The Lexus RX has been the brand's best-selling model in recent years. The RX competes with midsize premium SUVs such as the Acura MDX, Cadillac XT5, Infiniti QX60, and Lincoln Nautilus. On a price basis, the RX also goes up against 2-row, 5-passenger premium SUVs such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Genesis GV70, Mercedes-Benz GLC, and Volvo XC60.
As the sixth-generation version of the Lexus RX was all-new for 2023, changes for the 2024 model year are minimal but significant, with the addition of a third RX hybrid variant. Joining the existing, conventional hybrid RX 350h and RX 500h is the model's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the RX 450h+.
There are 15 Lexus RX configurations for 2024: four with front-wheel drive (FWD) and eleven with all-wheel drive (AWD). Six of the 15 are hybrids. Including the $1,350 destination fee, the 2024 Lexus RX lineup consists of the following:
Previously, JD Power reviewed the 2023 Lexus RX. This review focuses on the RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid and how it potentially impacts the RX's overall consumer appeal.
Photo: Ron Sessions
The Lexus RX competes in the Midsize Premium SUV market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2023 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, 50 percent of new Lexus RX buyers are male (vs. 56 percent for the segment), and the median age of a new RX buyer is 65 years (vs. 59).
As part of the APEAL Study, owners rated the RX in 10 primary categories. Listed below in descending order, you'll find their preferences, from their most favorite thing about the vehicle to their least favorite:
In the 2023 APEAL Study, the RX ranks highest out of seven Midsize Premium SUV models.
In the following sections, our independent expert analyzes a 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $75,330, including the $1,350 destination charge.
Photo: Ron Sessions
Lexus introducing a plug-in hybrid version of the RX is significant because it allows the driver to operate the vehicle on gasoline, electricity, or both. In addition, buyers purchasing a PHEV can take advantage of various tax credits and rebates offered in certain states and municipalities.
The new RX 450h+ uses the same naturally aspirated Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), and plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the compact Lexus NX 450h+ introduced in 2022, as well as the Toyota RAV4 Prime before that.
Lexus offers the new RX 450h+ solely with AWD, so that means the 4-cylinder engine pairs with three electric motors: a starter/generator on the engine, a permanent-magnet AC motor powering the front wheels, and another smaller permanent-magnet AC motor powering the rears. As with other Toyota and Lexus hybrid AWD models, there is no driveshaft, so the rear motor is the sole source of propulsion for the rear wheels, and its primary purpose is to aid traction.
The combined output of the engine and electric motors is 304 horsepower. That's good enough for a claimed zero-to-60-mph time of 6.2 seconds, an EPA-estimated combined fuel-economy rating of 35 miles per gallon, and an EPA-estimated 83 MPGe efficiency rating. Use that MPGe rating when comparing the efficiency of the RX 450h+ against other competing plug-in hybrids.
The other important statistic is the 37-mile all-electric driving range of the RX 450h+. The ability to travel up to 37 miles solely on electric power separates the RX 450h+ from conventional gas/electric hybrids that depend on the engine to keep the hybrid propulsion battery charged. Keeping the RX PHEV's 18.1-kWh lithium-ion propulsion battery fully charged for making a few short errands on electric power alone is where the plug-in feature really pays off.
Lexus says you can fully charge the RX 450h+ hybrid battery in about 2.5 hours using a 240-volt AC outlet and the provided Level 1 cable and 6.6-kWh onboard charger via the RX's charge port, located in the SUV's right rear quarter panel. You can also fully top off the battery with the same Level 1 cable overnight at a conventional 120-volt AC household outlet. However, DC fast charging that can take larger EV batteries to an 80-percent charge in mere minutes is not an option with the RX 450h+.
The step-up in price between a conventional gas-electric RX 350h and the plug-in RX 450h+ is a steep one. Still, the PHEV model comes standard with Luxury trim, adding several nice-to-have extras that are either not included or unavailable in lower trims. This includes a standard panoramic sunroof that runs nearly the entire length of the cabin and a 10-inch color head-up display that can show vehicle speed, the selected gear, adaptive cruise control settings, navigation directions, lane-centering status, and important road-sign reminders in the lower part of the windshield directly in the driver's field of view. Luxury trim also includes heated and ventilated rear seats as well as power-operated rear seatback folding for increased cargo space.
