2019 Lexus RX 450h - Reliable AWD Hybrid. An Owner’s Perspective.

In this video, I feature my wife’s 2019 Lexus RX450h. We’ve had it for 44 months and have put over 42k miles on it. This vehicles has been very reliable and has returned surprisingly good gas mileage for an AWD SUV. Hopefully this video will be helpful for those in the market for a new or used SUV. These vehicles are coming off lease and are on the used market and I think they offer a compelling alternative to new Hondas and Toyotas given the dealer markups.
Prior to this vehicle, we had a 2016 Lexus RX350 F-Sport and prior to that vehicle we had a 2013 Lexus RX350 F-Sport…we have experience with the Lexus RX.

[@whyallthefuss201]

I installed the Beat-Sonic wirelessApple CarPlay and Android Auto system in my 17 450h and it works like it was installed from the factory. The best $750 I spent on this vehicle

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

Good to know. Thanks for the info!

[@sjmachrihanish]

Great vid. Does it have the rear sliding seats like my '08 RX400h?

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

Thanks! Yes, the rear seats can slide and recline.

[@sjmachrihanish]

@@TheLifeofJoeLee Thanks for letting me know, Joe. It's a great feature that other cars, like the Honda CR-V, sadly dropped.

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

I agree. Unfortunately the 2023+ Lexus RX no longer has that feature. I prefer the 2019 RX over the 2023 for multiple reasons which I hope to cover in a video next month.

[@curseknight5]

sorry if i missed it, is there any reason you chose to spend more for the 450h over the 350?

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

We had the same generation RX350 and wanted better gas mileage. At the time when we picked up the RX450h, hybrids weren't that popular so we got a really good deal on this RX450h. The efficiency of the latest generation RX350h is impressive - we replaced the 2019 RX450h with a 2023 RX350h back in Feb. We are getting 32 - 35 mpg in the new RX.

[@curseknight5]

@@TheLifeofJoeLee I see! Does the buzzy engine bug you or the wife with the new powertrain?

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

@@curseknight5 The 4 cylinder engine doesn't fit the character of the RX. The V6 was refined whereas the 4 cylinder engine is a bit harsh sounding and underpowered. It took a couple months to get used to but we don't think anything of it any more. The new hybrid system, nicer interior, much better infotainment system, and faster opening hatch lid make up for the engine.

[@christenjones]

You can remote start most Lexus by pressing the Lock button on your key fob three times and holding it on the third press.

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

You are right. For some reason, we couldn't get it to work on this RX450h, but it should have. We now have the 2023 RX350h and I'm able to remote start the car using the key fob.

[@whyallthefuss201]

@@TheLifeofJoeLee I have a 2017 450h and just curious how you feel about the 2023 350h powertrain. I really like the V6 powertrain and the more than adequate fuel efficiency of my 450h and I'm hesitant about purchasing the 2023 350h with its 4 cylinder powertrain. I'd gladly sacrifice few mpg for adequate power that I'm used to on my 450h.

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

​@@whyallthefuss201 My initial impression of the 2023 RX350h's powertrain is that the engine didn't fit the character of the car. It feels and sounds like an economical 4 cylinder. It is not smooth like the old V6. That bothered me a bit for the first 1k miles but I no longer think about it. The hybrid system is seem-less. It feels like the car operates in electric mode for longer than the RX450h. I don't think about the transmission so it is working well. We've put over 5k miles on the new 350h and have observed a combined gas mileage of ~34 MPG. There are significant improvements elsewhere in the car to include the infotainment system and the rear hatch operation (it is much faster). I hope to cover all that in an upcoming video. Our RX450h was leased - if the Lexus dealer didn't give us so much more than the residual for our 450h, I'm not sure we would have moved forward with the new 350h.

[@whyallthefuss201]

@@TheLifeofJoeLeethanks for the info. Looking forward to seeing videos of 350h from the owners perspective (honest review).

[@markus6635]

A drama free car. I have checked out Porsche Cayenne hybrid 2017. Read alot about the Cayenne. what the owners says. All a agree it's a nice car, but prepare your self when it comes to what it cost . Thats why many have some extra insurance. Lexus and Toyota by the way have hybrid cars for many years. I have a lexus RC 300.

[@corbeanumarian8678]

Hi. RX or NX ? Witch one you can recommend for the city?

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

If the interior size of the NX is sufficient for your needs, I'd recommend the NX because it is smaller and thus easier to navigate and park on city streets. The V6 of RX is nice. However, we now have the current gen RX hybrid with the 4 cylinder - while it isn't as smooth as the V6, it gets around just fine and the gas mileage is noticeably better than the V6 hybrid.

[@lesliekirk7036]

I don’t understand I get 42 mpg all day long👍🇬🇧

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

That's impressive! Even with the conversion from the US gallon to the Imperial gallon, that is much better than what we were seeing (assuming you have the same type of vehicle). It could be because our driving is largely at freeway speeds? We recently picked up the latest RX350h (2023 Model Year) with the 4 cylinder hybrid and we are not seeing as high gas mileage as you are getting.

[@LondonerUK64]

20mpg 😂😂😂😂😂😂. I have 3.0l X5 F15 I get I'm London 32mpg out on open 50mpg And she is super model

[@TheLifeofJoeLee]

Although the imperial gallon is larger than the US gallon, your X5 is indeed getting better gas mileage. The gas mileage that you are seeing is impressive! The current gen (2023+) RX350h gets much better gas mileage (we are seeing ~35 mpg), but the engine is much less refined.

[@fungooloo12]

gosh I hate the sound of CVT's.