2012 Lexus RX 450h Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Lexus RX 450h review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 RX 450h, and includes Lexus RX 450h safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The five-passenger 2012 Lexus RX 450h is the hybrid version of the Lexus RX 350 crossover SUV, and can be equipped with front- or all-wheel-drive capability. It’s most direct competitors are turbo-diesel variants of the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and Volkswagen Touareg.

Lexus has left the RX 450h untouched for the 2012 model year, except for the addition of a Nebula Gray Pearl exterior paint option. The lineup carries over with one trim, a host of options, and, most significantly, the Lexus Hybrid Drive system.

As shoppers have come to expect from Lexus-branded vehicles, the 2012 RX 450h promises to cradle its future owner with a suitable assortment of creature comforts and relevant technologies. Among the more notable standard items are power-adjustable front seats, a reclining and sliding rear bench seat, genuine wood and leather interior accents, dual-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, and a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with integrated audio controls connected to a nine-speaker premium sound system. Other amenities showcased by the RX 450h include a push-button ignition feature, a universal garage door opener, a rear spoiler, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Interestingly, this luxury-grade crossover is fitted with standard cloth upholstery, but a leather upgrade is available to those who select the optional Premium Package. In addition to cowhides on the seats, this bundle of extras adds a moonroof, a power tailgate, memory settings for the driver’s seat, and an iPod-ready USB port. A Comfort Package tightens the RX 450h’s grasp on upscale motoring a bit more with HID headlights, heated and cooled front seats, and a booming 12-speaker audio system, while a Navigation Package avails drivers to Bluetooth hands-free calling, a rearview camera, real-time traffic information, and emergency response telematics services. Other desirable niceties include a rear DVD entertainment system and a Luxury Package that boasts 19-inch alloy wheels, illuminated scuff plates, top-shelf leather upholstery, a wide-angle front camera, and power-folding mirrors.

Above and beyond the upgrades listed here, the RX 450h hybrid can be fitted with a heads-up display, a 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, and safety features such as Intuitive Park Assist, adaptive front headlights, and Lexus’ Pre-Collision technology utilizing intelligent cruise control.

At the core of the 2012 RX 450h’s Lexus Hybrid Drive system is a 3.5-liter V6 engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The electric part of the equation is covered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack and up to three electric motors (all-wheel-drive models feature a third motor to power the rear wheels).

Typical of all hybrids, the RX 450h depends on regenerative brakes to capture what would otherwise be wasted deceleration energy, but, unlike the majority of its eco-friendly brethren, this kilowatt killing crossover also sports 295 net horsepower. Despite that good bit of grunt, the EPA expects drivers to average between 30 mpg (all-wheel-drive models) and 32 mpg (front-wheel-drive models) in the city, and 28 mpg on the highway.

A great deal of attention has, understandably, been paid to the RX 450h’s hybrid technology, yet an equally impressive story lies in the vehicle’s safety features and performance.

The RX 450h is equipped with Lexus’ Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system, which is comprised of stability control, traction control, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, brake assist, and electronic brake-force distribution. Those components are accompanied by 10 airbags, as well as emergency response and automatic collision notification services. To varying degrees, all are responsible for earning a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and an overall 4-Star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Prospective buyers will also be pleased to learn that Lexus’ midsize hybrid crossover is expected to deliver above-average dependability. So says Consumer Reports, a trusted source of reliability data that has included the 2012 RX 450h on its list of Recommended vehicles.

Images of a hybrid-powered luxury crossover don’t necessarily lead to thoughts of heavy hauling, but the all-wheel-drive RX 450h is, in fact, capable of towing up to 3,500 pounds. Lexus does not recommend hooking a trailer, regardless of weight, to front-wheel-drive models.

Look around and you’ll be hard pressed to find many crossovers that couple 295 horsepower with up to 32 mpg. The 2012 Lexus RX 450h not only hits those numbers, it does so with desirable levels of luxury, refinement, safety, reliability, and relative affordability.

By Thom Blackett