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Lexus RX 330 vs 400h
We
think the Lexus RX is the "Queen of the SUVs" based on its command of
the road, ability to care for its citizens, and the price you have to
pay for its attentions. Priced at over $50,000 (US) this Lexus is the
first luxury SUV hybrid on the market and it is going to be difficult
to compete against. It is that good. As for the gas only version of the
Lexus, labeled the 330 and about $10,000 less, it is still the gold
standard of luxury SUVs and easily the most refined of its ilk.
However, it doesn't provide the gusto of some competitors and is not so
inclined to venture up inclines or tolerate hard cornering so if you
insist on using your SUV as a sports car leave Lexus land for the world
of BMW and Acura.
 We
tested both Lexus RX models in all types of situations and they never
became uncivil despite heavy traffic, rain, Hummer drivers who have not
yet realized they are not on the battlefield, and the tight roads of
Vancouver. It was a lady at all times, but what made it more remarkable
was the little things that sold us such as the best interior night
lighting ever. The Lexus has illuminated sill plates, door handles.
foot wells, the ignition ring, glove box, center console box, and front
cup holders not to mention the map and cargo area maps.
Added
to this mix are an easy to activate power hatch, rear seat backs that
are adjustable for rake, and a flawless reputation for quality and thus
high resale. The turning radius is much better than previous models and
you can easily park it. Unfortunately, the rear vision is impaired and
so we highly tout the video camera that places a live image of what is
happening in back of the RX on the center display monitor. Very trick
and very useful. In fact the only real option is the rear entertainment
center and, perhaps, GPS.
 Both
models come with power rear hatch openers, programmable garage door
openers, electric steering, heated outside mirrors that automatically
dim, and so many other features it can overwhelm your objectivity. We
can't image what fixing some of the complex electrical components is
going to cost after the warranty expires in four years or 60,000 miles.
The problem we were trying to solve is whether the expensive hybrid
version was worth the extra thousands of dollars even given the high
price of fuel. Since the hybrid only comes well loaded it can cost
nearly $10,000 more than the base RX. However, if you equip your base
RX with similar options such as leather and all wheel drive the price
differential is about $5,000 additional for the hybrid. And since the
gas hybrid consistently gets 22 mpg and the hybrid only about 20
percent better in real world driving does it pay to buy the expensive
400 h even when some government agencies offer a tax credit for hybrid
owners?
To cover ourselves we'll just say, depends. If you drive
on open highways at speed stick with the RX 330. It is a faithful
companion, although not one that caters to tracking down BMWs. If you
do over half of your driving in town the 400 h is your best bet. In
bumper-to-bumper traffic you can drive up to 30 mph just on battery
power and you could easily cover 500 miles on a tank of gas. The
electric motors combined with the gas engine provide 268 horsepower
instantly without much ado from the continuously variable transmission.
Even the 400's handling is better than that of the 330 RX model.
Getting 24 or 25 miles to the gallon is not difficult in mixed driving,
but even at that unless you drive well over 25,000 miles a year and gas
is priced at $3 a gallon it would take you years to justify paying
extra for the hybrid.
Resale
is going to be stout regardless of which model you select. Dealers have
cleared most of the back orders, except for a few colors such as white
and bamboo, and so there is less of a wait for the RX 400 h. The best
way to know for sure is to check at www.nada.com for resale. Adding to
this value is the fact that none of the competition offers a luxury
hybrid so there is no competition. On the other hand it is far more
expensive than SUV hybrids from Toyota and Ford.
 We are
sure though, that the hybrid is clearly going to command top dollar for
many a year for three reasons. It is responsive, responsible, and
realistic. It does not feign to be something it isn't. Yes it can go
off road and do well, but why spend that much money to rough up a
vehicle? Secondly, safety first is embedded everywhere from airbags to
braking to preventive tipping measures. Finally, it can realistically
hold five adults. It does not pretend to hold seven as some SUVS do,
two of whom may have to crawl over seats, people, and luggage to find
their perches just inches away from the rear hatch and potential danger
should there be an accident.
Mom's
view: This is what it must be like to have twins; so alike and yet so
different. The 330 RX is blissful to drive, a little overly protective
in the way it deals with road imperfections, and has just enough
acceleration so you have to keep a vigil on the speedometer. The 400h
is another matter. The larger tires and rims, aggressive suspension,
hefty weight, and the instant torque provided by the electric motors
turn this into more of a fighter. Both would be delightful children,
but I think most mothers wouldn't mind boasting of the 400h's ability
to excel even though it may require a more trips to the school.
