Lexus 400 hybrid specifications. Custom test hybrid SUV Lexus RX400h

23.09.2019

Engine

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 :-)

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. All.

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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The hybrid RX 400h has three engines for four wheels at once - a gasoline unit and two electric motors. As long as the car is new, there are usually no problems with it, but we are interested in how used copies of it feel on our roads.

At first glance, this is a regular second-generation Lexus RX. But more observant people will notice that it has a different front bumper with an additional air intake slot and not rectangular, but round foglights. The trunk lid bears the RX 400h nameplate, and later versions' rear door moldings bear the "Hybrid" lettering. Indeed, this is not quite a simple version, but an RX equipped with Toyota's proprietary Hybrid Synergy Drive hybrid powerplant. Its main advantages are: low exhaust toxicity (which is not very important for domestic motorists), higher fuel efficiency and excellent dynamics - better than all other RX, and at the level of many “charged” passenger car models. It was the latter quality that played a key role in the success of sales of these modifications in Ukraine. The level of their equipment was also a nice bonus: the base provided for options that were offered as additional options for the rest of the RX. There are no complaints about the operation of the interior equipment, but there is a quality - the trunk curtain and sliding rear seats knock.

"Four hundred" cars were not officially delivered to Ukraine, and all cars operated on domestic roads were sold by "gray" dealers. The disadvantage of the "American" versions is poor visibility through the side mirrors with large dead zones (non-aspherical mirrors are used).


Lexus RX 400h 2004-2009 from $27,000 to $59,300

No starter, no gearbox

The power plant is the main difference between the RX 400h and conventional RX crossovers. The “four hundred” uses a proprietary hybrid installation Hybrid Synergy Drive, which combines three motors and a transmission. The main unit is a 3.3-liter gasoline engine borrowed from the RX 330 with a capacity of 214 hp. With. Paired with it are two electric motors: the first (with a capacity of 167 hp and a torque of 330 Nm) rotates the front wheels, the second (68 hp and 130 Nm) - the rear. The total power of the power plant declared by the manufacturer is 272 hp. With. Mathematically, it is impossible to “plus” the “horses” of all three motors, since they have the maximum power value at different speeds, in addition, the rear electric motor works according to an individual program. Also, 30% of the energy of a gasoline internal combustion engine is “eaten up” by a starter-generator for charging a nickel-metal hydride (traction) battery.
The RX 400h has neither a classic starter nor a generator, as, indeed, a gearbox, and the gasoline unit is started from the front electric motor using a starter-generator, which also provides charging of a high-voltage traction battery with a capacity of 6.5 Ah and a total voltage of 288 V. The role of the gearbox performs a planetary mechanism, which, depending on various situations, mechanically (commands are given by the Hybrid Synergy Drive ECU) distributes the torque from the motors to the front wheels. It also has a built-in reduction gear, because the electric motor develops very high speeds (12400 rpm).
After turning the ignition key, nothing seems to happen, and in the well of the instrument panel, located on the left side, the inscription Ready lights up. Step on the accelerator pedal, and the RX 400h starts moving smoothly and silently with the help of the front electric motor, you press a little harder - the rear motor comes to the rescue. If you push the gas pedal “to the floor”, the gasoline unit immediately starts up, and the “four hundred”, driven by three engines, pressing the riders into the seats, rushes forward. Crossover dynamics - 7.6 s to "hundreds", which is even better than the flagship RX 350 (7.8 s)! Moreover, thanks to the "planetary" acceleration occurs smoothly and with an even increase in speed, without any jerks and jerks inherent in traditional transmissions.

When braking, the electric motors switch to generator mode, recuperating energy, which goes to recharge the traction battery. When the car slows down and stops, the gasoline unit turns off, and when driving for a long time in city traffic jams, when the energy reserve of the starting battery runs out, the gasoline engine automatically starts to recharge it.
Four-wheel drive is independent, unlike the rest of the RX with a cardan shaft and a lockable center viscous coupling. The algorithm of its work is designed more for powerful and dynamic starts on asphalt than for off-road. So, when driving through a problem area, the front electric motor may not always be enough, and the rear one cannot help it - it is frankly weak, and when a gasoline unit is connected, the front wheels quickly burrow due to the high torque.

In terms of cross-country ability, the RX 400h is noticeably inferior to the rest of the RX modifications and is able to fold in a situation that is harmless for crossovers.

You can't stand still!

The main condition for the long-term operation of the hybrid installation is regular driving, so that the processes of discharging / charging the traction battery occur constantly. With long (more than 1 month) downtime of hybrid cars, the nickel-metal hydride battery can be completely discharged, and then it is almost impossible to “revive” it. Specialists capable of doing this in Ukraine can be counted on the fingers. A new battery costs about UAH 25,000. With rare use, the seals of the axle shafts lose their tightness.

Oil also often oozes from under the front cover of the transfer case - this is a factory defect of the “four hundred”. To eliminate leaks, you have to remove the gearbox.

