Lexus RX400h
Engine: V-shaped, 6 cylinders
Displacement: 3,311 cm3
Max. torque:
Front traction electric motor: maximum power - 123 kW/4500 rpm
Max. torque:
333 Nm/1500 rpm
Rear traction electric motor: maximum power - 50 kW/4610-5120 rpm
Max. torque:
130 Nm/0-610 rpm
Total power: 272 hp
Acceleration time to 100 km/h 7.6 sec.
Max. speed - 200 km/h.
Transmission: automatic continuously variable.
Drive - front with electronically controlled rear axle
Fuel consumption:
combined - 8.1 l/100 km
Dimensions:
Length - 4755 mm
Width - 1845 mm
Height - 1680 mm
Permissible gross weight - 2505 kg.
The hybrid powertrain of the Toyota Prius became a real breakthrough — since 1997, about 360 thousand such cars have been sold. This success prompted engineers to new experiments, and one of the results was the Lexus RX400h. The developers set two goals: to reduce the car's appetite and its impact on nature. The powertrain is called Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD). The heart of the system is a 3.3-liter V6 gasoline engine with 211 horsepower, without which the whole structure simply would not work. Through a planetary gear, power goes to the wheels, with the gear ratio changing smoothly, like in a CVT. On the front axle there is an additional electric motor powered by a battery: energy is accumulated in it by a generator driven by the gasoline engine. At the rear — another electric motor that, when necessary, engages the rear axle, making the crossover all-wheel drive. During braking, energy is returned to the battery under the rear seat. It is from the power of this battery (45 kW) and the electric motors that the final 272 horsepower is derived. This scheme does not require charging from an outlet — you just need to drive. However, if the car stands still for a long time, it needs to be started periodically to replenish the battery.
Director of the car dealership «AutoLife» Kharitonov Bulat.
Gumer Khairullin, director of the store «Pierre Cavallo», specialist of the economic department of the company «Taif-Art», driving experience 5 years.
- I first encountered the Lexus RX400h at a test drive, although its predecessor RX350 was already familiar to me. Most of all, I wanted to understand how the gasoline and electric engines coexist.
First, I went on a trip as a passenger. It was impossible to tell by ear which engine was currently working — I had to check the display of the on-board computer. In theory, the hybrid scheme is clear: to reduce consumption and emissions, the most energy-intensive moments — start and acceleration — are taken over by electric motors. The battery acts as a kind of buffer, smoothing out load surges, and the gasoline engine turns on when you need to add power or replenish spent amp-hours.
My own experience behind the wheel confirmed the theory. I insert the key, turn it — and silence. Only the inscription «Ready» on the power indicator tells me that the system is ready to work. I put the selector in Drive, gently press the gas — again no sound. The car moves exclusively on the front electric motor. I press harder — the rear electric motor comes into play, and the crossover becomes all-wheel drive. And only with a serious press on the pedal does the gasoline «six» wake up. This is where the most interesting part begins: acceleration is simply excellent, and the roar of the engine makes you believe that the car is ready to fight for supremacy in its class.
On the highway, the Lexus pleased: it is lively, instantly gains speed. But on a dirt road, its character changes. Over bumps, the car goes softly and elastically, nothing catches, does not sway, obeys the steering wheel perfectly. And at the same time — surprisingly quiet. But I would not advise treating the 400h as a full-fledged SUV. The limitations are precisely because of the electric drive of the rear axle — for all its genius, it is not designed for serious off-road.
The city is the native element of this car. For a regular engine, traffic jams are a real punishment and maximum consumption. But not for the 400h! As soon as you brake before a line of cars, the gasoline engine immediately stalls, and you stand in line at the traffic light on electricity. Then the engine briefly wakes up, recharges the battery — and falls silent again. The result is impressive: if on the highway and on my improvised «off-road» track the appetite was 13 liters, then in the city — only 9! The savings are simply fantastic.
I would also like to note the comfort. Everything in the car is thought out so that the driver feels safe. Electronics actively assists during skids and accelerations, making the ride smooth and calm. Even passengers taller than 180 cm can easily fit in the back. The only thing that slightly upset me was that in complete silence, the noise of the wheels is audible from the rear row. However, with the audio system working, this nuance disappears. And the standard acoustics, by the way, are excellent — you can feel the luxury level.
