2012 RX 350 or RX450H
07-16-17, 06:24 AM
#1
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2012 RX 350 or RX450H
Hi All
I am considering purchasing a CPO 2012 RX350 or CPO RX 450H. Both have about the same number of miles 60K, similar price, and features (AMD, etc). I have heard negative rumors about about Hybrids having issues at 100K (inverters, batteries). I read several of the threads across Club Lexus which seem to indicate the hybrid battery will last on average to 200K miles based on similar findings in Prius, I average 25K miles a year on car. So I was thinking of the bybrid for the gas mileage
I had a 200 RX300 until CY 2015 when is was wrecked and it had over 200K miles. I miss it as well as my 2001 Suburban. Both in involved in minor accidents but were at the end of their life in Cy2015.
Thoughts appreciated
I am considering purchasing a CPO 2012 RX350 or CPO RX 450H. Both have about the same number of miles 60K, similar price, and features (AMD, etc). I have heard negative rumors about about Hybrids having issues at 100K (inverters, batteries). I read several of the threads across Club Lexus which seem to indicate the hybrid battery will last on average to 200K miles based on similar findings in Prius, I average 25K miles a year on car. So I was thinking of the bybrid for the gas mileage
I had a 200 RX300 until CY 2015 when is was wrecked and it had over 200K miles. I miss it as well as my 2001 Suburban. Both in involved in minor accidents but were at the end of their life in Cy2015.
Thoughts appreciated
07-16-17, 09:50 PM
#2
Pole Position
I would go for the RX450h. We have a 2013RX450h. The RX450h drives and rides better than the RX350 due to different suspension and heavier weight of the RX450h. Hence the RX450h felt more planted and stable.
If the price is the same, Definitely go with the RX450h.
1. If "L Certified" by a Lexus dealership, then you get like unlimited mileage warranty for 2 additional years beyond the original warranty. If my memory serves me correctly, it will be a total of 4 + 2 = 6 years (from the date of ORIGINAL SERVICE). SO if you drive A LOT, THEN THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO GET THE RX450h.
2. The brake pads on the Lexus hybrids practically last FOREVER, well ALMOST. UNLESS THE CAR WAS ABUSED. The brake pads really DO NOT ENGAGE THE DISCS UNTIL PARKING LOT LOW SPEEDS. The REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES THE BRAKING MOST OF THE TIME WITHOUT THE PADS ENGAGING THE DISCS. SO if the pads are worn before, like 100k miles, then SUSPECT ABUSIVE DRIVING HABITS and THEREFORE STAY AWAY.
If the price is the same, Definitely go with the RX450h.
1. If "L Certified" by a Lexus dealership, then you get like unlimited mileage warranty for 2 additional years beyond the original warranty. If my memory serves me correctly, it will be a total of 4 + 2 = 6 years (from the date of ORIGINAL SERVICE). SO if you drive A LOT, THEN THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO GET THE RX450h.
2. The brake pads on the Lexus hybrids practically last FOREVER, well ALMOST. UNLESS THE CAR WAS ABUSED. The brake pads really DO NOT ENGAGE THE DISCS UNTIL PARKING LOT LOW SPEEDS. The REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES THE BRAKING MOST OF THE TIME WITHOUT THE PADS ENGAGING THE DISCS. SO if the pads are worn before, like 100k miles, then SUSPECT ABUSIVE DRIVING HABITS and THEREFORE STAY AWAY.
Hi All
I am considering purchasing a CPO 2012 RX350 or CPO RX 450H. Both have about the same number of miles 60K, similar price, and features (AMD, etc). I have heard negative rumors about about Hybrids having issues at 100K (inverters, batteries). I read several of the threads across Club Lexus which seem to indicate the hybrid battery will last on average to 200K miles based on similar findings in Prius, I average 25K miles a year on car. So I was thinking of the bybrid for the gas mileage
I had a 200 RX300 until CY 2015 when is was wrecked and it had over 200K miles. I miss it as well as my 2001 Suburban. Both in involved in minor accidents but were at the end of their life in Cy2015.
