2021 Lexus RX 450hL Review

Seating for seven people? High fuel economy? These are normally two qualities that are hard to find in one vehicle and yet the 2021 Lexus RX 450hL (mostly) pulls it off. The 450h designation means this is the hybrid version of Lexus' midsize SUV. It gets an EPA-estimated 29 mpg in combined city/highway driving, which is well above average for this class of vehicle. Then there's the L designation at the end, indicating this is the longer, three-row RX version.

Unfortunately, that third row is quite cramped and best left for occasional use by small children. The RX 450hL also suffers from a lack of cargo space and a suboptimal infotainment interface that's distracting to use while driving. Still, it will be hard to find a similar mix of luxury, fuel economy and passenger capacity elsewhere. Plug-in hybrid versions of the Lincoln Aviator and Volvo XC90 will be your best bet for a roomier SUV, but know that they're considerably more expensive.

The Lexus RX 450hL is a three-row luxury hybrid SUV with seating for six or seven passengers. It uses a 3.5-liter V6 paired with a hybrid powertrain to produce a total of 308 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive is standard.