5th Generation RX Discussion: Official Thread (RX 500h, 450h+, 350h and More)

qtb007

qtb007

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Everyone keeps talking about the 1 motor PHEVs having lower performance when the car is beyond the EV only range. Is there not a minimum state of charge that the engine maintains on the battery so it can output the rated power as needed? No car cruising down the road needs 250hp, so there should be plenty of excess power in the engine to maintain some minimum SOC on the battery so when you want all the power to make a pass or whatever, it is there. Is there some technical reason that the engine isn't driving the electric motor to ensure the battery has at least enough energy to do an onramp pull at full power? I get that it can't ask for all the power all the time, but 99% of people are only asking 20% out of their engine's capability on a normal commute anyway. Maybe this is a concern pulling a trailer up the Ike Gauntlet, but that isn't a super common scenario.
 
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carguy420

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ssun30 said:
So MB's approach to PHEV is throw in batteries with no regard to chassis and suspension stress. That midsize unibody chassis has almost no margins left carrying 2680kg empty. That's heavier than most full size BOF trucks. And let's not forget on a long highway trip with no SOC left this thing has lower power-to-weight-ratio than a Yaris.

A mass market car should never be tuned to bottom out on normal roads and normal speeds carrying one passenger. This is disposable garbage and I'm sure some ignorant MB owner will take it to a trail and see the car disintegrate.
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We don't even need to talk about the GLE getting destroyed in off roading, because even the big daddy G-class gets rekt in proper off-roading:

www.drive.com.au

Mercedes-Benz G-Class broken by the Australian Outback

Not tough enough: The hulking Mercedes-Benz G-Class has not survived the Australian Outback, with six vehicles experiencing shock absorber damage and breaking down during a demonstration drive along Western Australia’s notorious 2000km Canning Stock Route.
www.drive.com.au www.drive.com.au

Probably one of the most embarrassing PR stunts Mercedes has ever done.

Meanwhile the Toyota Hilux smashed through that route while carrying a few hundred kgs of supplies on board:

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www.wapcar.my

10 years ago, Mercedes took the G-Class to Australia’s toughest route, only to be trolled by a Toyota Hilux | WapCar

Over 1,600 km on the toughest off-road trail in Australia, one of the toughest in the world Mercedes-Benz G-Class was the first convoy to cross, but at great cost Toyota Hilux asked what's the big fus
www.wapcar.my www.wapcar.my
 
F1 Silver Arrows

F1 Silver Arrows

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ssun30 said:
If you don't care about the longevity of the drivetrain a P2 hybrid can be extremely fast at launch. Toyota intentionally avoided doing that on first gear (an example is Tundra iForce Max) and full hybrid boost is only available from 2nd gear.
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So are you saying that if they were to launch from 2nd gear it would be quicker? Or would it be too tall of a starting gear to launch with?
 
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Levi

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How is fuel consumption of RX500h compared to RX450h in real world driving? Much worse?
 
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ssun30

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I got a chance to rent a RX350 FWD for a few days for a new year trip in Hawaii. I was impressed by the ride quality and NVH on highways, but the jerky 1-2 and 2-3 gear shifts that I first found on the NX350 was also present on the RX. In the city it's not as comfortable to drive. It just seems that Aisin keeps failing at producing good gearboxes. Once the car got past the first three gears the powertrain is not noticeably worse than the old V6 combination. The T24 engine is very torquey and acceleration between 2000 and 4000rpm is comparable to BMW X330i. The fuel economy is quite poor for a midsize SUV with a downsized engine. I averaged 24.5MPG (9.6L/100km) in 400mi (650km) of mixed urban/highway driving. In similar conditions a X330i would easily get 30+ MPG and even a X340i could beat that. My conclusion is the same: don't buy an ICEV from TMC, go for the hybrid whenever possible.

The thing I liked the most is the proactive driving assist which is basically always-on radar cruise control. IMO TSS/LSS 3.0 has evolved to become the most optimal ADAS system for the average driver. It just disappears into the background and makes daily driving almost stress-free. This is way better than any glitchy L2/3 autonomous driving system that is actually more distracting because the driver can NOT trust the vehicle to do what it claims to do.

To me I will skip this generation unless they introduce a 550h+ or full EV variant.
 
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sl0519

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ssun30 said:
I got a chance to rent a RX350 FWD for a few days for a new year trip in Hawaii. I was impressed by the ride quality and NVH on highways, but the jerky 1-2 and 2-3 gear shifts that I first found on the NX350 was also present on the RX. In the city it's not as comfortable to drive. It just seems that Aisin keeps failing at producing good gearboxes. Once the car got past the first three gears the powertrain is not noticeably worse than the old V6 combination. The T24 engine is very torquey and acceleration between 2000 and 4000rpm is comparable to BMW X330i. The fuel economy is quite poor for a midsize SUV with a downsized engine. I averaged 24.5MPG (9.6L/100km) in 400mi (650km) of mixed urban/highway driving. In similar conditions a X330i would easily get 30+ MPG and even a X340i could beat that. My conclusion is the same: don't buy an ICEV from TMC, go for the hybrid whenever possible.

The thing I liked the most is the proactive driving assist which is basically always-on radar cruise control. IMO TSS/LSS 3.0 has evolved to become the most optimal ADAS system for the average driver. It just disappears into the background and makes daily driving almost stress-free. This is way better than any glitchy L2/3 autonomous driving system that is actually more distracting because the driver can NOT trust the vehicle to do what it claims to do.

To me I will skip this generation unless they introduce a 550h+ or full EV variant.
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That's why I trust SG's review. They always say to go hybrid instead of those lackluster turbo 4.
 
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sl0519

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speaking of SG's review, a new video just came out

I don't remember any past reviews being this negative. Jack's face basically says it all.
 
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pacman1

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sl0519 said:
speaking of SG's review, a new video just came out

I don't remember any past reviews being this negative. Jack's face basically says it all.
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Ehhhh, they’re all kind of like that. He doesn’t ignore a vehicles shortcomings. My impression after watching the video wasn’t that it was super negative. He seemed impressed with what it had to offer but not at that price. I think his assessment was fair and this is coming from someone who is in the market for the 450h+.

He was surprised that the vehicle rear undercarriage wasn’t completely dampened but also acknowledged and gave Lexus credit that the cabin was isolated and quiet enough. Lexus may have come to the conclusion that it was better to save cost and weight over negligible improvement by adding additional insulation. I don’t know. He didn’t like the plastic wood accents but seemed impressed with the rest of the fit and finish. They also did not like the idea of 4 cylinder at that price range. However, they did reset some expectation because reliability is also a luxury and nobody can offer that better than Lexus. You also get arguably the best hybrid tech available. Many including myself winced at the price of the 450h+. It isn’t a cheap vehicle. But this trim isn’t meant to replace the 350H which will sell ridiculous numbers. I’m okay with that. Would love a B58 paired with Lexus hybrid engine but I don’t need it. It’s more than enough as a daily that I can conveniently take on roadtrips.
 
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