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iTrader: (1)

No regrets with rx450h, will get the next gen rx450h also haha

wa3cuj

I have had two 450h's and have no regrets. It's the right vehicle for me. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. We get what we want/need. I love what I have now but can't seem to get the same feeling for the gen4 RX so my time here will be limited.

rj4510

Don't regret buying my 350. The h was on my list, but after seeing what the AZ heat did to my other two Lexus, I decided not to chance it. The 4K difference in price used, meant I had to go with pre 13 and like the look of the 13+ better. Not a deal breaker by any means, but the 350 I was comparing to had 16k miles and comparably priced h was an 11 with 50k miles. I'm sure I could have found a narrower gap, if I was dead set on the h, but again, the way heat kills stuff out here, I opted for the know she, rather than unknowns.

I do like some of the added wiz bangs of the h, but wiz bang failure was one of the excessively expensive drawbacks of my previous when they failed. I usually buy a car and keep it for the long haul 10+ years or more, so sustainability is a big factor.

I did like the instant power of the h, but hate everything about CVT transmissions. Some day I'll have to suck it up and go with one, because there will be no other options. I'm still in the stick shift enthusiast camp...I know, wrong car for an enthusiast, but it was more for my wife. I considered the F Sport, but I didn't see much value in giving up the ultra plush ride, if performance wasn't going to be anywhere close to the German cars. The F didn't inspire me anywhere near as much as I thought, so if I was going to give up performance, giving up a plush ride didn't make much sense either. To me the F Sport is neither here nor there. The 8 speed tranny should have been quicker, but the engine mapping keeps it super subdued. They look sharp though and if not for the 350 being my wife's car, I would have gone F Sport and probably looked into getting "real" suspension parts. Not an experiment my wife would enjoy.

We've had the RX three months and it's grown on me. Taking it out for a long haul in two weeks. I'm sure the plush ride will prove enjoyable. Took our beloved Bimmer out on the same trip last year and were never so glad to arrive at our destination. The Bimmer suspension and choppy California roads beat us to a pulp far more than we bargained for. Doubt we'll even notice in the RX. The reviewers can talk smack about the ride all day long, but there isn't much out there as smooth and quiet. Both play a big part in arriving fresh after a long haul.

Both would be great platforms. I think if I sat in traffic all day though, I'd just get used to the CVT and go with the h.

carguy75

I am actually interested in knowing if anyone has regrets about the 450H, because I actually wanted a 450h model but was a bit apprehensive about how the hybrid tech(hybrid batteries,charging unit in particular) would hold up in the later years of ownership when my extended warranty expires.

I think that the 450h is the better version when everything works as it should, but I have the feeling that the RX350 is the one to buy for a more cost effective ownership in the long run since the large hybrid batteries are $$$ as well as the electronic hybrid control units which have to have a life span when they would fail like any other electronic or batteries I assume.

Am I wrong?

sharkbite

I recommend performing a search on Prius reliability, and it will become apparent that hybrid tech is not new and has been extremely reliable.

It's not uncommon for Prius's to have 200k miles. The same tech, applied to Camry's and Highlanders, have been no less reliable (in fact, the hybrid versions of the same car have been consistently more reliable than the non-hybrids, which is not surprising, since hybrids don't conventional transmission and drive belts).

We're on our third hybrid (Prius, Camry, RX) and have been extreme impressed with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive.

carguy75

I read about the Prius and actually was impressed about how reliable they are.

However, I do not make assumptions based on what another car does since the RX hybrid system is different albeit slightly.

I desire hard facts that many RX450 have gone the distance, which to me means over 150k miles without hybrid system issues.

I could not locate that information when i was making my decision over the RX350 or RX450.

You maybe correct about the RX450 reliability, however I do not speculate with used cars.

