The RX 450h like last year’s model is available in only one trim and has a base price of $48,020. It comes equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 hybrid engine. The 2022 Lexus RX 450h’s cabin gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display, Dual-zone climate control with interior air filter, power-adjustable front seats, and a lot more. However, if you think that these aren’t enough, you can opt for a few packages offered by Lexus which can quench your thirst. Premium Package ($480) adds Matte Walnut or Matte Bamboo trim and Lexus Memory System. 

The Luxury Package ($3,810) includes a perforated semi-aniline leather-trimmed interior, LED ambient illumination and LED-illuminated door sills, heated wood- and leather-trimmed steering wheel, 20-inch split-10-spoke alloy wheels with Superchrome machined finish, Gray Sapele wood with Aluminum trim, Driver’s- and passenger’s-seat power cushion extender and four-way power lumbar support, Rear armrest storage compartment, and LED ambient illumination and LED-illuminated door sills.

Which trim should you buy?

As the RX 450h is the only trim offered by the Lexus, you can combine it with optional features and packages as per your need. 

Release date:

2022 Lexus RX 450h is open for booking. You can either build and customize on the official Lexus website or contact your dealer for the same. 

Powering the 2022 RX 450h is the tried-and-tested 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 engine under the hood and is coupled with two electric motors. This hybrid powertrain produces up to 308 hp and 247 lb-ft. However, all these powers are available in the higher rev range, making the accelerations effortless but a lot of people might find it unintimidating as a few of the rivals do come with turbocharged engines. This hybrid engine is mated to an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission system and power gets sent to all wheels as standard.

As mentioned above about the linear power delivery of this engine, the accelerations suffer quite a bit but underneath is a Toyota engine, so the refinement is there and you won’t feel that the engine is struggling. This SUV takes 7.9 seconds to clock up to 60 miles an hour on the speedo. Acceleration might not be the forte of the 2022 Lexus RX 450h but ride quality is pleasant. handling is stable, and whether it be a normal commute or long vacation trips, RX 450h will not disappoint you.

The Lexus has the least engine output in the competition while its counterpart from Audi Q5 is sitting on the opposite side of the scale. With a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 hybrid power plant, Q5 gives a net output of 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque which helps it cross the 60 mph mark from a standstill in 5.0 seconds. Meanwhile, the Ford Explorer that has the lowest horsepower in the competition hits the 60 mph mark from the state of rest 0.2 seconds earlier than the Lexus RX. Last, the rival from the BMW reaches 60 mph 0.2 seconds earlier than the Lexus RX.

Hybrid powertrains are meant to deliver better fuel economy than their only-gas competitors and that has been one of the areas that the 2022 RX 450h shines. As per EPA elevation, the RX 450h returns a fuel economy of 31 miles per gallon in the city, a slightly lower 28 miles per gallon on the highways, and a combined rating of 30 miles per gallon. Although it packs a slightly lower gas tank capacity of 17.2 gallons, the range did not take a major hit and delivers up to 516 miles combined before you run out of gas. 

The Lexus offers the best-in-class fuel economy and is quite obvious given that it comes with an underpowered engine. The next-in-line is the Ford Explorer which has a rather disappointing fuel economy in the city but its combined fuel economy is still one mpg more as compared to the BMW X3. 

The smallest fuel tank belongs to the BMW X3 which can store up to 13.2 gallons of fuel. As opposed to the BMW X3, Ford Explorer has the biggest fuel storage capacity. The combined range of the Lexus RX 450h is 66 miles more than what’s offered on the Ford Explorer. Finally, the Audi Q5 has a combined fuel economy of 26 mpg and a fuel tank capacity of 14.3 gallons. 

Lexus is known for its unique and quite stylish interior design and the same thing goes for the RX 450h with excellent attention to detail. The cabin feels inviting and has adequate space for all 5 people to sit comfortably. At the front, the dashboard comes with soft-touch materials combined with leather and has silver accents in the center console and along with the climate control knobs. The infotainment screen sits atop the dash. The seats have NuLuxe upholstery as standard and can be upgraded to Semi-aniline leather. The Heated leather-trimmed steering wheel is optional which also has wood trim under the optional Luxury package. 

The spacious cabin inside the RX 450h offers decent head, shoulder, and legroom. The front power seat can be adjusted in 8-ways. Heated and ventilated front seats with a 40/60 split ratio, and heated second-row outboard seats are optional whereas 40/20/40 40/20/40-split, folding, reclining second-row seats are standard. Some other standard cabin features are Dual-zone climate control with filtration, Auto-dimming rearview mirror, paddle shifters, Power tilt-and-telescopic steering column, keyless entry, and start. That said, limited cargo capacity takes a hit but the cabin offers enough space in the glove box, door pockets, and the box below the front handrest to store your essentials. 

The Lexus is the only 5-seater in the competition but stands tall in the competition when it comes to overall spaciousness. However, the most spacious cabin belongs to the Ford Explorer which also has an extra third row. The Audi Q5 has the leading front headroom whereas the competitor from Ford has leading shoulder room in both front and second row. 

