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Lexus RX400h Hybrid Review

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The Lexus RX 400h is an automobile assembled by Toyota Motor Corp. under the Lexus brand name using Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. It is called the Toyota Harrier Hybrid in Japan. After first being introduced in January 2004 at the North American International Auto Show, it would become the world's second mass-produced hybrid SUV, after the Ford Escape Hybrid. In November 2004, Toyota announced the American launch of hybrid Lexus/Toyota SUV will be delayed to the 2006 model year, with European and Asian launches to meet the same fate. The Toyota version of the same car debuted in Japan in March of 2005 as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

Toyota will price the RX 400h/Harrier Hybrid at a substantial premium over the non-hybrid RX300/RX330/Harrier. The list price in Japan ranges from 4.095 million Yen to 4.62 million Yen. In US, it will be priced at US$49,185, which is a $5,600 premium over a similarly-equipped RX 330.

The gasoline-powered part of the engine system is a 3.3 L 3MZ-FE V6, very similar to the one found in the RX 330. It produced, in the case of the Harrier Hybrid, 211 hp JIS (155 kW) and 288 Nm (212 ft·lbf). The petrol engine is aided by a maximum of two additional electric motors, one driving the front wheels, producing 167 HP JIS connected to the CVT gearbox, and the other driving the rear wheels, producing 68 HP JIS. The whole system, called Hybrid Synergy Drive, produces a maximum of 272 HP JIS. Under normal driving conditions, only the front motor and petrol engine will be used. The rear motor will only be used under full-throttle acceleration or when the front wheels lose traction. The petrol engine will switch off automatically and the car will be electrically driven when either stationary, decelerating, or being driven at a slow speed. A Ni-MH battery is responsible for powering the motors, and it is charged during deceleration.

The assistance of the electric motor increases the vehicle's performance; the 400h Hybrid can reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in less than 8 s, quicker than the petrol-only RX. Despite the increased performance, the RX 400h/Harrier Hybrid consumes roughly the same amount of petrol as a compact four-cylinder saloon and it qualifies as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) in America. Under the Japanese "10.15 mode" fuel consumption standard, the Harrier Hybrid can run 17.8 km per litre of fuel (compared with the standard coil-sprung V6 3.0 L Harrier, which returned 9.4 km/L). In Japan, it qualifies as a "4-star" LEV-car, where it produces 75% fewer emissions than the standard specified in Heisei 17 (i.e. year 2005).

High Points

Low Points

Performance and Handling

Gas Mileage

As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Trim

2006 RX 400h FWD

2006 RX 400h AWD

MPG

33/28

31/27

Safety

  • Front seat-mounted side airbags (SRS)
  • Driver's and front passenger's advanced airbag system (SRS) with crash-severity sensors
  • Front and rear roll-sensing side curtainairbags
  • Driver's knee airbag
  • Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM)
  • ABS with Brake Assist
  • Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
  • Reinforced Body
  • Three-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners seatbelts for all seats
  • Daytime Running Lights
  • Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)
  • Traction Control (TRAC)
  • Direct Tire Pressure Monitor System
  • Theft-Deterrent System with engine immobilizer
  • LED tailights


Pricing

Today's actual prices for the Lexus RX 400h can be found at CarsDirect.

Model Trims

FWD

AWD

MSRP

$44,660

$46,060

Invoice

$39,746

$40,992

Gas Mileage

According to FuelEconomy.gov, the 2007 RX 400h averages 20 MPG City/ 25 MPG Hwy. Visitors to GreenHybrid.com, averaged about 25 MPG with their 2006 RX 400h in the lexus-rx.html Real Hybrid Mileage Database.

Trim

2006 RX 400h

2006 RX 330

2005 RX 330

2004 RX 330

2003 RX 300

2002 RX 300

2001 RX 300

2000 RX 300

1999 RX 300

MPG

19/25

33/27

18/25

18/25

18/25

18/23

18/23

18/23

18/24

19/24


Reliability and Maintenance

Interior and Comforts

  • Brushed-aluminum accents
  • An illuminated meter, displaying the level of power generated by the hybrid powertrain replaces the tachometer
  • The gas-electric power distribution can also be pulled up on the multi-information display or the optional navigation system’s 7 inch touch panel display.

The rear seats fold down just like in the RX 350, however they don’t fold down perfectly falt since the battery packs are stored there. Once the rear seats are folded, there is 83.9 cubic feet of cargo space, compared to the RX 350’s 84.7 cubic feet. Both RX models still surpass their main competitors, the BMW X5, the Mercedes-Benz ML350, or the Infiniti FX, in terms of cargo space. However the RX still does not offer a third-row seating area.


Exterior

Styles and Major Options

Standard Equipment

  • Leather-trimmed interior, steering wheel and shift knob
  • Brushed aluminum interior trim pieces
  • Power tilt-and-telescopic steering column with memory
  • Lexus Memory System to control power driver’s seat (except lumbar), outside mirrors and steering wheel
  • Illuminated entry system
  • Power tilt-and-slide sunroof with one-touch open/close and sliding sunshade
  • Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS)
  • High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with dynamic auto-leveling
  • Roof rack with rails
  • Dual-zone automatic climate control
  • 10-way driver (including lumbar) and 8-way front passenger power seats
  • Lexus eight-speaker, Premium Sound system with in-dash six-disc CD changer
  • Steering wheel mounted cruise control, audio and display function controls

Individual Factory Options

Dealer Accessories

  • All-weather floor mats
  • Car cover
  • Cargo mat
  • Cargo net
  • Front-end mask
  • Tow-hitch receiver
  • Wheel locks
  • Wireless headphones


Main Competitors

External Links

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