"Left" fuel can disable the damper coupling-dampers of torsional vibrations (spare part - 10500 UAH). It is installed between the gasoline unit and the "planetary" and serves for a smooth transmission of torque during the connection / deactivation of the gasoline engine.

Experts advise cleaning radiators every 50-60 thousand km: contaminated cells can cause overheating of the gasoline engine, as well as the inverter (DC converter 650 V-288 V-12 V) and disable it. The inverter has a separate cooling circuit.

There are no serious complaints about the 3.3 liter engine either. The variable valve timing system VVTi and individual ignition coils serve without problems. The timing is equipped with a belt, which is changed along with the rollers every 120 thousand km. Cleaning of nozzles and throttle is carried out every 40-50 thousand km, and candles with iridium electrode tips serve up to 80 thousand km. The fuel filter will last a very long time, but its replacement is laborious - it is necessary to dismantle the tank.

Failures of electric motors and other units of the hybrid installation were not recalled by domestic experts.

Problem areas of the car

Full electrification

Unlike the rest of the RX, equipped with a hydraulic booster, the “four hundred” is equipped with an electric booster. Although the mechanics have no complaints about this node. Yes, and the tie rods will last a long time - up to 100 thousand km.

The brakes are also electrified - they are electro-hydraulic here. It is necessary to lubricate the caliper guides regularly (when replacing the pads). Otherwise, they begin to wedge, which causes uneven pad wear. In the end, you will have to change the guides.

The “four hundred” suspension is independent, like other versions of the RX. Front - McPherson type, rear - passively thruster "multi-link". The chassis is tuned for a comfortable ride - it copes well with road bumps, but during sharp maneuvers the crossover rolls unpleasantly, and in corners it squeaks early with tires, sliding from a given trajectory.

The chassis is quite durable. More often you will have to change the bushings of the stabilizers: rear - every 30 thousand km, front - 50 thousand km. Racks will last up to 100 thousand km. In the front suspension, about 100 thousand km, the rear silent blocks of the front levers and strut support bearings serve, and the “ball” ones - up to 200 thousand km. In the rear suspension, about 100 thousand km, the usual "gum" of the rear links are kept, and the floating silent blocks will last up to 200 thousand km.

However, during the scheduled repair of the suspension, you will have to fork out - all the silent blocks of the rear rods and the "gum" of the front levers change as an assembly.

Find out the whole truth...

Domestic experience of driving RX 400h hybrids has shown that there are no serious complaints about them. A complex power plant, subject to operating standards, serves reliably. Unlike stand-alone hybrids like the Toyota Prius, the 400 has almost all of the same body parts as the rest of the RX, making it easy to find the parts you need.

However, there are difficulties with servicing - only specialized service stations will take care of it, and there are few of them in Ukraine. Since the "four hundred" is much smaller than the other modifications of the RX, all of their copies are well known to the employees of special stations. The only problem is that they tell the future owners the whole truth ...

Story

01.04 Lexus RX 400h hybrid crossover unveiled at Detroit Auto Show
08.04 The European presentation of the RX 400h took place at the Paris Motor Show
11.08 Second-generation Lexus RX 450h hybrid crossover unveiled at Los Angeles Auto Show

Summary

Drivers about Lexus RX 400h

I bought a car because I am a fan of all sorts of newfangled technologies. It is very comfortable, soundproofing is excellent. Long distances are not a problem - my family and I often went on vacation to Odessa, to the Crimea. At high speed, the RX 400h handles well, but rolls a lot during sharp maneuvers. Acceleration is fast, and with a quiet ride in the city, the engine is very economical - 8-9 liters per 100 km! The suspension is reliable - only the stabilizer bushings have changed. Now there is a problem with the hybrid installation: the car shakes when the gasoline engine is turned on. The guys at the service took a long time to figure it out, they even ordered some kind of damper in America and replaced it. But it didn't help, and I decided it was time to sell the car: four years of trouble-free driving is not a bad time for such a complex hybrid device.


from $27 thousand to $59.3 thousand	According to the catalog "Autobazaar"
Total information
body type	station wagon
doors/seats
Dimensions, L/W/H, mm

Equipment weight / full, kg
Trunk volume, l
Tank volume, l
Engines
Petrol 6-cyl.:	3.3L 24V (214 HP/288Nm)
2 electric motors:	167 l. s./330 Nm (front) and 68 l. s./130 Nm
Transmission
type of drive	conn. full
	best. variable speed drive.
Chassis
Brakes front/rear	disk. vent./disk
Suspension front/rear	independent/independent

Prices for new orig. spare parts, UAH*
Front/Rear brake pads
Cabin Air Filter
Air filter
Fuel filter
Oil filter
Front bearing hubs
Drive hub with bearing
Spherical bearing
Front suspension arm
Front bushing/strut stabilizer
Tie rod end
Damper clutch

timing belt
Timing roller
Timing pulley
*Prices may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer and modification of the vehicle. Prices provided by LLC AK "TERRA"