Lexus RX450H vs Lexus RX500H

What's the difference?

This is a review with a difference. For three days, I had a Lexus RX450h and thought it was pretty terrible to drive. Every time I turned the steering wheel, the tyres would squeal as though they weren't inflated with air but instead with tiny, fluffy kittens.

I was bitterly disappointed. How could a car get out the door of the Lexus engineering division with such an aversion to corners. I mean, I know it's not meant to be a corner-carving monster, but normal cornering should have been okay.

After those three days, I'd had enough. The low tyre pressure warning light came on and the penny dropped. I hadn't even thought to check the pressures. They were very, very low. Like only at two-thirds of recommended. So after visiting three separate establishments to find a working pump, I had a whole different car.

The Lexus RX500h F Sport Performance is the flagship model for the RX line-up.

It’s a deceptively large SUV and it has some serious heavy-hitting luxury rivals; like the BMW X5 xDrive45e and the Mercedes-Benz GLE450. The new RX has been revamped, restyled and retooled, so how does it compete?

Read on to see what’s new and what my little family of three thought of it!