Toyota Venza and Lexus RX Are Top Safety Picks

The all-new 2009 Toyota Venza and redesigned 2010 Lexus RX received Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To earn Top Safety Pick status, vehicles must rank Good — the institute’s top crash rating — in front, side and rear impacts. They also must be equipped with electronic stability control.

The two models join 20 other Top Safety Picks in the midsize SUV category. Cars.com’s David Thomas recently reviewed the new Venza and thought it was an attractive buy for small families. Mike Hanley took on the updated Lexus, which is one of the company’s most popular models.

2010 Lexus RX 450h review (Cars.com) 
2009 Toyota Venza video (Cars.com)

Lexus Announces Pricing for 2010 RX 450h and 2010 IS Convertibles

Lexus released pricing information for the 2010 RX 450h, a hybrid SUV, as well as the 2010 IS 250C and 350C retractable-hardtop convertibles.

The RX 450h will retail for a base MSRP of $41,660 for the front-wheel-drive model and $43,250 for an all-wheel-drive RX 450h. There’s also a destination fee of $875. This compares favorably with the outgoing RX 400h, which had a starting MSRP between $42,080 and $43,480.

The IS 250C will start at $38,490 with a manual transmission, while the pricier IS 350C will start at $43,940. Again, these prices do not include a destination charge of $875.

The IS goes on sale in late May, while the RX 450h will go on sale later in the summer.

More Lexus RX News
More Lexus IS News

2010 Lexus RX 450h Rated at 32/28 MPG City/Highway

The Lexus RX is the brand’s best-selling and, in hybrid trim, most fuel-efficient model, and with a new hybrid RX debuting, those fuel-economy scores are set to increase.

The new RX 450h is rated at 32 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway for a 30 mpg combined rating with front-wheel drive. Opting for all-wheel drive costs 2 mpg in city driving, but the highway number doesn't change (30/28).

The RX 450h’s hybrid system offers a 20% improvement in fuel efficiency over the outgoing RX 400h, which was rated at 27/24 mpg city/highway with front-wheel drive. In addition, Lexus says the hybrid system has better acceleration and cold-weather operability, plus reduced vibrations and noise. The RX 450h's 295-hp powertrain is more powerful than both the RX 400h's and the non-hybrid powertrain found in the RX 350.

Looking at the bigger picture, the RX 450h has the second-best fuel-economy rating of any SUV, after the Ford Escape Hybrid and its Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute hybrid siblings, which are smaller, less powerful SUVs. Even the fuel economy on the all-wheel-drive model beats all other crossovers.

The Lexus also bests its stable mate, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The Lexus RX 450h goes on sale later this spring. Pricing has not yet been announced.