kitlz

ericsan, I think he's talking about his current 450h. But good points on the 4RX. While I like sharkbite's diet analogy, I liken it to buying organic vs. conventional food. They're both essentially the same in many respects. But one is more natural and to certain discriminating palates, tastes better. Sometimes though, less natural is good

ericsan13

Yeah I realized that, but only had the pricing sheet for the 4RX, so I used that as an example. I'm sure same applies for the 3RX!

Freds430

One does not go in a buy a hybrid when gas is $3-$4 a gallon. This is a great time to buy one. It is like buying a cheap stock that no one wants. Last year within three months, we bought a 2013 ES300h and later a 2015 RX450h. My car the ES, Ii paid the same price as the ES350. My wife's RX was about $2,000 more than the RX350's in the area. Both were purchased at the same Lexus dealer. We absolutely have zero regrets and have both said we would now never own anything other than a hybrid. I am averaging 37 and she is at 28 mpg's. Have noticed definitely a difference in warm and cold weather mpg's. Spring is coming.

User 41924

I don't think many people will disagree with me if I say it's difficult to justify the added expense of the hybrid over the 350 on a strictly financial basis. When we needed to replace or 2010, we drove the 450 on a whim. I had never driven a hybrid, and had no interest in buying one. Ever. However, when we drove it, I was amazed at how much nicer the 450 felt and drove. I can't justify why it felt so much better, and I know it's totally subjective, but it did. The mileage is nice, but the other benefits I think are way better.

Is it 5 to $6K better? Given that it's often better equipped at that price, more fun to drive, gets better mileage, and has better resale value ..... I think it is, and my wife agrees. We'll be deciding if we will keep this car, or buy a new version (I really like them). If we replace it, it will be with another hybrid.

airboss

Just curious, as my wife has an Avalon Hyrbid....where do you lose space in the 450h?

kitlz

No loss of space unless you want to count under the rear cargo area floor. The 12V battery is back there and takes up a part of the storage space. The hybrid batteries are under the rear seats.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

No where really. The battery is underneath the rear seat so you don't notice it. It's one reason why the cargo volume are essentially the same. Nothing is sacrificed in the 450h.

ericsan13

Nothing sacrificed, but extra weight is added. =P

teresaking

My disappointment in my 2015 (new) RX450h is the headlamp covers. If you have a Lexus, doesn't have to be an RX, turn on your headlamps at night and look at the distortion in the lamp covers! They are so cheap! Call or write Lexus - they need to fix this problem!

User 41924

Personally, I think the added weight is what makes the ride so much better. and there really is no loss of usable space.

I try very hard to avoid putting anything on the floor, but it's a bit more important in the 450h. There are vents for the hybrid batteries in front of the rear seat that face forward at floor level, and you need to keep them clear. Normally this would never be a problem, but I once had a blanket on the back seat for our dog on a trip. He didn't fully appreciate my thoughtfulness, and decided to push it to the floor. Right in front of the vents. There was no issue, but I worried about if I had done any damage to the batteries for the rest of the trip.

rj4510

Roughly 200 pounds, but with a low center of gravity. The ride of the h was noticeably different. You felt the extra weight, but not in a bad way if anything it was a tad better.

vlad_a

Extra weight added in the right places - in front of the rear axle.
However, there are weight reductions in the front since there is no transmission or rear driveshaft.