Lexus RX 450h+ – Is This the Best Plug-In Hybrid SUV? (ENG) – Review and Test Drive
Hi, today I’m driving the Lexus RX 450h Plus,
which is Japanese for a plug-in hybrid. Two years ago, when I reviewed the RX, I said
the PHEV is the one to go for. Since then, I’ve tested several of RX’s direct competitors,
and Chinese models started coming into Europe. Has Lexus made any improvements to the RX? Is
it still an SUV worth considering? Join me for a second date with the fifth generation Lexus
RX. I compared the Lexus RX 450H+ against the BYD seal UDMI. Channel members can watch
this review early and without ads. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] The Lexus RX competes with models like the BMW X5,
Mercedes-Benz GLE, and Volvo XC90, among others. Each is available as a plug-in hybrid, although
they differ in size and range. The RX is the smallest of these SUVs. BMW and Mercedes offer
larger batteries and longer range, while Volvo is the only one offering a third row of seats in
a plug-in hybrid. In this generation of the RX, Lexus doesn’t offer a third row at all. The fourth
generation was available with an extended body variant called the RXL. So, you pay roughly the
same for a smaller car with a shorter electric range, less power and performance, not much better
than the GLE plug-in hybrid with a 2 L diesel. But Lexus must be doing something right because I
see quite a few of RX’s on the road. True, most of them are the base version 350H hybrids, but
there are also some 500H models, the ones that are almost fast. In my opinion, the standard hybrid
isn’t powerful enough for this big a vehicle, and the top-of-the-line 500H is too expensive.
This is where the RX450H+ comes in. I’m not loving the choice of color on the press car, but
in the sun, it looks money. Also, as it’s black, I drove it to a friend’s funeral. If he was looking
at the cemetery parking lot from up above, I’m sure he approved. He was also a car journalist.
[Music] I drove the RX for a week backto back with a BYD seal UDMI. I realize Lexus is much
more expensive, so it’s a tough comparison, but when I’m driving it, I know where the money
went. Spoiler, it wasn’t the infotainment system. The Lexus RX is comfortable. The seats are
great. All the sound deadening missing from Toyota has clearly gone to Lexus. The car
is effortless to drive. I get the impression that the driver attention monitoring system
has been recalibrated since the last time I drove this car. And I can now look around
before entering a junction. And I’m not being beeped at because I dared to look left or right
instead of looking just straight all the time. There’s even a shortcut to disable Issa, the
semi-intelligent speed limit assistant. There is now a small icon in the upper right
corner of the screen. The only problem is that when Android Auto loads, you don’t see
it. So, you have to exit Android Auto. Still, that’s faster than finding
the right setting in the menu. Speaking of vehicle settings, I had to
reduce the charging power. The RX450H+ is equipped with a singlephase 6.6 kW
onboard charger, which may be too much for the standard home connection. And I have
about 15 kW, but it’s a three-phase connection, so I could realistically charge at
about 4 5 kW on a single phase. [Music] The Lexus RX 450h Plus has a battery
capacity of around 18 kW hours, which allows for a zero emissions range of
69 km. Yes, BMW and Mercedes offer more, but when driving the RX in and around the
city, I consider this range sufficient, provided I charge the battery daily. Of course,
during the winter range will decrease to maybe 50 km. Is this enough for you? Only you can answer
this question. At what point does carrying extra weight of the batteries on top of the internal
combustion engine ceases to make sense to you? And perhaps it’s worth considering a fully electric
vehicle, especially since without incentives, a PHEV is unlikely to pay for itself anyway. It’s
a feel-good solution for people who want to drive a large SUV around town and a way for car makers
to improve their emissions results in Excel. How does it drive? I think the Lexus RX
is most comparable to the Volvo XC90. It’s engaging enough to keep you interested, but
it’s not a landiard like a Mercedes-Benz GLE. And it’s also not a BMW X5, which you’ll find
out as soon as you go quickly through a corner, but most of the time you won’t notice. The
driver assistance systems are decent. Yes, BMW and Mercedes have better implementation, but
compared to earlier Lexus products, these are now okay. The active lane keeping assist detects lane
markings where other brands can’t see them. And it sears you through the bands confidently, but
not abruptly as it used to. The adaptive cruise control is, in my opinion, a bit too abrupt and
