2008 Lexus RX 400h Review

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STYLING | 7 out of 10

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Few onlookers will be able to distinguish it from last year's RX 400h
Cars.com

Classy looks
ForbesAutos

well-defined character lines
Kelley Blue Book

dated exterior design
MyRide.com

Introduced in 2004 by Lexus, 2008 RX 400h models receive several new colors, chrome door handles, and other minor styling updates. Otherwise, the shape hasn’t changed much in a few years.

The 2008 Lexus RX 400h is Lexus's smallest car-based crossover, and it's very similar to the RX 350, save for a few styling differences. The hybrid RX 400h is an inch longer; other distinguishing features include a "unique front grille and bumper, integrated fog lamps, and LED taillights," reports ForbesAutos. There is an additional opening on the front bumper "for cooling powertrain components," says Cars.com, which adds, "Few onlookers will be able to distinguish it from last year's RX 400h." Two of the seven new colors include Desert Sage Metallic and Brandy Wine Mica. From the reviews read of Lexus's 2008 RX design, TheCarConnection.com staff found no negative opinions, save for MyRide.com, who call it "dated." A new Lexus RX is due to arrive in the 2009 model year.

A very attractive interior design, with rich materials and very comfortable seating for five, distinguishes the RX from more plainly styled rivals. "The Lexus RX 400h is as sleek inside as it is outside," says Edmunds, which adds it is "a streamlined and high-tech interior that boasts aluminum or wood trim." Detroit News has similar feelings: "The interior is very Lexus-like: Clean, luxurious and simple." The 2008 Lexus RX 400h has a hybrid-power meter on the instrument instead of a tachometer. Lexus RX 400h gauges are "large and legible," finds Consumer Guide, and "most controls are handy and intuitive."

Conclusion

The 2008 Lexus RX 400h offers a familiar, passenger-friendly design that pleases most and offers subtle cues to differentiate it from the RX 350.


Read More of this Review:

  1. Styling
  2. Performance
  3. Quality
  4. Safety
  5. Features

Other Choices:

    The Highlander Hybrid is closely related mechanically to the 2008 Lexus RX 400h; it has a boxier body style that makes its interior a bit roomier, though it's not as plush, as comfortable, or as quiet as the RX. There are now several other hybrid sport-utility models to choose from. The Mercury Mariner Hybrid and its mechanically identical sibling, the Ford Escape Hybrid, also have a full-hybrid system and get impressive fuel economy of up to 34 mpg city, 30 mpg highway. That's significantly better than the RX 400h and Highlander, but they're notably smaller; they also lack the luxury comforts and high-tech features of the RX 400h. The Saturn Vue Hybrid is a "mild" hybrid, meaning that the electric motor system only assists the engine to help improve fuel economy, but it gets 25 mpg city, 32 mpg highway. If some measure of towing or off-roading is in order, you might also consider the M-Class diesel, which has tremendous torque and overall performance that matches the V-6 version of the M-Class, but with a rating of 24 mpg highway.

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See the Lexus RX 400h in Other Years:

2008 | 2007 | 2006

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