DeLUXE Features You’ll Love on the Lexus RX 450h

My taste in vehicles just jumped up a few grand thanks to driving the 2016 Lexux RX 450h. We recently took this luxury hybrid crossover SUV off on a weekend getaway, and now I want one. While I’ve often wondered about how luxury vehicles are better, now I know.

We took the Lexus RX 450h down for our weekend stay at Great Wolf Lodge, and here are the deluxe features I fell in love with.

Adaptive Cruise Control

Here is one feature that cruise control users will love! Imagine driving on the highway and setting your cruise. Then some traffic bunches up for a bit, so you have to cancel or slow the cruise, once the traffic gets moving again you reset the cruise. In Seattle exit rampant highway driving, this is pretty common.

With the adaptive cruise control on the Lexus RX 450h, you can set it and relax. You choose the speed you want to drive, and your comfortable following distance, and the car adjusts for you. Using radar sensors, the Lexus will slow down when needed and speed back up when open. There are three following distances, so it’s easy to find the one you’re most comfortable with. Absolutely love this feature!

Cornering Lights

Another feature that amazed me when I discovered it is the cornering lights in the RX 450h. Especially in the winter, you know how dark it can get outside. Imagine having a little bit more light to show you where you’re turning, and only having it when you need it?

The cornering headlights on the Lexus work by turning on a powerful side light when you turn your wheel or turn on your turn signal. Suddenly that street corner or alley are shining bright. I can’t tell you how much it really does help you see where you’re turning better. Great for keeping an eye on those late night dog walkers!

Park Assist

I’m quite sure this is the Type-A person in me, but I like to park straight in parking spots. I’ve been known to hop back in the car to straighten it if I feel I’m too close to one side. The Lexus RX 450h helps me park perfectly every time!

Using vehicle mounted cameras, when you move into park a Park Assist screen pops up on the infotainment screen. You’re shown your front distance and how the car is lined up in the space. I will note, this feature was a little touchy in my opinion. Sometimes the screen would flick off before I could reference it, so I’d have to move into reverse and park again to get it to show again. A little tweaking would be nice to keep the screen up longer.

Hybrid

I’ve driven one other hybrid before and two electrics, and this Lexus RX 450h is awesome. The previous hybrid I drove was very jerky when adjusting between gas and electric. In the Lexus, it was smooth.

The hybrid did increase our MPG reach. We drove a lot of highway miles and came out at averaging about 27-29 MPG. In our minivan we’d probably be around 19-20. So definitely noticeable, but of course, I’d love even more of a spread.

Like most electrics and hybrids, the Lexus RX 450h helps to try and make you a more fuel efficient driver. You can have your fuel efficiency bar graph show on your middle screen on the instrument panel. As you give the car gas, your bar will go low, coasting down the hill, and you’re on a high! I think having the visual cue can help make you a more conservative driver.

The Lexus also features a Drive Mode dial. You can drive in Normal mode, Eco mode, or Sport. This is a quick and easy dial found in the center seat console unit, so it’s easy to adjust to fit your mood or roads.

Comfort

A few final deluxe features that I loved have to do with comfort. First up is the heated and air conditioned seats. And of course the Lexus even does this deluxe, allowing you to set your seat on auto so as to not get too warm or cold while driving.

I also loved the heated steering wheel. I drove in a vehicle that had the upgraded matte bamboo interior, which I loved, and the heated wheel was housed in the leather wrapped section.

The panoramic moonroof was a huge hit with my girls. The settings allow you to choose how much of the roof you want to open. So sleeping babies can have the shade closed off above them while the adults enjoy the sunshine.

Another final feature I loved was the adjustable automatic windshield wipers. You can dial in how sensitive you want the wipers to be. So, if you want no drops, dial it up, if you would rather have droplets and less wipes, dial it down.

My overall impression of the Lexus RX 450h was very positive. It’s clear to me that when you buy a luxury vehicle you’re buying some deluxe features. My overall sense was that Lexus wants families to be able to dial in the car to best serve them, and then relax and enjoy the trip. Great for busy moms who don’t want to be constantly monitoring every setting and feature. Now to dream of the new 2017 Lexus RX 450h.

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