it slows down a bit too early. If it’s going to slow down early, at least it shouldn’t be harsh
because I don’t want to annoy other drivers. The rear collision mitigation system
which works with cross traffic alert is the worst. The system performs its basic
function, i.e. it stops you if there is an obstacle in your way, stationary
or moving, but once you’ve stopped, you’d probably like to get going again,
and Lexus doesn’t allow it. Let me explain. Drive by wire is nothing new. The accelerator, the
brake pedal, the gear selector, and in some cars with manual transmissions, even the clutch are
no longer physically connected to the component they control. Everything is done via electric
impulses. This means that when I approach an obstacle and don’t react, the car can break on
its own, and it’s great. It helps me to avoid scraping my car when reversing into my driveway
or avoid a collision with another vehicle when I’m trying to back out of a parking space with limited
visibility. I don’t know about you, but after such sudden braking initiated by the emergency braking
system or by myself, I usually want to quickly correct the situation, especially when the back
end of my car is sticking out on the road where other vehicles are moving. The problem is that the
system cuts off the accelerator and waits until I press the brake pedal hard. Only then I regain
control of the vehicle. In an emergency situation, when I want to quickly change direction and escape
from a place where I might be partially blocking traffic, those split seconds only add to the
stress. And that’s when I understand what’s happening and know what to do. Now, imagine, for
example, someone is experiencing this for the first time, and despite red messages popping up on
the dash, they don’t quite understand what to do. Similarly, in my opinion, the way you control
the multimedia and adaptive cruise control with steering wheel buttons is less than perfect or
rather touchpads because you just touch them and a message appears on the head-up display and then
immediately disappears. I know someone wanted it to be in my field of vision and therefore be
safer, but when something flashes and I don’t know what it is, I feel a sense of frustration and
that doesn’t make me feel safer as a driver. Sure, you can get used to anything, but why make
life harder for yourself? The Lexus RX450H Plus accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in
6 1/2 seconds in hybrid mode and 10.4 seconds in electric mode. If the battery charge
allows it, and if you select electric mode, the car won’t switch to hybrid mode, even with
the accelerator pedal to the floor. This is a plus when you don’t want to be a slouch driving
around town, but you don’t want to unnecessarily turn on the combustion engine. [Music] After
depleting the battery, the RX450H+ consumes about 6 7 L per 100 km on the motorway. Of course,
it depends on the distance and the speed you’re doing. The PHEV version has a smaller fuel tank
than the standard hybrid. It’s 55 instead of 65 L. And now my diagonal approach test. I stop
halfway up this incline with two wheels on the diagonal having limited traction and
then I try to get going again. In normal mode, the RX starts without a problem. [Music]
The same thing happens in off-road mode, although traction control
allows for a bit more slip, which could be useful when you need to gain
some momentum to get out of a snowbank. Disabling traction control, however, causes
the power to escape through the wheels that don’t have traction and the car begins
to roll back. If you ever get in a sticky situation in your Lexus RX, which is highly
unlikely, use off-road mode. And remember, you probably have road tires which won’t be
much use in sand or mud. Ground clearance is, according to unofficial
information, about 20 1/2 cm. [Music] This is the top omoanashi ori
trim. the only one to feature a Mark Levenson audio system. It also has better
upholstery, more seat adjustment options, yes, please to everything. Yes, very nice. I
appreciate the physical buttons to save the uh memory settings and knobs for adjusting cabin
temperature. The wireless charger is not powerful enough. Most of the time, it’ll maintain
charge at best. There are good cup holders, a deep storage compartment here under
the armrest. and a medium-sized glove box auto alarm or what is it? Oh, right.
It’s those markings on the windows and all around the car. So, if they steal your
car, it’s marked and it’s made in Britain. There’s good leg room and headroom in the rear.
There’s third zone climate control. There are two USBC ports, an armrest with cup holders,
and a ski hatch. Windows feature blinds, although they are manual. There are door pockets.
