Lexus RX 450h

Expert Rating:

What is it?

According to Lexus, it's the win-win 4x4; the SUV that manages to be big, luxurious and environmentally savvy, all at once. How's that possible? Well, the only version we'll get in the UK is the RX 450h driven here - and that little 'h' is the all-important bit because it signifies that this is an electric hybrid.

These days, the environmental thing is an issue more en vogue than ever among the wealthy car buyers Lexus aims to divert away from certain German makers. And over the last twenty years or so Lexus has worked hard to earn its reputation as a true premium player, building it on, as its corporate slogan eloquently states, 'the pursuit of perfection.' Lexus is famed for - courtesy of countless JD Power customer satisfaction awards - the type of dealer service that the Queen herself would feel right at home with.

So, add a good blob of eco savvy to the equation and Bob's your dad's tree-hugging brother. Sadly, however, it seems Lexus spent so much time making the RX 450h green that it forgot about the rest of it.

Is it any good?

The big Lexus looks a tad more imposing than the car it replaces, with an altogether more aggressive appearance - from the front, anyway. At the rear it looks like a bloated Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, although its main visual problems are actually in the cabin; it's a bit of a mess in there. The RX doesn't have a bad interior, it's just all too, well, Japanese. The materials are (mostly) top notch, but there's no design coherence at all, and it's comprehensively ruined by tacky wood inserts, a nasty clunk of silver plastic on the fascia, and a completely non-ironic 1980s digital clock. Cosmic.

There is a new 'Remote Touch' interface for satnav equipped cars, which very easily and intuitively controls everything on the central screen via a computer mouse style interface on the centre console - but even that's an ugly hunk of awkward looking plastic. The technology roster, however, is comprehensive enough that some might feel ugliness a price worth paying. A top-end model is pricey at £55k, though delve into the spec sheet and it looks a lot more reasonable. Highlights include a height adjustable head-up display; adaptive cruise control; 'dual speed' electric windows that glide shut in silence; a pre-crash system that puts the brakes on for you if you're too slow to; an amazing Mark Levinson sound system; heated and cooled leather seats; and parking sensors everywhere.

If only the computers actually drove the car too, because, sadly, it drives like Lexus forgot to put any dampers inside the springs. You can specify height-adjustable air suspension or a conventional setup, the latter with an optional 'active stabiliser bar' for more secure handling if you want - but whatever you choose, you're in for a large helping of nauseating, roly-poly seasickness. Don't get us wrong, it's not terrible, it's just nowhere near the big, refined, king-of-the-road experience you expect of a Lexus SUV. There's the gush of wind noise from the A-pillars too, the driving position is difficult to get comfortable with, the steering is light and numb and the buttons are randomly scattered all over the place. Fortunately, the drivetrain is sublime...

Should I call the bank manager?

If you do, he'll be delighted because the Lexus is almost unfeasibly cheap to run. It's not cheap to run like a Tata Nano is, obviously, but its credentials are such that this 3.5-litre V6 hybrid makes even its diesel peers from Germany seem as dirty as a deep fried turkey twizzler; the RX 450h's hybrid drivetrain is nothing short of brilliant.

The 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, which on its own develops 246bhp, is supplemented by two electric motors mounted fore and aft, with the rear one driving the back wheels on demand for 'intelligent' four-wheel drive. The electric motors can work in series or parallel with the V6, so it's possible to drive on CO₂-free electricity only, or use a mighty combination of electricity and petrol power for a total output of 295bhp at 6,000rpm.

The downside is that from a full charge the Lexus will only go on electricity for around two miles, and even then just at crawling speeds, but the upside is that the fuel economy and CO₂ emissions stats it posts are quite extraordinary: 44.8mpg and 148g/km. Lexus claims that means a saving of thousands and thousands over a typical three-year ownership period compared to rivals like the Mercedes ML 320 CDI, the BMW X5 3.0d and the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI. And certainly, the Germans can't touch the Japanese car's figures, or its 14 percent company car benefit in kind rating. Nor, in fact, its NOx emissions, which are absolutely paltry when compared to its diesel foes' dirty outputs. And it's quick too, with a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds. Only a whiney CVT automatic 'box lets the side down on the motorway. Shame.

Summary

On paper the hybrid RX 450h makes such a compelling case for itself that it's a painful letdown stepping behind the wheel and driving it. So much of what you expect a big Lexus should be is missing - it's noisy, bouncy and ultimately boring to look at, inside and out. This car should waft along with silence, refinement and presence. It doesn't. But, if you can live with its many foibles there's a very practical (well, big) and cheap-to-run SUV to be had, and one with the credibility of the Lexus badge, if the thought of a profligate German 4x4 is just too much for your eco-aware palate to swallow. We'd still take an X5.

Mark Nichol