA mouse like controller on the centre console accesses up to 20 functions including satellite navigation, viewable on the large display on the dash.Enhanced climate control, a 12-speaker premium sound system, a handy head up display, a moon roof and in built blue-tooth are all standard. The cabin has door pockets, plenty of cupholders, console and seat back storage, and the rear seats are 40/20/40 split fold flat.Safety The comprehensive safety list for the Lexus RX450h includes a substantial airbag package, a rear view camera, vehicle dynamics integrated management, active cruise control, pre-collision safety system and optimised body strength.DrivingHaving tested a couple of lower and mid range SUVs lately it’s a welcome change to step into a high end unit. It’s not that the other cars are no good – quite the opposite – but its amazing how much better they can get.From the moment we snatched the keys and got to it in the car park we agreed that it oozed class. It just looked more substantial and had more of a presence than the bulk of cheaper cars. Up close we immediately noticed the quality of the workmanship. All the panel seams lined up - nothing looked or felt tinny or fake.Then there were the big alloys that perch it nice and high, the smooth, bold front and rear and the sharp purposeful creases.Climbing in we searched hard for setbacks but again we fell short. It’s just a nice place to be. The soft leather seats are comfortable and supportive and the dash is simple clean and intuitive. The wooden steering wheel is a nice touch too, highlighting the overall prestige feel.There was plenty of storage space for cups and bottles and the 40/20/40 flat folding split rear seats allow for a tonne or room in the back for big trips.But we were keen to drive the thing; especially since Lexus claim that it’s “the world’s most powerful hybrid luxury SUV”. Pressing the starter button was a non-event – no guttural roar here, just a couple of lights on the dash indicating something had changed in the last second or two.Hitting the accelerator was the first time we heard noise, as the parallel hybrid powertrain did its thing. And with the quick knock of a button on the steering wheel, we could see this fascinating system illustrated in front of us on the LCD display.Sadly, we got more of a kick out of watching that than we did from the throttle. The new, beefier 450h – 150kg heavier than the outgoing 400h – didn’t push us back in our seat so much as gently whooshed us into a mild coma.We thought it was slow, even for heavy hybrid, but once momentum took hold we quickly found the grunt they were banging on about. At speed the Lexus was responsive and very smooth. Sharp corners were handled like sweeping bends. There was negligible body roll and we remained upright from entry to exit.Having said that though, the brakes took a bit of getting used to. They were spongy and lacked the immediacy we felt such a big car needed. There were some hairy times when the anchors needed to be stood on to stop quickly enough. We both agreed they could have been a lot better.On the freeway was where the 450h came into its own. It was deafeningly quiet - leaving us to chat freely without having to shout – and painfully smooth.Generally, the Lexus RX450h was as prestigious and substantial as it set out to be. It really is a step above the mid-range pack in terms of luxury and the economy figures for such a big car are outstanding. But there were some important points that we felt needed a bit of work.Lexus RX450h Price: from $89,788Engine: 183kW/317Nm 2.0-litre petrolTransmission: front-wheel drive, five-speed manual, six-speed autoEconomy: 6.1L/100km combinedEmissions: 150g/km CO2