2010 Lexus RX 450h Carrollton GA
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2010 Lexus RX 450h
November 20, 2009 By Alison Lakin, Associate Editor
2010 Lexus RX 450h
DriverSide Overview
Though its dominance may not last forever, the Lexus RX hybrid has so far managed to rule over a very niche market. It is the sole member of the luxury hybrid SUV class – one that people are turning to more and more as green luxury becomes trés chic. Not convinced? There are currently 780,000 RXs zooming around the streets, and one fifth of the SUV purchases are for its hybrid. You do the math. Lexus anticipates that the ratio will remain the same heading into the 2010, but we can see it reaching even higher sales numbers thanks to a number of significant changes for the latest generation. Besides successful redesigns of both the interior and exterior, the 450h now produces 295 horsepower and includes new fuel saving technologies that help meet an estimated 28 mpg on the highway. Lexus also introduces new features like side mirror cameras and a multi-function infotainment controller to ensure the RX will be one of the most tech-savvy SUVs on the road. On top of all this is an SULEV EPA emissions rating. Long live the Lexus hybrids.
What's to Like
Because the new double-wishbone suspension doesn't have a need for rear struts, trunk space is now five percent larger. Overall exterior design is now more streamlined than the previous generation. Tech features like an optional rear-view camera and standard hill-start assist integrate seamlessly into the cabin instead of being overly intrusive.
What's Not to Like
Body roll in the front-wheel drive setup is particularly bad, and wind noise – something that shouldn't even be an issue in a Lexus – is so penetrating that conversations are drowned out. If your source of music comes from a USB drive, then you will have to dig underneath the center console storage area to plug it in. And try cleaning that cavernous bin if anything spills down there.
The Drive:
DriverSide Driving Impressions
Where the RX 350 – with only a gas engine powering the wheels – falls just short in terms of on demand power delivery, the additional electric motor in the RX 450h provides better immediate pull. Its 295 horsepower is more than enough to get the SUV up hills easily. By turning ECO mode on – an easy enough event that involves a few pushes of a button – the hybrid system remains in battery mode for longer to allow for more fuel savings. Of course, with only 50 horsepower from the electric motor, the SUV won’t be setting any land speed records under those constraints. Slightly noticeable, as in most hybrids, is both the surge when it switches over to the gas engine and the whirring regenerative brake noise. Body roll and torque steer on the front-wheel drive is more pronounced than the competitions’, but the all-wheel drive arrangement corners well and negates any unbalance found in the two-wheel drive setup.
Engine an...