2013 Best Resale Value Awards: Best Hybrid SUV/Crossover

No stranger to success, the Lexus RX 450h Hybrid has earned its second consecutive best resale value title in the Hybrid SUV/Crossover category. Gaining a more contemporary appearance and additional comfort/convenience features, this personable people mover makes an even stronger case for going green in 2013.

A modest front/rear restyle – highlighted by the division’s new signature spindle grille – helps raise the RX 450h’s curbside profile but it’s the Lexus Hybrid Drive System that remains the real showpiece here. Pairing gasoline and electric power sources that can be used independently or collectively, the package develops a stout 295 total horsepower -- 25 more ponies that its conventional sibling, the RX 350. Working with a well-sorted electronically controlled CVT automatic transmission, it helps the front-drive version RX 450h Hybrid earn an impressive 30 mpg combined EPA rating and the AWD model to return a very respectable 29 mpg. While economy remains its forte, the RX 450h Hybrid adds a new Sport mode for 2013 that allows the driver to more fully exploit the enthusiast side of its personality.

While the RX 450h Hybrid’s well-finished 5-passenger cabin gains a restyled steering wheel and center console, we’re most impressed by the addition of a power rear liftgate to its long list of standard features. On the options side of the roster, both the Navigation Package and new Display Audio with Backup Monitor Package add Lexus Enform 2.0 with Safety Connect to help keep all aboard in touch and on the right travel path.

The 2013 Lexus RX 450h Hybrid starts just under $47,000 in front-drive from and just over $48,000 for an AWD version. Comparatively speaking, those figures make this elegant efficiency expert an even more compelling proposition.