Thoughts appreciated
I am considering purchasing a CPO 2012 RX350 or CPO RX 450H. Both have about the same number of miles 60K, similar price, and features (AMD, etc). I have heard negative rumors about about Hybrids having issues at 100K (inverters, batteries). I read several of the threads across Club Lexus which seem to indicate the hybrid battery will last on average to 200K miles based on similar findings in Prius, I average 25K miles a year on car. So I was thinking of the bybrid for the gas mileage
I had a 200 RX300 until CY 2015 when is was wrecked and it had over 200K miles. I miss it as well as my 2001 Suburban. Both in involved in minor accidents but were at the end of their life in Cy2015.
Thoughts appreciated
07-17-17, 12:53 AM
#3
I just bought a 2010 RX-450h with 86K on it last week after hours and hours of research online and I could not find any "rumors" of battery or electrical issues after 100K... quite the opposit, the RX's seem to one of the most reliable hybrids made not to mention one of the most reliable cars made reguardless of hybrid or not. In weeks of research I only came across 1 single instance of a 450h battery failing and the owner reported the 450h was out of warranty but replaced free of charge by Lexis along with the battery controller so they could investigate the cause of the failure. On the other hand I found 11 CONFIRMED cases of Prius owners being abducted out of their Prius vehicles by space aliens... and the worst part is Toyota is refusing to even acknowlege that there MAY be a problem! (I will now never even consider owning a Prius).
If you don't feel comfortable with a hybrid you should probably go for a 350. Personally I love my 450h and would not dream of buying a 350 instead. If I bought a gasoline only crossover I probably would have chosen an Acura MDX. The RX-350 I test drove was a VERY nice car but I prefer the ride and the handeling of the 450h. I personally really like the ride of a CVT and really like the CVT implementation in the 450h.
I did worry about buying a vehicle with 86k miles on it and weighed the possibility of an expensive battery pack replacement. In researching the probability of an out of warranty battery pack replacement I found several battery pack rebuilders that refurbish battery packs by replacing dead and weak cells in the pack for a fraction of the price of a new pack.
I don't put 25K miles on my cars a year but I do put around 10K on them a year and purchased my 450h with the intention of keeping it atleast 10 years as a daily driver. My last vehicle, a Nissan Maxima, was 15 years old and 12 of those years were with me. Everything I have read tells me I should be able to easily get 10 years out of my just purchased 7 year old vehicle.
But, again, you need to purchase what you feel comfortable with... not what I feel comfortable with.
If you don't feel comfortable with a hybrid you should probably go for a 350. Personally I love my 450h and would not dream of buying a 350 instead. If I bought a gasoline only crossover I probably would have chosen an Acura MDX. The RX-350 I test drove was a VERY nice car but I prefer the ride and the handeling of the 450h. I personally really like the ride of a CVT and really like the CVT implementation in the 450h.
I did worry about buying a vehicle with 86k miles on it and weighed the possibility of an expensive battery pack replacement. In researching the probability of an out of warranty battery pack replacement I found several battery pack rebuilders that refurbish battery packs by replacing dead and weak cells in the pack for a fraction of the price of a new pack.
I don't put 25K miles on my cars a year but I do put around 10K on them a year and purchased my 450h with the intention of keeping it atleast 10 years as a daily driver. My last vehicle, a Nissan Maxima, was 15 years old and 12 of those years were with me. Everything I have read tells me I should be able to easily get 10 years out of my just purchased 7 year old vehicle.
But, again, you need to purchase what you feel comfortable with... not what I feel comfortable with.
07-17-17, 03:05 AM
#4
Pole Position
I have not heard of issues with the RX450h. We had a 2010 RX350 and enjoyed the car but would average 18-19 mpg around town and best on highway was 25 mpg. Two years ago we bought a used 2015 RX450h and average 29 mpg consistently. When we bought the hybrid it was about $1,500 more than the gas models. 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 also bought a ES300h for the same reason two months earlier. Will never go back to a gas vehicle.
07-17-17, 07:36 AM
#5
Moderator
Condition and maintenance being equal:
If you are going to use the vehicle in city [congested traffic] get the hybrid. If you are going to use the RX for intercity/hwy the advantage is hybrid is lost.
Typically the hybrid has a minimum configuration which you have to equate in non-hybrid.
Check out the gearing difference/transmission behavior among the two. Not that hybrid is bad, but it is different.
Salim
If you are going to use the vehicle in city [congested traffic] get the hybrid. If you are going to use the RX for intercity/hwy the advantage is hybrid is lost.
Typically the hybrid has a minimum configuration which you have to equate in non-hybrid.
Check out the gearing difference/transmission behavior among the two. Not that hybrid is bad, but it is different.
