The family Toyota Prius was the first to use the power of electric current. Now electric traction has taken root in the Lexus RX 400h. What will surprise us with this electrical appliance for $70,000?

Innovations

I turn on the ignition, move the "machine" selector to position D and press the gas. In the cabin, only a quiet buzzing is heard. The two-ton colossus almost silently moves off, nothing else needs to be done, and I even like the choice of driving modes. I sit on fine skin, the air conditioner gently blows over me, the audio system sounds grandiose. The Lexus is spacious, meticulously finished and luxuriously equipped. In addition, it accelerates beautifully: it picks up the first “hundred” like a sports coupe in 7.7 seconds. The RX400 instantly puts the speedometer at 200 km/h and impresses with fast, confident overtaking. Every time I press the gas pedal, I don't shudder at the thought of fuel consumption. As promised by the manufacturer, the heavy and luxurious Japanese prince is not only economical, but also environmentally friendly.

And all thanks to the hybrid. Actually, this technology belongs to the “well-forgotten old” and means the drive by various engines. For example, locomotives have been running on diesel-electric traction for decades. Of course, the principle of such a drive has long been known to European ib-producers. Many brands made timid attempts to acquire such a scheme, it was expected to launch hybrid technology into mass production. The first Prius appeared on the market in 1997, the next - in 2003. Both have become iconic in America. Now, in contrast to these phlegmatic eco-cars, Toyota has dressed its progressive technology in the form of an adult luxury SUV.

Dual motor power

The Lexus RX 400h, based on the RX 300, is powered by a 3.3-liter petrol 211-horsepower V6. Two electric motors were given to help him: 167 hp. on the front axle and 68 hp. on the back. There is also a generator and starter motor, nickel-cadmium hybrid batteries, a planetary transmission, a regenerative braking system and, of course, computer to control the drive and energy flows. The newcomer turned out to be 150 kg heavier than the RX 300, but also significantly more powerful than the 204-strong donor. The total power of its engines is 272 hp, and the maximum torque is 730 Nm.

At the start, it accelerates only due to electric motors. If you need more power, start V6. At a constant speed, the load is distributed between electric and gasoline engines, the latter also charges the batteries. When the accelerator pedal is pressed hard, the electric motor on the rear axle is connected, which in off-road conditions. Although Toyota guarantees the cleanliness of the hybrid, we decided to find out what comes out of the SUV's exhaust pipe. And we drove the RX 400h to the stand at the DEKRA test center. For comparison, we took the new Mercedes ML 320 CDI. Measurements confirmed the extreme cleanliness of the Lexus exhaust. It produces parameters that are much lower than the permissible limits (indicated in blue) according to Euro 4 standards. In this case, it implements the idea of ​​​​a plug-in all-wheel drive, when braking and in coasting mode, the electric motors act as generators and charge the batteries.

Sounds complicated, but works flawlessly. And this is the undoubted merit of Toyota engineers. In everyday use, the hybrid does not cause problems - in electric mode it rides very quietly. But on the highway, when the petrol V6 starts up, the picture changes. At high speeds, which can be considered as 130 km/h, the gasoline engine is already running constantly, as evidenced by the level of generated hum. And as it turned out, the RX400h is a noisy device with a husky timbre.

Fuel consumption

To get the correct fuel consumption test results, we stood idle for hours in city traffic jams and wound hundreds of kilometers on the highway. As a worthy companion, we preferred the new Mercedes ML 320 CDT, and on the track the ML used 8.8 liters of diesel fuel for every 100 km, the RX 400h demonstrated the 9-liter consumption of the A-95. In the city, he was content with 8.2 liters, Mercedes spent 11.5 liters. But then there was the motorway, where at the maximum speed Merc was 14.4 liters, and Lexus was 23.2 liters.

HC is a hydrocarbon, NOx is nitric oxide, and CO is carbon monoxide. For example, the level of nitric oxide is almost zero - only 0.0117 g, which is on the verge of instrument sensitivity. Mercedes exhaust is also quite clean from an environmental point of view. And his performance is below all acceptable limits. But for a diesel engine, slightly different Euro 4 standards apply, with higher tolerances. And the M-class copes with them without problems. The fact remains that in direct comparison, the Lexus is much cleaner than a modern diesel SUV. This is especially noticeable in the content of nitric oxide. Although the M-class emissions are low, they are 25 times higher than the Lexus. This is not a Mercedes problem, but a diesel one. And European 0.740 legislation: as long as diesels are subject to soft regulations, they will become more environmentally friendly. And it was worth it to start! already with Euro 5. Catalysts can be used to achieve the same requirements. For example, the storage catalysts that Toyota uses on the diesel Avensis are urea catalysts that are used on the new Mercedesaxes.

