Back in 2001, Toyota Motor Company became the first car company in North America to sell a new type of automobile known as a Hybrid. They were vehicles that combined typical combustion engines with electronic batteries to propel the vehicle and as a result, were designed to provide significantly better fuel consumption.
I can vividly remember when Toyota launched it’s first generation Prius and how former Barenaked Ladies front man Stephen Page agreed to be one of its initial purchasers. I saw the vehicle on TV and thought to myself – great concept but kinda ugly in its overall design. I also couldn’t help but notice that this new technology was implemented first in a mainline brand as opposed to a luxury brand that typically seemed to be the initial test subjects of the latest and greatest in auto tech. Maybe it was thought that the rich didn’t want to be eco-friendly and that it was best to market to the less affluent tree hugger. Well, in the 10 years since it’s with great satisfaction that I can say Hybrid vehicles have gone main stream, they are now sleek and stylish and they’ve found a place amongst luxury brands as well.
Of all the luxury brands out there today, Lexus stands out as the one brand with the most to offer when it comes to Hybrid Vehicles. Among its 2011 line up of vehicles are no less than 5 Hybrid models. Some of them, such as the HS250h were designed exclusively as a Hybrid while others such as the subject of this review, the RX450h are simply Hybrid versions of similar non-Hybrid models (RX350). I suppose that the hefty line-up of Lexus Hybrids only makes sense given that it’s the premium, luxury car division of Toyota.
FIRST IMPRESSION
The Lexus RX450h is a vehicle that really doesn’t stoke an emotional response upon first glance. While it’s not an ugly or unpleasant vehicle by any stretch, there is little about it that will make your heart go all a flutter. That being said, it also seems to be one of its great strengths since to a certain segment of the car buying market, they are looking for more substance and less sizzle. In the case of the RX450h, there certainly is enough substance to make up for any lack of apparent sizzle. In fact the only thing you might notice about the RX350/450h combo if you were to head to one of those upscale suburban shopping malls, is not how amazing it looks, but rather just how many of them are around!
DRIVE
If you are someone who loves nothing more than to hear the purr of a finely tuned engine followed by the roar of its unbridled power, the RX450h is not your vehicle. One of the most remarkable things I discovered during my week with the vehicle was how you so rarely had the sensation that you were sitting above a vehicle that carries almost 300 horsepower. The 3.5 litre V6 engine is coupled with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology that when combined with its CVT transmission, creates a driving situation that is remarkably reliable but at the same time, rather mundane.
As with all Hybrid vehicles fuel efficiency is one of the RX450h’s great assets. According to the 2011 Fuel Consumption Guide as published by Natural Resources Canada, the RX450h has a fuel efficiency rating of 6.7 L/100 km (city) and 7.2 L/100 km (hwy). Hybrid vehicles run the reverse of standard non-Hybrid vehicles in that better fuel efficiency is found in city driving as opposed to highway driving. This is due to the fact that with low speeds there is a greater likelihood that the vehicle will run on battery only or in Hybrid mode, while highway driving often requires a full engine operation. It’s typically impossible to replicate the same ratings given the multitude of variables involved in driving a vehicle, but throughout my week I was consistently averaging a combined fuel rating of around 9.5 to 10 L/100 km. For a vehicle with its engine size these are more than respectable numbers.
INTERIOR COMFORT
The RX450h is a 5 seater and its interior cabin contains plenty of room to accommodate 5 adults. On a Saturday trip to the grocery store we had 3 of my children in the back row, with one being in a booster seat, another in a 5-point child restraint and the third without any additional support at all. Despite the added attachments there was enough room for all to be comfortable.
Front row seating in the RX450h have seats that are well sized for adults, yet my wife seemed to be less than happy with them. The seats offer multiple adjustments and are both heated and cooled. I did find that the heating/cooling controls for the seats were in a very odd and awkward position located right by the centre armrest. Its even stranger when you move the armrest forward since it then covers the controls completely.
Another strange feature inside the RX450h to my mind was the positioning of the gear shifter. It was located on the lower end of the centre console and jutted out almost horizontally. I found this to be rather “un” luxurious and didn’t quite expect to see something this odd in a vehicle costing in excess of $60K.
On the more enjoyable side of things I particularly liked the blue hues surrounding the instrument cluster and the bright, clear readouts that provided a somewhat calming effect when driving at night.
GADGETS AND GIZMOS
Perhaps the most unique and likeable feature in the RX450h is the touch control system in the middle console that acts much like a computer mouse on the display monitor. Through some very simple manoeuvring you control all audio functions, mapping, general information and set-up as well as making hands free calls with the use of one hand that’s ergonomically positioned. I found myself wanting to spend a great deal of time playing with this feature and enjoyed it immensely.
My tester came with the Ultra Premium Package 1 which included a voice-activated HDD navigation system and intuitive parking assist among other items plus a 15 speaker Mark Levinson Surround sound Audio System. While I’ve read other reviewers wax poetic about the sound system I found that while it was a good system, it wasn’t as great a system as I might have expected. I have certain songs that I use as benchmarks when testing audio systems and I never felt as immersed in the music as I have been with other systems when they were played.
STORAGE
Most crossover SUV’s are built with a fair amount of storage capacity. Our grocery store trip required us to fill up 5 plastic shopping bins and when loading up the trunk I had no difficulty in getting them all to fit. It would meet the needs of most families of 5 or less but anymore than a couple hockey bags or sets of golf clubs and you’d be stretching its storage limits.
IN THE END
Among luxury car makers, Lexus is clearly a leader when it comes to offering a wide ranging line up of Hybrid vehicles to compliment its other non-Hybrid offerings. The RX450h is the eco alternative to the extremely popular RX350 crossover SUV, and with it you get all of what is good and not so good about the RX350 but with a much better fuel consumption rating.
As I drove the RX450h throughout the week there was this awkward feeling that kept coming over me. On the one hand I knew that I was in a technological superior vehicle, with stable, comfortable appointments and a host of unique safety features. Yet at the same time I saw elements of ordinary mixed in. Combining the two aspects made me realize that the success of this family class of vehicles in the Lexus line up comes from the fact that within them you received all of quality and substance that Lexus is known for, but without the flash and dash of some of its rivals. This is a car that may never make my Top 5 list but it most certainly will never sit in the bottom 5 as well. I also get the feeling that the designers of the vehicle are okay with that too.
This is a vehicle that is more steak and less sizzle, with the upside being that the steak comes from one of the finest cuts available.
ENVIRO DAD’S Test Drive Ratings (Out of 5):
STYLE: 2.5
COMFORT: 4.0
FEATURES: 4.5
STORAGE: 3.5
DRIVE: 4.5
ENVIRO/ECO: 4.0
VALUE: 3.0
(MSRP as tested $66,700)
OVERALL RATING: 3.75
