Lexus RX450HL & RX400H - going full barge
Discussion
It's been a few months now since the X5 45e went back to BMW in disgrace, ( https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... ) since then I've been using my late fathers Rx400h and the X5 4.6IS has become Mrs Brett's weapon of choice.
However with regular long trips still a requirement, I wanted something new to munch the miles in reliable comfort; so I had been looking at what the various offerings were from all corners of the market. Initially decided to try the Landrover subscription service, but despite signing up for it weeks ago they have yet to get a vehicle in stock that actually met our requirements! (Bit of a wind up IMO, don't advertise an "easy" service that doesn't actually deliver unless you want to wait 12weeks each time for something vaguely suitable to become available)
Getting fed up I started looking at used Lexus LC500's and RCF's... during that search a low mileage RX450HL caught my attention - only around 18 months old with 6k on the clock and a price that started with a 3! It's graphite black with the bamboo & coco interior.
I did around 7seconds of man maths and no due diligence before I picked up the phone!
(Because of Covid everything was done at a distance, I didn't get to view the car in advance, but Lexus did a complete walk around video for me, focusing on my areas of interest/key criteria etc)
Picked it up yesterday lunchtime and I have to say that in flesh and freshly valeted it looked stunning - much more so than I was expecting!
Lexus service & interactions throughout have been flawless.
It does make the 1st of the RX hybrids look a little down at heel now though!
Speaking of which - the RX400 that was dad's has covered about 135,000 miles and is generally still a very capable and reliable car - so much so that I'll be keeping it alongside the new one and letting the X5 go once it's had a new MOT. Sometimes the RX400 looks/feels it's age, but that's not often. The hybrid system was recently inspected and serviced, and still works brilliantly. The stereo is still awesome too.
I've fallen back in love with Lexus again - they do wafty bargeness just right!
On to the pics!
Edit: Fixing broken pics
However with regular long trips still a requirement, I wanted something new to munch the miles in reliable comfort; so I had been looking at what the various offerings were from all corners of the market. Initially decided to try the Landrover subscription service, but despite signing up for it weeks ago they have yet to get a vehicle in stock that actually met our requirements! (Bit of a wind up IMO, don't advertise an "easy" service that doesn't actually deliver unless you want to wait 12weeks each time for something vaguely suitable to become available)
Getting fed up I started looking at used Lexus LC500's and RCF's... during that search a low mileage RX450HL caught my attention - only around 18 months old with 6k on the clock and a price that started with a 3! It's graphite black with the bamboo & coco interior.
I did around 7seconds of man maths and no due diligence before I picked up the phone!
(Because of Covid everything was done at a distance, I didn't get to view the car in advance, but Lexus did a complete walk around video for me, focusing on my areas of interest/key criteria etc)Picked it up yesterday lunchtime and I have to say that in flesh and freshly valeted it looked stunning - much more so than I was expecting!
Lexus service & interactions throughout have been flawless.
It does make the 1st of the RX hybrids look a little down at heel now though!
Speaking of which - the RX400 that was dad's has covered about 135,000 miles and is generally still a very capable and reliable car - so much so that I'll be keeping it alongside the new one and letting the X5 go once it's had a new MOT. Sometimes the RX400 looks/feels it's age, but that's not often. The hybrid system was recently inspected and serviced, and still works brilliantly. The stereo is still awesome too.
I've fallen back in love with Lexus again - they do wafty bargeness just right!
On to the pics!
Edit: Fixing broken pics
Edited by BrettMRC on Tuesday 14th May 13:16
Very smart car OP, and a huge amount of car & technology for the money.
I used to have a 2017 RX450h Premier with the same colour interior as yours. It was incredibly refined, one of the quietest vehicles I have travelled in, but ultimately I couldn't live with the CVT gearbox so swapped it for an RC F!
As you clearly know, Lexus service & reliability are exceptional. The new RX must be peace of mind after the X5! Enjoy your new motor.
I used to have a 2017 RX450h Premier with the same colour interior as yours. It was incredibly refined, one of the quietest vehicles I have travelled in, but ultimately I couldn't live with the CVT gearbox so swapped it for an RC F!
As you clearly know, Lexus service & reliability are exceptional. The new RX must be peace of mind after the X5! Enjoy your new motor.
Wonderful. I'm a step behind you. A year and a half ago we bought an 2005 non hybrid Lexus RX350, same colour as yours, with cream interior and every option, cost £3000 with one previous owner and FSH. I intended to keep over winter whilst we found the right second car for us. However, we have both fallen completely in love with it, currently on 140,000 miles, it's been to the alps, all across the country and has been quiet, comfy and faultless. We've installed the GTA carkit Bluetooth audio adapter and it's now got everything we need.
I keep looking at the current Lexus RX range, and they're gorgeous in their own unique way, your interior colour is spot on. However, we are enjoying the smug feeling of cheap motoring still and now have a perverse attachment to the car - I can see it staying around for a long time, but will be replaced with another Lexus, as we've got the Lexus bug now.
Enjoy in good health OP, lovely dog too, a little bigger than our Cavapoo!
