The 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid is the fourth and last powertrain option to arrive following the 2023 redesign of the RX. Maybe patience is a virtue after all, because it’s the best RX to drive but it’s also the most expensive.
The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the trendsetting luxury crossover SUV that launched in 1999 makes an evolutionary leap once again, but the $10,000 question is if Lexus customers will make the plug-in leap with the brand.
It’s a similarly cautious, low-volume approach Lexus took with the RZ electric crossover, the brand’s first fully battery electric model. The cautious approach toward plug-ins seems to be prudent as several automakers ranging from GM to Mercedes-Benz have pumped the brakes on ambitious plans to be fully electric by 2030.
The RX 450h+ squares off against other low-volume plug-in hybrids ranging from the Volvo XC60 and BMW X5 to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, as well as the forthcoming Mazda CX-70. Here are the pros and cons of the RX 450h+.
Con: The RX 450h+ costs $9,150 more than a RX 350h
Let me address this first and see if the rest follows as a justification. Lexus only sells the 2024 RX 450h+ in the loaded Luxury trim. It’s the automotive equivalent of the farm-to-table bespoke movement in a booth by the window. The 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ costs $70,080, including destination. A similarly loaded RX 350h Luxury hybrid without the plug costs $60,930, so opting for the plug-in hybrid results in a $9,150 upcharge. A RAV4 Prime SE is $9,270 more than a RAV4 Hybrid SE, so Toyota is consistent in the premium for its plug-in hybrid powertrain over its hybrid powertrain. My test vehicle had nearly $6,500 worth of options, and topped out at $76,505. The Volvo XC60 PHEV starts at about $61,000, but the Ultimate trim that has many of the features of the Lexus Luxury grade costs $71,000. Even the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe follows a similar walk, starting at $62,000 and cresting $81,000, but the Jeep can qualify for $3,500 off with a point-of-purchase tax credit or $7,500 off on a lease.
That means the RX 450h+ is competitively priced but it’s expensive.
2024 Lexus RX 450h+
Pro: Use no gas around town
The more you drive the RX 450h+ around town, the less the upcharge becomes. The Lexus RX 450h+ gets 37 miles of electric range thanks to a 18.1-kwh battery feeding a 40-kw rear motor that supplements the two front motors and the 2.5-liter inline-4. All that is to say it’s all-wheel drive. The 37-mile range is short of the RAV4 Prime’s 42-mile range rating, but it’s more than enough to handle most daily errands and commutes, even when charging overnight on a standard 120-volt connection (Lexus estimates 12 hours to charge it to full).
For drivers who log most of their miles locally, this means that you can treat your Lexus like your smartphone by charging it overnight to full without spending extra on hardware connections. Charging off-peak at night won’t upset the utility bill, and skipping gas station refills should lower the cost of ownership, though the EPA still hasn’t certified the efficiency ratings of the 2024 RX 450h+ and it will take lots of electric miles to pay for the $9,150 upcharge. Upgrading to a 240-volt connection at home, the Lexus can charge in 2.5 hours via its 6.6-kw onboard charger.
Pro: Skip the gas stations with the Lexus RX 450h+
The efficiency extends to the highway, too, in part due a large 14.5-gallon gas tank. A 315-mile road trip from Chicagoland to Detroitland left me operating mostly on the 2.5-liter inline-4 engine and motor generator, which is rated at 35 mpg combined. The RX 350h hybrid without the plug rates at 36 mpg combined with AWD. But with electric power from the battery pack, the RX 450h+ has a duality that RX350h can’t match, getting the equivalent of 83 mpg on gas and electric power.
I burned through the 37 electric miles getting to the expressway and through traffic, though the EV Hold function could have preserved battery power for when I left the interstate for Detroit’s suburban megopolis. Once there, I had no ready access to a charger, so it drove like a conventional hybrid. I drove about 50 miles per day with no juice over the next four days, and I filled the tank twice over 850 miles. With a car load of gear and averaging about 64 mph over the entire trip, the RX 450h+ averaged about 31 mpg and I never stopped to charge on the road or even overnight. The gas efficiency and large tank translated to an efficient trip in terms of both time and energy, especially mine.