Salim
07-17-17, 01:09 PM
#6
Pole Position
I go by LAX at least 4 times a month as I fly in and out of LAX a lot. All I see are mostly Toyota Prius Hybrids as taxis and Ubers. In fact the entire "taxi holding/staging parking lot" is full of these Toyota Prius hybrids. These go to 300K +miles before the hybrid batteries are needing replacement. Very solid indeed.
The RX450h does best with mpg in stop and go city traffic. But we find it much more enjoyable to drive and ride in versus the regular RX350. RX350 is just not as "tight/stable" as we are used to.
IF you do put in 25K miles per year, then DEFINITELY go for the RX450h that is "L Certified" from a Lexus dealership because of the UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY for"X" years. If things are going to go wrong with the hybrid batteries SYSTEMS, I would think it would have been evident very quickly while under warranty. If it makes you feel more confident, then ask the selling Lexus dealership to throw in additional years of warranty at no charge (or very minimal charge).
The RX450h does best with mpg in stop and go city traffic. But we find it much more enjoyable to drive and ride in versus the regular RX350. RX350 is just not as "tight/stable" as we are used to.
IF you do put in 25K miles per year, then DEFINITELY go for the RX450h that is "L Certified" from a Lexus dealership because of the UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY for"X" years. If things are going to go wrong with the hybrid batteries SYSTEMS, I would think it would have been evident very quickly while under warranty. If it makes you feel more confident, then ask the selling Lexus dealership to throw in additional years of warranty at no charge (or very minimal charge).
I just bought a 2010 RX-450h with 86K on it last week after hours and hours of research online and I could not find any "rumors" of battery or electrical issues after 100K... quite the opposit, the RX's seem to one of the most reliable hybrids made not to mention one of the most reliable cars made reguardless of hybrid or not. In weeks of research I only came across 1 single instance of a 450h battery failing and the owner reported the 450h was out of warranty but replaced free of charge by Lexis along with the battery controller so they could investigate the cause of the failure. On the other hand I found 11 CONFIRMED cases of Prius owners being abducted out of their Prius vehicles by space aliens... and the worst part is Toyota is refusing to even acknowlege that there MAY be a problem! (I will now never even consider owning a Prius).
If you don't feel comfortable with a hybrid you should probably go for a 350. Personally I love my 450h and would not dream of buying a 350 instead. If I bought a gasoline only crossover I probably would have chosen an Acura MDX. The RX-350 I test drove was a VERY nice car but I prefer the ride and the handeling of the 450h. I personally really like the ride of a CVT and really like the CVT implementation in the 450h.
I did worry about buying a vehicle with 86k miles on it and weighed the possibility of an expensive battery pack replacement. In researching the probability of an out of warranty battery pack replacement I found several battery pack rebuilders that refurbish battery packs by replacing dead and weak cells in the pack for a fraction of the price of a new pack.
I don't put 25K miles on my cars a year but I do put around 10K on them a year and purchased my 450h with the intention of keeping it atleast 10 years as a daily driver. My last vehicle, a Nissan Maxima, was 15 years old and 12 of those years were with me. Everything I have read tells me I should be able to easily get 10 years out of my just purchased 7 year old vehicle.
But, again, you need to purchase what you feel comfortable with... not what I feel comfortable with.
If you don't feel comfortable with a hybrid you should probably go for a 350. Personally I love my 450h and would not dream of buying a 350 instead. If I bought a gasoline only crossover I probably would have chosen an Acura MDX. The RX-350 I test drove was a VERY nice car but I prefer the ride and the handeling of the 450h. I personally really like the ride of a CVT and really like the CVT implementation in the 450h.
I did worry about buying a vehicle with 86k miles on it and weighed the possibility of an expensive battery pack replacement. In researching the probability of an out of warranty battery pack replacement I found several battery pack rebuilders that refurbish battery packs by replacing dead and weak cells in the pack for a fraction of the price of a new pack.
I don't put 25K miles on my cars a year but I do put around 10K on them a year and purchased my 450h with the intention of keeping it atleast 10 years as a daily driver. My last vehicle, a Nissan Maxima, was 15 years old and 12 of those years were with me. Everything I have read tells me I should be able to easily get 10 years out of my just purchased 7 year old vehicle.
But, again, you need to purchase what you feel comfortable with... not what I feel comfortable with.
