2010 Lexus RX 450h

There's no denying the charms of Lexus' redesigned RX crossover. It's extremely comfortable; it packs a sophisticated, upscale interior; and, in the hybrid version, it returns the mileage of a midsize sedan — a four-cylinder one.

With all that going for it, the RX 450h hybrid has one fatal flaw: It drives like a hybrid from five years ago before most companies had worked out the odd kinks of the fuel-efficient cars, like spotty braking and herky-jerky acceleration. Aside from that, the RX is a sublime crossover.

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Safety
Packed with 10 airbags and the requisite safety features found in luxury cars these days, the 2010 RX was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2009. For 2010, t ...

The Inside
Cabin materials are inconsistent for a Lexus — too much faux-metal plastic, a cheaper headliner than usual — but the same could be said for most sub-$30,000 luxury cars. For its league, the CT sco ...

Hybrid transmission
Select a shift position appropriate for the driving conditions. Shifting the shift lever While the “POWER” switch is in ON mode, depress the brake pedal and move the shift lever. When shifting ...