Lexus at the price of diesel Mercedes ML

Gray dealer prices for the hybrid Japanese start at €65,500, almost €2,000 more than official Merina dealers are asking for their ML 320 CDI (€63,925). Probably, with the advent of the "Japanese" on the white market, prices will change. In the meantime, for this money you get clean exhaust and a progressive Japanese drive, but not a car without flaws. After all, the comfort of the suspension is average, the brakes are weak, the steering is insensitive, and in terms of payload and towed load, we definitely expected more from a modern SUV. From this point of view, the hybrid Japanese really has to be seen as two sides of the same coin. Or as the most expensive electrical appliance you can buy in the country. Draw your own conclusion, the cost is unreasonably high, not so environmentally friendly and not so economical, Lexus probably just decided to join the Greenpeace group :-)

And after all, he knew, and read, and heard about this wonderful achievement of the genius of Japanese thought - and still got stuck. When I first got behind the wheel of the 400h, I wondered for a long time why it wouldn't start, until a Toyota representative informed me that I wouldn't hear the engine sound now. "Oh yes!" - I exclaimed, and then, finally, it dawned on me that the car was ready to start, but so far it was working only on electric motors.

Still, the Lexus RX400h is really a wonderful car. It does not fit in my head that the machine can work and at the same time not make any noise. “Starts with half a turn” - this is not about the RX400h, it always starts, but quietly, without making any extraneous sounds at all. Only the signal inscription "Ready" on the dashboard notifies you that the car is ready to start. Quietly press the gas pedal - let's go, again silently, only the sound from under the wheels gives out a revived car, and if you stand and listen outside, you can catch a slightly noticeable hum of the operation of electric motors.

The most interesting filling of the Lexus 400h is undoubtedly the HSD hybrid power plant. If someone else is not in the know, it consists of two electric motors and one gasoline engine. The total power of the power units is 272 hp. However, for electric motors, power is not measured in horsepower, so the power of each individual unit is considered in kilowatts. That is why in the place where the tachometer measures engine speed in ordinary cars, the Lexus hybrid scale is drawn from 0 to 200 kW.

The scheme of the car's drive device, when studied in detail, turns out to be very simple: a gasoline engine and a front electric motor work together to provide front-wheel drive to the Lexus RX400h. When the car is moving at low speeds and it does not require a lot of power, only the front electric motor is working. In the event of a battery discharge or if all the power of the car is required, a 3.3-liter 6-cylinder V-shaped gasoline engine comes into play through a planetary power divider, which transmits torque to the front wheels and at the same time to a generator that charges the battery and electric motor. Because the drive of the RX400h is automatic, i.e. the rear wheels become leading only when necessary, which is determined by the VDIM system, the second electric motor, which alone controls the rear drive, is turned on only if the front wheels slip. The battery can also be charged during braking: the engine's alternator converts kinetic energy into electrical energy, which also happens when the foot is simply removed from the pedal and engine braking is applied. To do this, the continuously variable automatic transmission has a special "B" mode, in which engine braking is forced. By the way, the numbers in the name of the Lexus 400h speak of traction and dynamic characteristics, which are comparable to those of a 4.0-liter gasoline engine, and the letter “h” means that same hybrid technology.

The entire power distribution is displayed on a 7-inch LCD in the center console. At first, the picture on the monitor concentrates the attention of all people sitting in the car. Moreover, the drivers of SUVs adjacent to the stream, especially at night, noticing this image, strove to catch up with the Lexus in order to better see this “unseen”.

Since the whole system is centered around the high voltage battery located under the rear seat, we were naturally interested in the question of its service life and operation at low temperatures. The last factor of the Lexus RX400h does not scare at all, the model was sold to all regions of Russia without restrictions, and official service centers have not yet registered a single case of battery failure due to low temperature. Last winter, when Moscow was in 40-degree frosts and many even new cars refused to start on the first try, the RX400h, according to Toyota representatives, was one of those cars that unconditionally started and drove without showing any signs of the influence of low temperatures. In addition, Toyota told us that the battery life is unlimited, and the resource should be enough for the entire period of operation of the car. This means that during the warranty period, a scheduled replacement of the battery after a certain depletion of the resource is not provided. In Russia, there have not yet been cases of its replacement, but if the owner still encounters such a problem and changes it for his own money, it will cost him about $ 9.5 thousand.

