Lexus RX 450h+ Sports Luxury 2025 Review

At $123,500 pre on-road costs (ORCs), the Lexus RX 450h+ Sports Luxury is the only PHEV RX, and the second most-expensive. It’s priced $4,200 below the RX 500h F Sport Performance model but more than $33,000 above the entry-level, front-drive RX 350h hybrid.

In the brand’s SUV hierarchy, the top-end RX variants are similarly positioned, pricewise, to the new Lexus GX model (which stems from the Lexus LX/Toyota Landcruiser) and the full-electric, Toyota bZ4X-based Lexus RZ.

Premium-class PHEV rivals for the Lexus RX 450h+ include BMW’s X5 xDrive 50e M ($153,600 pre ORCs) , Land Rover’s Defender P300e ($143,200 pre ORCs), and, particularly, Volkswagen’s R RC Touareg which, at $133,490 pre ORCs, asks for less of a price stretch.

The Lexus RX 450h+ cabin is resplendent in minimally processed semi-aniline leather, 10-way-power adjustable front seats with memory, heating and cooling, also powered reclining and folding rear seats – with heating on the outboard sides – and a sliding panoramic sunroof.

Three-zone climate control with odour-reducing Nanoe X technology, a digital rear-view mirror and a heated and power-adjusted steering wheel are consistent with upper-luxury expectations.

The Lexus RX 450h+ also comes with 21-inch multispoke alloy wheels wearing 235/50R21 tyres, along with a space-saver spare wheel, which is way more welcome than an inflator kit. Lexus lists no available options other than 11 colour and seven trim choices.

The warranty is a standard five-year/unlimited kilometre deal with five years of roadside assist, and servicing is required every 12 months, or 15,000km. Capped priced servicing is set at $695 per service for five years or 75,000km.

The eight-airbag Lexus RX 450h+ secured a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022.

Under the Lexus Safety Sense umbrella, the RX 450h+ includes a roll-out of familiar safety systems such as high and low-speed autonomous emergency braking, day/night detection of pedestrians, cyclists and motorbikes, intersection turn assist, radar cruise control, and speed reduction on curves (controversial and mentioned later).

Also standard are lane-trace assist with lane-departure warning, auto-dimming LED headlights, road-sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit assist for passengers, 360-degree cameras with parking guidelines when reversing, tyre pressure monitoring and trailer sway control (The RX 450h+ PHEV is conservatively rated to tow a braked trailer weighing no more than 1500kg).

Dominated at the centre of the dash by a 14-inch touch-screen, the RX 450h+ control layout is contemporary and relatively easy to live with. Large touch points on the right of the centre screen, a smattering of tactile controls (radio volume, temperature set), and easy-to-identify steering wheel buttons make for liveability that’s about as good as you can expect in this touch-screen era. “Hey Lexus” voice interactivity helps too.

The RX 450h+ brings inbuilt GPS, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a smartphone charging pad, colour head-up display, five USB-C points in front and rear with a USB-A input in the centre console bin, 12-volt sockets in the cabin and cargo area – all capped off with a 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system. Lexus Connected Services functions include remote starting, vehicle location seeking, and pre-setting of the climate control system.

The drivetrain of the RX 450h+ Lexus is the same as the smaller, mid-size Lexus NX 450h+, which was the brand’s first PHEV.

It is built around a slightly de-powered 136kW/227Nm version of the normally aspirated 2.5-litre petrol engine also seen in the regular-hybrid RX 350h. Overall, the RX450h+ is substantially more powerful, with its combined 227kW petrol-electric power out-punching the 350h’s quoted 184kW. The plug-in hybrid drivetrain acquires its AWD credentials, on-road muscle and secure all-weather handling from front and rear electric motors producing 40kW and 121kW respectively.

The Lexus RX450h+ PHEV’s eagerness off the line achieves a claimed time of 6.5 seconds for zero to 100km/h acceleration, compared to the RX350h at 7.9 seconds.

A larger 18.1kW/h lithium-ion battery (the RX350h and RX500h use a smaller 1.3kW/h Nickel metal hydride battery) is at the core of the RX450h+ driving up to around 68km in pure electric mode.

Lexus quotes a combined average fuel consumption for the RX450h+ of just 1.3L/100km, and a CO2 output of 29g/km. Figures like these are, of course, unlikely in average circumstances and would only be achievable by recharging the battery on just about every trip long enough to drain it. Realistically, our review RX450h+ averaged around five litres/100km during a week of driving in a variety of conditions, from freeways to short urban shopping duties. Not at all shabby for a large 2.2-tonne SUV (the Lexus RX 450h+ is actually more than 200kg lighter than PHEV BMW X5, Land Rover Defender and Volkswagen Touareg).

Even if RX 450h+ users might find it difficult to meet the miserly goals suggested by the claimed fuel consumption, the smallish 55-litre tank should not prove to be a shortcoming in terms of achievable range.

Charging to full battery capacity is claimed to take less than three hours using a 240-volt household plug.

The RX450h+ Lexus is true to the breed: It’s wonderfully well put together and seats its passengers with exceptional comfort while providing good space for five.

It’s satisfyingly quick, smooth and pretty quiet on the road, nailing the large luxury SUV brief with handy, if not quite sporty, AWD road manners and a well-modulated ride (a notable feature of the original V6-engined Lexus RX). From the driver’s seat, it feels like something smaller than a large-class SUV with its composed road manners, relatively quick, well-weighted – if slightly artificial – steering, and good visibility from the driver’s seat.

And an element we’ve disliked in other Lexus (and Toyota) models – auto-braking on gentle bends in the road – didn’t disturb us at all during our week with the RX 450h+. We suspect there’s been some fine-tuning going on behind closed doors at Lexus.

The PHEV driveline, especially in EV mode, is generally unintrusive and uninterrupted by the ups and downs of the CVT transmission. The nicely modulated accelerator pedal notably smoothes the power transfer between forward and reverse when manoeuvring at low speeds, and the relatively tight 11.8-metre turning circle emphasises the RX’s tending-to-compact feel.

And, if asked, the Lexus RX450+ is also able to park itself.

Generous rear legroom, nifty push-button door openers and a large sliding sunroof are among the things that stand out in the RX 450h+ Lexus.

Those, and the space and all-around comfort offered by the supportive, fatigue-resisting seats, bode well for long-term appreciation of the LX450h+ across a broad spectrum of functionality. It’s an appealing luxury SUV that reveals its limitations chiefly in its 1500kg braked towing capacity and a not especially generous 218mm ground clearance.

Luggage space is not best-in-class either, but it’s adequate nonetheless, and, naturally, the tailgate is powered and can be opened remotely or by a kick sensor. The space-saver spare wheel is good news.

By all means. As well as its lower pricing, the PHEV Lexus RX is the most economical and lowest CO2-emitter among the significant rivals mentioned here. Yet, for the driver, it’s satisfyingly quick and nimble to boot. The interior is spacious, beautifully presented, and there are copious creature comforts.

If there are let-downs, they mostly relate to the RX 450h+’s available luggage space and the small towing capacity already mentioned.

The Toyota group has been a leader in hybrid technology from the get-go, and the Lexus RX 450h+ PHEV doesn’t let the team down.

2024 Lexus RX 450h+ Sports Luxury at a glance:
Price: $123,500 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 136kW/227Nm (electric motor: 134kW/270Nm front, 40kW/121Nm rear)
Combined output: 227kW
Transmission: CVT
Battery: 18.1kWh lithium-ion
Range: 68km (claimed)
Energy consumption: 13.5kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel: 1.3 L/100km
CO2: 29g/km
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP Year 2022)

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