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Is The Lexus RX400h Going To Be The Benchmark For A Green SUV?

During the first 100 miles in the 2009 Lexus RX 400h, the first thing you have to get used to is starting it.

It's strange to turn the key and nothing seems to happen with this luxury hybrid. When in electric-only mode, the RX 400h makes only the slightest of sounds. However, don't mistake it for a namby-pamby underpowered econo-crossover. It's far from it.

Lexus, Toyota Motor Co.'s luxury brand, mated its hybrid system with a 3.3-liter V-6 (208 horsepower) that allows a quick launch, highway passing power and still delivers 26 mpg in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway for the all-wheel drive model. The front-wheel drive model is one mile better in the city. At the end of 100 miles, I only needed four gallons of gas to fill it up, so the EPA estimates are dead on.

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Is The Lexus RX400h Going To Be The Benchmark For A Green SUV?



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91z4me91z4me - 5/27/2008 11:45:59 AM
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I would day no. The RX400h is a performance hybrid and rightfully so it gives up some economy that is expect from any hybrid model. The Escape hybrid with it's 4 cylinder might have less performance but certainly offers the expected gains in mileage that the RX lacks. And as I am sure people will start yelling shortly an Escape isn't exactly in the same class as the RX but the Escape delivers excellent mileage that could certainly have been obtained by a different setup in the RX. And that would put it as a benchmark for the green SUVs.

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EnnNorakEnnNorak - 5/27/2008 6:40:53 PM
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I'd rather Lexus offer the RX with a 2.5 litre in-line 6 diesel and skip the expensive battery pak.


silver1silver1 - 5/27/2008 12:40:00 PM
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KZ258KZ258 - 5/27/2008 12:49:33 PM
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this SUV has been looking the same ever since the introduction of the Nintendo GameCube. why is lexus so afraid redesigning it? its not gonna be sellin like how it first did if the design stays the same

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kpaxxkpaxx - 5/27/2008 12:56:24 PM
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NO fuel economy is no different than the gas version

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LexusKindaGuy12LexusKindaGuy12 - 5/27/2008 1:41:10 PM
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i have the gas version. i get 15 or less in the city. kthxbye


enthusiastx11enthusiastx11 - 5/27/2008 1:00:40 PM
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certainly not a benchmark. it only gets marginally better mileage than its gasoline-only sibling.

and since when is 25MPG green?

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ShredmoShredmo - 5/27/2008 1:02:51 PM
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Green SUV???
The only "geeen" SUV is the one that is non-operable, IMO.

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EL44EL44 - 5/27/2008 1:14:55 PMView My AgentSpace
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And here we go with LEXUS haters!!

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w209w114w209w114 - 5/27/2008 1:32:26 PMView My AgentSpace
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Not the bench mark. It was an excuse to make a hybrid SUV, just as the LS600hl is another excuse.

These vehicles arent the benchmark for anything green.

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lexusrox123lexusrox123 - 5/27/2008 8:01:20 PM
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the green part of the hybrids is the extremely low emissions rating. (duh!) especially the LS600h, which has a SULEV rating.

Is'nt low emmisions the meaning of being "green"? last time i checked, it was.


LexusKindaGuy12LexusKindaGuy12 - 5/27/2008 1:52:36 PM
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the better question is why there is a review on a 5 year old car.

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Dr550Dr550 - 5/27/2008 6:58:01 PM
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Is this POS even a SUV? Most are front-wheel drive.

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hao420hao420 - 5/27/2008 7:11:08 PM
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Agreed, LX-H will be so cool=Huge beast + economic + reliable.......

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1BadMan1BadMan - 5/27/2008 2:23:48 PM
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Benchmark? Well yes since TOYOTA is ahead with this technology ahead of the others. But in the real world they need to get quality up. What am I talking about? My ex-girl has two Toyota's (Lexus). They both broke down on the same day.

Her 2006 400h left her stranded. I told her to leave it at the dealership until they could figure it out. They couldn't replicate the issue, which is normal for most dealers as cars "behave" when at the dealer. They gave it back to her and it shut down again leaving her stranded again at night on the highway. Is this the same problem with as with the Prius? Very similar. She is now thinking of getting rid of it. She purchsed brand new and it now has 32,000 miles.

And the gas mileage is not good at all. But I will give Toyota much credit for looking ahead and putting money into this technology many years ago, knowing the payoff was much further down the road. And it is paying off much sooner than they expected.

