- Hot rod performance.
- Improved fuel economy.
- Lexus levels of quiet.
- Pricey.
- New 2010 RX is right around the corner – so there’s no 2009 RX 400h.
- Staid styling.
- Base price $42,080 (FWD)/$43,480 (AWD)
- Engine: 3.3 liter V6 gas engine plus front and rear electric motors
- 208 bhp @ 5600 rpm (gas); 165 bhp @ 4500 rpm (front electric); 67 bhp @ 4610 rpm (rear electric)
- Torque: 212 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm (gas); 262 lb-ft @ 0-1500 rpm; 96 lb-ft @ 0-610 rpm
- Curb Weight: 4,190 (FWD) – 4,365 (AWD)
- Fuel Economy: 27 mpg city/24 mpg highway/25 mpg combined (FWD); 26/24/25 (AWD)
- Wheelbase: 106.9” Vehicle Length: 187.2” Width: 72.6” Height: 66.1” Ground Clearance: 6.9”
- Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic; 8 years/70,000 miles powertrain/8 years/100,000 miles hybrid battery & components
- Cargo: 85 cubic feet Luggage: 38.3 cubic feet
- Transmission: Electronically controlled continuously variable automatic transmission
Originally introduced as a 2005 model, the Lexus RX 400h finishes out its very successful run this year as a 2008 model. Available with front-wheel drive (base price $42,080) or all-wheel drive (base price $43,480) and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). I drove a nicely-equipped FWD model that priced out at $52,095, including a $1,840 DVD rear seat entertainment system, 18” wheels (#495), heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers and headlamp washers ($645), the Premium Plus package ($2,060) and the Navigation/Mark Levinson Audio package ($4,130).
RX 400h is very closely related to stable mate RX 350, in all ways but powertrain and packaging. It’s not possible to get a base level hybrid vehicle – Lexus has packaged the hybrid powertrain with a ton of other standard features, which pushes the price of entry higher than it might otherwise be. So, if your idea is to recoup the cost of stepping up to luxury with fuel savings, you’d better have another idea. Which is not to say that the powertrain package doesn’t work well – it does. The 400h is rated to deliver 27 mpg city/24 mpg highway/25 mpg combined, while the 350 comes in at 18/23/20. Driving the hybrid involves no sacrifices in terms of performance. With a 3.3 liter V6 plus electric drive motors working together, the crossover performs admirably – maybe better than the gas-only 350. And the already quiet RX becomes absolutely silent at low speeds and at a stop, when the gas engine shuts down and the electric motor provides locomotion.
But don’t fool yourself – this is no economy car. This is a $40,000 or $50,000 luxury vehicle (depending on how many boxes you check), and it coddles its occupants with little regard for the little people outside. So you can soothe your conscience, and still ride in the lap of luxury – just remind your friends that it’s a hybrid.