Whether
you are driving the hybrid or the RX 330 the seats are both supportive
and comfortable. This is a rare combination and worthy of exaltation.
Getting into the hybrid requires added leg lift because it rides a tad
higher, but once inside you have excellent vision to the sides and front.
Unlike the unique Toyota Prius hybrid, there is very little different
about these two Lexi outside of some minor trim pieces. Even the
interior is akin except for the information center and a readout that
shows which energy source you are using. That is not to say it does not
have appeal as its abundance of storage space, good cupholders, and
even a place for a purse make it very accommodating. The leather,
switchgear, and plastics are well done and, if you choose carefully,
nicely color coordinated. Add to this the solid basic structure and you
have a SUV that gets responsible fuel mileage in either hybrid or gas
only versions, and you have the reasons that this is the best selling
Lexus ever.
Dad's
view: As the Ford Escape hybrid, the Lexus is stealth like and nearly
impossible to identify from a distance over its more traditional
powered clone. This quickly changes once you check out the drivetrain.
The hybrid 400h carries 300 pounds of extra weight, but this is offset
when the two electric motors and the gas engine work together to
provide 268 horsepower compared to 230 for the gas version. One
electric motor helps to drive the front wheels and one the back. A
continuous variable transmission on the hybrid does its work
efficiently, but there is sharp tug when you are slowly backing out of
a parking space and the gas engine decides it is needed. Keep your foot
on the brake or it jumps a bit. The hybrid also has been trained to
shut down at long stops. It starts instantly once you remove your foot
from the brake and touch the gas pedal. In case you are wondering the
stereo, air conditioning, and lights all continue to operate even with
the engine paused.
You can
easily feel the extra power the hybrid brings to the wheels when you
demand full acceleration. This hybrid can move out in a hurry and we
think it could easily reach 60 mph in around seven seconds, or about a
half second faster than the 330. One thing that does not move faster is
the fuel gauge. We traveled around in heavy city traffic, went to the
suburbs to do research on a hydrogen-powered bicycle being produced by
Palcan Power Systems Inc. and returned in traffic and rain. The hybrid
Lexus was nonplussed, and seemed to relish the challenge.
The EPA
rates the RX 400h at 31/27, but you can count on around 26 to 28 mpg.
This isn't as great as the Prius and Honda Civic, but the Lexus weights
twice as much. The RX 330 returns 22 to 23 miles per gallon. Both cars
can go well over 400 miles on a tank of unleaded. You should note that
hybrids have additional maintenance costs and that the battery packs,
which have a lengthy warranty, can cost several thousand dollars to
replace.
Lexus claims the RX 330 can get to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds from the 230
horsepower, 242 foot pounds of torque, 3.3 liter V6. Whatever, it is
still a fairly fast vehicle for its class while still getting over 22
mpg during highway cruising.
Basically,
I am not a huge fan of SUVs because of their handling, gas hoggish
nature, and limited side and back visibility. I am proud to say that
the RX 330 has none of these traits. In fact, it rides as well as some
luxury sedans over highways. Be warned, though, that this is not a
nimble vehicle and the steering can feel slow to react when the road
requires frequent corrections. Visibility to the side is excellent with
the best mirrors in the SUV business. It is clear that the Lexus
engineers designed this for more cruising than bruising, even though
the 7.1 inch ride height is adequate and the all wheel drive system
with the electric motors very peppy on inclines.
Braking is quite impressive with very little front dip, but we would
strongly recommend you don't overestimate the stopping distance because
this is a two-ton vehicle when loaded. On the RX 400h the braking
process helps regenerate the battery pack and thus the brakes made a
squeaky sound.
 There
really is no logical reason to buy a Lexus 400h. Yes, it may be a
better value than the RX 330 in the long run, but the Ford Escape
hybrid is much less expensive, gets similar fuel mileage, and can stay
right with the Lexus in town driving. Despite this we doubt anyone
would cross-shop the two, and so if you have a tender spot for the
environment and have the wherewithal, you couldn't find a better place
to spend your travel time. The attention to detail, ability to park in
tight places, power, and notable quality and features are unmatched.
Young working woman's view: What can you say to a queen who has
everything? There is little to add here. I didn't like the way the fuel
light went on with so little fanfare, I thought that the alloy rims
were unworthy and needed to be rethought as they are just not right,
and I would have preferred if the power tailgate would open with less
fanfare as it sounds like a truck is backing up. Starting the hybrid is
eerie to say the least. You turn on the ignition; wait for the light in
the gauge cluster to read "Ready," and you just touch the accelerator.
