Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: No data available
Clever fuel-saving technology, "green" image, Lexus reliability and quality, refinement and high equipment levels, value for money, smooth and quiet ride.
Not quite as planet-saving as the hype suggests, not particularly roomy, vague electric steering and drive-by-wire controls, shallow boot, not as dynamic to drive as many rivals. It's also neither a proper off-roader nor a strong towing vehicle.
A step in the right direction when it comes to reducing fuel consumption and emissions from large SUVs, if not a revolution in environmentally-friendly motoring. A thoroughly pleasant vehicle to spend time in, but it's rather a case of style over substance as it's not a particularly versatile 4x4.
The RX 400h is priced competitively against its fellow large SUVs, with three equipment levels (standard, SE and SE-L). Insurance groups are 16E and, for the SE-L, 17E, and Lexus says that the low labour times needed for routine servicing and maintenance keep costs for this the same as for the RX 300. Many items - fuel filters, transmission oil and the hybrid system - are said to be maintenance-free, cheaper mineral oil is used rather than expensive synthetic blends, and major services come up only every 20,000 miles or two years, with a 10,000-mile or annual check in between. That makes it cheaper to maintain than many rivals, and after the warranty period is over, it promises to be reliable too.
Of course, one of the main appeals of the RX 400h will be savings on fuel; the official combined consumption figure is 34.9mpg, with urban driving at 31mpg. This is impressive for an off-roader of this size, though in practice, a figure in the high 20s is more realistic, with mid-20s for motorway work. Still better than the 15-20mpg most large SUVs struggle to achieve, though, and the official carbon dioxide output of 192g/km means relatively low taxation for company car buyers compared to other petrol-powered SUVs, if not diesels. It's yet to be confirmed, however, whether the RX 400h will be exempt from measures like the London congestion charge, or qualify for other eco-friendly incentives and benefits.
Finally, one of the largest costs in running any car is depreciation (loss in value). Initially, expect low supply and celebrity endorsements to ensure strong demand, and for lightly-used examples to hold their value very well - at first, some people may even be prepared to pay a premium to jump the waiting lists - though this will ease off. Longer-term, concerns over high-mileage reliability and the tendency for cost-conscious secondhand buyers to prefer diesels will probably affect older examples.
