Hello Everyone,

I'm currently driving a 2015 IS350 Fsport 2 with about 80k km. I love this car so much and baby the eff out of it. However, wife and I are hoping to have a baby soon and with delays being what they are, I figure I should start on the process of getting a new car sooner rather than later. So I will be trading in one baby for another.

My question is, which would make more sense for me? I live in a condo with no charging capabilities, however there are multiple charging stations nearby (within 1km).
I like the idea of having more power and better mileage with the 450h+, but would I be wasting life charging it at the station every week or so? I drive between 15-60km per week depending on the week.

What are the charge times like? Given my current living situation, would a 350h be a better option for me?

I would love some insight from owners.

Thank you all so much in advance.

 

If you can't reliably charge the 450h+ daily (or at least every time you drive if you don't drive daily) it's probably not worth the extra expense unless you plan on changing your living situation soon and can get a charger. If you drive the 450h+ when NOT charged you end up hauling around an extra 400 pounds of battery and motor that you aren't taking advantage of. Not a big deal occasionally, but if it ends up being a majority of your usage, it's a lot of expense for 2-5 MPG less than the 350h... (when in hybrid mode). Of course, if performance is important to you, then you can toss the recommendation out the window and just opt for the 450h+ because in hybrid mode it's the fastest in the lineup, and still gets GREAT MPG all things considered.

That being said, your usage seems low so maybe a once-a week charge would be sufficient for you. Is your 15-60km mostly in town and at less than highway speeds? Range is much better at lower speeds. As for charge speeds - using the charger it comes with plugged into a "normal" 120v outlet you can expect about 12 hours from empty to full, and about 3 hours or so with a Level 2 charger - like at a charging station. So, you'd definitely have to figure out how to deal with that 3 hour charge time once a week!

We have a 450h+ and absolutely love it. My wife commutes with it on average about 35 miles a day (about 56km) 50/50 city/highway and uses most of the battery so we end up charging it daily. That is probably one of the downsides - the need to charge daily and something to consider vs a full EV. In a way, it's kind of like "filling it up" daily - except it's at home and much simpler! But, it's still "a thing to do" each and every day. For us, it's worth it. We're seeing an increase of about 35 bucks/month in electricity costs - well under the cost of a single tank of gas. We just hit 8000 miles and we've filled the tank I think 6 or 7 times since April? Basically we're averaging a tank per 1200 miles or so. And we can still take it over the pass for 300+ mile trips on the weekend without worrying about where to charge/route planning etc. Best of both worlds.

 

Very insightful, thank you so much. I plan on being in this condo for the next 5 years or so before moving into a house. I feel like 3 hours a week of charging is kind of a deal breaker for me.. especially with a baby/child in the house and a probably stressed mother.

I should check to see if my condo can install a charger for me, and if not, I think 350h is the way to go.

Thanks again.

 

I wouldn’t have purchased my 450h+ if I wasn’t going to receive the $7500 tax credit. The 350h would now be my choice. I wouldn’t advise the additional expense of a PHEV unless you’re going to use EV mode frequently enough to offset the additional costs. I assume I’m going to save $1000 per year on fuel.

 

I had my original request last Dec 20211 for the 450h+. I changed in Jan and took delivery on a 350h Lux this August.

Why?

The deal breaker, I would have just used it a standard hybrid most of the time. Being in Colorado, it is not hard to exceed the limited EV range and once you are out of EV, one is just lugging around 400lb of dead battery weight. Plus I would have needed in my townhome complex to add additional wiring in the garage, since all the door openers share the same 20amp circuit. At some point, even on 110v, it would have blown the breaker and been a few nasty calls when all the garages were locked out.

But what really got my attention were the difference in the 350h vs 450h+, I naively at first thought the plug-in was with just a bigger battery hybrid.. It is that and a lot more of consideration however. The Care Care Nut UT channel is where I got the additional info. And add to the extremely limited availably and lack of some options on the 450h from Toyota, I am glad I make the decision. I was also concerned that the tax credit might go away with the long delivery time. And that is looking to be very true.

