GarrettN

Hello all, new Club Lexus member. I would like to get some opinions on purchasing an RX400h for towing. I already own an LX470 (wait, hear me out on this one). I use the LX mostly for my business towing a 1500 lb box trailer with trailer brakes and anywhere from 0-1000 lbs inside (1500-2500 lbs total trailer weight). I drive exclusively in the city (mostly under 40 mph) on flat ground and about 100 miles per day in stop and go traffic (lots of slow acceleration and braking). My mileage with the LX is about 9-10 mpg and it's costing me over $1000 in premium fuel per month!
My weekend car is a Honda Accord which, although great on gas (regular), is driven much less and also can't tow my trailer. I've considered trading in my Accord for a used RX400h and then using that to tow, leaving my LX470 for the weekend vehicle.
Opinions?
Any issues using RX400h for towing?
Expected MPG improvement for my intended purpose of mostly slow city stop-and-go driving?
AWD or FWD? (Two tech questions: Will AWD or FWD get more regenerative energy out of my frequent braking? Will trailer brakes decrease my regenerative capacity?)
Thanks everyone!

thomas1

AWD will give you more regenerative braking as their are two motors for braking and charging. As for the rest of your questions I will rely on those that have done it. I personally feel you are taxing a hybrid sytem with the weight and if you have a inverter fail, it could be very expensive. Someone on this site or the other site has done some towing...do a search.

smassey321

Under 40 mph and in FL without hills you will be fine. AWD will give you a little more power which is nice. Expect about 15 mpg on premium fuel which you will need to use when towing or you will ping. I never used trailer brakes so can't answer that.

I have towed both a cargo trailer and 2800 lb boat so ask away if you have more questions.

GarrettN

15 mpg??? Doesn't the RX400h achieve high 20's in the city? That means my mileage would drop by almost 50 percent. Are you sure? I was expecting maybe 20 mpg or even low 20's. If that's the case, my 9-10 using my LX470 no longer seems so bad.

smassey321

My RX got 27 mpg when it was new. That has dropped to 24 mpg as I am around 100k miles now. If you have a stop and go commute you can get in the high 20s but we don't have traffic like that in FL. In DC stop and go traffic I was able to get high 20s if the weather was not too cold.

jakenbake

I drive in a lot of stop and go and I drive hard (big lead foot) and I average 21 MPG. I don't tow regularly though so I don't know what kind of mileage you will get with a trailer. Trailer brakes won't decrease your regenerative capacity but they will take power from the battery which will result in lower MPG. Definitely go AWD...It will give you more towing capability with the second electric motor. As for the inverter failing...why would they offer a tow package on a hybrid if that would be an issue?

hypervish

I wouldn't tow regularly with a RX400h. The LX is a beast, it's designed for scenarios like that.

Silantra

I specifically bought the RX400h for towing because they come with a towing package; transmission coolant, etc. I tow 3300 lbs of boat, trailer, motor and gear and on steep ramps with lots of slippery algae, the AWD does a good job pulling boat and trailer out and have not ended in the water like other boaters. Round trip to and from the intra-costal waterway, is about 80 miles of mostly flat roads (I live in central Florida) and have not had any issues with handling or over heating. My car is a 2006 with almost 140,000 miles and has been well maintained. I am the third owner and have all maintenance records. I hope this helps.

Silantra

I specifically bought the RX400h for towing because they come with a towing package; transmission cooler, etc. I tow 3300 lbs of boat, trailer, motor and gear and on steep ramps with lots of slippery algae, the AWD does a good job pulling boat and trailer out and have not ended in the water like other boaters. It drives very responsively in all weather conditions after changing the Michelins it had for Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology Round trip to and from the intra-costal waterway, is about 80 miles of mostly flat roads (I live in central Florida) and have not had any issues with handling or over heating, during temps of 90-98 . My car is a 2006 with almost 140,000 miles and has been well maintained. I am the third owner and have all maintenance records. I hope this helps. I forgot to mention that if I hit traffic (where I live it is not a big issue) I get 19-20 mpg while towing but if traffic is light, I can average up to 22 mpg. Open road I go 50-65 mph and go down to 20-35 mph in the more populated areas.