Hybrid Heaven in a Lexus

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The nickel-metal hydride battery in the RX400h is under warranty for eight years or 100,000 miles, for one thing. And the carmaker says that as hybrid batteries age, it's more common for cells to need replacing than for the entire battery to die. Lexus expects an after-market battery-service industry to spring up to repair and refurbish the batteries.

Even if you wore out the battery by driving more than 100,000 miles, replacing it would cost $2,500, including installation, according to Lexus, hardly a huge expense for a luxury vehicle. And battery prices are likely to go down as the market for hybrids grows.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN.

The RX 400h is a crossover vehicle, not a true off-roader, but it performs pretty well in winter driving. I took my test vehicle out in three inches of newly fallen snow and did my usual number, slamming on the brakes at highway speed and going downhill, swerving, accelerating into slick curves, and up a steep hill. The Lexus handled it all with aplomb.

The grille is a little different, but otherwise the RX 400h looks very similar to the RX 330. The interior doesn't have standard wood trim, but it's still very attractive. The interior of my test car was in beautiful, understated light gray leather with black leather accents. It had lots of brushed aluminum on the center stack and dash. The center console slides forward and back so it can be conveniently positioned for both front and rear passengers. Like any other midsize SUV, the RX 400h is roomy, and there's lots of cargo space, especially with rear seats folded down.

Driving a hybrid is pretty similar to driving any other vehicle. But the main thing that strikes you is the silence when you start it up. When you turn the key, the functions come on -- like, say, the radio -- but there's no sound of a starter motor. The vehicle is off one moment. Then a ready light comes on, there's a beep, and it's on. One minor inconvenience: According to the owner's manual, if you don't regularly drive it you're supposed to start the RX 400h and run it for at least a half-hour every two weeks to keep the batteries charged.

EFFICIENCY GAME.

Like other hybrids, the RX 400h has elaborate displays that use little bars and other graphics to show you exactly how much energy you're using, including constantly updated indications of how much energy the regenerative brakes have shipped back to the battery, how much fuel you've consumed in the past 30 minutes, average fuel consumption during your trip, and current fuel consumption. In the RX 400h, a graphic display also shows at any given moment whether the power is coming from the gasoline or electric engines, whether the brakes are shipping energy, etc.

It would probably significantly reduce the nation's gasoline consumption if auto makers put similar displays in every vehicle because they make saving gas a fascinating game for the driver. You find yourself coasting up to stoplights and accelerating less violently than usual because you see exactly how it affects fuel consumption. Indeed, many hybrid owners report that their average mileage goes up after they've owned the vehicle for awhile because they learn how to drive more efficiently.

Still, whether the RX 400h is worth its premium price is a judgment call. A gas-powered, all-wheel drive Lexus RX 330 starts at $38,465. Even taking into account the tax credit for buying a hybrid, that's more than six grand under the price of a comparable RX 400h. So, what's your forecast for gasoline prices? And how important is it to you that we clean up the environment and cut dependence on foreign oil? The answers to those questions may make your buying decision for you.

Peterson reviews cars for BusinessWeek Online