While the RX 450h is reasonably priced to start at $42,110, adding options quickly ratchets up the sticker price. Items you might find standard on other cars in this class, like those heated and cooled seats, are an additional $640 (or $825 in a package along with rain-sensing wipers). To get a power moonroof, you need to add a $2,400 Premium Package, which also adds heated outside mirrors, a power hatch, a USB adapter, and memory settings for the driver's seat and steering wheel. Add in my test vehicle's navigation system ($2,465), a surround-sound audio system ($1,610), and LED headlights ($1,825), and the sticker was $52,110.

As a music fan who took the RX on a long commute, I was not impressed by the audio system. The sound was crisp, but it had no low end or midrange; it made even the most laid-back rock 'n' roll sound shrill. The navigation and entertainment settings, accessed using Remote Touch, were a pain to use.