jdlierle

Looking at all options for a used RX, and seen some decent prices on hybrids. Any guesses how long a hybrid battery should last? My assumption, if I am buying used, and I don't drive tons of miles, and I keep my cars a long time, a non hybrid may be the best option for me.

Any thoughts/comments much appreciated

Freds430

The hybrid battery is warranted for 8 years or 100,000 miles. I don't ever recall a thread about someone needing to replace their battery. Last year, we bought both a used 2013 ES 300h and a 2015 RX 450h. The ES was the same price as the 350's on the lot at the local Lexus dealer and the RX was about $1,500 more. Gas at $2.00 a gallon is a great time to go deal on a hybrid. You don't go in when it is $4.00 to get a good deal. My wife and I both said we will never own anything but a hybrid from now on. Her 2010 RX 350 averaged 21 mpg and the RX 450h averages 29 mpg. The hybrid new was a $6,500 premium and has 20 more horsepower than the gas 350.

F250

I had the same exact questions. I was looking for a 2010-2012 RX350 when I literally stumbled on the fact that the RXh's were selling for the same price with significantly higher MPG ratings. I have always purchased older vehicles with higher mileage, and generally had excellent success with being able to keep them for 5-10 years... but had never owned a hybrid.

Last Wednesday, I bought a 2010 RX450h with 71K miles and couldn't be happier. It was this forum and others which sold me on the long term reliability. Add to that the fact that battery technology is continuing to improve and bring battery costs down. I've also seen numerous testimonies of folks running their Toyota/Lexus hybrid for well in excess of 150K miles and over 10 years with no battery life issues at all. The combination of those inputs gave me confidence to rely on my new RXh because I'm looking at about 8K miles/years, and that translates into 10 years of ownership for me to hit the 150K mark. Besides, if I really want to gain some cushion on the issue of potential longevity, I can easily choose to "upgrade" to a 1-2 year newer model with even fewer miles over the next year or so and not experience a significant issue with resale value.

JDR76

I would not hesitate.

With a hybrid, there is some reduced engine wear, fewer belts to worry about, brakes that last longer, etc. Even if you ever need a new battery, rebuilt ones can be had at a pretty reasonable cost.

MellonC00

I would hesitate, if what you are looking for is simply higher gas mpg.

I bought the 13 450h 3 weeks ago and my second tank came out to 23.5 mpg - you can check out my posts in the hybrid section. the mpg is still better than what I got before........so any little improvement is appreciated. However, I'd do my IRR calculation with much reduced mpg expectations. Thankfully, I purchased my car with only about $1500 premium over the non hybrid RX...... so it's probably going to take only about 2 to 3 years to recoup the investment....

the people over at car and driver made some sensible comments in this review. Check out their own mpg in their real life driving..... http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...id-test-review

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Here is a good read:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/29/t...s-reliability/

It's a testimony to how good Toyota is at the hybrid game. I honestly haven't seen any RX owners replace their hybrid battery.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Is the RX your first hybrid? When I first got my '13 450h, I was getting similar mpg to yours in the first 2 months of ownership. After I adjusted my driving technique, I consistently average 29mpg.
I don't put too much faith in magazine reviews because they're driving the car for a day or two at best. There is not enough time to get the most out of the vehicle and they're probably used to driving sports cars for their other reviews.

JDR76

Granted mine is a Highlander and not an RX, but we seem to achieve 28-31 mpg without even trying. It's about 10 mpg higher than our RX350 was.

MellonC00

As for my driving style, you can check out my posts in the hybrid section. I got the mpg I got while driving like I'm on Beta blockers....

-------------------

However, keeping in tune with the OP's concerns about the battery, I've heard people go over 200K miles with the original battery on the Prius many times. So, my thinking is that they are going to stay around for quite some time. I also think the battery itself should come down in price over time as the industry is moving toward Lithium Ion and Lithium polymer battery (ours is the cheaper nickel-metal hydride kind) Perhaps, the replacement cost will be reasonable in the near future???? If it's less than 2 to 3 K I'd think it's OK. (it costs $4K to replace air suspension shocks in the LS) So, the battery longevity shouldn't be too big of a deal.

MellonC00

check this out. The cost is expensive for now. But hopefully it will come down in the future......

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/...ent-cost-guide

lexusrus

X2.

Buy the hybrid bc you want to, not bc of higher mpg bc it will take you a long time to recoup the perceived savings.

Most of the taxis at LA are hybrids and last a long time to 350K+ miles. But if you don't drive the hybrid daily and just let it sit, then it will be prone to corrosion at the battery and connection points. This could be problematic. So it is not necessarily the number of miles, it is more of "time factor" and if you are in the humid states, then corrosion is even more problematic.

We like our 2013 RX450H very much, especially the firmer ride vs the RX350. We are coming from more of the European imports with firmer rides. We did not buy the hybrids primarily on the slightly better mpg bc we knew it will take a long time and lots of miles to recoup the difference.

lexusrus

We rarely achieve the posted mpg on our RX450H bc we can't drive like that. Too much concentration involved, 😆😆😆 LOL. We just step on the gas to go and step on the brake to stop or slow down. 😃😃😃😃😃😀😀😀LOL.

LLMyLexus

Without hesitation, buy a CPO RX 450h. These now come with a 6 year unlimited mile warranty (other warranties are also available) and you'll have more horsepower than the conventional RX with better fuel economy. Once you find the year you like, the hard part is finding one with all the available packages and options you're looking for. Shop around and negotiate especially if you live close to a few Lexus dealerships. If they really want your business...they'll price drop!

tus

I just got my 13 RX 450h 5 days ago

For the first 2 days I was getting around 25mpg. After that I turned on the ECO mode and am now getting a little over 31mpg on my 80 miles per day, mainly on the Chicago toll roads.

Have to admit I really don't know what I'm gonna get in the long run since traffic has been pretty bad the last few days, but I am getting better than the 28mpg my usual summer daily driver, a 91 Miata, has been getting since I picked it up 10 years ago. Given the price of the Lexus I'm not sure when, if ever, it can be considered to have paid itself off in fuel savings but so far it is about a 40% improvement over the 09 Tucson it is replacing. The Miata took 3 years since it was replacing an 01 ZR2 Blazer that was getting 14mpg in the daily driver role.

MellonC00

I hate you.