sbasaman

Hey all,

I'm looking to purchase a Certified Pre-Owned RX450h (trade up from a 2005 Prius). Now, if I had my druthers I'd just get the AWD but they are in short supply in Southern California and the few I can find are substantially more expensive than equivalent FWD models. I'm trying to decide if it's worth the extra cash for AWD given my situation.

Like I said, I currently live in Southern California but we are moving up to the Bay Area next year. Still, we won't be living in an area that gets snow and not a ton of rain. We make maybe 3 or so trips to the snow per year but in the past we've actually suffered through with the Prius and done ok.

I don't foresee myself ever needing to tow anything but I would like to install a tow hitch for a bike rack and I've read some reports that Lexus will void your warranty if you put an after market tow hitch on there. Has anyone else found this to be true?

Basically I'm just trying to figure out if AWD is worth the extra money and hassle given my situation or if a good set of chains will do just fine for a couple of ski trips a year. Also, I do need to get the tow hitch so if that voids the warranty that could be a deal breaker.

Thanks in advance for any and all info!
Sean.

UCSB

I don't know the rules surrounding the tow hitch. But, there is zero need for AWD in the SF Bay Area. The AWD RX will run in FWD mode until it needs AWD. In the SF Bay Area it will never kick in to the best of my knowledge in a safety situation. It may kick in if you are trying to accelerate very quickly to give you extra power, but I am unsure about that situation.

BertL

Lexus does not sell it's tow package and hitch on the RXh FWD -- never has. You can't buy a true OEM solution except on the RXh AWD or either version of the non-hybrid model. There are multiple people on this board that believe that is because with the hybrid, only the AWD RXh has the rear electric motor that additionally engages when reversing. That seems logical to me, but I dont personally know it as a fact. As to if Lexus would void their warranty if you installed an aftermarket version of only the hitch without the other OEM under-the-hood upgrades some of us have on our AWD, I suggest you'll have to ask your dealer -- most of us here are not lawyers, and with my previous reads of the terms, well, like any big company, there is appropriate wiggle room for interpretation...

I am on my 3rd RX, second RXh, and all three have been AWD since 1999. I live here in SoCal, I don't go to the snow often, but it simply gives me the piece of mind whe I do or am in bad weather, as well has allowed me to "officially" connect my bike rack to the tow hitch when I want to. I've never had the need to tow anything else. You'll find others on this board that do live in snow and ice country and would have nothing but an AWD... you'll also find others that will say its not worth the money. If vehicle acceleration is important to you, you'll see in the specs that the RXh is about 0.1 secs faster than the 350 when the gas engine and both electrics kick in. You can notice that difference if you put your foot on the floor. For me, I special order my new Lexus the majority of the time, so AWD comes down to a fairly small uplift on the initial purchase and 1-2 MPG to have the flexibility and piece of mind for the 5-7 years I own the vehicle. As you've found though, resale/trade-in has always seemed better for me with the AWD, so I suppose that also counts for something.

Good luck with your decision and pursuit. Hopefully we can soon welcome you to the Lexus family, I'm sure you'll love your upgrade!

UCSB

After thinking about the tow hitch a little more, I remembered that my daughter had an ES until recently with a hitch on it. It was the small receiver hitch for light loads like bike racks (there are different classes of hitches with different ratings). These small hitches are pretty inexpensive, great for bike racks and probably OK with Lexus. Cosmetically, they are smaller and less noticeable.

BertL

Great idea for the OP to pursue!

rdy4flt

I recently traded my AWD Saab 92x Aero for a FWD 2010 CPO 450H. I could have purchased an AWD450H but I would rather have the small bump in MPG. My reasoning behind not getting another AWD vehicle is the fact that I live in Southern California and after owning the Saab for more than 7 years I never truely felt that I actually needed it.

However, if you live in a state or area where you may be subject to reduced traction or feel the need for AWD then go for it. I enjoy mountain biking and camping and I plan to attach my bike rack to the roof rails, this is what I did when I had my 2003 Ford Escape Limited.

Good Luck.

Rudi