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Review: 2010 Lexus RX450h
 
Trying to multitask might seem like a good idea at first, but although you might get things done, you might not get them done well. Watching your favorite football team or Formula One race, while studying for an exam, and typing a paper might work for a while, but you won’t know what happened in the race, you’ll fail the test, and your paper will be poor at best. The 2010 Lexus RX450h attempts it’s own multi-tasking effort. The hybrid SUV tries to be luxurious, fuel efficient, and practical all at the same time. It manages to accomplish everything it set out to do, albeit with varying degrees of success. The fifth-generation RX is the newest version of the best selling model in the Lexus line, but only one in five sell with a hybrid motor under the hood. So Lexus is banking on the RX450h being good at everything it attempts to do. So, how does it fair? Hit the jump to find out. Full story 2010 Lexus RX 450h by Paul Tolson of EST
The last customized Lexus model to be revealed at the SEMA Show is an RX 450h by Paul Tolson. Tolson’s take on Lexus’ most popular luxury hybrid model reveals a kickass widebody conversion kit and some fancy schmancy wheels. Take one look at the RX450h by Tolson and you will clearly see that this SUV is anything but ordinary. The Hired Gun Paint Werks widebody conversion kit allows the RX 450h to hug the ground in a menacing way that typically doesn’t accompany a family vehicle. Adding to that edge is the Air Runner Integrated suspension system, Rotora RFK Series 6-piston custom color caliper, 355mm x 32 mm 2-piece drilled, and slotted rotors. The exterior is finished off by Leon Hardiritt Vertu wheels in 21x10-inch front with -4 offset and 21x12-inch rear with +9 offset. The interior saw changes made to the materials and stitching courtesy of Garcia’s Auto Interiors and trim and accent pieces were added by Hired Gun Paint Werks. No engine modifications were made to the hybrid SUV, no surprise there, but the 3.5-liter V6 engine with an output of 295 HP aims to please to begin with so changes weren’t all that necessary. Video: "Auntie" needs to learn to park Lexus RX300
The next time you find yourself struggling to fit into a parking space with a long queue waiting behind you, you might want to speed things up a little unless you want to be a victim of some pretty hilarious audio commentary from the cars behind you. This video of a Lexus RX300 backing into a parking space won’t exactly set your screens on fire, but the audio commentary from the driver waiting for dear old "Auntie" to get into her parking space is the stuff of legends. It’s a good two minutes worth of hilarious whining from the obviously impatient driver. Watch and laugh, people. Watch and laugh. Lexus RX450h by Wald
Who ever thought that a hybrid had to be boring never spoke with the Japanese tuners at Wald International about their Black Bison RX. With the growing popularity of fossil fuel saving environmentally friendly gas/electric automobiles that we will begin to see more and more green tuner cars on the streets. Starting off with one of the best new cars on the market, the artisans at Wald International have turned the new Lexus RX hybrid into an attractive vehicle. Now that may not sound like much of a feat, but they had their work cut out for them.  The previous generation Lexus RX Hybrid wasn’t much of a looker, but the biggest problem with the new version is that it looks like a bloated cow, as is a grenade went off inside the old car and bulged out the bottom, made the eyes all squinty and left it with a fat butt that looks like it is being clenched for dear life because otherwise it will explode. Let’s say that it is not the most desirable of car designs; however with a lower hanging front bumper Wald International has made the new RX look mode like an oversized Toyota Matrix, which isn’t a bad thing. Fortunately this kit is available for both RX 350h and RX 450h owners, so they can feel a little better about being green. Like all the latest tuning package the one for the Lexus SUVs is also called Black Bison and consists of a new front bumper with integrated fog lights and a pair of perfectly placed horizontal bars that visually extends the front end of the Lexus all the way to the ground, helping to eliminate the standard car’s puffy cheeks that Toyota considers to be aerodynamic fenders. Out back a new rear bumper with integrated diffuser makes the hybrid Bison seem a bit more relaxed. The oversized wheels, although they may rob a few MPG, go a long way to draw your eyes away from the Toyota stamped sheet metal. We would like to thank Wald International for making the new Lexus RX a car that we would want to drive and goes a long way to dispel the notion that efficient cars have to be unattractive. Stay tuned will get back with more details!