The RX400h suits both men and women. This is a car for those who appreciate the brand, follow technology, and are not afraid of everything new and unusual.
Alfred, driving experience 11 years.
I am ready to bet: when you first get into this car and try to start it, you will decide that it is broken. The trick is simple — when you turn the key, the electric motor starts, and it works almost silently. The gasoline unit wakes up only when the battery needs recharging. The algorithm of operation of this trio (after all, there are two electric motors, one for each axle) is not so complicated, but requires explanation — more on that later. But getting used to the fact that after turning the key you do not hear the rumble of the engine is really difficult. As is the fact that the car maneuvers in absolute silence. Sometimes it seems that this Lexus has arrived from another world or even dimension — especially since externally it differs from the RX300 only in a different radiator grille, bumper, fog lights, slightly modified lights, and a badge on the rear.
The name «Lexus» itself means nothing — the word is synthetic, it smacks of something fantastic, like from a movie about the future. The hybrid does not look huge outside, but inside the space is frankly surprising. This applies to the driver's seat, the front passenger, and the rear passengers. The interior is cozy and solid, although calling it luxurious is hard. It is very pleasant to sit behind the wheel: the car is friendly and comfortable. A careful eye will notice «Toyota» notes in the interior — the shape of some buttons and controls reveals a common origin. The instrument panel is «optitron», reads perfectly in any light — whether in bright sun or twilight. The speedometer is designed so that the readings are visible only to the driver and front passenger (I specifically asked my neighbor). A similar solution is found on sports models. Nearby is a battery charge indicator with the inscription Ready, and while driving, an animated diagram of energy flows is before your eyes. On the large display during movement, you can watch a whole cartoon about how energy flows between electric motors, the battery, and the gasoline engine. For detailed explanations, we turned to the director of the car dealership «AutoLife» Kharitonov Bulat.
The car's behavior on the road fully matched my expectations: it is predictable, understandable, and very smooth. Acceleration is assertive and smooth, like in modern «automatics». Gear changes are not felt at all — everything happens calmly. Perhaps the word «smooth» is the most accurate characteristic for this car.
For those who like to tempt fate, I advise looking into the owner's manual on page 360 — it directly says that this car is not designed for off-road. This is like a law of physics: where something arrives, something leaves. You got economy and better dynamics — you lost in cross-country ability. And is it even needed in our asphalt world? In essence, we have a front-wheel-drive station wagon that from time to time becomes all-wheel drive thanks to the rear electric motor. Still, this is a typically urban car, but in the city the «Lexus RX 400h» feels like a fish in water. At traffic lights, the car does not emit a single gram of even catalyst-cleaned exhaust gases into the air — until the automation decides to recharge the battery and starts the six-cylinder engine. When parking, you need to be especially careful: others simply do not hear the car, because the gasoline engine is silent! Getting used to complete silence is not easy (probably that is why an expensive Mark Levinson audio system is installed here). The silence is broken only by a quiet hum reminiscent of a trolleybus.
The braking system works flawlessly, the pedal pressure sensor is very precise — you can perfectly dose the force and control the braking process. The steering wheel is sharp enough, although for such a tall car it could have been a bit calmer. Overall, there are almost no complaints. However, I didn't like that the climate control is placed on the monitor screen — it would be more convenient to have separate knobs. So what will the buyer ultimately get? They will get a Lexus with all the consequences. The main highlight is that the car will be more dynamic and significantly more economical, but at the expense of off-road capabilities. The choice is yours.
Vadym, driving experience 9 years.
Lexus! The very name sounds like elegance, reliability, and loyalty to the best classical traditions. Several of my acquaintances drove the RX300, and the reviews were always the most positive. But that's a car of the last century; today everything should be better and, if I may say so, cooler.
