Lexus RX 400h Hybrid

Math, Lexus-style: Luxury, AWD, and 30 MPG Equal $48K
When the first Lexus RX 400h hybrid SUVs arrived in the United States in April 2005, they rattled the automotive industry the same way Toyota’s Prius did four years earler.

Toyota pre-sold a staggering 12,000 Lexus RX 400h hybrid SUVs before a single one hit American pavement. And some of the most respected automotive journalists in the country heaped plenty of early praise on the first luxury hybrid.

Dan Neil wrote in the Los Angeles Times that the RX 400h “feels like a masterpiece of both engineering and accounting.” It’s faster to 60 mph than the conventional Lexus RX 330, yet gets better gas mileage because of the thrust of not one, not two, but three electric motors.

(It doesn’t hurt that Neil lobs a barb or two at General Motors’ Bob Lutz while explaining why/how he thinks Toyota can afford its super-aggressive hybrid manufacturing roadmap.)

Edmunds.com was equally laudatory, noting that the RX 400h is certified as a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) and accelerates as quickly to 60 mph as a Mercedes-Benz ML500 SUV, which demands a gallon of unleaded premium for every 14 miles trod in the city.

Then, the tide started to turn. In a July 2005 piece entitled "“The Hybrid Emperor’s New Clothes,” the New York Times cast doubt on the strategy of using hybrid technology to boost performance. Why? Because their tests of the RX 400h and Highlander Hybrid produced mileage nearly identical to the conventional Lexus and Toyota SUVs. Despite protest from a loyal cadre of RX 400h owners who accused the Times drivers of not knowing how to drive a hybrid for maximum mileage, the story—and others like it—made a valid point: Just because a vehicle is a hybrid doesn’t mean that it gets great mileage.

Luxury and Speed
So why do a couple of thousand car shoppers happily plunk down 50 large for the RX 400h every month? Because, essentially, it has everything a luxury SUV buyer seeks—rugged exterior, leather-swaddled creature-comfort interior— in a super-green package that promises 28 mph on the highway and 30 mpg around town. And with a 0-to-60 performance in less than 8 seconds, it appeals to those who have the occasional urge to merge—on the freeway—with un-hybrid-like alacrity.

Consider some of its selling points:

• All-wheel-drive featuring a rear-drive electric motor, for quicker acceleration and safer handling.
• The auto industry’s first Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) system, which monitors a variety of sensors to anticipate and correct a vehicle slid or skid—by getting “panic assist brakes” ready for maximum stopping effort, while modulating the throttle. During these situations, the VDIM also will remove the slack in the front seat belts.
• Extra safety equipment such as side curtain airbags and knee airbags to compliment the top-rated crash safety scores the RX 330 already enjoys.
• An exceptionally smooth and quiet ride, like you find in today’s current hybrids.
• The same craftsmanship and attention to details found in the RX330, plus brushed aluminum accents that convey a high-tech look.
• In place of a tachometer, the RX 400h will have an illuminated, 18-centimeter touch panel screen that displays the level of power generated by the gas engine or electric motor. The screen is similar to the one found in the 2004 Prius.

"The Pleasures of Hybrid Life" at a Cost
Denny Clements, Lexus group vice president and general manager, sums it up, saying, “the RX 400h exceeds the expectations of luxury vehicle buyers and establishes a premium market for performance-oriented, fuel efficient gas-electric hybrids.” The fuel economy is a far cry from the upper 40s and 50s of the compact sedan hybrids, but the Lexus SUV hybrid gives an opportunity for a new segment of drivers to the pleasures of hybrid life. Will this segment of driver ever give up a little size, speed, and luxury in exchange for more miles-per-gallon on their next car? Perhaps not. But at least, the RX 400h starts the process of eroding the myth that hybrids require sacrifice. In fact, the Lexus SUV hybrid beats conventional luxury SUVs at their own game of self-indulgence: owners of the RX 400h can give in to their desire for creature comforts and their self-satisfaction of driving a vehicle that burns a little less gas and spits out less pollution. Moreover, it begins to show that "green" is a luxury feature worth paying for.