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07-20-17, 04:47 PM
#8
I will chime in with a very simple response... exactly what MikeInOr said! Biggest difference between Mike and me is that I got mine last August (and even though he got better seat options than I did, I got mine with about 10K fewer miles than his!)..
07-20-17, 10:47 PM
#9
Pole Position
Go for the Lexus Hybrid, RX450h. The Toyota/Lexus Hybrids are the BEST. No other Hybrids can have the SAME technology as found in the Toyota/Lexus Hybrids. The other manufacturers uses "different set up" for their Hybrids.
Gas is CHEAP nowadays. So people are not fighting to get a hybrid. Plus a lot of the general public is still somewhat "afraid" of hybrids and will not go for it and default to regular gas versions of the same car. Who knows, if the dealer had a hybrid on the lot for a long time and wanted to move it, they may even offer you more money off!!!
Gas is CHEAP nowadays. So people are not fighting to get a hybrid. Plus a lot of the general public is still somewhat "afraid" of hybrids and will not go for it and default to regular gas versions of the same car. Who knows, if the dealer had a hybrid on the lot for a long time and wanted to move it, they may even offer you more money off!!!
07-21-17, 10:54 AM
#11
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Marlyand deals
Well I have started looking at the 2012 RX 350 and 450H. Withe low gas prices I hope to find a reasonable L Certified 450H.
What is interesting is the number of L Certified RX that have reported accidents even if the air bag did not inflate.
What is interesting it the more PA and NJ locations have vehicles then MD and VA dealerships.
What is interesting is the number of L Certified RX that have reported accidents even if the air bag did not inflate.
What is interesting it the more PA and NJ locations have vehicles then MD and VA dealerships.
08-03-17, 08:14 AM
#14
Lexus Champion
...
2. The brake pads on the Lexus hybrids practically last FOREVER, well ALMOST. UNLESS THE CAR WAS ABUSED. The brake pads really DO NOT ENGAGE THE DISCS UNTIL PARKING LOT LOW SPEEDS. The REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES THE BRAKING MOST OF THE TIME WITHOUT THE PADS ENGAGING THE DISCS. SO if the pads are worn before, like 100k miles, then SUSPECT ABUSIVE DRIVING HABITS and THEREFORE STAY AWAY.
2. The brake pads on the Lexus hybrids practically last FOREVER, well ALMOST. UNLESS THE CAR WAS ABUSED. The brake pads really DO NOT ENGAGE THE DISCS UNTIL PARKING LOT LOW SPEEDS. The REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM DOES THE BRAKING MOST OF THE TIME WITHOUT THE PADS ENGAGING THE DISCS. SO if the pads are worn before, like 100k miles, then SUSPECT ABUSIVE DRIVING HABITS and THEREFORE STAY AWAY.
What they have is normal hydraulic brakes and the hybrid monitors pressure applied to the brake system.
Depending on that pressure, regenerative braking is only supplemented, and not substituted. That ratio may be progressive and not fixed.
At 50K miles, our RXh had rear pads worn out to the bone. It's not abused by any means and does plenty of city driving as well as freeway cross-country sprints.
08-10-17, 11:31 PM
#15
Pole Position
IDk, but our Rx450h has almost the same mileage as yours and all pads are almost new and original. I guess we are VERY LIGHT on brakes. If one is very light on the brakes, the brakes on the Lexus Hybrids last A LOOOOOOOOOONG TIME!!! IF one stomps and absolutely stands on the brakes, then it wears out much faster. The brake wear ESPECIALLY ON THE LEXUS HYBRIDS TELL A LOT ABOUT HOW THAT VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND TREATED!!!!
That's not completely true. While Tesla and other electric vehicles can brake completely using regen system, Toyota (and other) Hybrids do not.
What they have is normal hydraulic brakes and the hybrid monitors pressure applied to the brake system.
Depending on that pressure, regenerative braking is only supplemented, and not substituted. That ratio may be progressive and not fixed.
At 50K miles, our RXh had rear pads worn out to the bone. It's not abused by any means and does plenty of city driving as well as freeway cross-country sprints.
What they have is normal hydraulic brakes and the hybrid monitors pressure applied to the brake system.
Depending on that pressure, regenerative braking is only supplemented, and not substituted. That ratio may be progressive and not fixed.
At 50K miles, our RXh had rear pads worn out to the bone. It's not abused by any means and does plenty of city driving as well as freeway cross-country sprints.