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The Lexus RX, which stands for “Radiant Crossover,” is arguably one of the most important vehicles in modern automotive history. That is because it was the very first luxury crossover SUV on the market back when it launched for the 1998 model year. Considering the immense popularity of these kinds of vehicles in today’s marketplace, the RX gets to say that all of this success comes back to it, and the model has been able to enjoy a place in Lexus’ vehicle lineup for over 25 years now.

There are many different variations of the RX nowadays, as the company offers a variety of different trims and powertrains for the SUV to give the customer the most options when purchasing. This includes having gas-powered, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options available. One of the most expensive options is the 2025 Lexus RX 500h, which itself comes in two different trims: the F Sport Performance and the Black Line Special Edition.

The RX 500h F Sport Performance is the less expensive version of the vehicle, and it has a starting price of $64,800, plus a $1,350 delivery fee. The Black Line Special Edition is slightly pricier, starting at $67,300, along with the $1,350 delivery fee. Both of these models use the same 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four hybrid engine, and it is just aesthetics and features that differentiate the two trims. This 366-horsepower hybrid powertrain is easily the most powerful available for any 2025 Lexus RX model, but are you sacrificing fuel economy for power with the RX 500h?

The Lexus RX 500h’s fuel economy

Part of the reason people purchase hybrid vehicles is to save on gasoline, as a hybrid powertrain allows them to go further on a single tank. This is indeed the case with the 2025 Lexus RX 500h, but the miles per gallon increase you get may not be nearly as much as you would expect. For both trims of the SUV, you can expect to get a combined 27 mpg, with 27 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

These figures are an improvement over a gas-powered RX, especially when it comes to city mpg. For example, the most basic model available is the Genesis GV70-rivaling Lexus RX 350 with front-wheel drive. This uses a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, which only offers 22 city mpg. However, the RX 350’s gasoline engine gets 29 mpg on the highway, bringing the combined mpg to 25. That is not much of a difference compared to the 500h on the whole.

The RX 500h’s numbers look even worse when compared to the hybrid version of the 350, the RX 350h. The RX 350h manages a combined 36 mpg, thanks to 37 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. The RX 350h’s hybrid powertrain differs from the 500h in that it has a slightly larger 2.5-liter inline-four without a turbocharger. Clearly, adding a turbocharger to the RX 500h for some extra grunt hinders its fuel economy quite a bit.