2024 Lexus RX450h+ | Anti EV Usability

I wish car journalists would stop spending so much time talking about the number of cylinders and sound. I get it, you care. Probably most of the audience here also cares. But let's just acknowledge that most customers really don't. Most people buying this car will never even press the accelerator hard enough for it to matter what the engine sounds like. All they care about is that it's reliable and economical. In the same way nobody cares if it's a "luxury platform". People care what it feels like, not what it is in principle.

I'll take fake wood over black glass piano every time Even silver chrome just reflects light back into your face

We traded a 2013 RX350 in on a 2024 RX450h+ last year. We have since put 7,500 miles on it, mostly on long road-trips, but have also experienced almost every type of driving possible in it except for snow and off-road. We have a few niggling complaints, but the engine and powertrain are not among those complaints. I feel that complaints about the engine are overblown. We don't even notice the engine 99% of the time, and that is exactly what we were hoping for. This vehicle is a dream on road-trips, and wonderful in the heavy traffic of the San Francisco Bay area. I have never felt less fatigued in any vehicle. It also does much better than the RX350 did on the twisty canyon roads we love. It is a revelation.

I’ve owned more than one RX and still own an 1999 RX300 with 275,000 miles my son wants when he gets old enough to drive. They are boring AF and are an appliance CUV BUT they are incredibly bulletproof. If you don’t like repairs and want a quiet bulletproof vehicle that just works you cannot beat the RX.

It really sucks that the industry basically leap frogged perfecting the plug in hybrid in favor of the EV. A PHEV perfectly fits most peoples needs without sacrificing anything and being incredibly efficient

I can feel the Takumi craftsmanship thru my screen with this one

I live in an upper middle class neighborhood where my neighbors all either trade out their German or American cars every couple of years or drive an RX or Forerunner until the wheels falls off. I think within 2 blocks of my house there are probably 12 RXs that are 10-25 years old. A lot of the 20 year old RXs are parked next to a brand new Porsche or Jaguar which cracks me up. Clearly the owner isn't hurting for money, and as Jack said, these hybrids REALLY hold their value. It's virtually impossible to find a used hybrid RX for sale, I can only imagine how hard it will be to find a used PHEV RX for sale in the future.. Last May I got a 2023 Luxury AWD RX 350h with nearly every option in the same colors inside and out as this model you reviewed and I'll probably keep it for a very long time. My 3 year old will need a car in 13 years and by the looks of my neighborhood that seems very doable. I don't understand why people are trying to pretend they're racing or tracking their SUV or off roading it when they're not actually going to (looking at your Range Rover). I'd rather have a car I don't have to swap out every other time I get a haircut and is easily and affordably serviced if something does go wrong (I've owned 3 Audis... never again).

lexus driving signature intensifies

I agree with Mark 100% Lexus is most definitely more long term reliability and that’s part of the reason people/I buy Lexus, I don’t have to replace it every three years.

I actually prefer the plastic wood veneer compared to piano black they usually use. Piano black is quite literally just glossy plastic. Fake or cheap wood is a thousand times better.

The woodtrim looks like bamboo, but the plastic side bit gives it away. Jaguar did nice wood in the olden days.

Lexus owners generally keep their vehicles a very long time, at least 10yrs usually. For someone like that, it’s an investment that you can rely on and it has luxury. You can’t say the same about other vehicles in their respective class. Everyone knows how expensive European vehicles are to own when they’re 6-8 years or older, especially the high end luxury ones.

I agree, $70k+ is absurd for these. Fortunately that’s what makes these such desirable on the used market. Even if they hold their value well, they make great used cars people want to hold onto for 10+ years.

That Lexus badge reliability will this vehicle before anything on its spec sheet and that in itself is a goal other manufacturers should strive to reach.

Part of what makes this so expensive is the large battery pack. If you like the vehicle aside from the lofty price, get the 350h, it's the same hybrid system, just regular hybrid instead of plug in hybrid. The expense of the battery is why EVs are so expensive. That battery is likely about $15k, so if it weren't for that, this vehicle would be in the high $50k range, which would be right where Jack and Mark would like it. The 450h means you are buying the 350h and a big battery for that EV experience.

It's not what I'd spend 70 grand on in a million years, but it'll be comfortable and reliable, and you'll fit in perfectly at the country club and the carpool line at your kid's private school, plus maybe even get a little social credit from people who notice it's a plug-in hybrid, so that's what this car is for.

Door closing thing is so on point! I went by a Lexus dealer a couple weeks ago and looked at a RX and every time I shut the door it didn’t close unless I slammed it. I thought it was me.

I just bought my Lexus 450h+, which is the first Lexus brand I bought, after I test drove all luxury brands. One more reason I love is that it is made in Japan. In Northern California area, where I live, most of dealers have a markup of $1k over MSRP.

16:48 It's worth repeating and I'm glad you keep bringing it up. Most others continue to shy away from criticizing some of these ridiculous price points we're getting lately.

The wood trim is real - but it’s underneath a thick polyurethane in this redesign because in the last generation there were complaints by consumers it was getting damaged, by kids et al and required pricey visits to the dealership to replace it. I agree that the trim in the previous generation was gorgeous, especially the sapele wood with aluminum trim, made by Yamaha.