FYI, some people used to swear that a Pontiac Grandam would go 200k miles however the one I had was not built as good as the the ones those owners drove on the forums nor was most to be honest so I do not take the claims over the few over the majority.

rj4510

I'm with you on this. I couldn't find anything concrete and was under the impression the Prius was different ( more battery, less gas). Add to it that Lexus parts aren't always interchangeable with Toyota and I had to make a decision against for now. True Delta groups the RX together, so no way to tell which model, unless you read every entry. Most folks on this forum have been able to report super high miles on other models, but both of mine started having problems at a 100k. Some of that was electrical and components and others mechanical and interior. Almost all related to heat. I hear a lot about old hybrids, but not seeing too many around my area.

The only person I know with a hybrid ended up having to replace batteries shortly after the warranty ended, so that's the only first hand experience I have with them. That repair ended up costing over 7k, so definitely made up for any savings on fuel and then some. I'm still in the camp that you will lose resale value like a rock at some point, even if only perception based. May be a factor to some, even if the Toyota hybrid is still far superior to any other makers.

sharkbite

I think the closest substantial RX450h reliability data you can find is going to be from the Highlander Hybrid, which has been out for over a decade now.

After all, the RX and Highlanders have practically shared engines and hybrid/AWD configuration since the beginning.

kitlz

Hybrid batteries have an 8 year/100K mile warranty, except for CA which is 15 years/150K miles. And replacement price has dropped significantly. The 450h has been out almost seven years. I've had mine a little over six years now with close 43K miles. In that time, no issues whatsoever. I press the button, put ti in gear and go.

carguy75, I had reservations too when I was looking at the 450h. But it's hard to ignore proven technology. A few years back a friend worked in the hybrid car battery division of a company. They were envious of Toyota's success. To me that says a lot.

SeventyGTX

We don't put many miles on a vehicle, so fuel mileage wasn't a big factor in taking the 450 over the 350. What sold us was the bamboo parchment interior, which was not available on the 2015 350. We have zero regrets going with the 450h. I read about some people getting horrible mileage with their 350's, nearly the same as my Hemi Ram gets, while our 450h rarely dips below 28 mpg. My only complaint, while minor, is I wish it could default it to Sport mode. I don't drive it much, but the difference in take off power and overall drive ability is significant, compared to Eco mode. The mile per gallon or two difference is easily worth it in town driving, IMHO. The wife could care less about which mode it's in.......lol.

rj4510

That would probably explain where all used AZ hybrids end up. I bet when they get traded and go up for auction they get snatched up for CA, since they can give the better Warranties. Not too many Highlander hybrids around either. Most on the lots are newer. Kinda like how most of our AWDs get shipped to others states.

kitlz

^Yeah, i can see that happening.

Need to make a correction, the hybrid battery warranty is 10 years/150K miles in CA. That's still a respectable amount of time.

carguy75

LOl.

Hence my apprehension at the time of making my decision, because I read that the Hybrid battery was covered to only 100k miles.

I live in Georgia.

The used 2010-2013 RX450 I was looking at had between 60k and 90k miles, so that was not really reassuring.

If I was buying a new RX450 that coverage would be great, but not in my situation.

The information I could find was on the older 2nd generation 400h models which did have some $$$ issues even though the Toyota Hybrid systems used in the Prius did not.

Well I guess time will tell if I chose wisely or not when the RX450 begin racking up some real mileage and some feedback on this forum.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Yep, 10yr/150k for battery, and 15yr/150k for the rest of the hybrid drivetrain.

Unfortunately, the warranty does not apply to the RX since it's not rated as a PZEV so we get the standard 8yr/100k.

ericsan13

Consider this example of the 4RX in your break-even analysis:

4RX 450h base includes:
$500 BSM
$1750 8" Nav
$500 Intuitive Park Assist
$400 Wood interior trim

So really though on the surface it costs $6,600 more, it actually just already includes a lot of the upgrades ($3,150 worth in the 4RX) that the 350 doesn't have. This helps the break-even analysis much more. And even if you upgrade the options, the discount of the items above is factored in on the 450h.

If you also consider that you'll only have to replace the brakes half as often, that saves another $300-$500 (per axle?).