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sectorsector - 5/27/2008 3:33:13 PM
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2 Lexuses that you own breaking down on the same day is about as likely as you getting hit by lightening, and then 10 seconds later, your dog getting hit.


ChicaneShooterChicaneShooter - 5/28/2008 3:20:54 AM
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true. statistically, HIGHLY improbable.

toyotas and lexi can be run THREE TIMES longer than other brands before getting the same rate of problems.




WhelanWhelan - 5/27/2008 4:48:38 PM
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I heard someone comment on the Escape Hybrid, but for some reason people seem to forget the Saturn VUE greenline as well.

For a luxury hybrid it is spot on. Considering most SUVs get 17-23mpg (city/highway) and the RX400h gets 24-25, good improvement. This was also a test so the person was probably playing around and hitting the gas to get a feel for acceleration a lot.

Drive it like you are really conserving and you will see the # go up. Just owning the hybrid is not going to help a lot unless you can change your habits and slow down.

I just passed my mileage for my Matrix. It is rated at 23-29 for the AWD model, I hit 31mpg! Before when I drove like I usually do I was averaging 23mpg and 223 miles to the tank. Now I average 300 miles to a tank and 30mpg all from driving slower.

You want to make a difference, slow down.

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I95SPEEDINGTICKETSI95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 5/27/2008 6:00:50 PM
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I would say that for my style of driving these would be much better options:

X5 3.0sd with a Combined European Cycle of 34.4 mpg ( 27.4 / 40.4 )
or the
Q7 3.0 TDI with a Combined European Cycle of 28.8 mpg ( 21.9 / 34.9 ) .


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S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 5/27/2008 8:40:03 PMView My AgentSpace
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Really? The SD gets that mileage? Are you sure that isn't just the 3.0d?


olscuulolscuul - 5/27/2008 6:54:54 PM
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measuring the gas mileage after 100 miles makes no sense.

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StarStar - 5/27/2008 7:51:51 PM
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Lexus will never build a car that can be called benchmark in any category. All Lexus does is build Japanese Buicks for badge whores who want their Toyotas to wear an L on the front grill. Lexus benchmark... yeah, right...ha, ha, ha...

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huu76huu76 - 5/27/2008 10:53:06 PM
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enthusiast,
25mpg with a 3.3L engine is greener than an X6's 3.0L 15mpg.
The RX performs as designed, a genuine crossover. The X6 is an inefficient hatchback that pretends its sporty.

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enthusiastx11enthusiastx11 - 5/29/2008 2:12:49 AM
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pointless comparison.

the RX is proclaiming "green" and it's a heavy car that get mediocre mileage.

bmw doesn't make ANY green claims about an x5. so what's your point?


huu76huu76 - 5/27/2008 10:54:41 PM
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Star,
Lexus invented the crossover and has always been the benchmark. BMW couldn't compete so they invented the SAC.

Don't be ashamed that you can't afford the financing rates that Toyota charges, best you stick with BMW's 1% poser rate.

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StarStar - 5/28/2008 8:55:01 AM
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You make yourself look like a fool. Toyota has low financing rates even for the 2009 models. If something is affordable....is the trash that Toyota sells, but I pass anyway since I prefer quality, and quality in cars comes only labeled "Made in Germany".



Htay7500Htay7500 - 5/28/2008 6:20:10 PM
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star: your throwing a huge hissy fit.


huu76huu76 - 5/27/2008 10:57:37 PM
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There's always Audi's 2.9% or MB's cash rebates if your parents can afford a little more.

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StarStar - 5/28/2008 10:03:18 AM
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This is what YOU do? You ask your parents for money?
Just like I expected...


huu76huu76 - 5/28/2008 7:47:44 PM
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Star,
Really.
http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WWW.woa/1/wo/Home.TFS-4kqXd7qbojBFNIkbzyNunw/10.9

2009 models are 6% and up.
Tundra is 8.5% and 9.35%.
Sequoia, 8% across the board.

Used vehicle rates are 9% and 10%.
http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WWW.woa/1/wo/Home.TFS-4kqXd7qbojBFNIkbzyNunw/13.11.10

Check out these rich-guy rates. 2% or $3000+ rebates.
http://www.bmw.ca/content/springSale/springSale_fs.asp?lang=en

Perhaps you should get your license before you pretend to even have a clue about cars little boy. If you're lucky, maybe BMW will give you a car to pad their sales numbers.

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huu76huu76 - 6/1/2008 1:19:14 AM
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What's wrong star, facts got your tongue?

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