So, the Lexus RX400h is a luxurious SUV with the latest hybrid powertrain. The car is excellent in every respect, so before expressing my admiration, I'll allow myself to criticize it a bit. 1) The "pockets" in the rear doors. The rear seat cushions prevent you from taking out anything bulky or long. Of course, it's not fatal, because you can remove the item with the door open, but it's still unpleasant. 2) The park assist screen. Perhaps I'm spoiled by Western influence, but I always thought that the operation of park assist (with or without a camera) should be intuitive. Here, on the screen, we see chaotically intersecting (!!!) lines, and it's completely unclear where to go and what will happen. I'm ready to admit that after a detailed study of the manual, you might call this function in the 400th the best among all park assists. Perhaps. But simplicity in understanding would be desirable. 3) Rear air vents. First, a bit about the rear seat. It's wide, with so much knee room that "...teen" people plus an accordionist could easily fit. That's impressive. But if we sit in the back seat together, we'll immediately notice that two things are catastrophically missing. No, it's not what you thought; it's much simpler. We'd like to be able to control the climate from the rear seat, and a remote for the audio system wouldn't hurt either. 4) The parking brake pedal. It's still inconvenient. I looked at a picture of a right-hand drive car — there it's in its proper place.
Well, with the "mandatory program" done, now I can freely express my admiration for the Lexus RX400h. God grant both me and you, dear reader, to earn enough to drive such a luxurious car without harming the family. The ride smoothness is delightful. Body roll in corners is, surprisingly, minimal. The electric power steering (fuel saving, though) is so well tuned that it's indistinguishable from a variable-assist hydraulic system. High-quality finishing materials, spaciousness in width and, importantly, in height. Even such little things: the cup holder for the driver is located on the left, slightly below the air vent. It's convenient — it allows cooling the drink, and there's no danger of spilling liquid on the central unit, as in the Toyota Avensis. The stability control system works excellently: it promptly "cuts" the engine during sharp turns. Nowadays it's very "glamorous" to criticize all electronic systems: they say they prevent you from doing a 520-degree turn with a controlled drift and vertical takeoff to show off our coolness. I answer: if you're a pro, then take a "figure eight" and hit the ring track. In all other cases, you must think about safety. If not about your own, then about the safety of neighbors on public roads. So I repeat: the stability control system works firmly, that is, safely, which, along with many airbags, makes the ride in the Lexus RX400h pleasant and calm.
I especially want to note the presence of an electric sunroof. Despite the dual-zone climate control, this gift of civilization is not superfluous. For example, I still remember the sunroof on my previous car with sadness and envy.
But the audio system disappointed me, although an audiophile will be delighted with it. A 6-disc changer, but it only reads audio — the manual has a special warning: CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM — not allowed! Although I'm sure audio CDs burned on a computer will be read. But MP3 — definitely not. The "TEXT" button operation, as on all Toyotas, is not without flaws: there's no "scrolling line," only the first 12 characters are displayed; to view the next 12, you need to press and hold the "TEXT" button. The radio, by the way, any station, no matter how we tried to adjust the tone, gives a very average sound. The cassette deck is equipped with a Dolby noise reduction system. Though I never understood — Dolby B or Dolby C, the difference is huge, because the latter on Metal tape is almost as good as CD sound quality. Such is the view of an ordinary user on the audio system. But connoisseurs will be delighted with the playback of branded discs on this Hi-End class system.
It was unusual to look at the instrument panel: instead of a tachometer, there's a gauge showing power (from 0 to 200 kW). I'm driving on the highway, take my foot off the "gas" pedal, and the needle instantly moves to 0! How do you like that? By the way, if the needle drops below zero, it means the hybrid nickel-metal hydride battery is being recharged. Long ago I read articles about different types of phone batteries: nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, lithium. The first two types last longer, but under one condition: if each charge starts only after the battery is fully discharged. Otherwise, as my acquaintance did, they "kill" them in a couple of months. I made this historical digression not to doubt the durability of the Lexus battery, but to state once again that technology is moving forward, because the hybrid battery is constantly subjected to discharge/charge. In addition to the 3.3-liter engine, there are two traction electric motors: a rear one with 50 kW and a front one with 123 kW. All this provides exceptionally smooth traction across the entire range. It's a real pleasure to glide in the Lexus softly and unhurriedly, knowing that you can instantly accelerate. It performs lane changes into a freed "window" perfectly. On the other hand, if you want to "step on it," the only limiter will be your sense of safety.
Some ask: why buy the Lexus RX400h if there's a cheaper, purely gasoline Lexus RX350? First, in the 400th, you can easily fit into 9 l/100 km in the city, and that's with a 3.3-liter engine! Second, ecology — people are pleased to feel that they aren't causing much harm to the environment. Third, owning a thing woven from the highest technologies. I hope this helps you make the right choice.