Insurance Group: 41
MPG: 44.8
CO2: 145
0-62 Mph: 7.8 secs
BHP: 295 BHP
Range: 641 miles
PROS: The RX 450 is an environmentally friendly car that delivers owners impressive performance and comfortable control from a spacious and well crafted interior.
CONS: The car has a small boot making it unsuitable to carry heavy luggage for long journeys visiting family or going on holiday. With rear seat adjustments, boot space can be increased, but only marginally. A luxury car model, the car is made for smooth roads and becomes a little difficult to handle on tough terrain.
The steering of the RX 450 can feel a bit lifeless and lacks feedback, but it makes for an easy car to drive. Its suspension is tuned to suit European tastes, but it suffers from body roll as it takes on bends and twisting roads.
The 3.5 litre petrol engine delivers a good performance figures of 295bhp at 6000 rpm and 234 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. But it's the electric motor which really gives this car punch, giving 174bhp to the front wheels and 67bhp to the rear. With good fuel economy of 44.8 mpg, the engine’s power boost sees the RX going from 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds, with a top speed of 124mph. This is impressive for a large 4x4.
There are three driving modes one can use whilst cruising around town or on a countryside jaunt: eco, EV and snow. Eco mode conserves fuel; snow mode reduces wheel spin when the car is on icy roads while the EV mode allows the car to travel silently at speeds of 30mph and under, using the battery power alone.
This RX stands out from the crowd, but unfortunately, in this case, it’s for the wrong reasons. This is not a pretty car. On the contrary, it is immediately identifiable as a Lexus hybrid from the chrome trimmings and the silver and blue badge. The inside of the cabin is a bit more conventional, but maybe too much so. It just doesn’t feel as special as when you sit in a BMW XS or a Mercedes ML.
The command screen is a usual feature of the Lexus, or an upmarket Toyota, which works quickly and intuitively.
The RX 450h comes equipped with a range of high end driving technology. The car features a multi-function steering wheel, front and rear park sensors, cruise control, 18-inch alloys, Bluetooth, leather electric seats, electric and folding mirrors, and dual-zone air-conditioning. As the high end SE-L model, the car also includes LED headlamps, side parking monitors, Mark Levinson audio system with DAB, keyless entry and semi aniline leather seats with 10-way adjustment.
For such a large car, the RX doesn’t have the largest boot, only holding 496 litres, which sees it lagging behind its rivals. The lack of boot space is mainly because of the location of the battery packs.
In the cabin, there is loads of space for passengers and driver alike. The rear seats also slide back and forth to either give extra leg room or extra boot space. Large mirrors provide all round visibility to the driver. Lexus has a high reputation for quality and reliability and this model does not disappoint.
There is, like with all Lexus’, a high level of safety equipment. Standard kit includes 10 airbags and whiplash-reducing active headrests. Higher specification models come equipped with Lexus’ pre-crash safety system which applies the brakes, or increases the drivers’ braking input to avoid collisions.
The Lexus RX 450h comes with a price tag of £48,405.
The car comes equipped with a reliable engine which gives years of trouble-free service. It can be used for day to day driving like school runs and shopping to long road trips and holidays. The car continues to pay for itself as the Lexus brand enjoys good dealer services so customers can enjoy the car for longer. The combination of the car’s performance and the Lexus brand give it excellent resale values.
The car has excellent green credentials with a EURO5 emissions rating and a carbon footprint of 145 g/m. However, the car incurs heavy running costs coming under insurance premium group 41.
From the highly respected high quality Lexus line, the hybrid car Lexus RX 450h has few rivals With a stylish design, excellent green credentials and low running costs, the car is a worthy investm...
From the highly respected and high quality Lexus line, the RX 450h SE-L hybrid car has few rivals. With a stylish design, excellent green credentials and low running costs, the car is a suitable au...
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