The doors cover the sills. The boot capacity, according to my measurements, is around
500 L. I explained the intricacies of these measurements in my review two years ago.
There are two shopping bag hooks, a 12vt outlet, and buttons to control the second row back
rests. There is no room for the cargo cover under the floor, but there is enough space for a
charging cable. Prices of the Lexus RX start at €74,100 for the basic 350H hybrid. This test
car is the RX450h Plus plug-in hybrid in top trim with options. It costs €93,210. [Music]
Now, I know there are keenly discounted in Poland. How about where you live? Let
me know in the comment section below. Yes, I still like the Lexus RX 450h Plus. Not
to a point where I would like to daily one, but I get why people choose a Lexus
instead of other premium brands. How about you? Are you a Lexus person
or maybe you prefer Audi, BMW, Mercedes, or Volvo? Why? Let me know in the comment section
below. If you like my sarcastic, down to earth, and possibly mildly amusing car reviews, join
me every Friday at 3:00 p.m. Central European time. And don’t forget to subscribe and like this
video as it helps me with the YouTube algorithm. Thanks for watching and I will
see you in the next one. [Music]
A luxurious, high-tech, and comfortable ride from Japan! In today’s review, Marek Drives takes a close look at the Lexus RX 450h+, the flagship plug-in hybrid SUV from the Japanese luxury brand. As the new 5th generation Lexus RX, it introduces a bold new design, a revamped interior, and a completely new PHEV powertrain.
Can the new Lexus RX challenge top German competitors like the BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLE? How does it perform in real-world driving conditions? In this in-depth car review, we answer these key questions and help you decide if the Lexus RX 450h+ is the best choice in the luxury SUV segment.
Get ready for our detailed analysis of:
the new Lexus’s design and dimensions,
the practicality of the boot/trunk and interior space,
the driving feel and performance of the plug-in hybrid system,
and its modern technology and safety features.
Lexus RX 450h+ – Key Information and Specs:
↔ Lexus RX dimensions:
✔ length: 4890 mm
✔ width: 1920 mm
✔ height: 1695 mm
✔ wheelbase: 2850 mm
✔ boot/trunk: 612 L
💲 Lexus RX 350h starting price: 74 100 euro
💲 Lexus RX 450h+ price as tested: 93 210 euro
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🚙 Also watch:
Audi Q7 https://youtu.be/e0lETc0BtDQ
BMW X5 https://youtu.be/NprkHvx1JkQ
BYD Seal U DM-i https://youtu.be/eQTB_cwi2YM
Hyundai Santa Fe https://youtu.be/SYL2mSpccO8
Lexus RX https://youtu.be/06CFFLApRY4
Lexus RX 450h+ vs. BYD Seal U DM-i https://youtu.be/eQTB_cwi2YM
Mercedes-Benz GLE https://youtu.be/Idcb29an0HU
Volkswagen Touareg https://youtu.be/LJYy5Z8O5kY
Volvo XC90 https://youtu.be/4Dv5PGPLQ98
XPeng G9 https://youtu.be/T0kMuqZIOfY
#MarekDrivesENG #LexusRX450h+ #LexusRX #PlugInHybrid #LuxurySUV
📌 Thanks for watching Marek Drives reviews. If you liked it, here are several other channels you may enjoy: Autophorie, Autogefühl, Bob Flavin, Carfection, Carwow, Doug DeMuro, Driven Car Reviews, Fully Charged, TheSmokingTire, TheStraightPipes, VINwiki.
💲Transparency note: 💲
Marek Drives reviews are independent and based on personal experience with cars provided by car manufacturers for media to review. No carmaker has any influence on what is being said in the review, nor are they given a preview. No carmaker pays me to do these reviews. My sponsors are you – the viewers, Channel Members, and occasional non-carmaker entities, whose sponsorship is always clearly marked.
Chapters:
0:00 intro
1:20 competition
2:08 design
3:10 driving impressions
3:58 ISA
4:25 range and charging
5:49 driving impressions continued
9:08 performance
10:00 AWD diagonal approach test
11:05 cockpit
12:10 rear seat
12:30 boot
12:55 pricing
13:20 conclusion
