When you purchase a vehicle, a large want or desire, and sometimes the only wish, is that it lasts you however long you have it for. This is one of the trickier aspects in the automotive world, because you can have the most reliable car and still get unlucky and go home with a faulty one. Many people stick with the platforms they’re used to, either too scared or with no interest in switching sides. If you’ve been keeping tabs over the last couple of years in the automotive industry, you’d know about all the backlash the electrified platforms get, more specifically, electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
Studies and data collection show that EVs and PHEVs are indeed less reliable than other platforms, such as non-electric gas-powered (ICE) or hybrids (HEVS). This tends to scare people away or throw a stereotype on the platform as a whole, but that isn’t the case. Focusing on plug-in hybrids, there are numerous models that pull in reliability and look to be capable of lasting you a lifetime. Some of the negative thoughts on such platforms place various models as underrated or overlooked. One model, in particular, comes from a strong family known to be as reliable as possible.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Toyota and Lexus and other authoritative sources, Consumer Reports and J.D. Power.
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The Lexus RX Plug-In Hybrid Is Surprisingly Underrated
This may come as a surprise, but the 2025 Lexus RX 450+, which is one of Lexus’ plug-in hybrids, is quite underrated and overlooked. For starters, many people probably wouldn’t have thrown any Lexus in the mix because of how successful this Japanese car brand is. While that’s a nice thought, that isn’t always the case with practically every single big-name car brand, at least having one model that didn’t get the recognition it deserved. There are a couple of reasons why the RX Plug-In Hybrid platform may sit in the shadows, and one significant one is its siblings. Lexus sits at the forefront of the hybrid industry, with both HEVs and PHEVs and Lexus’s HEVs seem to be the more desired models. Nonetheless, the Lexus RX PHEV is one of the best plug-in hybrids on the market, and it’s quite a steal after exploring some of its features.
Lexus Only Sold 4,248 Examples Of It In 12 Months
Before diving into its performance and standard features, it’s always optimal to back up some claims with hard concrete evidence. As stated above, the RX Plug-In has many reasons why it was overlooked, but Lexus basically openly admitted to it being underrated. The Lexus RX PHEV was released and went on sale at the end of 2023. Lexus was kind enough to offer the public its sales sheet for the previous year, which shows that from January 2024 to December 2024, only 4,248 RX PHEVs were sold. It wasn’t the only Lexus Plug-In to sell poorly, with Lexus only selling 6,301 copies of the Lexus NX PHEV. To put it into further perspective, the RX platform is Lexus’s most popular model, and sold 118,636 ICE models and 42,876 HEV models. The NX Hybrid was also popular, selling 27,129 models. As people say, numbers don’t lie, and with sales figures like that, it’s apparent that the RX Plug-In Hybrid platform was overlooked the first year it came out.
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The RX Platform Was The Platform To Kick Things Off For The Japanese Brand
It should be noted that this platform, the RX, kick-started Lexus’ journey into the hybrid industry. Today, the Japanese automotive manufacturer is an unstoppable force in hybrid engineering and innovation. The 2006 RX 400h was the first mass-produced Lexus hybrid, and with its minor shift in focus on plug-ins, it only seems fitting to throw it onto Lexus’ most popular hybrid platform.
Lexus Is Known For Its Impressive Reliability
So, what determines if you can speculate or guess that a specific model or particular brand will offer a vehicle that will last a lifetime? That’s a tricky answer because there really isn’t a definite or clear answer. The best you can do is research the brand itself and the history of said vehicle. Starting out with Lexus, it used to be the most reliable brand, which recently lost its crown to Subaru.
This doesn’t change the fact that Lexus is one of the best brands to offer endless dependability. Regarding new cars and reliability, Lexus sits in second place, but when it comes to used cars and reliability, they sit in first. So, with a long track record of producing reliable cars, it seems they’re one of the best options when searching for a car that will last a lifetime.
