2024 Lexus RX450h+ First Test: Plus Performance

The new 2024 Lexus RX450h+ refuses to accept its place in the RX hierarchy. Although it's expectedly the greenest RX thanks to its plug-in hybrid powertrain (assuming owners regularly plug it in and drive under electric power often), perhaps as an unintended consequence, that same powertrain also helps make it quickest of the new RX variants to run from 0 to 60 mph in our testing. Only there's one small problem; the also new RX500h F Sport Performance already has dibs on that claim, which Lexus touts as the "quickest RX ever." But the drama doesn't end there. In a stunner, the RX 450+ also bests its F Sport-focused sibling around our figure-eight course.

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Show Me the Numbers

With test gear affixed to a fully charged RX450h+, we recorded a 5.8-second 0-60-mph time, which handily bested the Lexus internal estimate by 0.4 second. That time also barely beat the best time we achieved in a RX500h F Sport Performance by 0.1 second. (We've tested two of them.) At the quarter-mile pole, 450h+ and 500h F Sport recorded identical times (14.4 seconds) and trap speeds (97.1 mph).

The gap, however, widened out on our figure-eight course, where the RX450h+ put down a lap time of 26.8 seconds (a healthy 0.6 second quicker) without the sport-tuned suspension and rear-wheel steering system of the RX 500h F Sport Performance. And it did it all with seemingly less power. With its all-wheel-drive powertrain largely cribbed from the NX 450+, the RX450h+ features a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I-4 and electric motor driving the front wheels via a CVT. Another rear motor powers the rear wheels. Total system output is rated at 302 hp. (Torque figures weren't available as of this writing.) Meanwhile, the RX 500h puts out 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque.

Despite the 500h's power advantage, the 450h+ was able to carry more speed through the figure eight's straight, likely due to its more powerful front electric motor (180 hp versus an 86-hp unit affixed to the 500h) that pulls harder at corner exit, and the plug-in only weighs about 50 pounds more. Both crossovers were shod with a 21-inch rim and all-season tire package, but the RX450h+ on Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S rubber had more cornering grip and speed than the 500h riding on Goodyear Eagle Tourings. At the track, the team praised the 450h+ for its precise and quick steering, composure on the skidpad, and good brake feel (reflecting an improvement since we last drove a 450h+ prototype). Hey, Lexus, can the 450h+ get an F Sport badge, as well?

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Green and Serene

In the real world, most prospective RX450h+ buyers will gloss over its figure-eight performance and focus on this number instead: 37 miles. That's its estimated all-electric range, which jibes with what we experienced during our time with the plug-in electrified RX. We were able to stretch that number to 44 miles during mostly light and easy city driving but observed just 33 miles of electric-only power during a hurried highway jaunt. Lexus claims the powertrain will run in EV mode up to speeds of 84 mph, a number we found to be accurate.

Providing power to the electric motors is an 18.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that takes a little less than 2.5 hours to charge when plugged into a 240-volt outlet, or 12 hours via a 120-volt plug. To accommodate the larger battery pack, Lexus shrank the RX450h+'s fuel tank to 14.5 gallons (about 3 gallons smaller than all other RX variants), though it's reportedly capable of an impressive 540 miles of total driving range from a full gas tank and charged battery pack.

Acceleration in EV mode is brisk to about 40-50 mph and more than adequate past that. Once the gas engine steps in, it integrates with the electric bits smoothly. The four-cylinder engine can get buzzy under wide-open throttle, but that racket should be rare because the powertrain is almost never strained under normal driving situations. Ride quality is also just as smooth, especially considering our test car was rolling on the optional 21-inch wheels (19s are standard).

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Plush Plus

The RX450h+'s larger battery pack thankfully doesn't intrude into the cabin. Cargo volume with the rear seats up and down is 29.6 and 46.2 cubic feet, respectively, and both rows of seats are adequately spacious. That said, the RX's cargo and passenger confines are smaller than some key competitors, such as the Mercedes-Benz GLE. Just as we've discovered with other RX models, interior fit and finish is top notch. The automaker's new infotainment system is intuitive, responsive, and sharp, while our tester's optional 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system was well worth the $1,160 price tag.

For now, the RX450h+ is only offered in the top-spec Luxury trim, which adds semi-aniline leather, heated and ventilated (outboard) rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, and an info-packed, super-wide, 10-inch head-up display (which unfortunately disappears while you're wearing polarized sunglasses). Our test car's bamboo wood trim was a unique sustainability touch, as was the floating dashboard, which was especially dramatic at night when backlit with ambient lighting.

Plus Pricing

Not surprisingly, the quickest and most electrified RX is also the priciest, starting at $70,080. Adding options such as the Mark Levinson system will bump that up closer to our test car's $75,930. That base price makes it a little over $9,000 more expensive than a RX 350h Luxury AWD and almost $6,300 pricier than a 500h F Sport Performance.

Outside of the RX lineup, the RX450h+'s pricing roughly matches up with the Mercedes-Benz GLE450e 4Matic plug-in hybrid, which starts at $70,650 and surprisingly doesn't cost much more to spec it similarly to the Lexus. The Mercedes doesn't handle quite as well as the Lexus, but it's quicker in straight line. Perhaps most important, however, it has a greater advertised electric range (EPA-rated at 48 miles) and DC fast-charging capability (60-kW max charge rate) that can replenish its battery pack in about 20 minutes, an advantage the Lexus doesn't have. As for its other competitors, the BMW X5 PHEV is similar to the Lexus in price and EV driving range, while the Audi Q5 PHEV has a lower starting price (but isn't as well equipped) and offers a paltry 23 miles of range.

While the RX450h+ may not be the most compelling luxury PHEV on the market thanks primarily to that pesky Benz (we'll have to test them in a head-to-head matchup to find out for sure), it's the quickest and best-handling new RX as far as we're concerned, so it has that going for it and a whole lot more.

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*EPA blended PHEV (charge-depleting) mode testing, with vehicles set to their default drive and brake regeneration modes