Lexus RX400h, like all cars of this brand, is a combination of luxury and quality. Expensive materials, a huge range of options - make you feel very comfortable. But here, too, ambiguous flaws “surfaced”, which will seem to someone only a private opinion. Despite the fact that the car rides well, accelerates and overcomes road bumps, the steering wheel seemed too heavy for us. At high speeds, this is an indisputable plus, but the heaviness in the steering wheel does not disappear even while turning the wheels on a stationary car. The rear view camera allows you to get a great view when reversing, but makes you blind in rainy weather, when after a few minutes of driving the car's stern is splashed with mud from under the wheels. The front parking sensors in the Lexus RX400h decided not to install at all. The air conditioner in the "Auto" mode behaved completely inadequately. Forgive us the owners of this car, in our test instance, setting, for example, a temperature of 24 degrees Celsius, a stream of cold air periodically escaped from the deflectors, which continued to blow for a long time. It was possible to get rid of it either by closing the deflector, or by raising the temperature by one degree, but in the latter case, the situation repeated itself again after some time.

But the RX400h has many useful options, such as: rear seats that move back and forth, power steering, an easy landing system, when the steering wheel moves away from the dashboard and rises to the previously set position when the ignition key is touched, as well as an adaptive lighting system , which allows you to turn the headlights at an angle of up to 15 degrees and illuminate the turn. The rear door of the Lexus RX400h, in the manner of executive class sedans, is unlocked and locked remotely with a key or a button on the fifth door. What is only worth a 7-inch screen with the TouchScreen function, when no buttons are needed, and all parameters can be changed by pressing the corresponding icon on the screen. Plus, all possible active and passive safety systems, which make no sense to list, because. the very name Lexus already implies the presence of all necessary systems and pillows. Special thanks to Lexus must be given to Mark Levinson, who gave the interior of the RX400h a stunning 240W audio system with ten speakers and a 230mm ceramic subwoofer.

Driving a Lexus is a real pleasure: a soft and clear suspension, responsive steering, dynamics that allow you to drive at a speed of 100 km / h in 7.6 seconds. Only the consumption is not quite like that of a conventional car, on the highway the on-board computer shows 16-17 liters per 100 km, and in “deaf” traffic jams, where you have to stand for more than an hour - only 13. We know that HSD is to blame for everything, but unaccustomed to this state of affairs, we don’t understand - why now drive along a suburban highway at a speed of 50 km / h, or not drive at all? Based on fuel economy, the Lexus RX400h is the most urban SUV of all.

Is all this necessary from the point of view of economy? Such a question arose during a detailed comparison of the hybrid Lexus and the "regular" RX350, which entered the market not so long ago. The RX400h and the top-of-the-line RX350 "Premium" are exactly the same, except for one detail - the LCD monitor. In the latter, it is absent, and instead we can observe the monochrome screen of the audio system. Minor exterior changes, such as grilles, fog lights, etc., as well as slightly changed dimensions, we will not take into account. 272 HP RX400h versus 276 hp we will also leave the RX350 alone and assume that the cars are exactly the same.

For those whose brain is not able to digest a lot of numbers and calculations, please proceed to the next paragraph. The cost of a hybrid Lexus is $78,250, and the cost of the RX350 in the maximum configuration is $70,100 - the difference is a little $8,150. -screen and this will calm down. But for those who are used to counting money, we give information for reflection. Let us take as a basis the declared and measured by all the rules gasoline consumption of both Japanese cars in a mixed driving cycle. For a hybrid RX, this figure will be equal to 8.1 liters per 100 kilometers, while the RX350 will “eat” 11.2 liters for the same distance. If we translate the cost of gasoline at the current rate, we get that we pay about 70-80 US cents for one liter of gasoline. Shifting the difference in the cost of models to liters, we get the figure 11,642 - 10,187 liters. This is how much gasoline you can buy for $ 8,150. With this money or liters, the Lexus RX400h will be able to drive 143,728 kilometers.

Thus, if we want to save on petrol by buying a car with a hybrid drive, the real benefit comes only when we drive almost 150,000 km on the RX400h, i.e. when we run out of warranty, limited to 100,000 kilometers, and already when we have to put our hard-earned money into the car to fix the faults, which will undoubtedly appear by then. At the same time, we assume that when this mileage is reached, despite the assurances of Toyota specialists, the battery properties may deteriorate due to their decent service life, which is why work on electric motors can last less and less time, and as we found out above, its replacement costs quite a lot of money.

Now, if we had tax incentives for environmentally friendly cars, we would not pay transport tax, as in the case of Oka or, perhaps the situation would be different. But since in Russia all good things come only after all the bad ones, and officials will think about hybrid systems only when they themselves graduate from a technical university not for money and “blat”, we will have to wait a long time. Toli is the case in the United States, in particular in California, where there are very serious taxes on environmental friendliness. The bulk of these cars are sold there, because. concessions give a tangible result for their owner’s wallet, besides, numerous organizations like the “greens” will not bombard the courts with their lawsuits against rich and solvent celebrities who will switch to environmentally friendly modes of transport, and besides, they will correspond to the image of technocrats and keeping up with time.