If you look closely, it performance over the 350h, is mostly just 0-60 times. It is basically an over-powered front wheel drive, since it has the same rear motor as the 350h. IMHO, it not really that fast (esp in EV mode) and 0-60 hybrid mode is reasonable, but it you want speed, just get a full Ev.

So happy 350h camper with 40-42+ mpg so far for late summer/fall driving. Just to be clear, not saying the 450h+ is bad, but I do not think we will see less and less plug-in over the next 5 years. Just my read of the total market.

 

See this post : https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-...l#post11391260

It answers your question but was posted in the wrong thread

YMMV,
idCow3

 

I am thinking the same. I ordered my NX450+ in July this year, Canada. The 5k federal rebate was showing for 2022 on Lexus.ca website but now for 2023 model the rebate is not showing. I am told delivery is towards end of next year, by that time the rebates will be gone for sure. I drive 12k miles (18k km) The question is Hybrid version looks more of deal now in Canada.
In few yrs Lexus will have all EV versions which i can move to.

 

I was going through the same process and I think mbezzo said it perfectly. To realize the full benefit of any plug-in you want to be able to charge it daily or at least as frequently as you deplete the battery. I would not own a plug in without a home charger.

Do you happen to live in Washington DC or Washington state? If it's the latter I'd love to know where/how you got your 450h. Dealers are telling me there won't be any for sale in 2023 outside CA. Supply issues combined with the fact Europe, China and CA have strict laws on EV availability so the ones they make will go there for the time being.

 

For your scenario, I think it's best to go with hybrid unless your office/workplace has a charger. Plus, hybrid wait time seems to be way shorter than 450h+ and manufacture in Ontario, so it will be benefit to you since shipping time will be so much shorter for you as you reside in Ontario as well.

 

I don't know if this is an issue with the Lexus, but my son's friend sold his Mach E because the battery didn't hold well in the winter. He went with a hybrid and is much happier.

 

All batteries have less range in the colder weather. The Mach E being EV is more impacted. The 450h+ range will go down byt is still can be used effectively in cold weather. In cold weather the range of all EVs diminish, some worse that others and the colder the worse.

YMMV,

MidCow3

 

While there is now a premium on NX 450h+ , once the $7,500 tax reduction is fulfilled and expired there will be no markup on 450h+ and 450h+ production will probably decline significantly because without the &7,500 tax incentive the 450h+ is much less attractive than a 350h.

Also, not all the luxury NX features are offered on the 450h+ so you need to decide if you can do without certain options: The following/packages not available on the 450h+:

#1 Digital rearview mirror
#2. Power back seats
#3. Heated back seats
#4. Pano roof
#5. ML audio system
#6. Advanced parking
#7. Leather seats (only Nuluxe with F-Sport)
#8. Cold Area package

Good Luck


YMMV,
MidCow3

 

Depending on where you are. What @midcow3 says in for the US.

In Canada,

#1 Digital rearview mirror (option is available)
#2. Power back seats
#3. Heated back seats (option is available)
#4. Pano roof
#5. ML audio system
#6. Advanced parking (option is available - not available on F-Sport)
#7. Leather seats (only Nuluxe with F-Sport)
#8. Cold Area package (don't know what is included, but I think this is included in Canada)

 

We're in WA State - it took a lot of patience and persistence to find one... in California. I think we had talked to nearly 30 dealerships on the west coast before we found one that a) had one available b) that was willing to sell to someone out of state c) had the model/features we wanted. So we flew down ASAP and drove it back up. Was quite the adventure!

 

Congratulations! I expect it would take a lot of persistance that's for sure. :smile: With the 350h's taking so long, maybe situations might change for the 450h. But, I resolved that enjoying a 350h for 2-3 years while the market and supply sorted itself out would be a worthwhile thing. What I really want is a full EV but with more like 400 miles of range. Maybe by then we might might see the ranges start to go up.