Lexus RX450h - is it a good tow car?

wrayster
wrayster Forum Participant Posts: 2
edited November 2020 in Towcars & Towing #1

I'm looking at buying a Lexus RX450h (2011) to tow my Adria Altea 502DK (2008).

I know the weight of the caravan won't be a problem.

But does anyone else have experience of towing with this Lexus?

Comments

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2017 #2

    I can't speak for the RX450h, but I had an RX400h for six years towing an 1800kg caravan and it was quite a capable and certainly very comfortable vehicle. However, don't expect wonders regarding fuel consumption when towing. It's great solo, especially under city driving conditions, but there is no saving wihen the caravan is behind.

    The only two negative issues that I found with the car were it's ultra-small starter battery (identical to that of the Nissan Micra), which sometimes had trouble with coping with the demand, and a torque sensitive steering, but both those points may have been overcome on the RX450h.

  • wrayster
    wrayster Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited March 2017 #3

    Thanks for that Lutz, that's helpful.

    do you remember what sort of mpg you got whilst towing? 

  • Lutz
    Lutz Forum Participant Posts: 1,564 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2017 #4

    I think it was about 20 to the gallon when towing. However, solo around town it was quite possible to achieve 50. I never had a car with such a big spread, but bear in mind that it was quite a heavy caravan.

  • Barry Jones
    Barry Jones Forum Participant Posts: 33
    edited November 2020 #5

    Did you buy the Lexus and if so what was your opinion of it? I too am looking at getting one.

  • ADP1963
    ADP1963 Forum Participant Posts: 1,280
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2020 #6

    I have the Lexus 350 RX Navigator, luxury and effortless towing. I have had it for 7 years and it has been faultless.Before retiring I was a Area Manager and before that a Sales Representative and had in excess of 20 new cars. Not one of those cars was even close to the reliability of my present Lexus.  Incidentally I tow a Lunar Delta.

  • Barry Jones
    Barry Jones Forum Participant Posts: 33
    edited November 2020 #7

    I am  looking at buying a Lexus RX450 I read the report in the club magazine by John Rankin on his experience with a 2013 model. Does anyone else have any experience with the model. Thanks 

  • dunton10
    dunton10 Forum Participant Posts: 53
    edited November 2020 #8

    I’d be interested if anyone has real world mpg figures for this car. It concerns me towing with a 3.5 petrol engine but how does it compare to my disco 4 which returns about 28/29 mpg solo and 24/25 towing a large twin axle.

    Also anyone know the nose weight limit?I’ve seen 80kgs mentioned on older models which would be too low for me.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2020 #9

    if you drive 3.5 litre petrol car I'd have thought that mpg should be the least of your concerns ..... whatever it is, it's not going to be good. My 3.0 petrol Omega mpg was high teens at best while towing a large 2 berth Lunar (forget now its weight) and the worst I saw was during a horrible wet windy journey to the south west when it achieved abut 16mpg.

  • Extugger
    Extugger Forum Participant Posts: 1,293
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2020 #10

    I would buy one tomorrow! I know Lutz has had one for a number of years, towing a heavy van. The report in a recent magazine also gives the car a glowing report. Reliability, comfort and performance are my criteria for purchasing and Lexus outperforms all. I don't give a monkeys if it does 18-20 mpg when towing, because any other vehicle wouldn't give you much better, towing 1800kgs. (For most, that would be a journey of 1000 miles max, twice a year. Those who reckon they get 30mpg towing those sorts of weights live in cloud cuckoo land and even if they did, a saving of £20 is laughable!) Speaking to owners just reaffirms the quality and legendary reliability the brand is renowned for.

     

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
    1000 Comments
    edited November 2020 #11

    Honest John website

    https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/lexus/rx-2015

  • Lindyloo55
    Lindyloo55 Forum Participant Posts: 13
    edited December 2020 #12

    We currently have a Lexus RX450 and absolutely love it.  Great tow car.  Reliable, comfortable and manages around 30-32 mpg towing.  Had four year old Land Rover Discovery previously but ended up with no confidence in it's reliability - it cost a fortune in repair bills.   

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2020 #13

    Ll55 this post is nearly 4 years old so may have made his choice already. 

  • CF1610
    CF1610 Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited September 2021 #14

    Hmm. Do I detect a wannabe moderator (= control freak)?

  • ChristandAl
    ChristandAl Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited March 2022 #15

    Well its 2022 now and this question and all its answers have been relevant to me and helped a lot as we are about to buy the RX45H and the Adria caravan.

    Thanks for all the replies

    Christine

  • Fadcap 5
    Fadcap 5 Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited October 2022 #16

    I’ve now completed a 3500 miles tour with my 2016 RX450h and Camino 554, The set up was easy and comfortable and mostly a pleasant relaxing drive/combination.

    Mpg 36 solo. 22 towing. Whole trip average 24 mostly motorway.

    The draw back was the 80kg towbar nose weight and the need to remember to manually turn off the reversing electronics or the car just wouldn’t reverse with the caravan on.

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