Advanced Park with Remote Park is a new optional tech feature on the 2024 RX exclusive to the Luxury trim. Advanced Park enables the RX to enter or exit from a parallel or perpendicular parking space, with the vehicle assuming control of the accelerator, steering, gearshift, and brakes. Remote Park lets the driver control parking with the digital key and Lexus app from outside the vehicle. Advanced Park with Remote Park combines the two features.
Photo: Ron Sessions
As in past years, the new Lexus RX offers a generous roster of safety and driver-assistive tech. And unlike some of its European-branded competitors, almost all is standard equipment. In addition to 10 airbags, a reversing camera, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning, the standard Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 brings forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assistance, automatic emergency stop assistance, traffic-sign recognition, automatic high-beam headlights, and Proactive Driving Assist.
Proactive Driving Assist works in the background to make you a better driver. During the recent RX 450h+ test drive, the system came in handy when exploring an unfamiliar, twisty, two-lane back road. After activating the system via the vehicle settings menu on the RX 450h+'s large, 14-inch central infotainment screen, Proactive Driving Assist proactively reduced a few miles per hour in advance of decreasing radius turns, for which I should have slowed a bit more. When the RX came up quickly behind a much slower-moving farm vehicle at the exit of a blind curve, the system gently braked the RX without drama. The system improves driving safety and builds confidence when driving on unfamiliar roads.
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated the crashworthiness of any of the 2024 Lexus RX models. However, the IIHS has evaluated the nearly identical 2023 Lexus RX, giving it Good ratings for small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side impacts, and headlamp performance. The IIHS also gave the 2023 Lexus RX a Superior rating for both daytime and night-time vehicle-to-pedestrian front-crash protection. The 2023 Lexus RX also received an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating for the 2023 calendar year.
Unlike the sportier-looking RX 500h "performance" hybrid, the new RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid doesn't pretend to be anything more than a luxuriously equipped and provocatively styled premium midsize SUV with ride-optimized driving dynamics and ample performance.
The 6.2-second zero-to-60-mph accelerative capability of the RX 450h+ is far more spritely than the low-to-mid 7-second RX 350 and RX 350h models and within three-tenths of a second of the RX 500h. Yet, the RX 450h+ delivers EPA combined fuel economy within one mpg of the stingiest RX 350h.
More than the numbers, the RX 450h+ lives up to its luxury expectations with a smooth power flow that expertly blends electric and internal combustion locomotion. Launches from rest are turbine smooth, and engine and electric motor interplay are nearly indiscernible except for a faint, low-frequency sound when the engine kicks in.
Buttons on the center console enable the driver to exercise some control over when the engine and electric motors operate. In normal HV (hybrid vehicle) mode, the electric motors drive the RX at low speeds/loads and during coasting and some steady-state driving, with the engine kicking in under heavier acceleration and road loads. Using the EV/HV button, the driver can choose EV (electric vehicle) mode to keep the RX under electric power regardless of speed or load. By pressing the Hold Charge button, the driver can use the engine to recharge the hybrid-propulsion battery while driving, saving its charge for more EV range later on.
The E-Four hybrid-electric AWD system and standard 235/50R21 all-season tires provide reassuring grip and stability for the RX 450h+ on twisty back roads driven within reasonable respect for the posted speed limit. Likewise, the 4-wheel disc brakes of the RX 450h+ offer crisp top-of-pedal response with pinpoint controllability and good blending of the regenerative and mechanical deceleration. The rack-and-pinion electric steering is reasonably quick yet never darty on the highway. The RX is pleasantly quiet inside, and its comfortable seats and easy-to-navigate controls make this well-appointed, premium SUV a pleasant everyday driver.
Photo: Ron Sessions
The 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ is a good choice for buyers who are attracted to the idea of electric propulsion but may not be ready to address the charging challenges and range anxiety of a battery-electric vehicle. Toyota and its luxury division Lexus have been leaders in hybrid electrification for many years, so there's little to worry about regarding durability and reliability. Opting for the RX 450h+ allows buyers to lower their carbon footprint and avoid gasoline price spikes while dipping a toe into the world of EVs.
While pricey, the 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ is a stylish and well-equipped luxury SUV offering a nice balance of good everyday fuel economy, above-average performance, and the ability to operate solely on electricity for up to 37 miles. Its significant advantage is the flexibility to use gasoline or electric power as circumstances change.
Ron Sessions is a seasoned vehicle evaluator with more than three decades of experience. He has penned hundreds of road tests for automotive and consumer websites, enthusiast magazines, newsletters, technical journals, and newspapers.
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