A SEVENTEEN hour day and a 352 mile commute would take it out of most people but not me, well at least not this time.
I leave my car park at 7am for what I know is going to be a mammoth double shift but as I pull back in at midnight I’m feeling surprisingly fresh.
The only thing feeling the strain is my voice box because I’ve been singing all the way home. I couldn’t help it, it’s the Mark Levison hi-fi you see.
On reflection I’m not sure I could have done what I have just done in any other car but the fifth generation Lexus RX450 PHEV which is simply magnificent.
The RX has taken me around town, carved a comfortable path through traffic and slotted neatly into modestly sized car park spaces despite being quiet a big SUV. It has journeyed swiftly along cross country A roads, overtaking the slow movers with alacrity, supporting the body nicely through the bends.
On the highways it has kept me safe from harm thanks to a raft of lane-keeping and blind-spot warning electronics. It has comforted me through nearly-at-a-standstill roadworks and the satnav, housed in a brand new touchscreen infotainment centre, has taken me door to door.
Even when I’m heading home and the roadworks crew decides to close the A1 without warning it plots me another route back and with a manageable detour gets me to my house in good time. I haven’t been hanging around either yet the trip computer is still reading 42mpg, which is impressive
RX is the biggest of the Lexus family and this particular one is the plug-in hybrid. Its new look is big, bold and menacing with a chiselled front end offering much greater presence on the road.
Under the skin lies a 2.0 litre four cylinder petrol engine which works with a plug-in hybrid electric motor. The benefits are many-fold. You get the supreme smoothness and quiet of electric without the worry about having to recharge. If you want to charge you can and this gives you an additional full EV range. But it also works like a self-charging hybrid, the electric kicking in to pull away and cruise, then working with the petrol motor when more drive is needed.
Performance and economy are excellent and it’s a great marriage. There is so much seamless power offering, a combined output of 304hp to be precise, so the 0-62mph sprint time is an excellent 6.5 seconds, quite something for as big SUV.
It’s interesting showing the RX to a friend and explaining why I like it so much. It’s different, a luxury brand but without going for the predictable. It’s also considerably cheaper than the predictable and better built too.
Lexus really are designed and built by obsessives in laboratories in which you could happily eat your tea off the floor. Not that they would let you as this might make a mess.
They offer bombproof build quality and reliability, intuitive design and ergonomics – they just seem to fit my form. They are exceptionally quiet with incredible ride quality. There is no noise from the engine, wind or road to spoil the amazing Mark Levison hi-fi. Lexus feel luxurious and come with an exhaustive specification. They are powerful and fun to drive and don’t strain your wallet at the pumps.
They are also spacious, practical and dynamic so you can’t fail to enjoy the experience. They boast an exemplary network of friendly, caring and empathetic dealers who look after your every whim, which makes it very difficult once hooked to step away from the brand.
The RX helps you get through the day and is invaluable when that working directive stretches to 17 hours. In any other vehicle the longest day would have taken its toll and the 352 miles travelled, in any another vehicle, would have resulted in an incapacitating headache.
But when I finally pull into my drive I could quite happily travel even further, sing a few more James Bond theme tunes, tackle another shift and that says a great deal about the Lexus RX.
Fact file
Lexus RX450 PHEV
Engine: 2.5 litre four cylinder petrol plus electric
Power: 304hp combined
0-62mph: 6.5 secs
Top speed: 124mph
Transmission: CVT
Combined MPG: 256.8
CO2 g/km: 25
Cost: £67,100.00
