Hybrid Lexus RX 400h Summary:

Availability: Now (limited) Price: starting at RX 400h AWD: $43,480. RX 400h FWD: $42,080. Mileage: Estimated fuel consumption: 31/27 mpg city/highway Features include: Voice activated DVD Navigation system with back up camera and Bluetooth technology.

The RX 400h boasts all the advantages of a hybrid gas-electric vehicle: Emissions are extremely low, reducing your impact on the environment. And it burns about as much gas as a compact car, helping to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.
 

Luxury SUV:
Lexus RX 400h is loaded with power-hungry features: dual-zone climate control, GPS navigation, power seats, power windows, a power rear door, available rear-seat DVD, an optional megawatt audio system by Mark Levinson®. All the instruments can be run without any fear of draining the battery.

Gasoline & Electric power:
Lexus RX 400h does not need to be plugged in to charge in.  There is no electrical cord dangling from the grille, no need to look forrecharging stations. Like other gas-electric hybrids, the RX 400h recharges its battery packs as you drive. The gas engine helps propel the car and recharges the battery.

The RX 400h combines a regular 3.3-liter V6 gasoline engine with one high-torque electric drive motor-generator driving the front wheels and another one driving the rear wheels. It uses a planetary gearset and generator to help route power to the motors and recharge the batteries.

The RX 400h offers the same 3,500-pound towing capacity as the RX 330, attesting to its capability. The electric motors should work well in the Rocky Mountain states because high elevations don't drag batteries down the way they do gas engines. But RX 400h drivers should stick to the pavement. Batteries are no match for boulders.
 

Models:
The 2006 Lexus RX 400h comes as one well-equipped model. It is the premium model in the RX series, adding numerous standard features that are offered as options on the RX 330. The RX 400h comes standard with electric all-wheel drive and all the powertrain features mentioned in this article.

The list of standard features is long: Regency leather interior trim, automatic dual-zone climate control, premium audio, cruise control, automatic HID headlamps with Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS), 10-way power driver's seat, eight-way power front passenger's, a leather- and aluminum-trimmed interior, AM/FM/cassette/six-CD stereo, a power rear door and voice-activated DVD navigation with Bluetooth® technology and backup camera.


Driving:
Twist the key and everything on the dash lights up, but there's no sound of an engine starting, only silence. Slide the transmission lever to drive and you can pull silently away on electric power.

At low speeds, the RX 400h is perfectly content to operate in electric-only mode. It's quiet, and you begin to hear things that are normally drowned out by an engine. It will run in this silent mode in stop-and-go commuter traffic, eliminating the noise and pollution that the cars around you are putting out. The RX 400h maneuvers silently through crowded parking lots as well, where pedestrians often will not hear you coming and therefore, you should drive cautiously. Lexus' hybrid system uses electric-drive motors and a gas engine as equal partners, while Honda's system is a gas engine assisted by an electric motor.

The gas engine starts whenever it's needed to supplement the electric motor. Step hard on the gas pedal and the V6 kicks in quickly and seamlessly. You can barely hear or feel when this happens. It works exceptionally well. All the components work in concert most of the time.

The RX 400h also boasts a new generation of vehicle stability systems that are as complex as the gas-electric drivetrain. Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management, or VDIM, goes well beyond conventional traction and stability controls that simply react to challenging conditions. Instead, VDIM anticipates loss of vehicle control and seamlessly makes corrections to help correct the handling. At the same time, it allows the RX 400h to achieve higher dynamic capabilities.

The RX 400h is a technological marvel and would be an interesting vehicle to own.

For complete vehicle information, capabilities and limitations, see your local Lexus dealer.