I keep looking at the current Lexus RX range, and they're gorgeous in their own unique way, your interior colour is spot on. However, we are enjoying the smug feeling of cheap motoring still and now have a perverse attachment to the car - I can see it staying around for a long time, but will be replaced with another Lexus, as we've got the Lexus bug now.
Enjoy in good health OP, lovely dog too, a little bigger than our Cavapoo!
BlueJ said:
Very smart car OP, and a huge amount of car & technology for the money.
I used to have a 2017 RX450h Premier with the same colour interior as yours. It was incredibly refined, one of the quietest vehicles I have travelled in, but ultimately I couldn't live with the CVT gearbox so swapped it for an RC F!
As you clearly know, Lexus service & reliability are exceptional. The new RX must be peace of mind after the X5! Enjoy your new motor.
Out of interest, what didn't you like about the CVT? (They've never bothered me - but I wonder if it's a sign of mental decline on my part! I used to have a 2017 RX450h Premier with the same colour interior as yours. It was incredibly refined, one of the quietest vehicles I have travelled in, but ultimately I couldn't live with the CVT gearbox so swapped it for an RC F!
As you clearly know, Lexus service & reliability are exceptional. The new RX must be peace of mind after the X5! Enjoy your new motor.
)Over over under steer said:
Wonderful. I'm a step behind you. A year and a half ago we bought an 2005 non hybrid Lexus RX350, same colour as yours, with cream interior and every option, cost £3000 with one previous owner and FSH. I intended to keep over winter whilst we found the right second car for us. However, we have both fallen completely in love with it, currently on 140,000 miles, it's been to the alps, all across the country and has been quiet, comfy and faultless. We've installed the GTA carkit Bluetooth audio adapter and it's now got everything we need.
I keep looking at the current Lexus RX range, and they're gorgeous in their own unique way, your interior colour is spot on. However, we are enjoying the smug feeling of cheap motoring still and now have a perverse attachment to the car - I can see it staying around for a long time, but will be replaced with another Lexus, as we've got the Lexus bug now.
Enjoy in good health OP, lovely dog too, a little bigger than our Cavapoo!
That sounds like a good buy! Only thing I can advise you to watch out for is the heated seats - various parts of the circuit can fail and leave you with a permanently fried backside! The plugs/clips etc are cheap enough if you need to replace any though I keep looking at the current Lexus RX range, and they're gorgeous in their own unique way, your interior colour is spot on. However, we are enjoying the smug feeling of cheap motoring still and now have a perverse attachment to the car - I can see it staying around for a long time, but will be replaced with another Lexus, as we've got the Lexus bug now.
Enjoy in good health OP, lovely dog too, a little bigger than our Cavapoo!
I am now 4 years into running an RX400h. 82k miles to 136k miles. It has been very easy to live with. Needed 2 new lower ball joints and new disks pads etc apart from service stuff. The only real biggy was the cambelt. I fix and service it myself. We were going to keep it 3 years as we normally do with cars but I have found no desire to change it yet.
The CVT takes a bit of getting used to but once you know what it is going to do its fine.
The CVT takes a bit of getting used to but once you know what it is going to do its fine.
Loving the interior of the Rx450....I got myself a 2008 rx400h towards the end of last year, 1 owner and 121k...feels and drives like far far less. This is my first Lexus and definitely wont be my last.
There is just something about them that is just so relaxing, even the old ones feel so well put together, I even really notice how quiet they are inside, so good at isolating all the annoying road noise.
Mine is in full pipe and slippers spec with the added wood trim, but i think it really suits it.
Lets hope your Lexus is a welcome antidote to the troublesome BMW.
There is just something about them that is just so relaxing, even the old ones feel so well put together, I even really notice how quiet they are inside, so good at isolating all the annoying road noise.
Mine is in full pipe and slippers spec with the added wood trim, but i think it really suits it.
Lets hope your Lexus is a welcome antidote to the troublesome BMW.
OP, when you say the hybrid system on the RX400h was recently inspected, what does that mean? I’m very curious.
I’d just assumed that the battery would be shot by now. Do you know how much capacity it has retained or does that not matter so much with a hybrid?
Not exactly my area of expertise!
I’d just assumed that the battery would be shot by now. Do you know how much capacity it has retained or does that not matter so much with a hybrid?
Not exactly my area of expertise!
Following with interest. I really like these and would probably swap my GLC in for one as it would be my wife's car which she rarely uses and does small mileage when she does. As it's a diesel it's not doing it much good so a hybrid/petrol makes then most sense.....but the CVT gearbox is possibly putting me off unintentionally....How is it ?
"Out of interest, what didn't you like about the CVT? (They've never bothered me - but I wonder if it's a sign of mental decline on my part! )"
A lot of the time I was fine with it, certainly very impressive the way it would switch in and out of pure electric mode. My issue was when accelerating, I grew to hate the constant flare up in revs every time I joined a motorway or wanted to make progress away from roundabouts. I also like to use low down torque rather than revs, and the RC F wasn't great for this either, so I'm back in a 6 cylinder diesel!
Re your MPG question, I averaged 35 over 10,000 miles, mainly motorway. One point that used to amuse me was the way MPG would actually improve around town as the electric motors were used more!
