Cruiter

Yesterday, Hal56 posted this link. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/au...brid.html?_r=4 . It's probably the best and most informative review I've read yet re: the 450h.

For those of you trying to decide on 350 now and discount or 450h, it's kind of sobering to read and evaluate.

Thanks Hal56. I'll be driving mine in a few days.

Hal56

Jim--we made up our minds long ago on the 450. we want the mileage and cleaner car. The price difference will be about 6k considering the 5k differential, the loss of significant discounting and that the 875 destination charge is not in the hybrid.

We believe going forward the issue wil be not just price of gas, but to some unknown extent availability-economic and political issues abound. To our knowledge nobody else is currently making a small suv like the 450--the saturn hybrid is a goner, BMW should have but came out with diesel instead. Esclade with hybrid is too big and not efficient enuf.
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I also believe in buying higher content and quality and keeping for a long time.

Toyota is the leader in Hybrid --if GM was the leader it probably would not be about to be taken over by the US Taxpayer. I have clients with the 400 who are very happy with it--so we made our decision.

if the car gets the 30 the writer of the article says we should get without trying too hard it wil be a home run for us.

now--u and me--we are kind of focused in on the hybrid for whatever reason. Thats ok--it might not be right for others. The 350 is one heck of a car--not the performance animal and aggressive looking as the x5 for example, but a better all around vehicle for us.

I just wish the Lexus communication would have been better on this.

syswei

Guys are getting 4-5k off msrp on the 350, and initially at least it might be 0 off on the 450h, so the differential could be more like 9k for awhile. One would need to put on alot of miles to make up for 9k, and if one puts on that many miles, the battery is that much closer to needing replacement.

tazdevl

Hal... you do realize that the overall environmental impact of a hybrid is much worse than a comparably powered vehicle with a gasoline engine no? Plenty of info out there.

Want to help the environment, buy a gasoline powered engine and wait for a hydrogen cell vehicle. I work in product development/marketing professionally... don't buy into the marketing.

Hal56

I know of that argument.

All along I have been saying we wil be experiencing gasoline shortages. Demand here in US is down but up worldwide--supply is decreasing.

Try reading about peak oil and its interesting.

Cruiter

With a smile of confidence and past experience in this business, like you I'm happy with my decision. It's true some can find arguments against anything no matter how sound the reasoning to keep going forward is. If I really wanted to, I could find arguments to talk myself into keeping my perfectly good '03 RX300 that's still less than 61,000 miles and in great shape. I know I'll never see the break even point. But like you, I can, and I will go forward and my monthly gas bill will go down by at least a third.

And I'm a sucker for well built new toys. I'm still as fond of my 2nd generation Segway as when I bought it three years ago. I didn't need it, but who really needs a boat ??? And they cost a lot more to buy, own, maintain, and use. In my world, I probably have just as much fun rolling out on my Seg from my garage w/o pulling it to the lake (I don't own a boat, have occasionaly rented a pontoon for family outings so I'm ahead there).

ANTICIPATION REINS

rxets

I'd buy Hybrid for my next vehicle if continuingly having needs of driving in the crowded city or neighborhoods. I didn't do it this time is because my bad experiences with CVT transmission in the past, the huge discount the dealer was willing to giving out in April, and Hybrid wasn't up to test-drive or choose in the time I wanted to get SUV. Wish next generation's Hybrid will work better in all the aspects.

Hal56

chocolate, vanilla and strawberry LOL

I have been a student of the energy situation--has taken a lot of time. I really believe that having a hi milage suv now is the thing to do--I understand the battery issue and as well the issue of all the energy etc used to build cars (where we should realy own cars for more than a few years)

i feel confident this car wil last a long time and will be well built--still early in the alternative concept but like anything else with technology at some point you buy. I am sure next year the 350 and 450 will each be slightly better--thats the way it is.

4482

If you're a GREEN person go for the hybrid, otherwise it will take about 8 years before you see a savings based on the extra cost of purchase. My Lexus dealer here in Ohio sells very few of the hybrid's compared to their best selling Lexus, the standard RX.

Cruiter

I was at my dealer today. RX sales haven't stopped or dried up by any state, they're still the hot number along with the new convertible 'IS' that came out today. But a 'huge' interest in the 450h is slowing down the 350 sales a bit. It seems that by telling people they can't have one for possibly months due to availability/demand situation its actually pouring gas onto it's desirability factor. Americans with money their jeans don't like to be told they can't have something, they start speaking with their wallets.

LexFather

RX hyrbids sell very well and meet/exceed sales goals. They sell between 1500-2000 a month and most are 50k vehicles. To put that in perspective its more than many/most entire luxury SUV lines. The h sales goals for LExus are lower than the gas only model.

I think its a no brainer. It gets better mileage, its cleaner and a conversation piece. It also is quieter and smoother and rarer.

Stormforge

i'm a happy owner of a GS450h, love the performance and the gas mileage. i am also seriously considering the RX450h when it comes out in late july/early august. i test drove the 2010 RX350 and was not impressed with the performance. here's hoping that the RX450h meets my expectations when the V6 and the electric motors give that extra ummf when you step on the accelerator!

ObsidianRX

I think most people understand that the economics of the 450 almost never make sense (at least at current gas prices), and the environmental impact is debatable. The tipping point to me is the individual's want for technology and performance. I drove a leftover '09 400h while the GF and I were shopping for an SUV, and I loved the way the hybrid drove. Dead silent stopped and at low speed, and very responsive around town with all of that electric motor torque. To me, that's the main reason I would consider spending more $ for the 450.

In the end, she needed a car, and she bought a '10 350 that she and I both love. It was about the same money as the leftover 400, and the new model to us a better truck in so many ways than the 2RX. But I won't lie, if the dealer would have had a 450 with the same discount level, that's probably what she would have ended up with.