Green Reviews, Green Scene, Hybrid, Lexus, Luxury Cars, Test Drives

Test Drive: 2010 Lexus RX 450h Touring

October 23, 2009

2010 Lexus RX 450h Touring . Click image to enlarge

There are several other nice touches throughout. A cupholder swings out of the dash on the driver’s left side, along with two in the centre console. The console box includes an ingenious design for those who prefer music from their iPods or other music players. The interface is in the very bottom of the deep box, and you access it by first removing a smaller inner liner. Plug in the iPod, set it in the bottom of the box, and then put the liner back in. The iPod stays safe and sound in the bottom, while any items you toss in stay in the liner, instead of piling on top of your expensive and fragile device. Finally, there’s a shallow tray up top for the smallest items. If you should want the iPod up top and outside of the box, you can also thread its cord through slots in the liner and right up to a covered cutout in the centre console, so you don’t have to sit with the box lid open.

2010 Lexus RX 450h Touring . Click image to enlarge

Much larger items go into a cargo area that’s 97 cm long with the rear seats up; fold them, and you get a not-quite-flat 162 cm of length. For extra-long items, you can remove the front passenger head restraint, and then fully recline the seat, giving you up to 275 cm of cargo length. It’s not perfect, but it’ll get the IKEA bookcase home.

In the direct competition department, there really isn’t much: just two truck-based hybrids, the Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and Chevrolet Tahoe 2-Mode. BMW will be offering a hybrid version of its X6 in the near future, which should really prove to be about the only thing that will go head-to-head with it if you want to compare unibody luxury SUVs with hybrid powertrains.

Overall, the RX 450h nails the definition of a luxury hybrid SUV, mostly because it shatters any perceptions people may have of the way hybrids used to be. It’s powerful, it goes from gasoline to electricity and back again with nary a jolt or a shudder, and it doesn’t steer like a video game. Whether it’s worth the extra price over a conventional RX 350 is a decision each buyer must determine, but the quality and performance of what you’re getting is already a given.

See Also:
Secrets of Lexus RX hybrid system, by Paul Williams

Pricing: 2010 Lexus RX 450h

Base price: $58,900

Options: $3,400 (Touring Package)br>

A/C tax: $100

Freight: $1,895

Price as tested: $64,295
Click here for options, dealer invoice prices and factory incentives

Specifications

Specifications: 2010 Lexus RX

Related articles on Autos

Feature: Secrets of Lexus RX hybrid system, by Paul Williams

Day-by-Day Review: 2010 Lexus RX 450h, by James Bergeron