J.D. Power Gave The 2025 RX PHEV An 85 Out Of 100 For Reliability
With Lexus out of the way and concluding that it’s no joke that they’re reliable, the next step is to dive into the 2025 Lexus RX Plug-In Hybrid’s ratings. J.D. Power gave the 2025 Lexus 450h+ an 85 out of 100 for its reliability. Some of the other ratings were 84 out of 100 for its resale value and 82 out of 100 for its driving experience. With all the scores put together, the 2025 Lexus RX PHEV received an impressive overall score of 85 out of 100. It’s also worth noting that plug-ins, hybrids, and ICE can receive different ratings, and while one rates high and the other rates low, it should be noted that the Lexus RX has a long track record in rock-solid reliability.
- Quality And Reliability: 85/100
- Resale Value: 84/100
- Driving Experience: 82/100
- Overall Rating: 85/100
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A Look At Underneath The Hood
Taking a look underneath the hood of the 2025 RX Plug-In Hybrid, it’s powered by a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder plug-in hybrid engine. This setup produces 304 horsepower and completes a 0-60 mile-per-hour sprint in just 6.2 seconds. This plug-in SUV comes standard with Lexus’ electronically continuously variable transmission (ECVT), which is “normal talk”, is a modern-day automatic, and also comes standard with all-wheel drive. The EPA hasn’t rated the 2025 RX 450h+ just yet, but Lexus estimates it will offer a combined fuel economy of 83 MPGe and an all-electric range of 37 miles.
2025 Lexus RX 450+ Specifications
|
Powertrain |
2.5-Liter Inline Four-Cylinder Plug-In Hybrid Engine |
|
Horsepower |
304 HP |
|
Torque |
N/A |
|
Transmission |
ECVT |
|
Driveline |
All-Wheel Drive |
|
0-60 MPH |
6.2 Seconds |
|
Top Speed |
124 MPH |
|
Fuel Economy (Combined) |
Est. 83 MPGe |
|
Electric Range |
Est. 37 Miles |
The Plug-In Hybrid SUV That Encapsulates Luxury
Lexus keeps things simple and only offers one trim on the RX 450h+. As you could expect, this plug-in hybrid SUV is exclusively a luxury grade and comes with all the bells and whistles. For the exterior, it comes standard with 21-inch 20-spoke alloy wheels finished in dark premium metallic. The boldest design on the RX 450h+ is the large and budged nose that hangs over the front bumper.
The standard features and technology are the real showstoppers, which makes sense since its only trim is the “Luxury” trim. The RX PHEV comes standard with a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen. This system is paired with Lexus’ Intelligent Assistant, which is designed with enhanced noise cancelation, seat detection, and various voice commands. Other standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and a Head-Up Display that offers navigation and speed visuals. Regarding sound systems, the 21-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Sound System is an added option on the RX 450h+. Lastly, Lexus equips this plug-in SUV with its latest Safety System+ 3.0.
Lexus Safety System+ 3.0
- Pre-Collision System (PCS) w/ Pedestrian Detection
- Proactive Driving Assist (PDA)
- Road Sign Assist
- Lane Departure Alert w/ Steering Assist (LDA w/SA)
- Lane Tracing Assist (LTA)
- Intelligent High Beam
- All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control w/ Curve Speed Management (DRCC)
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Its Biggest Flaw Came Down To One Recall
It wouldn’t be a complete breakdown if you didn’t touch on any of its flaws. Possibly the biggest downside to the RX Plug-In is the recent recall that both Toyota and Lexus covered at the start of February 2025. It’s not the worst thing to happen, and if this is the biggest downside, then it fuels the reasoning even more as to why the RX 450h+ deserves some more recognition. The recall involved 2025 MY Camrys, NXs, and 24-25MY RXs in North America. Approximately 41,000 vehicles were involved in this recall. The recall was over the second-row center seatbelt, which was possibly damaged when it was manufactured. The result can be that the seatbelt does not meet the correct strength requirement issued by federal laws. The good news, though, is that with recalls, much like this one, Lexus and Toyota will inspect it and, if found faulty, will replace it free of charge.
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