The Lexus RX has been Lexus’s proverbial bread and butter for decades with the SUV consistently being one of Lexus’s strongest sellers. Part of this is due to the impressive amount of flexibility that’s baked into the SUVs powertrains with the RX not only being available with pure gas engines, but also Hybrid and PHEV variants.
But with the green SUV game changing, is the 2026 Lexus RX450h+ still a worthy buy in the PHEV wars, or has the market passed it by?
Minor updates add founation to RX450h+’s charm
As far as updates go, there’s not a whole lot to talk about here with the exterior and the interior continuing to be mostly carried over unchanged. Instead, Lexus chose to focus the bulk of their attention on the finer details. A new Premium model lowered the price of entry to just over $66,000 but our Luxury grade example is still amongst the most expensive members of the family. Tweaks to appearance packages are also new for 2026, and wireless phone charging pads are universally standard, and don’t require a trip to the options list.
Look past all that and the RX is still a very sporty looking CUV with the front end having a modern interpretation of the iconic Lexus spindle grille. The slick headlights add a pinch of elegance to the presentation and Luxury models like our tester get access to slick 21-inch wheels. Some might say the RX looks alittle too busy, but for most buyers, the high degree of familiarity especially with the core shape is enough for them to ignore some of those minor gripes.
RX450h+ is a luxurious cocoon
Slip inside the Luxury model and you’ll discover the cabin continues to be a proverbial oasis of luxury and comfort. Our Luxury tester paired the soft leather appointments with splashes of real wood trim and while 90’s kids like me will have to adjust to the sight of the steering wheel wood accents being mounted on the underside of the spokes, it still looks very handsome. We also liked the trick cupholder which moves downward to fit larger cups and drinks.
The front seats offer a delightful balance of comfort and support with the RX continuing to offer the best lower back cushioning we have yet encountered in a luxury SUV. The second-row is very comfortable and roomy with the RX also doing a good job offering plenty of cargo room. A 9.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard but our Luxury grade tester arrived with the larger 14.0-inch touchscreen system .
The screen comes with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities but we still experienced times where the wireless connection to our Android Auto equipped phone spontaneously timed out on the move. That forced us to use a wired connection for the duration of its visit.
The heart of an NX powers this PHEV
Performance for the 2026 Lexus RX 450h+ comes from the same powertrain that’s in the smaller NX 450h+ which consists of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that’s paired with three electric motors. However, the RX bumps the power up slightly to a combined system output of 304 hp. That’s a decent amount of power in theory, but the 450h+ is not a formal performance SUV, it’s more of a comfort focused cruiser and the engine quickly lived up to that reputation by offering smooth acceleration behavior and cornering that revealed the SUV preferred to take things at its own pace.
The steering is a bit too light but the wheel itself does fall into the hands nicely and the RX’s front tires do a good job of telling you what’s going on with the cushy ride quality shielding you from most bumps and divots. The EPA says the Lexus 450h+ can get 36/33 mpg in city and freeway drivign but the SUV does require a diet of premium fuel. The 450h+ is also slightly less efficent than the 350h hybrid and this noticeable difference can produce some tough choices for customers at Lexus dealers.
Value Quotient
When it comes to the PHEV, Lexus offers a noticeably simpler trim ladder when compared to RX variants. Here, you only get two trim levels with a base Premium starting at $66,780. Move up to a Luxury like our tester and the price climbs to $73,410. Optional extras and associated taxes and fees caused our tester to go past $78,000 which puts it in the higher reaches of the luxury PHEV segment.
This high price also creates a conundrum with the RX500h. That version of the RX is the performance flagship of the bunch and while it’s not perfect either, it has more power and buyers can also equip it with options and still be below that price if they play their cards right.
That said, the 2026 Lexus RX450h+ is clearly tailored to a unique customer and that’s fine. Buyers here want comfort, poise, and tech and if you don’t expect the 450h+ to go too far out of its comfort zone in any particular category, this PHEV can be a great long-term play for the savvy SUV buyer.
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