Lexus Announces Prices for Select 2010 Models
Lexus announced pricing for the 2010 IS 250 and IS 350 luxury sport sedans, IS 250 C and IS 350C luxury hard-top convertibles, IS F high performance sedan, SC 430 hardtop convertible, RX 350 luxury utility vehicle, RX 450h luxury hybrid utility vehicle and LX 570. Prices for the IS 250 starts from $31,845, for the IS 350C from IS 350C; the 2010 IS-F is priced at $57,760, the SC 430 at $67,505, the RX 350 at $37,250 and the LX 570 at $76,405.  The IS 250, IS 350 and IS F enter the 2010 model year with an updated Lexus Premium Audio System and an optional hard disc drive (HDD) navigation system. The IS F also receives a new 19-inch wheel design, limited slip differential, and foldable rear headrests. For 2010, the SC 430 receives new 18-inch six-spoke wheels, side mirrors with puddle lamps, an updated navigation system and updated Mark Levinson(R) Premium Audio System. SC has one exterior color change - Costa Azul Mica replaces Tigereye Mica. Press release after the jump. Full story
2010 Lexus RX450h
The RX 450h (second generation) made its world debut today at the Los Angeles Auto Show next to the RX 350. The car will go on sale in the spring of 2009.  The RX 450h will feature an exclusive grille, hybrid badging including blue-trimmed Lexus logos, unique front bumper, a special 19-inch optional wheel design, blue-tinted headlamps and taillamps, and optional LED headlamps. Under the hood there is a Lexus Hybrid Drive system with a 3.5-liter V6 engine. This, combined to a new, more efficient inverter delivers 295 hp, 27 more hp than the current generation RX hybrid.  The RX 450h features a front-wheel hybrid drive or an electronically driven, part-time all-wheel-drive (AWD) hybrid drive system, which supplies the rear wheels with the optimal amount of torque as conditions demand. Unlike mechanical AWD systems that reduce fuel efficiency via added weight and friction, the RX 450h’s rear-mounted electric motor-generator allows all four wheels to perform regenerative braking, charging the hybrid battery more effectively. UPDATE 11/06/2010: Check out our review for the RX 450h hybrid by clicking here! Press release after the jump. Full story
Video: the Lexus RX450h at work
Have you ever wondered how the hybrid system in the new Lexus RX450h works? If you did here’s the answer for you! 2010 RX 450h and IS Convertible prices announced
Lexus announced prices for the 2010 RX 450h hybrid SUV and 2010 IS250C and IS350C retractable hardtop convertibles. The RX450h will go on sale for a price of f $41,660 for the FWD version and $43,250 for the AWD version. The prices for the 2010 IS250C will start from $38,490 when equipped with a six-speed manual transmission; the IS250C with a six-speed automatic transmission will be $39,660. The IS350C will have a MSRP of $43,940. The 2010 RX 450h is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 Atkinson-cycle engine combined to a lighter electric motors. It delivers 295 hp and has a fuel economy of 30 mpg combined. The IS 250C features a 2.5-liter, 204-hp V6 mated to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission; the IS350C contains a 3.5-liter, 306-hp V6 with a six-speed automatic. Press release after the jump. Full story 2010 RX 350 US pricing announced
The 2010 Lexus RX 350 will go on sale this month at a price of $36,800 for the front-wheel drive (FWD) model and $38,200 for the all-wheel drive (AWD) version.  The 2010 RX 350 teams a revised 3.5-liter V6 engine with an all-new six-speed Multi-Mode Automatic Transmission. Horsepower is increased to 275 at 6,200 rpm from 270 in the previous generation, while ninety percent or more of the 256 lb.-ft. of peak torque is available from 2,300 to 6,100 rpm, an optimal range where torque is most utilized. The new six-speed automatic transmission replaces the previous five-speed, and the Multi-Mode allows the driver to shift manually when desired by first moving the gated shift lever to the “S” slot and then pushing it forward ("+") to up shift and backward ("-") to downshift. Press release after the jump. Full story
2010 Lexus RX brochure leaked
Lexus will unveil the 2010 RX at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Today Autospies posted the first leaked images of the RX350 and 450h from its new brochure. Our Japanese is a little rusty, so we haven’t been able to lift any new technical details yet. What we do get is a sense of how close Lexus kept the new car to the LF-Xh hybrid concept revealed at last year’s Tokyo Auto Show. The new RX carries the new Lexus corporate look, which Lexus calls "L-finesse" styling. Still, even after a redesign, the RX hasn’t changed too much from when it first arrived in the U.S. over a decade ago. More pics after the jump | featured reviews: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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