ggebhardt

Long time Lexus driver here. Just gave my 2016 RX350 to a family member and replaced it with a 2017 450h. Have not had a RX hybrid for about 4 or 5 years and remember the howling and not so good performance of the CVT drive.

The 2017 450h Luxury was a pleasant surprise. The CVT delivered smooth linear power and performed better than expected. Lexus/Toyota has come a long way with these hybrids. I have to say if given a choice, I would take the CVT over the 8 speed any day as power was there all the time no matter what speed you were going. The howl is almost gone and is now an non-issue. Had lots of fun and still got 29 mpg to boot!

The 450h feels like a race car compared to the LX!

kitlz

Greg, I agree. Acceleration is much better than my '10. I keep the 450h-F in eco mode for more control. Still I find myself going faster than I want. Doesn't take much.

lexnewbi

I also agree, I find the CVT to be incredible smooth and the 450h has a lot of power. I am able to start from dead stop on batteries, Other hybrids that I had driven in the past did not have enough power to start from dead stop without starting the engine. On Highway with stop and go traffic, the 450h achieves over 40 MPG. With mid grade fuel in eco mode, I am routinely getting 32-33 MPG with a mix of city and highway driving.

ggebhardt

Did I luck out getting the Michelins or are they standard on the 450h?

lexnewbi

My 450h came with Michelins. I also had the Luxury package, so not sure if that changes the standard tires.

s2000zr

You luck out. They come in Bridgestone or michelins.

kitlz

My 450h came with Bridgestones originally. Fortunately the dealer had another F-Sport on the lot with Michelins. They were switched out, rims included, before taking delivery.

Forgot to mention, eco mode now is like non-eco mode in my old 450h. And it stays on battery power much more.

ggebhardt

Had the Bridgestones on the X350 and they seemed fine to me but have always like and use Michliens. The brand has been good to me.

You are right and the ECO mode seems to keep it on battery more increasing mileage. I drove it in sport and did not notice that the large left power gauge transformed into the tachometer until driving down the road. Lexus is getting tricky on the displays.

Anyway the more I drive the 450h the more I like it. The power is so smooth with no hesitation or searching for the right gear.

The LX will be spending more time in the garage.

kitlz

Poor LX

I had a chance to test out the Michelin Premiers for a few months on my '10 450h. It convinced me to make sure I had them on the '16. They were especially made for the 4th gen RX after all.

Haven't explored too many options outside of eco mode yet. With the F-Sport, I get sport and sport +. The color change dares you to drive faster, LOL! And nothing beats the seamless acceleration. That's probably my favorite part about being hybrid.