The BMW X3 on the other hand is not very stingy when it comes to the headroom and shoulder room but second-row legroom is not as generous as other SUVs in the competition. In terms of cargo capacity, the BMW has the leading cargo capacity than the competition and Lexus RX 450h has the least cargo capacity. That said, the Audi Q5 has the second biggest trunk while the Ford Explorer has the second smallest trunk. Highlights of the interior features are:

• Keyless entry and Start
• Power tilt and telescopic steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• NuLuxe interior
• Lexus Memory System (optional)
• Heated and ventilated front seats (optional)

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The infotainment system offered in the Lexus cars is often referred to as sophisticated but it takes a while to get used to it. The 2022 RX 450h gets the standard infotainment features which include an 8.0-inch touchscreen display, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, WiFi, voice control, Six USB ports, and a 9-speaker audio system which can be upgraded to a 12-speaker Lexus Premium Sound System under Navigation package or Mark Levinson 15-speaker Premium Surround Sound Audio System which increases the price of Navigation package from $2,285 to $3,365. Other features given under the Navigation package include Remote Touchpad, Climate-control smog sensor, Lexus Enform Dynamic Navigation, and a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen display. Highlights of the infotainment unit are:

• 8.0-inch touchscreen display
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Alexa compatibility
• 15-speaker Mark Levinson audio setup (optional)
• Navigation system (optional)
• Color Head-Up Display (optional)
• 12.3-inch touchscreen display (optional)
• HD radio
• Dynamic Voice Command (optional)

The exterior design of the 2022 RX 450h remains similar to the outgoing model year. The styling is unique and sleek which grants RX 450h an athletic feel. The front has sharp LED headlights with DRLs and the hourglass-styled blacked-out mesh intake grille. The lip spoiler does stick out a bit to give it an aggressive front end. The Hood is bumped up and there are two body lines that are supporting this bump. This line starts from the end of the hood and merges with the A-beams. 

The sides have aerodynamic cuts, chrome trim, and have beautiful sets of 18-in split-five-spoke alloy wheels which can be replaced with either 20-in split-10-spoke alloy wheels or 20-in split-five-spoke alloy wheels with Dark Silver and machined finish. The rear has a spoiler at the top and sleek-looking LED taillights and dual exhaust cutouts. The fascia is slightly raised giving it a more coupe-SUV-like styling. Rain-sensing windshield wipers, power heated side mirrors, power moonroof, LED foglamps and cornering lamps, and power liftgate are optional.

The Ford Explorer is the bulkier and bigger option among the others in the competition. The Lexus comes next with a lighter curb weight than the Ford but is heavier compared to the Audi Q5. The lightest SUV in the competition is the BMW X3 which has the least width among the bunch. As opposed to the Ford, Audi is the smallest one in terms of exterior dimensions, meanwhile, Lexus is sandwiched between the Ford Explorer and the BMW XX3. The shortest wheelbase in the segment belongs to the RX 450h from the Lexus while the largest wheelbase is found on the Ford Explorer. Highlights of the exterior features are:

• 18-in split-five-spoke alloy wheels
• LED headlamps, DRLs, and taillights (optional)
• Power Rear Door with Kick Sensor (optional)
• Windshield wiper de-icer (optional)
• A panorama glass roof and aluminum roof rails (optional)

The Lexus cars or SUVs are generally equipped with loads of safety features and are built to last. The RX 450h is no exception and it even goes for a crash test which is quite surprising coming from a luxury vehicle. The NHTSA and IIHS have not tested the 2022 model yet but as there are no major changes since last year, we can take the 2021 model year’s safety ratings as reference. The NHTSA has given overall 4-star safety ratings. But IIHS has not specified which trim or variant of RX series they have tested but since basic foundation and safety features are nearly the same, the ‘ Good’ ratings in the crash tests are applicable to the RX 450h.

Apart from decent ratings, the 2022 Lexus RX 450h is packed with ample safety features. The Lexus Safety System+ 2.0 safety suite is standard which includes Lane tracing assist, road sign assist, pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist, and intelligent high beams. Optional features such as intuitive parking assist with auto braking, panoramic view monitor, and rear cross-traffic braking are also available. Highlights of the safety features are:

• Blindspot monitoring 
• Rear cross-traffic alerts
• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-departure warning
• Panoramic view monitor
•  Pre-collision system
• 10 airbags 
• Intuitive parking assist with auto braking (optional)

Lexus RX 450h vs Ford Explorer Limited Hybrid. 

The Ford Explorer Hybrid is more of a generalized family car than the very aggressively designed and with added opulence served by the Lexus. The Lexus has fuel economy, added features, luxury, and better handling dynamics at its side.

The Ford takes away the braking performance, interior spaciousness, and cargo capacity from the Lexus. That said, if the third row of the Ford Explorer is neglected, Lexus RX 450h is still a better option with a lower price tag. 

Lexus RX 450h vs BMW X3 xDrive30e

Though BMW X3 rejoices as it has quicker feet on the road but facts can’t be ignored that when it comes to other areas be its fuel efficiency or fuel storage capacity, Lexus RX 450h has the lead.

But BMW X3 tries to counter these cons with better cargo space as compared to the rival. The Lexus RX 450h is more spacious as far as shoulder and legroom are concerned. However, as far as price is concerned there is no marginal difference between the RX 450h and X3 xDrive30e.

Lexus RX 450h vs Audi Q5 Hybrid

Fight between Lexus RX 450h and Audi Q5 is tough. On one hand, Audi Q5 displays an excellent performance, on the other hand, Lexus RX 450h tries to clap back with better fuel efficiency than the Audi Q5. However, the match does not end here as Audi bestows a larger trunk to the Q5 but Lexus tries to counter this by proving a bigger fuel tank in the new RX 450h.

If we look at the list of features, Lexus seems to be offering more than what is present in the Audi. Nonetheless, because of the over $3,000 price difference, Lexus RX 450h comes out a victor.

The new Lexus RX 450h is a great mid-size SUV to start with the luxury cabin experience. It holds a price tag that is cheaper in comparison with fellow opponents. Also, it is bonkers when it comes to comfort, safety, and reliability. You don’t need to worry about the features as the list is exhausting. However, when acceleration comes into the picture, it is rather sluggish than the rivals’. Nonetheless, If you are someone who wants to stand out in the crowd among other luxury offerings then the 2022 RX 450h would be a great buy.