WITH all the opprobrium Toyota has attracted lately over faulty throttle pedals and semi-functioning brakes, would you buy one? How about a car from its Lexus luxury division, whose reputation has also been tarnished by recalls?
Lexus GX 460
Compared with the US or Europe, Australia has been relatively unscathed by the storm that has enveloped Toyota. The latest alarm, on the Lexus GX460, came after concerns about the safety of its electronic stability control system were raised by a consumer outfit in the US. But the GX460, like many of the other cars with issues, is not offered here.
Cars are such complex devices that no brand is immune from recalls, but most are inconvenient rather than life-threatening. In Australia, the Lexus record is no worse than for any luxury brand and better than some. Buyers here seem unconcerned by events elsewhere. Lexus was thumped harder by the downturn than its German rivals last year, with sales down 13 per cent. Now, despite the recall frenzy, it's recovering more quickly. However, it has no chance of reclaiming third spot in the luxury sales league after it was decisively overtaken by Audi three years ago.
With its narrower range of products, Lexus is in danger of making another mistake: failing to catch the premium wave that means buyers now demand luxury in all shapes and sizes.
One niche Lexus does have to itself, for a little longer at least, is the hybrid SUV. Porsche will offer a petrol-electric unit in its second-generation Cayenne soon, but the hybrid BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz ML450 - the first German hybrids, which went on sale last year in Europe - won't come here and Audi's Q5 hybrid is still some way off. At the moment if you want a hybrid SUV, there's only one: the Lexus RX450h.
Introduced with the previous-generation RX four years ago, the hybrid SUV has been in steady demand, with nearly 2500 sold. Lexus says the new one, almost a year old, is doing better than the last.
As long as off-road demands are negligible, supplementing a petrol engine with electric motors makes sense in this sort of vehicle. Lexus claims the RX450h returns 6.4 litres per 100km/h on the combined cycle, which for a roomy, well-equipped wagon weighing more than two tonnes is remarkable. It achieves this by using a frugal V6 to power the front wheels, with the rear wheels driven by electric motors only when required for acceleration. In other words, it's inherently more efficient because, despite its looks, it's mainly a two-wheel drive.
A 69kg nickel hydride battery is recharged on the run by typical hybrid strategies, such as harvesting power from hot brakes and, in this case, electrically powered airconditioning. It can go for 2km on electric power alone, which is handy for quiet departures and arrivals. On start-up there's no sound and only a "ready" light in the dash gives away its status.
That can take some getting used to, but on refinement it's immediately persuasive. There's no fuss and it drives without drama. The cabin is a refuge of calm.
However, there are some drawbacks. To couple the two power sources, the transmission is a continuously variable unit and under load these have the characteristic of holding revs at a particular level and invisibly sliding through gear ratios. The result can be an unpleasant drone if you floor it.
Pulling up slowly under brakes, the RX450h sounds even weirder, like a tram coming to a halt. Of course, the economy may be worth it, although the official figure looks at least 1 litre per 100km/h too optimistic.
In other respects, too, the RX450h inhabits that strangely remote world that hybrids share with computer games. The handling is benign - and the brakes quite good - but steering this car is a virtual, non-engaging experience.
It's also not the complete luxury article from a couple of viewpoints. The ride quality is great on smooth roads but troubled over scarred tarmac, with thumps and bumps from the tyres transmitting shudders into the cabin.
The car feels solid and meticulously built, with doors that thunk and windows that swish impressively. There's nothing in the cabin that looks cheap, but it doesn't come across as very special either. The materials are bland, with leather facings only on the seats and some hard plastics. The controls are not especially well organised and the attempt at design flourish with the centre console just looks try-hard, particularly as it's let down by a cheap digital clock. It's matched by low-rent graphics on the control screen, a lo-tech foot-operated parking brake and the fact that the car bongs and chimes annoyingly for any reason at all.
There's something about this sort of luxury that's reminiscent of airport hotels: they're clean and functional but their style is generic and the artwork in the foyer can be ordered by the metre. There are also a few things missing, including iPod-MP3 connectibility, a lane-change function on the blinkers and parking sensors, although there is a rear camera.
And while it may not be the last word in luxury, the RX450h is extravagent in one sense. This is a large, comfortable vehicle for five that lacks the option of seven seats, and with less flexibility to the interior seat organisation than many: the front passenger seat doesn't fold flat, for example.
But everything worked and recalls were the last thing on my mind. If this Lexus was on your shopping list, there's no reason to ignore it now. By the same token, the reasons you might not go there remain the same.
Need to know
Lexus RX450hVehicle: Luxury SUV
Engine: 3.5-litre V6 plus two electric motors
Outputs: 183kW at 6000rpm and 317Nm at 4800rpm; system output 220kW including motors
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission, part-time all-wheel drive
Price: From $89,990 plus on-road costs
On sale: Now
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