No fuss, no muss, and if you are careful you can even drive several
miles without using the gas engine at all. However, we did not test the
hybrid in the winter and so we cannot verify what it would be like in
Winnipeg.
Both RX
models have significant safety features that include front side
airbags, head-protecting curtain side airbags and a driver knee airbag.
A control system that uses the Electronically Controlled Brake system
with Anti-Lock Brakes and Electronic Brake force Distribution creates a
Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system to help prevent the
vehicle from becoming unstable. In other words, this queen has built a
sturdy safety castle
around her charges. Although the RX is based on a Camry platform, it is
definitely off-roadable. However, who would want to take one of these
into the boondocks and scratch that deep paint ironically on the same
vegetation that these hybrids were born to protect.
The cabin is full of wonderful things to touch. The leather and wood
steering wheel is easy to hold, the cruise control, light, and
windshield stalks don't require you to lift your hand and the dashboard
lighting is the best. There are a lot of look alike buttons in the
center of the dash that must be learned because reading them is
difficult in bright sunlight. We did manage to stall the GPS on the RX
330, but after restarting it gave us another chance.
Of all the lovely things in this RX, perhaps the most appealing was the
small touches that made you feel special. At night, the Lexus name on
the doorstep plate lights up and the door panel storage areas have
covers that pull out making it easy to get the smallest of items.
Unemployed
young male's view: The back seats were very comfortable with handy
cupholders, ample headroom, and foot space. Make sure you adjust the
rear backrests before you get into the RX because they are really hard
to adjust when you are sitting in them. You can fold the rear seats
down in three sections, but they don't fold real flat. You also have
extra storage space in the rear cargo area on both sides and under the
cover. And, there is a standard 115-volt 2-prong outlet behind rear
seat. There is also a full size spare with alloy rim under the cargo
cover.
Being unemployed, check out my website to buy my latest CD so I can
make my parents proud, I wonder why not just by a Toyota Highland or
hybrid Highlander instead. They are less expensive and have the same
powertrain. Of course, with a Lexus you do get the pride of ownership,
a higher percentage of resale value, and Lexus dealerships that we have
found were quite attentive.
The bottom line for me is that the hybrid only makes sense if you spend
a considerable time in town. Otherwise, get the base RX equipped as you
want and accept the fact that you've been one-upped.
http://www.simple-thoughts.net/
Family conference: Call it a tall station wagon, try to humiliate it by claiming
its an overpriced Toyota, make fun of its turtle shell appearance, or
just point out you can get an SUV the same size and power for $10,000
less and you still are not going to convince buyers that this isn't the
cat's meow of luxury SUVs. While the Acura MDX handles a bit better,
the BMW is faster, and Mercedes more off roadable, and the Infiniti
sportier, the Lexus is all alone when it comes to providing buyers with
what the majority want, and that is a luxury vehicle that is both
practical an elegant and the 400 h is the queen. Long live the queen.
For the websites of all vehicle and motorcycle manufacturers go to
http://www.reacheverychild.com/business/auto/index.html
Lexus RX hybrid data
Wheelbase 106.9 in.
Overall Length 187.2 in.
Overall Width 72.6 in.
Cargo Volume - 38.3 cu. ft./84.7 cu. ft.
HYBRID POWER SYSTEM
Series/parallel system with gas engine and electric motors
268 hp (200 kw) Horsepower (@ 5,600 rpm
3.3 liter V6, aluminum block and heads DOHC 24 valve with VVT-i
Torque 212 lb.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm
ELECTRIC MOTORS
Motor Generator 1 (MG1) - Function Generator, engine starter, transmission ratio control
- Type Permanent magnet motor
- Max. voltage AC 650V
Motor Generator 2 (MG2) - Function
Drives front wheels, regeneration during braking
Permanent magnet motor
AC 650V
167 hp (123 kw) @ 4,500 rpm
247 lb.-ft. @ 0 - 1,500 rpm
Motor Generator Rear (MGR) - Function
Drives rear wheels, regeneration during braking
Permanent magnet motor
AC 650V
68 hp (50 kw) @ 4,610 - 5,120 rpm
96 lb.-ft. @ 0 - 610 rpm
HYBRID BATTERY PACK
Type Sealed nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH)
Nominal Voltage 288V
Power Output 45 kw
Turning 37.4 feet
Tire Size / Type 235/55VR18 M+S
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