Jim in MN

Hi Zieke: Thanks for your reply. Have had some great cars that performed well in that regard and certainly agree with what you wrote.. I'm leaning toward an suv in order to pull a boat. The small suv's are all limited to a 1500 .lb max for towing. Typically, those that get good mpg are greatly under-powered. The RX400h caught my eye because it's similar to the Highlander Hybrid but not as well known. I'm not worried about the miles, just don't want a money pit. Lexus tops all charts for reliability. Just wondered how that played out in the hybrid. Thanks again. Jim

Hi Zieke: Thanks for your reply. Have had some great cars that performed well in that regard and certainly agree with what you wrote.. I'm leaning toward an suv in order to pull a boat. The small suv's are all limited to a 1500 .lb max for towing. Typically, those that get good mpg are greatly under-powered. The RX400h caught my eye because it's similar to the Highlander Hybrid but not as well known. I'm not worried about the miles, just don't want a money pit. Lexus tops all charts for reliability. Just wondered how that played out in the hybrid. Thanks again. Jim

Hi: New to the forum and hoping to buy an RX400h. To be honest, I wasn't even considering a Lexus because I figured it was beyond our budget and didn't get the mpg that we need. But then I came across some things the other night and was quite surprised by what I found. The units that I've looked at are in the 2006-2008 range and normally at 100k. From what I've been able to read here, it seems that the battery system is probably of greatest concern. Is there a way to test the battery before purchasing -- or is this a crapshoot? Also, what other things would be important to look at? Per our needs: I live in a small rural community. Much of my driving includes trips of 20 miles or less one way, though there are plenty of long rides, as well.. I drive about 35k/year. I need to get at least 25 mpg on hwy. Am I wrong to think that the RX400h would be a good fit? Many thanks, Jim