cflutist

My neighbor across the street drives a RX350 and told us that it did not make financial sense to buy a hybrid because they would not make up the additional cost offset by gas savings. Now if I knew that the RX350s use 87 octane while we need 91, hmmm, that may have been something to think about.

Well we drive about 3 - 4000 miles a year (as evidenced by our 2002 Camry with 49K miles that we just donated) but were still interested in a hybrid because 1 - we both love technology (retired software engineer and hubby was an UNIX System Administrator/Mechanical Engineer) and 2 - we wanted to do something "green" for the environment. So far we are pretty happy wtih this car and still find it a challenge to get better mpg each day. We can't wait to take it down the CA coast next week to Carmel/Monterey

We did not even test drive a RX350 so we had nothing to compare it against as far as the "ride" is concerned or any response from the engine.

So I'm curious, why did you choose a hybrid?

seanlin

Our reason is, wife is using RX450h to drop off and pick up kid at school. There is a lot of waiting also stop and go driving.
If we want a non hybrid SUV, we would probably go with MDX.

corradoMR2

Cheryl, I will chime in based on a 2RXh and CT I owned.

What some folks don't get is the RXh is all about the experience, with the bonus of getting solid MPGs. It provides unparalelled levels of powertrain smoothness, refinement, and quietness while engaging the driver to better his/her MPGs with every trip, adding to the pleasure and rewards of driving this vehicle. Simply put, for those who value the true sense of serenity and luxury in an SUV, the RXh is the best.

Some might be thinking why I don't own a 450h. Well, I went for the 350 F-Sport due to its appearance and more buttoned-down handling, otherwise, hands-down, I'd be enjoying the smooth luxurious ride of the 450h if a "Sport Appearance" package or F-Sport iteration was available in Canada. The 350 is "louder", tranny shifts are present, and overall sounds and feels less refined in comparison to the h.

Ahh, how I miss that seamless quiet power and ride...

ddhleigh

My wife wanted a SUV, I wanted to stay in the Lexus family. So we settled on a 450h. Gas savings is one thing, well I guess the major thing people look at, but we also got it because we'd like to think we're burning less gas. My wife is the environmental type of person. Recycle! Reuse! Compost! Etc Etc.

Anyways, I love the comfortable ride and my daughter loves watching Curious George in the back. We got a good deal on a 450h so we jumped on it. Oh and for selfish reasons, I wanted to be the only one to own a 450h at work hahaha. There are 3 RX 350's, but no 450h's

kitlz

Cheryl, I wouldn't waste my breath trying to justify the price difference between the 350 and 450h. It's not about trying to recoup money through better mileage. They won't get it no matter how you explain it. For me, owning an RXh is about the whole experience. Corrado hit on most of those points. I'd add the pleasure of filling up every two weeks instead of one, and that's still half a tank only. I could probably go another week or two. Does the time savings count for something, LOL! Then there's the lower maintenance cost. Your neighbor will be changing their brakes maybe twice before you'll need to think about it But most importantly its changed my attitude about driving. Not too many cars can do that.

I'm not knocking the 350. In fact I was all set to get one before I took the 450h for a spin. It just made sense looking at all aspects which not everybody does. Oh, and being able to get those sexy LED headlights

Seeker4

We keep our cars a long time--twenty years or so or until repair costs get too high. I anticipate we will drive the 450h 10K to 12K miles per year average. It is my around-town car and the one we will use on road trips.

We brought our 14-yr old Forester with 156K miles with us when we moved, and left a '95 Ford Escort with 72K miles behind for when we fly back to WA. We needed a second car in Tucson and selected the RX 450h after testing lots of cars. Runner-ups were Nissan Murano, which seemed pretty similar, and Mazda CX-5 which was more sporty and had seats that killed my back.

With our mileage, the 450h might make economic sense and should at least break even. But the most important economic issue is that we spend less on gas on a monthly basis that we would with a 350 and that feels better.

And I'm green-oriented. My stomach rebelled at the idea of buying a car with which we could expect less than 30 mpg.