)"A lot of the time I was fine with it, certainly very impressive the way it would switch in and out of pure electric mode. My issue was when accelerating, I grew to hate the constant flare up in revs every time I joined a motorway or wanted to make progress away from roundabouts. I also like to use low down torque rather than revs, and the RC F wasn't great for this either, so I'm back in a 6 cylinder diesel!
Re your MPG question, I averaged 35 over 10,000 miles, mainly motorway. One point that used to amuse me was the way MPG would actually improve around town as the electric motors were used more!
I presently drive an RC300h hybrid. I've driven many Prius in my taxi driving days amounting to about 400,000 miles worth.
You learn to drive just below the flare of the CVT box,and can make quite brisk and economical driving.
But in reality, it's just very relaxing wafting, when you appreciate that there's no benefit in mashing the pedal down all the time.
You learn to drive just below the flare of the CVT box,and can make quite brisk and economical driving.
But in reality, it's just very relaxing wafting, when you appreciate that there's no benefit in mashing the pedal down all the time.
Tommie38 said:
OP, when you say the hybrid system on the RX400h was recently inspected, what does that mean? I’m very curious.
I’d just assumed that the battery would be shot by now. Do you know how much capacity it has retained or does that not matter so much with a hybrid?
Not exactly my area of expertise!
If you get a decent code reader or good quality blue tooth OBD reader and the right apps you can read the battery condition by cell, most of the programs tools on the market that will do a prius will cover a lexus too.I’d just assumed that the battery would be shot by now. Do you know how much capacity it has retained or does that not matter so much with a hybrid?
Not exactly my area of expertise!
The most important thing you can do though is to go over the battery cooling system and make sure its clean and free from dust and fluff build up. On the Rx400h the battery is under the rear seat IIRC and the vents/inlets are around this. Be prepared to lose an afternoon giving everything a good clean out and vacuum etc - there are plenty of write ups and videos if you Google/look on youtube.
Because the cells are bigger than the tiny ones on a Prius the RX400's tend to last a lot better than them, on this one we were seeing over 80% capacity when we did the last full inspection. Assuming all your cells are reading evenly then really don't worry too much, on the Rx400 the battery was more of a large capacitor, so providing the system works then it will be fine.
juice said:
Following with interest. I really like these and would probably swap my GLC in for one as it would be my wife's car which she rarely uses and does small mileage when she does. As it's a diesel it's not doing it much good so a hybrid/petrol makes then most sense.....but the CVT gearbox is possibly putting me off unintentionally....How is it ?
As per some of the other psts - this is all about driving style and expectations, don't go into expecting a traditional auto or manual gearbox experience and you will be fine.Edited by BrettMRC on Friday 9th April 08:57
Or you can get Lexus to do it for £59 (or as part of a service foc) provided th car is under 15 years old. They check everything is in tolerance, not that it's ace necessarily, but if it is, regardless of miles, they will warrant the system for a year.
Saves faff with laptops.
https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maint...
Saves faff with laptops.
https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maint...
Thanks for sharing that
In the Lexus magazine they have been running a high mileage 400h that they purchased last year - interesting, if obviously biased few articles:
https://mag.lexus.co.uk/rx-400h-project-no-mot-ext...
https://mag.lexus.co.uk/lexus-rx-400h-project-tele...
In the Lexus magazine they have been running a high mileage 400h that they purchased last year - interesting, if obviously biased few articles:
https://mag.lexus.co.uk/rx-400h-project-no-mot-ext...
https://mag.lexus.co.uk/lexus-rx-400h-project-tele...
What's telling is that it's one of the few cars I keep going outside to look at now it's home, there is just something about it.
I think it's longer than the X5-45e was, probably not as wide - but seems to have so much more presence.
Might just be the colour.
Also the seats are night and day better than the comfort seats were in the X5.
I think it's longer than the X5-45e was, probably not as wide - but seems to have so much more presence.
Might just be the colour.
Also the seats are night and day better than the comfort seats were in the X5.
BrettMRC said:
That sounds like a good buy! Only thing I can advise you to watch out for is the heated seats - various parts of the circuit can fail and leave you with a permanently fried backside! The plugs/clips etc are cheap enough if you need to replace any though
What’s the issue with the seats and how do you fix it? I have an RX300 and I’m sure there are fires colder than the heated seats in my car.Tabs said:
I presently drive an RC300h hybrid. I've driven many Prius in my taxi driving days amounting to about 400,000 miles worth.
You learn to drive just below the flare of the CVT box,and can make quite brisk and economical driving.
But in reality, it's just very relaxing wafting, when you appreciate that there's no benefit in mashing the pedal down all the time.
I completely agree with this, the RX450 was certainly very relaxing, and there is an art to making progress whilst minimising revs. You learn to drive just below the flare of the CVT box,and can make quite brisk and economical driving.
But in reality, it's just very relaxing wafting, when you appreciate that there's no benefit in mashing the pedal down all the time.
Unfortunately my mindset wasn't suitable for the gearbox, I can be impatient and frequently couldn't hold back from 'mashing the pedal down'!
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