Scott Burgess from the Detroit News is jumping from one Lexus to two — after reviewing the LX 570, he’s doubled up with the 2010 RX 350 & RX 450h:
Really, Lexus does an excellent job catering to the driver. There’s remote key access, a power liftgate, an automatic tonneau cover that covers the back area, a full complement of steering wheel controls, programmable garaged door opener, adjustable seat belt height adjusters, the premium Mark Levinson stereo system and a very cool heads-up display that constantly shows your speed and will flash directions and other information. While I thought the white lettering might be difficult to see, it was easy to read, even under heavy glare conditions.
The RX 350 was nearly as quiet on the road as the hybrid RX 450h. However, I enjoyed driving the gas-only model more than the hybrid.
Lexus uses the same gas engine in the hybrid model but has tuned it to run on the Atkinson cycle. This makes the engine more efficient when it’s being used. However, the RX 450h seemed to shudder slightly every time the engine kicked on; it was especially noticeable when sitting at a light or stop sign. While the electric drivetrain does provide that instant torque and overall the hybrid felt very similar to the gas-only model, those little shudders were distracting.
The shudder Burgess describes is typical of hybrids, but then if it’s this noticeable, there’s bound to be some bugs that still need to be worked out. I wonder if this is what’s affecting the vehicle’s release?
[Source: The Detroit News]