Review: 2010 Lexus RX 450h

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I found both the RX 450h and the RX 350 quicker than Lexus says they are. In accelerating from zero to 60, the company rates the RX 350 at 7.4 seconds with front-wheel drive and 7.5 seconds with AWD. The hybrid is rated at 7.8 seconds with FWD and 7.4 seconds with AWD (which is weird because all-wheel drive adds weight and should make the vehicle slower). Then again, both my test vehicles had AWD and the RX 350 did zero to 60 in 7.0 seconds; the RX 450h, 7.2 seconds.

The 450h has almost exactly the same clean, crisp, and attractive interior design as the RX 350. Head, leg, and shoulder space are exactly the same in both models—which is to say adequate throughout except that leg space is a bit cramped in back. Cargo space is a voluminous 40 cu. ft. with the rear seats up, and 80.3 cu. ft. with the rear seats folded down. Maximum towing capacity is 3,500 lb. in both models—in both cases only with AWD and an optional towing package ($238). The hybrid comes with all the usual fancy options, including a navigation/rear seat entertainment system ($5,005), heads-up display ($1,200), and heated and ventilated seats ($640).

Setting aside their engines, the differences between the two models are minor: The hybrid is more than 300 lb. heavier, but its superior horsepower keeps performance about the same. Ground clearance is a tiny bit less in the hybrid (6.9 in., vs. 7.3 in. in the RX 350). The hybrid even has the same annoying design glitches as the RX 350: It's like dumpster diving to get at the auxiliary power plug, which is at the bottom of the cavernous storage bin in the center console, under a removable tray. The rear seat is too hard to be comfortable.

One minor downside of the hybrid: You're supposed to run the RX 450h at least once a week to keep its battery charged, an annoyance if you're out of town a lot.

Buy It or Bag It?

There's nothing else quite like the RX 450h on the market. The closest alternative I can think of is a loaded-up Toyota Highlander hybrid, but that really isn't a luxury model. German companies are coming out with some nice hybrid SUVs, but they cost more and aren't as fuel-efficient. For instance, Daimler's (DAI) Mercedes-Benz ML450 hybrid carries a $60,000 average price tag, according to PIN, has to be leased rather than bought, and only averages 22 mpg. Audi's new Q5 hybrid won't be out until later this year, or early next. Diesel-powered German SUVs are great, but their emissions are higher than a hybrid's.

Will you ever really recover the Lexus 450h's $5,000 price premium? The typical car buyer—who drives around 15,000 miles annually and keeps a new vehicle six years—would probably lose at least $1,000 on the RX 450h at the current price of premium gasoline (recommended in both the RX 450h and RX 350). But who really believes gas prices will stay at current levels? If premium averages, say, $4.25 (compared with $3.00 now), the average buyer will save $900 to $1,000 annually—and easily recover the hybrid's extra cost. You can plug annual mileage and gas-price projections into a calculator on the Energy Dept. Web site to come up with your own numbers.

Obviously, Toyota's recent recalls raise doubts about its products. But, so far at least, the RX 450h remains unaffected. And if you're worried about having to replace the hybrid battery (a $4,995 expense), don't. The battery is designed to last the life of the vehicle; it and other key elements of the hybrid system are covered by warranty for eight years or 100,000 miles. Owners have found that the batteries last 180,000 miles or more, a Lexus spokesman says.

The RX 450h is no Prius. But it offers SUV buyers better gas mileage and performance at no real cost to themselves.

Click here to see more of the 2010 Lexus RX450h.

Thane Peterson reviews cars for BusinessWeek.com.

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