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2017 Lexus RX 450h

2017 Lexus RX 450h
Melanie Hair Cut and Dark

By: Melanie Droz Shawcroft

Weekend Warriors

I felt so fortunate to have my only close friend still celebrating a birthday in her 20s come visit me for her 29th. I was even luckier to have the 2017 Lexus RX 450h, so I could appear to be somewhat cool in the eyes of a 20-something from San Diego.

We had quite the weekend planned, starting with dinner and drinks at Joyride Tacos Friday night. I picked up Cheryl and her cousin Alyssa at their Airbnb. Of course, I offered to drive and was super excited to see their reaction when I pulled up in the sleek Lexus. The F SPORT unique exterior trim knocked them off their socks with triple-beam LED headlamps, 20” F SPORT aluminum alloy wheels and illuminated door handles. Because I say things like “knock their socks off,” I will never be cool, but the ladies were super impressed with my ride.

It was a bit rough for me to get out of bed Saturday morning, but my young guests wanted to drive to Sedona for a hike. Again, I volunteered to drive the Lexus RX. With an average of 30 mpg, the Atomic Silver SUV got us there in a flash which was not the case in regards to our hike to Devil’s Bridge. The 3.5 Liter 308HP 24 Valve, DOHC V8 engine provided a quick, smooth ride and the electric drive motors with Lexus Hybrid Drive mixes fuel efficiently with power and even luxury. The interior of the RX is cooler than the inside of any club these girls regularly visit on a Friday night.

The F SPORT exclusive interior leather trim, aluminum pedals, shift knob and meters are just a few of the features inside the RX – heated and ventilated F SPORT front seats with bolsters, reclining/sliding 40/20/40 split rear seat and the auto dual zone climate control system with rear vents made all three of us comfortable on the way to Sedona. When we arrived, the girls got to enjoy their first view of the red rocks through the moonroof, and I traversed our way to the trails using the 12.3” Navigation System on the panoramic view monitor and LEXUS Park Assist with backup camera and blind spot monitor to squeeze into the closest spot to the trailhead, hoping to make the hike a bit shorter (for the old lady on the trip).

We finished the weekend with the Cardinals game on Sunday. We used the touch-free power rear door while our hands were filled with tailgating goodies and stocked everything behind the cargo net for safekeeping. We got ourselves pumped for the game by listening to Pop2K on Sirius XM through the Mark Levinson 15-speaker premium audio package. That was obviously the era my young friend grew up in. Even though the Cardinals lost, we had a great time and I got the girls home safely. With 10 airbags, the Lexus safety system, pre-collision system and lane departure alert with steering assist, lane keep assist and so much more make this Lexus slick, stylish and safe.   

It was well worth spending $200 on babysitters this weekend to be with my young friends, and the Lexus is well worth the MSRP of $ 56,495 (our model $61,804). Although it took me a few days to recover from trying to be cool, the 2017 Lexus RX 450h will keep me feeling cool for much longer. Cheryl, just wait until you are 30 next year – you will understand.

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