Is Now the Right Time to Buy a Lexus Hybrid?
Lexus Hybrid vehicles offer a ton of benefits, but are they a good choice for everyone? Club Lexus forum members sound off.
There’s no doubt that Lexus hybrid vehicles are trailblazers among the luxury automotive segment. Lexus has long pushed the benefits of hybrid cars and SUVs, and people are happy to buy them up. These days, a Lexus hybrid offers up better gas mileage, cleaner emissions, and in many cases, more power than their gasoline powered brethren.
Of course, those benefits come at a cost. And as fuel prices continue to remain on the low end, is buying a hybrid a good idea right now? Sure, maybe you want to do your part to help the environment. But solely in regards to the investment, will you see enough savings to make the higher purchase price worthwhile? It’s a legitimate question and one that Club Lexus member Gregshin recently asked in the forums.
“Can’t decide on the hybrid. Can ya guys help me out? Here’s our driving habits. 15,000 miles or more a year with mixed local and highway since we live in Los Angeles. 91 octane gas is really expensive here and only going higher with a new gas tax. We tend to keep our cars as long as we can. We have an Audi Q5 that’s 8 years old and are still trying to get more out it…it’s been a great reliable car just need to get a bigger crossover for the kid and family stuff activities now.”
Obviously, he’s looking more at the monetary side of things. But several current Lexus RX owners in the forum bring up some additional points that anyone less familiar with the SUV might not be aware of.
“Some will argue that the 450h is smoother and doesn’t have hesitation and vibration issues that some 350 owners are experiencing,” dchar pointed out. “It’s really is up to you whether the extra premium to get the hybrid is worth it. It will take a long time to “make back” the extra expense in getting the hybrid, especially when the 350 only requires regular unleaded. Keep in mind that the 450h comes standard with several features that are optional in the 350. Both should be equally reliable. Make sure to test drive both back-to-back.”
That difference in driveability is a sticking point for quite a few RX owners, including ggebhardt.
“I own two 450h and love them. You do not need to put premium in your tank, it will run great off regular. I get 31-32mpg in town and 28-29 on the highway at 65mph. I have also owned the RX350 and the 450h is so much smoother and seems to have more acceleration when needed. No complaints here, the hybrid system works very well.”
Location obviously plays a large part in the hybrid debate as well. In addition to fuel costs, oldcajun points out that you should consider the kind of roads you normally drive on as well.
“Whether the hybrid is “worth it” depends a lot on where you live and how you drive. I had an RX hybrid and when the lease was up I replaced it with the 350. I live in Tucson and most of my mileage is at highway speeds where the hybrid is of little value. If I lived in a place like LA with many traffic jams or drove primarily in the city, I would choose the RX450h. One thing I miss about my hybrid is the air conditioner. It is electric powered and runs at full efficiency even with the engine at idle. It is the best A/C in any car I have ever had.”
And clearly, lexnewbi faced the same concerns as our OP. He’s even calculated a break even point based on his real world gas mileage.
“I have driven the RX450h for 8 months and love it. The transmission is very smooth and the mileage is great. The engine is silent in battery and quieter than the RX350 under gas. The hybrid engine provides much more instant go than the RX350 that I tested.
In the Dallas area with traffic, I routinely get 32-33MPG in the highway. At 75MPH, the mileage drops to about 28MPG. This is the first hybrid that I can start from a stop without running the engine. I am able to drive up a parking building ramp on battery.
I have tried 87, 89, and 93 gasoline. 93 will give me about 1MPG more than 87. Most of the time the difference is negligible. i drive over 40 miles a day and the savings in gas are significant from my previous Acura MDX that routinely average 16 MPG. With my driving, I calculated a payback of about 5 years with $3 gas for the extra cost of the hybrid. With current gas close go $2, it would take about 6-7 years to break even.”
Timing also plays a big role in whether or not it makes sense to opt for the Lexus hybrid. Freds430 makes an excellent point that we often forget – buying when demand is low often leads to better deals.
“With gas at $2.10 a gallon this is a great time to buy a hybrid. Gas at $4.00 and you lose your bargaining power. We owned a RX350 and now a RX450h and no comparison. We will never go back to a gasoline engine.”
In the end, the conundrum over whether or not you should buy a hybrid doesn’t have an easy answer. It really hinges on where you live, how you drive, and what you’re looking for in a car. There is one big takeaway from this particular discussion, however. And that’s that Lexus RX 450h owners love their hybrids. Not only do they offer up better fuel mileage, they also drive better and keep you cooler inside. Those two factors alone might just make the extra cost well worthwhile.
