Hybrid Vehicles Guide

Overview: This SUV is proof that a hybrid doesn’t have to be from a brand known for fuel economy. Lexus, a premium brand by anyone’s standards, has taken a high performance SUV and made it just a little bit greener. Want to give yourself a treat? Take a ride in the 268 horsepower SUV that can sprint from 0-60 in just 7.3 seconds.

Detail: This SUV is a beauty, no doubt at it. Its looks, plus an impressive list of features and electronic gizmos, have made the RX 400h highly sought after. And guess what, it’s a hybrid.

Extremely Popular

Lexus had nearly 10,000 RX 400h SUV’s sold on a pre-order before they were released, and their popularity has only risen since its introduction. There are many reasons for this, and the Lexus moniker is probably one of them. I’m willing to bet that the main reason is a strong 268 horsepower combined output, coupled with over 30 mpg and an impressive list of standard features.

Driving the RX 400h

Mash the throttle and watch the RX 400h scream from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in under 7.5 seconds, putting into the same category of most sport compacts and 200+ horsepower sedans. Though the 400h is definitely not a sports car, the SUV looks and handles better than just about everything else we’ve come across.

Combining the power from a 3.3L V6 and a 161 horsepower electric motor, the total amount of power on tap comes to jut shy of 270. Mated this to an impressive all-wheel-drive system and you get performance that is leaps and bound ahead of most other SUV’s in its class. All of this while maintaining fuel economy that is nearly Honda Civic territory.

The interior cabin is definitely Lexus, and neither the driver nor the passengers will ever be left wanting for amenities and luxury. Leather adorns the cabin, and the plush seats may even make you wonder why your couch doesn’t feel like that. Typical of most SUV’s, there is a small blind spot near the rear of the car, so be extra careful when shoulder checking.

One area that we would like to see some improvement is in brake pedal feel, but that’s a relatively small gripe to make considering that it doesn’t affect the performance of the RX- the SUV still stops like it’s supposed to.

In Conclusion

With impressive mileage and tons of standard features, the RX 400h is a winner in our books. The SUV accelerates nicely, handles well, and looks pretty darn sharp while doing it.