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Before becoming the owner of the Lexus RX400h, I had a chance to ride on different cars and fully experience the advantages and disadvantages of them. Started with GAZ 2410, VAZ 2107, Chevrolet Niva, (Land Cruser 100 Audi Q7 temporary possession) and last before Lexus RX400h was Mazda 6 2005. I will not talk about my impressions of these cars, since the review is not about them, but sometimes I will compare in order to more accurately convey the feeling of owning a Lexus. Where and when I bought the car, I think is not so important. And what I want to start with is the first sensations when I (almost immediately) transferred from Mazda to Lexus. It seemed that I was in the business class cabin of an air cushion train. Soft and smooth ride, smooth and powerful acceleration, well-felt dimensions of the car, high seating position and just a feeling of calm. I didn’t want to go into pavarot like on a Mazda with a skid, I didn’t want to drive, cut, drift, turn the engine to a cutoff. It all vanished all at once. I think the owners of the hybrid will understand me. Instead, I wanted to be polite, give way, because no one wanted to prove anything anymore. And so it continues to this day, although as practice has shown, the machine is capable of much and may well show character. It's about feelings. Now more specifically about the car.

Quality of finish: I will compare with the Audi Q7, which I think in terms of interior trim and ergonomics is on top. I must say that Lexus is not inferior to Audi. There are some shortcomings, such as small inconsistencies in plastic parts, but they are in places where they are not critical. Well, someone may find the touch controls inconvenient, but for me it’s just right. But basically the plastic is of high quality, nothing creaks anywhere, everything is proportional and good.

Hybrid engine: this is a song. It is elastic, smooth, high-torque and economical. Of course, the variator plays a very important role here. In terms of dynamics, it can easily compete with the Infiniti FX35. When I competed in 400m drag racing, I beat the 35th by two lengths. Fact.

Manageability: here, of course, everything is not as good as we would like. After all, you have to pay for smoothness and comfort. The hybrid enters the turn oh, how reluctantly, it rolls and the non-switchable stabilization system spoils everything, because when you skid and the stabilization system works, you no longer control the car. The fuel supply is interrupted and the car carries straight off the road. His element is direct. On a direct hybrid we will not shake. Neither pits, nor waves, and a bad road will lead him astray. And here stabilization is quite to the point. Long trips on it is a pleasure. You are resting. The car takes you away from the road so much that sometimes you have to fight sleep.

Reliability: my mileage is 28,000. MOT is 30,000 soon. So far, there has not been a single breakdown. Everything is working properly. Our roads are bad and I drive without thinking about potholes. The suspension doesn't care. Drives have been run in many times and changed tires due to hernias. Ran into holes. BUT, I did the suspension diagnostics, everything is normal. Of course, it's too early to draw conclusions about reliability, you have to wait until the mileage is at least 150,000 km. My friend has a 330 model from America with a mileage of about 180,000. So far, he has only changed the oil and brake pads. Everything.

Appearance: to each his own. I like. Not flashy and maybe not very charismatic like Phoenix or Beha, but this car is not loved for that.

Cross-country ability: another weak point of the hybrid. The fact is that the gasoline engine works only on the front-wheel drive, and if necessary, the rear-wheel drive drives only the electric motor. Which is frankly weak. The downside is that at the bottom of the nickel-metal-hydride battery weighing almost 250kg, the car sags well when slipping. With prolonged slipping, it is possible to damage the variator, plant the battery (this is very fast) and then look for the tractor. Let's say in winter you can drive through city slush, mud and snow without problems, but already outside the city in a field in a snowdrift immediately sat down. Well, this car is not for this, which the manufacturer actually writes about.

Consumption: in summer the average consumption is 10-11, in winter 13-14 (this is due to the peculiarities of the operation of electric motors, which are more often turned on when it is warm).

Service: I go through all MOT in Moscow at the official dealer. Everything suits me. They do it quickly. They don't take money. Everything is honest. Very polite staff and there are no problems with the record for MOT.

Security: I haven't tested it yet, let it stay that way))))

And now some more emotions. But already emotions after 2 years of owning a car. I fall more and more in love with him. This is a very good and loyal friend. A reliable family man and sometimes a gambler. To the realization that this is my car, I came a year. For a long time I couldn't understand it. Now, when it's already six months and a new generation will come out and need to be changed, I'm sorry to part with it. She helped me out many times, forgave me my driving mistakes and rough treatment, and I sometimes have strange behavior. But the car frankly makes me happy. Somehow I happened to go on a long journey on the Audi Q7. Over 3000 km of the road, I learned a lot about the Audi Q7 and we must pay tribute - automobile very worthy and good quality. It has many of its advantages. I liked him too. But…..with what pleasure I got back behind the wheel of my Hybrid Rex. And he rejoiced like a child. I hope you too, your automobile gives as many de positive emotions as my giboid gives me. That's all I think. Good luck on the roads!

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