I have a deposit on both vehicles but am considering cancelling one of the vehicles (most likely Rav4 Prime). I know some of you have the 450h+ and previously owned the Rav4 Prime. Please help me with my decision. I really like the Rav4 Prime because of its off road nature and the Supersonic Red is an awesome color. Also I think I will be driving the 450h+ very careful to avoid the smallest of scratches whereas with Rav4 Prime I may not care so much. However, for the Rav4 Prime XSE, the model I want with taxes will cost approximately 51-54.000. This seems excessive, especially when the Prime lacks the technology available in the Lexus. I am leaning toward the Lexus but someone in a reddit thread drove both (his comments has me a little concerned) and left this comment (in bold) when comparing Rav4 Prime to 450h+: I drove both and while I love the infotainment system of the NX, (for me) it wasn’t enough to overcome the small cargo space and it seemed like it had a lot of blind spots. It was nice inside but not memorable except for the infotainment system. I ended up with the RAV4 prime and very happy with that choice.

The Reddit thread is here, RAV4 Prime vs Lexus NX 450h+ : rav4prime (reddit.com)

Here is another comparison, Rav4 Prime owners were not so kind to the NX 450h+ in this one, NX 450h+ price is out: starting at $56,635 + destiny ~= $57,000 | Toyota RAV4 Forums (rav4world.com) .


What do you think ? I don't know where to go from here.

 

There are already a couple of other threads that have some comparisons between NX 450h+ to RAV4 Prime:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...errerid=161523
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...errerid=161523

YMMV,
MidCow3

 

Thank you.

 

I cross shopped both the RAV4 Prime and NX450h+. I think both are great and I went with the NX. In summary, the price difference between the Prime XSE and the NX was close enough that I felt the Lexus was the better choice. This will vary but my local Toyota dealers added higher markups on their Primes than my Lexus dealer did for their NXs which further reduced the price gap. And finally, I expect the Lexus to be worth more at time of resale as well. All of those factors combined means the total ownership cost wasn’t much different but I get to enjoy a more premium experience.

If you are value conscience then the RAV4 is going to be the better choice. When evaluating the two on practical terms, they’re comparable in all the ways that matter but the RAV4 is less expensive. A base SE model at $40k is a really good value but once you option Prime with XSE and PP to $50k+, that puts you close to the NX which is a much nicer feeling vehicle.

If value is less of a priority and you prefer a premium experience that is where NX becomes a better choice. The updated modern infotainment is a big standout feature but it also all the small things you may not think about. Higher quality materials, better fit and finish, better quality paint, improved ride quality, reduced road noise, etc.. There is even smaller stuff like the buttons/switches on the NX are illuminated so they are easier to see at night, the passenger seat is power operated, the 360/backup cameras are higher quality on the Lexus. The RAV4 refresh for 2022 just added illuminated buttons which is great but the point is that there is a lot of small things you don’t think about or see on the spec sheet, but when you add them up you have a more premium experience with a Lexus and also true when comparing any consumer vs luxury brand.

 

Also in response to the quote you shared, I’m not sure there is much of a difference in cargo space. When I compared the two the biggest difference was in the trunk floor to ceiling. The ceiling/opening on the NX is a few inches shorter because the rear has a stronger slope while the RAV4 stays nearly full height (more boxy). Length wise and width wise they seemed very comparable. So unless you’re filling the trunk to the top or carrying tall items (that can’t be laid down) I doubt you’d experience any difference in cargo capacity.

 

I am biased. The RAV4 is a great car, sturdy, dependable and stable, a truly great car, but for me the 450 is adult fun. The fit and finish is amazing and the silence in the cabin is unreal. What I really like is the handling, when I go into sport mode and push the car it handles as good if not better then MBs and BMWs. The only car that that I think it better is a Miata which is 3000 lbs less with no trunk. It’s not an easy choice especially now with the prices all over the place, but I am really glad I have the 450 even with all the 1st gen issues.

 

I'm sure that the NX450h+ is an outstanding vehicle, but the difference in usable space behind the second row seats between the NX and the RAV4 is, in fact, significant and readily noticeable. The way that the roof slopes at a much larger angle in the NX makes a big difference.

I like to use the area behind the second row seat for my dog. She isn't a huge dog, but she does weigh about 50 pounds. With the RAV4, she can have plenty of room behind the second row seats, but, with the NX, she can't even comfortably stand up behind the second row seats. With a RAV4, there is even enough room to allow for me to put a crate for the dog there. With the NX, the only way to accommodate even a smaller dog crate would be to fold down the 2nd row seats. Similarly, the area behind the second row seats can handle most things that I would need to transport. With the NX, the 2nd row seats would need to be folded down much more often.

None of what I have explained means that the NX isn't a great vehicle, but, for those who need space to transport larger items or even a medium-sized dog, they really need to take into consideration the amount of available and usable space behind the second row seats.

 

I have had performance cars and they go faster, meh., the thrill adult fun (er fast acceleration), and sport handling only last so long. All of the NX hybrids are great cars. The NX turbo is getting bad mpg reviews but is still a decent car. The only reason Lexus did allow all the features on the 450h+ and even less on 450h+ F Sport is because if they did the sales of all 250s and all 350s would dwindle to nothing as long as $7,500 tax credit is available. Lexus market geniuses, and yes they are marketing geniuses, want to distribute the buying among the various NX models especially trying to penalize true audiophiles.

Yes, and I had my midlife convertible sports car, an S2000 ( comparable or better ) to your Miata. Noisy .nimble, small, not really practical for most things ...but a lot of fun

I think the 450 issues you are referring to are not 1rst gen, but I think you meant 1rst year of 2nd gen , are software issues and not just limited to the 450 ; some 50h+ users are just the squeaky wheels, but are across the board on 2nd gen 1rst year NXs and are being addressed by Lexus and will be resolved soon.



Good Luck and Peace to All.

YMMV,
MidCow3

P.S. - True hyper driving can beat any EPA estimates

 

Hey that's my reddit thread lol. I'm still up in the air and have deposits down for both. I plan on test driving both with the mrs when my allocation comes in but I'm leaning RAV4 prime because we plan on using it more for outdoor/Camping trips than as a luxury ride. From all I've gathered you can't really go wrong either way, just depends on what you're going to be using it for.

 

lol, nice. You received great feedback on your thread. Here is a pretty cool review of 450h+. He referenced the Rav4 Prime a lot: . and made some comparisons in his opinion.

 

Thank you very much. Your comments were very helpful.

 

that was a great video, thanks for sharing!

 

@Peterun has both 450h+ and RAV4 Prime. Aske him from personal experience.

YMMV,
MidCow3

 

Oh my I read through the saga and wow. Sorry to @Peterun but would really appreciate any insight between the two. For as fancy as the infotainment is, sounds like it's not ready for daily use on the NX...I guess I'm more wondering about everything else about the actual driving experience and the difference in feel and size. Thanks 🙏

 

Not to dismiss his experience but it’s worth noting that while the infotainment has room to improve, many including myself haven’t experienced problems to that degree. Buying a new car in 2022, I much prefer having latest tech than the last generation stuff found in the RAV4.