The Lexus is definitely a splurge for us, but I wanted a more luxurious car.

ceads9

I currently have a 3rd gen. Prius and Lexus HS and Lexus RXh. My situation is a little different , I bought them all used . I feel like I got really good deals on everyone of them or I wouldn't have bought them. All are loaded with everything I wanted or needed. When I looked at the prius I looked at a corrola that was 2k cheaper with no roof leather jBL radio or Nav. Plus 15/20 mpg less. If I would have bought it new I might have looked at other cars. I drives a lot. Around 40 k a year on the prius. The RX was cheaper or smart price was a 350 plus the 400h had more standard options. 2008 63k for 19500 AWD . Would I by buy a new 450 ? Good question , but my sure I could compare other cars to that price range and the Lexus would be a good deal. Your friend needs to look at everything not just paying extra fro a H over a non H. There is more than meets the eye. 2 cents. Of ya I wanted a Hybrid car so who cars what I paid for them . Some times people have houses that cost more than others but do the same . So no big deal to me ....it's what I wanted.

noku

Since my wife drives a lot in city and stop and go traffic we opted for the hybrid. Prolly keep this car for a very long time and like the idea of the vehicle's engine not running all the time. This may extend lifespan of i.e. plugs, alternator, sensors, etc. Replacing brakes also taken into consideration and the cool blue glowing light in the dash hooked me bad. I think over time we'll make our money back and then some, btw premium gas in Hawaii over $4/gal even at Costco . Dealer had no 350's at the time but we weren't even considering buying one.

jeff3113

you pose good questions.

i am still looking for a 2010-11 RX. Three parts to the answer for myself.

1. from the southwest US, RX prices are out of reach. It pays to fly across country and go to the east coast.
3-4 years used is a "sweet spot" for most cars. IMO, there is no reason financially to buy a new RX.

2. Given the comfort, options and utility of the 450H, it is TIME i get a really nice vehicle. It helps gasoline is under $4 per gallon in the US.

3. This is a gateway vehicle. The next one will be a PHEV, and for all reasons, be a lifelong friend (I keep vehicles 10-20 years).

So, if you have a 450h, price it 15% BELOW Kelly and I may give you a call.

IMO, nice unit - but NOT new.

ob450h

Simply put, RX450 is in a different league than RX350.

Aptosuser

A couple of years ago we got a new Camry XLE hybrid for my wife -- after renting a plain-vanilla TCH for a weekend from our local Toyota dealer. I loved the ride, quiet and smoothness of that car and decided I wanted to get a smallish hybrid SUV to replace our '07 6-cylinder RAV4. I could get 27-18 mpg out of the RAV on the highway, but rarely topped 22 mpg in mixed driving, and surface-street driving in our neighborhood with its ever-changing elevations was a mileage killer.

But since the RAV4 still had less than 50,000 miles on it after more than six years, no mechanical problems and was still under an extended warranty until 4/21/14, and was paid for, it of course made no economic sense to replace it with a new or a CPO pre-owned hybrid. However, I had really come to dislike the car's ride. It seemed like every blemish in the pavement and all the tire noise reached the cabin. I upgraded my tires to Michelins, but that didn't help much.

(The TCH had come with Bridgestone tires. I asked the dealer in Sunnyvale to swap them for Michelins, but every Camry on the lot had Bridgestones so they said they couldn't (or wouldn't). I drove the car home over Highway 17. The Bridgestones were as bad as figured they'd be, so I promptly ordered Michelins online from Tire Rack, and had them delivered and installed at our local Big O shop a couple of days later. The improvement in the way the TCH rode was immediate and dramatic. The one we'd rented had Michelins. But I digress.)

I wanted to replace the RAV4 with a vehicle with a much better ride and better comfort, equal versatility, equal or better available power, and better mileage -- pretty much in that order.

I was planning to wait for Lexus's new NX hybrid crossover, which promised to be only a little bigger than the RAV4 (we have tight driveway and no garage) with mpg and power approaching the TCH's (most likely with the TCH's 200 combined hp hybrid drivetrain) and Lexus luxury. Being a Lexus I figured it would ride much better than the RAV4.

