Mid Winter Report From Minnesota

[BarryD]

I am pleased to report that my silver RX400h is performing admirably in our cold and mucky environment. It handles very well on ice and snow. The seat heaters are the best I've owned - very fast and evenly distributed. The headlamp washers work well - a must for salty states. The windshield washers and wipers are great, especially the auto-sensing feature. The rear wiper and washer ares mild disappointments, not nearly as good as my old Saab 9-5 wagon's, but they're adequate. The automatic climate control is flawless.

I'm getting a consistent 24.3 mpg per tank. My 21 mile commute is mostly highway (60-70 mpg). Our January was the warmest in recorded history. Otherwise, the mpg would be lower. I'm OK with this, as I'm getting the same mpg as my Saab, which was my goal. Not bad for a 4500 pound AWD SUV, and it's just as zippy as my turbocharged V6 Swedemobile. I'm sure the mpg will go up during our warmer months weeks. It's fun to watch the mpg go up on the Consumption screen when the traffic bogs down!

We've noticed a rather annoying cigarette smoke smell in the cabin, especially at start-up. No one smokes in our family, and no smokers ride in the car. I've noticed that if there's a smoker within a hundred yards, the ventilation system pulls the smoke in. But sometimes, it's almost as if the car is generating the smell from within. Has anyone else noticed this? The recirculate setting helps a lot, but I'd rather not use this continuously. Any ideas on cause and solution?

I went in for the 5000 mile oil change last Saturday morning, and the experience was a real treat, as always. My wife has a 2002 RX300, so we were already spoiled. A RX400h was on the showroom floor, and it had a wood steering wheel and trim. Personally, I prefer my leather wheel and aluminum trim, but to each his/her own. The sticker price was the same. The backlog here is virtually gone, except for the color or option package, and the dealer has a few in stock. We're also beginning to see a few newspaper ads for the h.

Keep your stick on the ice. Remember, we're all in this together!

[RX400h]

Thanks for the report! I have not detected any smoke smell, but am ready to add some Zaino "Leather in a bottle" to the seats. I've already used Connoly conditioner but NOTHING beats Zaino's leather smell. BTW, we are getting the same mileage as you are and it includes my bowing by X5s on the weekends (can't help it). Luckily, the wife has a light foot during the week and we can go two weeks without needing to fill the tank.

[Barefoot Bob]

BarryD....Where did you purchase yours? I got mine from Val at Lexus of Wayzata. I now have 2700 miles on it and the only complaint I have is that there are no churches listed on the nav system. Other than that I average right around what you are getting in gas mileage. Its below zero here right now and will be for a few days.So I am sure the mileage will drop a bit.

[BarryD]

BarryD....Where did you purchase yours? I got mine from Val at Lexus of Wayzata. I now have 2700 miles on it and the only complaint I have is that there are no churches listed on the nav system. Other than that I average right around what you are getting in gas mileage. Its below zero here right now and will be for a few days.So I am sure the mileage will drop a bit.

BB,

Thanks for sharing. I got mine from Quinton (Q) at Lexus of Maplewood. The two dealers have the same owner, which I believe also owns at least one Toyota dealer. What a gold mine! Anyway, the Maplewood store is planning a huge expansion in the next two years, and they just did one two years ago.

I've enjoyed the nav system also. I've named the female voice "Natalie" (the Nav lady). She's great - so polite, always re-calculates the route when I don't follow her instructions with no nagging!

[Barefoot Bob]

Natalie?????...Nice...LOL. Lexus of Wayzata is doing a huge addition also, the place will be big. I have to change what I said earlier about it being below zero here. Its was like -16 below zero this morning....BRRRRR