Straightline - Lexus RX 400h red-flagged

Lexus RX 400h red-flagged

As most of you know Inside Line also conducts long-term tests on vehicles that they purchase. Usually the vehicles are kept for one year, but in this case, because it's a hybrid and they wanted to get a true long-term evaluation of how it is, they've kept the vehicle for two years.

The results are disappointing, to say the least. Oh, the car performed okay, but the gas mileage over two years (30,000 miles) is not nearly what Lexus claimed for the RX400h. The EPA sticker on this vehicle is 31 city and 27 highway. What Edmunds ended up with is:

Best: 28 mpg

Worst: 16 mpg

Average: 20 mpg

Besides the disappointing gas mileage, this clearly points to just how valuable these long-term tests can be. There's nothing like living with a vehicle for a long time to see what its true colors are, and in this case it's more red than green.

2006 Lexus RX 400h: 2 years and 30,000 miles

Posted by Bob Mar 14, 2008 5:00 am

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Categories: Lexus | Hybrids | SUVs

Comments

ateixeira - Mar 14, 2008 7:36 am (#1 Total: 5)

Recife, PE, Brazil

OK, but didn't you get 16mpg or so in a Tribute?

All things being relative, I'd like to see the fuel economy numbers for other luxury/mid-size SUVs in the hands of Edmunds' lead foots.

Going from 16 to 20 is still a 25% increase in range using the same amount of fuel, so you would still eventually break-even.

rsholland - Mar 14, 2008 7:42 am (#2 Total: 5)

Ellicott City MD United States of America

Lead foots? I bet they drive no differently than most owners would. Certainly at 30K, mileage would average out. Keep in mind Edmunds drivers here cover a wide range of people. Yes, some are probably lead foots, but certainly not all.

orangutan - Mar 14, 2008 9:37 am (#3 Total: 5)

The revised fuel economy figures for the 2006 RX400h are estimated at:

28/25 for the 2WD
27/25 for the AWD

compared to:

33/28 2WD
31/27 AWD

under the old method.

lmpracetech - Mar 14, 2008 11:50 am (#4 Total: 5)

Southern California

Makes me wonder what the point in having it be a hybrid is in my way of thinking. I mostly would drive it around town and would most likely get the worst MPG, for the price of the vehicle id rather have less a payment a month or pay it off sooner than try and save money at the pump... Who is really gonna care still right now if you have the cash to throw down on that kind of car you can pay for the gas, if your worried about saving money and have to finance something like this the reality is you cant afford it.

doctorlove - Mar 14, 2008 4:04 pm (#5 Total: 5)

Hybrid SUVs are a joke.