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Lexus RX200T vs Lexus RX450H

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Lexus RX200T
Lexus RX200T

2018 price

Lexus RX450H
Lexus RX450H

2019 price

Summary

2018 Lexus RX200T
2019 Lexus RX450H
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

V6, 3.5L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded/Electric
Fuel Efficiency
8.1L/100km (combined)

5.7L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Not quite soul-satisfying
  • That infernal mousepad
  • Zero exhaust noise - even in Sport

  • Baffling entertainment system
  • Heavy
  • Ho-hum drivetrain
2018 Lexus RX200T Summary

Remember when Lexus design was about as adventurous as a warm cup of tea and a good lie down?

The Japanese luxury brand (and Toyota’s more expensive little brother) wasn’t exactly famed for taking risks on boundary-pushing looks. And that's not even me being mean - its own executives say they favoured conservatism over all else when working on an a new model. And thus everything looked like it was designed by a 75-year-old Japanese man, largely because it had been.

But gazing upon the angry, jutting jawline of the Lexus RX, those play-it-safe days suddenly feel a long time ago. If this RX isn’t the most striking (for better or for worse) SUV in its premium field, it’s got to be pretty darn close.

The cheapest and most youth-oriented model in the RX family is the 200T, making use of a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine to propel the big SUV. And the one you see in these pictures is the F-Sport model, which scores a bespoke bodykit, unique alloys and other styling stuff to make it look even more aggressive on the road. 

Having received its last major update in 2015 (but with a mid-life tweak just around the corner) this RX is starting to get on a little bit. So we spent a week in the 200T to see if it's still able to mix it with the best in the segment. 

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2019 Lexus RX450H Summary

This is a review with a difference. For three days, I had a Lexus RX450h and thought it was pretty terrible to drive. Every time I turned the steering wheel, the tyres would squeal as though they weren't inflated with air but instead with tiny, fluffy kittens.

I was bitterly disappointed. How could a car get out the door of the Lexus engineering division with such an aversion to corners. I mean, I know it's not meant to be a corner-carving monster, but normal cornering should have been okay.

After those three days, I'd had enough. The low tyre pressure warning light came on and the penny dropped. I hadn't even thought to check the pressures. They were very, very low. Like only at two-thirds of recommended. So after visiting three separate establishments to find a working pump, I had a whole different car.

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2018 Lexus RX200T 2019 Lexus RX450H

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