Lexus RX Hybrid: 2nd Generation News & Information

I’m late to the party on this Lexus RX commercial that debuted at this year’s Superbowl:

I’ve been driving an RX 450h for the better part of three months, and I have to admit, this commercial captures much of what my final review will focus on. The RX’s best feature is how well it fits into everyday life.

(Thanks Dan!)

Lexus Japan is offering a two unique customization options for the Lexus RX 350 & RX 450h, starting with this aggressive under-spoiler:

Hard to judge with only the front-end visible, but it’s similar to the LX 570 Sport Luxury package we saw last week in that it doesn’t seem to fit all that well.

The other option of note are these LED fog-lights:

They may be expensive (¥136,500 / $1,529 USD), but they would be fantastic paried with the RX 450h LED headlights. Hope to see them as an option here in North America.

[Source: Lexus Japan via Club Lexus]

Even with the winter weather, one of the real pleasures during my time with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h has been driving at night. It all starts with the on-demand all-wheel drive system—there hasn’t been a single slip, really nothing more than a flash of the yellow traction light, and that brings a lot of confidence no matter the road conditions.

But more than that, it’s also when the RX 450h’s real luxury shines through, as much of the vehicle’s best technology takes a starring role once the sun goes down.

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Last week, I took the delivery of my first long-term road test vehicle from Lexus Canada—a 2010 Smoky Granite Mica RX 450h:

This is the full deal—an RX 450h with the Ultra Luxury package that includes Heads-Up Display, rear entertainment system, LED headlights, and fifteen-speaker Mark Levinson audio system. As far as I can tell, the only option missing is dynamic air suspension.

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Auto Express compared the 2010 Lexus RX 450h to the BMW X5 30d SE to see which SUV is the better buy:

...which car more successfully mixes eco-friendly credentials with rugged versatility and luxury?

There’s no denying the X5 still rules the roost for image and driving dynamics. Plus, the big boot and seven-seat potential make it a practical proposition. Yet the latest Lexus is a huge improvement over its predecessor.

The RXh trounced the X5 in fuel efficiency, delivering 44.8 mpg compared to the diesel’s 34.4 mpg (British). Along with its “refinement, sophistication and impressive emissions”, the Lexus SUV took first place in the comparison.

[Source: Auto Express]

Every year, UK magazine Fleet World holds the MPG Marathon, a fuel economy “race” where the best MPG result wins. As part of the event this year, Lexus UK entered a RX 450h, and turned in a very good result:

... the full hybrid Lexus returned an average 54.75mpg over more than 350 miles of driving on regular A and B-class roads, a figure that marks a 20 per cent improvement on its official combined cycle figure.

The British MPG is different than in the U.S., and translated equals 45.58mpg, which is almost 17mpg better than the EPA rating. It still wasn’t enough to win the event, though, that honor went to the SMART Fortwo Coupe CDI, which achieved 96.81mpg(80.6mpg U.S.).

(By coincidence, I was driving an RX 450h last week as well, where I almost managed to hit the EPA with 28.6mpg U.S.. Even so, I found it pretty impressive, considering I wasn’t holding back at all.)

[Source: Lexus & Fleet World]