You know you have a winner when your car has remained relevant and interesting even in the face of growing competition.

That's certainly the case with the 2008 Lexus RX series, the first luxury crossovers years ago, that has styling that remains contemporary and elegant.

It easily has one of the best exterior designs among crossovers -- comparing favorably with the Buick Enclave, Mazda CX-9, Nissan Rogue, Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX.

Out most recent test car, the Lexus RX400h hybrid, is powered by a 3.3-liter V-6 with front and rear electric drive motors, which combined put out 268 horsepower with a continuously variable automatic transmission.

That's a lot of words to tell you that it saves money on gas -- rated at 31 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway -- and that it's pretty fast and smooth for a hybrid.

Standard equipment includes on-demand all-wheel drive, electric rack and pinion steering, driver's knee air bag, front and rear side curtain shield air bags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, electronically controlled braking and regenerative braking function, a vehicle dynamics integrated management system, dual zone automatic climate control and one-touch power windows with pinch protection. There's lots more at no cost too. The base price is $42,580.

Our test car had options such as a navigation system and a "Premium Plus" package that includes a rear-view camera and heated front seats. All of the options brought the price to $49,846.

Inside, the seats are comfortable yet supportive. The wood is glossy, deeply patterned and sophisticated, and the polished aluminum accents are smooth as glass.

All the gauges are arrayed directly in front of the driver, making them easy to read and understand. The controls are so intuitive that there's no need to refer to the owners manual.

Yet I found that the RX400h interior could be updated to compete with newer crossovers. I also noticed that storage was not as generous as that offered by its competitors, nor does the interior room feel quite as spacious.

But driving this car is an absolute pleasure -- as long as you're not looking for athletic high jinks on the road. It is surprisingly swift for a hybrid and the steering is utterly effortless.

On the whole, it's a terrific product that has withstood the test of time.