2024 Lexus RX 450h+
Pro: Lexus quietude returns with the RX 450h+
Even with full engine power on the highway, the cabin remains a serene and distant place. Around town or in EV mode, it operates with the silence of an electric car. When the juice runs out or it’s in hybrid or HV mode, it reverts to a more familiar Toyota hybrid, traveling in electric mode under light throttle until about 15 mph when the engine kicks on. Even though the transition was expected for me as the driver, the occupants in the car without their ear buds in didn’t notice it. Aside from the RZ electric crossover, it’s the quietest Lexus yet.
Pro: A quick Lexus RX?
Quickness has never been the forte of the Lexus RX. But the RX 450h+ has plenty of punch from its total system output of 304 hp. Even though they’re both all-wheel driven, the RX 450h+ is the antidote to the buzzy boredom of the 350h. It’s quicker to 60 mph by at least 1.2 seconds, quieter, more planted (and heavier), and is all around a more pleasurable driving experience. By comparison, it makes the RX 350h feel like a more utilitarian appliance. Lexus quotes a 0-60 mph time of 6.2 seconds, and it feels on par with the louder, rougher, more assertive RX 500h F Sport and its quoted 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds.
Con: Polarized sunglasses can affect the Lexus RX 450h+ technology
Sounds strange, I know. In any RX and many other Lexus crossover SUVs, the steering wheel controls to change the radio station, adjust the volume, set the adaptive cruise control, or make or end a call are all blank. The blank steering wheel controls rely on the head-up display to indicate what they control. This limits the confusion of slapping too many icons on the steering wheel, but when wearing polarized sunglasses in the low sunlight of northern winters, it could wash out the display. I imagine owners would memorize it sooner than I would in the week I had with the test vehicle.
Con: The steering wheel controls are still limited
The right pad activates the cruise control or adaptive cruise control settings, with the up button increasing speed and so forth. But the menu icon at the bottom of the steering wheel control changes what the arrows control; instead of the cruise control info, it lets you change the information displayed in the cluster. The arrows then let you switch from an active fuel economy display or g-force meter to navigation instructions. It’s easy to learn, and many drivers will leave the display they prefer and not fiddle with it. I’m a fiddler. The only shortcoming is that if the cruise control is on, you can’t change the display in the cluster.
Pro: Good voice commands
The “Hey Lexus” voice commands are very receptive and polite. The system can be used to find things in navigation or to tune the radio and change the climate settings. It limits reliance on the 14.0-inch touchscreen, which is a great improvement over its predecessors, but the large layout sacrifices some of the historically nice dash materials on top trims.
2023 Lexus RX 450h+
Con: Old school trip meter
Despite the large touchscreen, the interactive digital cluster, the mystical steering wheel controls, and the compromised head-up display, Lexus still relies on an old school button above the left knee to set the trip meter. The tiny display for Trip A and B still appears in the lowest quadrant of the cluster, as it has been for years. The bar graph of fuel economy history in the touchscreen feels as old as the bar graph itself, which dates back to the 18th century. An option to see the average speed of a trip, the total distance, and the fuel economy therein should be a simple ask for the world’s leading hybrid maker.
Con: Is the Lexus RX 450h+ worth the plug-in hybrid upcharge?
All of this leads me back to the original question: Is the RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid worth the $9,150 upcharge over a similarly equipped RX 350h? In fuel cost alone, no. The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $1,250 for the 450h+, compared to $1,650 for the 350h. At that rate, it would take you nearly 23 years to recoup the extra cost of the 450h+. I wonder what the predominant fuel source for transportation will be in 23 years, but I doubt it’ll be gasoline or electricity. Even if you drove on electric-only miles, you’d have to drive 100,733 miles by my math before recouping the $9,150 upcharge over the hybrid.
But, add in the quicker, quieter, more solid ride, and the upcharge feels more digestible.
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2024 Lexus RX 450h+ PHEV
Base price: $70,080, including a $1,350 destination fee
Price as tested: $76,505
Drivetrain: 2.5-liter inline-4 engine, three motors, 18.1-kwh lithium-ion battery pack, all-wheel drive
EPA fuel economy: 37 miles of range, 35 mpg combined, 83 MPGe
The hits: Efficient, quiet, quick, good voice commands
The misses: Expensive, some compromised tech