2021 Lexus RX 450h Review

Name: 2021 Lexus RX 450h Review
Brand: Lexus

Price Range: $40,495 - $48,990

Lexus RX 450h F SPORT 4dr SUV Exterior Shown

Lexus has been in the hybrid-making business for quite some time, so it's no surprise it makes some of the best. The 2021 RX 450h's bold styling could be a polarizing point for buyers, but its combination of impressive attention to detail, interior appointments and practicality makes it an undoubtedly attractive proposition in the luxury SUV scene. Our only real reservation: It underperformed its EPA fuel economy estimates in our testing.

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Price & Payment

16 cars

$41,388 avg. price

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2021 Lexus RX 450h Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert is now standard
A wireless charging pad is now available
Part of the fourth RX generation introduced for 2016

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Lexus RX 450h 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.24 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in California

$221/mo

$252/mo

Avg. Midsize SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

4.5/5Excellent

#2 out of 29 among Luxury Midsize SUVs

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Lexus RX 450h from 2008-2022.}

$401/yr

vs. $602/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize SUV

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

0.78x/yr

vs. 1.09x/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize SUV

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

7.2%

vs. 9.4%
for Average Luxury Midsize SUV

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Lexus RX 450h Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.4

33 reviews

5(67%)

4(18%)

3(9%)

2(0%)

1(6%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

My Atomic Silver Ride!

markh, 11/25/2019

2020 Lexus RX 450h F SPORT Performance 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

I graduated from a 2017 RX 350 to the 2020 RX 450h Performance F Sport and love it! I love the feel and sound when I put it in Sport mode, but most of the time I keep it in Eco Mode for improved mileage. In Sport mode the gas pedal is soft, whereas in Eco mode it seems as the pedal is harder to push, saving fuel? The car is very similar to my 2017 inside, except the speedometer …

Great Value and very comfortable!

Ian F, 01/15/2020

2020 Lexus RX 450h F SPORT Performance 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

This is an incredibly well constructed and well composed SUV. It is exactly what you think it should be. There are no surprises. The CVT coupled with the Hybrid System provides adequate and smooth power. The ride is very comfortable. It’s heavy and well made yet fairly agile for a car this size. Lexus has done a very good job with this car. You would be hard pressed to find anything …

Get f sport version if possible

Aries, 01/02/2020

2020 Lexus RX 450h F SPORT Performance 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

I did very intensive test drive comparing the non f sport and f sport. If possible, please get f sport. The f sport suspension turned grandma's 450h into a car like SUV. The eco and normal mode completely isolate you from the northcal crappy road condition. On the other hand, sport+ mode controls body roll really well, and the performance is very similar as my 2016 IS f sport. Overall, …

The perfect auto.

Neups, 07/31/2019

2019 Lexus RX 450h 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Beauty, quiet, great handling, beautifully displayed controls with an impeccable interior quality and design. Add a MPG with constant in city driving of 29 and all around luxury-- you have a auto beyond compare to anything on the road. Nothing comes close. I drove them all--- this Lexus RX450h pulls away as the total champ.

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Lexus RX 450h, so we've included reviews for other years of the RX 450h since its last redesign.

See all 33 reviews of the Lexus RX 450h

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2021 RX 450h Highlights

Trim:

Base

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$47,920
Engine Type	Hybrid
Combined MPG	30 MPG
Cost to Drive	$221/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.0 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the RX 450h models:

Lexus Safety System+ 2.0: Includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision mitigation with automatic braking, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist.
Lexus Enform Safety Connect: Alerts emergency services automatically in the event of a crash or distress. Also includes a stolen vehicle locator.
Panoramic View Monitor: Provides a 360-degree view of the area around the RX 450h to aid in parking situations.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver3 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover16.4%

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2021 Lexus RX 450h Review

Price & Payment

2021 Lexus RX 450h Review

What's new

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Lexus RX 450h 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.24 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.}

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Lexus RX 450h Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

My Atomic Silver Ride!

Great Value and very comfortable!

Get f sport version if possible

The perfect auto.

2021 RX 450h Highlights

Safety

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2021 Lexus RX 450h Review

Price & Payment

2021 Lexus RX 450h Review

What's new

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Lexus RX 450h 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.24 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Lexus RX 450h Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

My Atomic Silver Ride!

Great Value and very comfortable!

Get f sport version if possible

The perfect auto.

2021 RX 450h Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2021 Lexus RX 450h info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Lexus

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Lexus RX 450h 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.24 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.}