But when I found and test-drove a 2010 CPO RX 450h with less than 15,000 miles on it at the Lexus dealer in Monterey -- and selling for just under $41,000 -- I decided that the deal was too good to pass up. So we got it. And we love the car. My wife, who's a bit of a technophobe, just enjoys driving it, while I enjoy the challenge of milking it for better mpg.

(But after my wife chauffeured me around in it while I was hospitalized at Stanford and afterward, I have to say that she does better in that department than I do. She's been averaging better than 31 mpg in mixed driving, sticking to the slow lanes on freeways, and often driving 60 in 65 mph zones. The best I've been able to score is 27 mpg. I always drive the freeways at the speed limits and, unlike my wife, I never hesitate to change lanes and accelerate past slower-moving vehicles. But I digress yet again.)

Our RX 450h's bottom line for me is that I find it "fun" and a pleasure to drive. It's made me a more relaxed, calmer (and safer) driver. I'm happy with the mileage and I especially love the sound of silence at traffic signals and in the often congested, stop-and-go freeway traffic between our house and Santa Cruz. And oh yeah, as of this month, it's paid for.

Aptosuser

Yesterday while checking online -- just out of curiosity -- to see what greater SF Bay Area dealers currently had in the way of "pre-owned" CPO RX 450h's, I quickly found a 2012 model with 18,100 miles on it for $42,988. This car was optioned with the comfort and premium packages, including moonroof, heated/cooled leather seats, NAV and backup camera. It was FWD, not AWD so it has just one electric motor. There was no mention of HID/BD headlights or a towing package. The dealer's price was about 6 percent less than KBB's price for a likewise-optioned and driven CPO car, but $300 more than KBB's price for a 2012 private-party vehicle with this mileage, these options, and in perfect condition (comparable to a dealer's CPO RX 450h). But the dealer's car comes with a Lexus new-car, 3-year, 100K warranty, starting from the day you buy it and drive it off the lot, which you couldn't get from a private party. Even if you couldn't get them to drop the price, the extra $300 would be worth the peace of mind that comes with buying a Lexus dealer's CPO car, IMHO.

You could get a better deal in the way of options and price by going for a 2010 CPO model. As I've mentioned in a number of posts here and there, last November I found a one-driver 2010 RX 450h with less than 15,000 K on it with the premium package, plus comfort package, plus the towing package, plus AWD and the directional headlights, etc., etc., at a dealer in Monterey, CA for just under $41 K. I snapped it up.

I have no idea what's "out of reach" for you, of course. Since you live somewhere in the Southwest, you could check dealers in the Southern California market, where there are many more Lexus dealers than up our way and most likely more RX 450h's coming off three-year leases with 24,000 miles or less on them. You could possibly find a number acceptable cars at prices lower than the one I spotted yesterday. For example, I just checked a dealer in El Monte, Calf., which is out in the eastern reaches of the San Gabriel Valley. They're asking just under $38,000 for a CPO 2011 RX 450h with less than 20K on it,

Happy hunting and good luck!

vlad_a

/\/\/\/\
FYI - FWD has 2 electric motors, while AWD has 3. Such is the nature of Lexus Hybrid Drive (Power Split Device).

vlad_a

I chose mine because I can't stand automatics. Toyota Hybrids have permanently-engaged electric motors and very linear power delivery. An extra electric motor is used to create a variator effect, through a planetary gearset with the engine and the other electric motor. So for me, the hybrid features a superior drivetrain, which happens to be more powerful and less fuel-thirsty.
Of course, owning a Prius prior to it, it only made sense to get another Hybrid next.

Aptosuser

I have an RX 450h with "on-demand all-wheel drive." Per the sticker, specs, Edmunds and the energy display on the NAV screen there are two electric motors that can actually power the wheels, one in the front and one in the rear. There is another motor, but that one works as a starter-generator and doesn't have anything to do with propulsion -- except of course, if you can't start the car it ain't going anywhere. As for the front-wheel drive version, there is the same starter-generator motor but only one (count 'em) propulsive motor, which supplies power to the front wheels only. The mileage of the FWD version is rated slightly higher than the AWD, but with its two propulsive motors the AWD can tow up to 3,500 lbs.