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Review of the 2010 Lexus RX 450h

2010 Lexus RX 450h

Price Range $41,660 to $43,250

suitable for: Diapers
School
Teens

30 to 32
City MPG

28
Hwy MPG

5 Seats
2 Rows
2 Latch Connectors
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Interior

The RX 450h’s power-adjustable leather seats are now wider, and the information screen is better lit. The dash and center stack are sleek-looking, with a sci-fi feel to them. Thankfully, there’s a lovely walnut trim to keep things grounded.

Instead of a touch-screen, the RX 450h has the Remote Touch system. This uses a joystick-like controller on the center console to control the navigation system. You maneuver the joystick, which moves an arrow over different icons, to do everything from play music and enter navigation information to set personal door-lock preferences. The joystick has a tactile feedback function, kind of like a Wii remote. It gives different resistance levels depending on where the arrow is on the screen, so you know whether you’re on an icon or not. It’s pretty cool, but I’m not in love with it. Remote Touch doesn’t control everything, so you still have to reach up to the control stack or use voice commands. If you want to set the climate control, you can change the airflow using Remote Touch, but you need to use the buttons on the center stack to set the temperature. Or you can use voice commands to set the temperature, but you’ll have to jump through some menu hoops to get there.

The backseat is less confusing. The wide, flat seat fits three booster seats easily, and the seat reclines and slides backward. There’s also flat step-in areas that make it easy for kiddos to climb in and out. The seat belt receptacles sit nice and high, and my kids commented on how easy it was to get buckled in. The rear armrest houses two covered cupholders, and there’s another covered bin that’s great for storing books and crayons or for keeping snacks from rolling around. There are vents in the backseat to keep everybody comfy, and the optional dual-screen DVD entertainment system allows two different inputs to play at the same time. One kid can watch a DVD while the other one plays Xbox, and in the front seat you can listen to music from your iPod. Wow — I may never have to speak to my kids again with that kind of setup.

The rear seats are split 40/20/40, and they fold down easily. Lexus relocated the rear seats’ release latch closer to the car’s rear, so you don’t have to climb inside the cargo area to fold the seats. Aside from the armrest storage area, there are bottleholders, door pockets and a seatback pocket to keep all the kids’ stuff close and off the floor. I need the RX 450h’s cubbies in their rooms.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Galore

shopping around: At cars.com

key interior: Features

    ● 6-disc in-dash CD changer with AUX and USB inputs
    ● Genuine walnut trim
    ● 10-way driver and front passenger power-adjustable seats
    ● Rear armrest with covered cupholders and storage bin
    ● Floor storage console

available interior: Colors

  • Black
  • Light Gray
  • Parchment

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