A wonderful vehicle, but does it justify its $5,000 price bump?

Roadtripping the Luxury Hybrid Way

It's been said before, but it bears repeating here: Hybrids are not the slugs they once were. During my week with the 2010 Lexus RX 450h, there was one evening that required a trip from Portland (Maine) to Boston and back (about 225 miles total). With a few hours behind the wheel, I had time to find the heated/cooled seats dial hidden under the center armrest, to use the Bluetooth feature, and to enjoy the comfortable driving position. Helping in that effort were a power tilting and telescoping steering wheel wrapped with leather and wood, plenty of padded surfaces for resting arms, and very inviting bucket seats with multiple power adjustments. A smooth ride and plenty of cruising and passing power were welcome touches, too. The only notable detractions were fuel economy that averaged about 24 mpg during the trip, and more road noise than expected from a luxury vehicle.

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