Drive Notes: 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ Luxury AWD

by Tim Healey

Published: October 22nd, 2024

drive notes 2024 lexus rx 450h luxury awd

My most recent test ride was a 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ Luxury AWD plug-in hybrid. Whew, I need to take a breath already.

Long name aside, how does the PHEV version of the crossover that started it all work as a daily driver?

The answer, which I will expand upon below, is: Quite smoothly.

This PHEV mates a 2.5-liter four-cylinder to front and rear electric motors for all-wheel drive, and it has a continually-variable automatic transmission.

This is the first PHEV RX and it comes standard in the Luxury trim. Traffic-jam assist is available. The base price for this test ride was $68,730.

Standard features included multi-zone climate control, SafetySense+ 3.0 advanced driver-assist (lane-tracing assist, road-sign recognition, smart cruise control, and more), blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, digital door latch, satellite radio, navigation, infotainment, heated and cooled front/rear outboard seats, panoramic glass roof, heated steering wheel, 21-inch wheels, wireless cell-phone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a head-up display.

Options included a Convenience Package (traffic-jam assist, panoramic monitor, LED headlamps, Mark Levinson audio, power tailgate, remote parking, digital key, rearview-mirror camera, puddle lamps, and more. Total price with destination? $76,505.

Here are my pros and cons.

Pros

As has been the case for the past two decades, give or take, the RX is smooth, silent, and nicely upscale though not opulent.
The ride is silky even on Chicago's pock-marked streets.
Outside noise stays outside.
Interior controls are intuitive and easy to use.
The overall package is well put together.

Cons

The RX's steering remains numb and not particularly engaging.
Handling is just "meh" at best.
That sticker price is cringe-inducing.
You'll never feel so anonymous.
It feels a bit too heavy.

The RX is put together well, easy to live with, sips fuel, and has an upscale cabin. All of those are nice attributes. But the driving dynamics are sleepy, the cost is high, and the styling anonymous.

That's been the RX story forever -- this time, it's just electrifed.

[Images: Lexus]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

#DriveNotes #CarReviews #Lexus #LexusRX #2024LexusRX #RX #2024LexusRX450hAWD #ElectrifiedVehicles

Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

More by Tim Healey

Comments

Join the conversation

4 of 13 comments

Gregory on Oct 23, 2024
"Meh" handling? Due to the SUV format raising the center of gravity, and increasing the weight, virtually all SUVs are dynamically inferior to their "sedan" donor platforms. No car ever handled better when it was jacked up a foot higher than needed. Comparing handling of these sightline blinding (for other drivers) eyesores, is like discussing shades of beige, and about as interesting.

Like Reply
- See 1 previous
- FreedMike on Oct 23, 2024
  It's entirely possible to build a CUV that handles. Examples: Ford Explorer ST, Audi SQ5, Tesla Model Y.
  
  Like
- Lloyd Bonified on Oct 23, 2024
  Agree @FreedMike. They call such vehicles Wagons.
  
  Like
FreedMike on Oct 23, 2024
@Tim: what was the electric-only range like?

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Peeryog Everytime I see one I am reminded of the current Santa Fe. And vice versa.
Original Guy I watched that Moscow parade thing. (With the Cyrillic captions because my Russian is a little rough.) I won't give the whole thing away, but it started off with a couple of dudes riding around in stupid useless convertibles, standing up like Hitler, who I'm pretty sure was an actual Nazi. They drove around in circles and kept stopping to ask if anyone had seen all the missing military equipment, and all the guys kept moaning back, that no, they hadn't, ask the next section of guys.They looked around for someone shorter and sicker-looking than Putin but they were unsuccessful so they let him speak.The North Korean military was there, I guess the invasion has begun. The North Korean guys were skinny but their rifles were nicely polished, I guess they have plenty of time on their hands between meals.Some of the Russian military guys carried little white flags, I assume they keep those handy in case they run across any U.S. Marines.
Marc J Rauch EBFlexing on ur mom - Ethanol is compatible with more types of rubber, plastic, and metal than gasoline and aromatics. This means that ethanol is less corrosive. The bottom line is that long before ethanol could have any damaging effect on any engine component, gasoline and aromatics would have already damaged the components. And the addition of ethanol doesn't exacerbate the problems caused by gasoline and aromatics; it actually helps mitigate them.
Original Guy Today I learned that a reverse brake bleeder (and a long borescope) can be helpful if you are autistic and don't have any friends and no one wants to work with you to bleed your brakes. Also it is quick, once you figure out the process.When Canada assembled my truck back in circa 1995, they apparently used a different clip to attach the brake pedal (and switch) to the brake booster than what is technically called for. It is tough to realize this when the spring steel clip flies off to who knows where. Of course I ordered the wrong clip trying to match the style that I saw buried up in the dash before it flew away. My truck now has the 'correct' clip, everyone can relax.I ordered some more brake fluid (DOT 3, nothing fancy) but it turns out I still have two fresh bottles (my shelves aren't empty, I just have too many shelves).Went to install my fancy new Optima YellowTop battery and it turns out I need a new side post terminal bolt. (Yet another order placed, bring on THE TARIFFS.) It would be a shame to strip out the threads on a nice new battery, no?Good news: The longer it takes me to get my truck started again, the more I save on fuel. 😁
Normie Weekends here would be a great time for everyone to join in praise of dog dish hubcaps on body-color matched steelies!