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Xm Antenna


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I just got my new 400h a few weeks ago. Its a 2006, and the dealer added XM radio to it. The XM radio works well, but I'm not happy with the antenna installation. The installer used the small magnetic antenna that sticks up on the roof. A wire comes out of the antenna, and goes over a few inches across the roof and then goes under a seal for the roof rack. Its not a professional looking installation IMO. I expected to have a nice antenna (shark fin type or other) with no wires showing. My previous car was a GM product that the dealer added XM radio to, and I got a perfect installation that looked and worked great.

I know that for 2006, XM radio was not a factory option, and that for 2007 it is a factory option. Does anyone here know what the antenna setup looks like in the 2007 cars? Anybody with a 2006 have a nice antenna installation on a 2006?

Rob

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i have an 07 with after-market sirius. the dealer install can be viewed here: http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89953

it's quite clean i think. there isn't much of a run from the antenna. i can't even see it really.

maybe someday soon 50k will buy me a car that has integrated and problem-free satellite radio. and maybe by then i'll even have an aux input instead of a cassette player (effing cassette player?!?!!) and wood that doesn't look like plastic (or no wood at all).

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I just got my new 400h a few weeks ago. Its a 2006, and the dealer added XM radio to it. The XM radio works well, but I'm not happy with the antenna installation. The installer used the small magnetic antenna that sticks up on the roof. A wire comes out of the antenna, and goes over a few inches across the roof and then goes under a seal for the roof rack. Its not a professional looking installation IMO. I expected to have a nice antenna (shark fin type or other) with no wires showing. My previous car was a GM product that the dealer added XM radio to, and I got a perfect installation that looked and worked great.

I know that for 2006, XM radio was not a factory option, and that for 2007 it is a factory option. Does anyone here know what the antenna setup looks like in the 2007 cars? Anybody with a 2006 have a nice antenna installation on a 2006?

Rob

That does sound kinda hinky. The last install I've heard about, seen pics of, put the ant on the inside just behind the rear view mirror. You can't even see it from the drivers side, but the passenger would have this ugly black box in thier face all the time.

Personally, I don't like either option... but if I had to choose, I would rather have the indoor ant.

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The inside antenna does sound better--I wonder if the reception is OK?

When I bought my Lexus and the dealer said they would install the XM, I assumed (since it was a Lexus), I would get a really professional installation. I control XM thru the radio, although it does show up as TAT1 and TAT2 which is a bit strange. But the antenna looks like a job I myself would have to do if I was installing as a DIY type job.

I have to come clean....my previous car, or should I say vehicle, was a Hummer H2. I was the primary driver and my wife had a small 4 seat convertible. The kids are getting bigger and the back seats were getting smaller in her convertible. She needed a bigger car, so we traded in the H2 and she is driving the Lexus. The hybrid really makes sense since about 80% of her driving is city.

It is interesting to compare the H2 and the Lexus. Of course the MPG is very different. The H2 came with a radio that was XM ready just like the Lexus. It had Bose speakers and sounded great. The installation difference was night and day. 3 years ago my Hummer dealer added the components needed for XM when I purchased the vehicle. When I toggled thru the bands, it came up as AM, FM and XM, as it should. As for the antenna, it was a 2 day job (at no cost to me) and they drilled a hole in the roof and put in a great looking antenna with no wires showing.

The H2 had standard 2nd row heated seats, stardard separate stereo for the passengers in the 2nd row, and I could customize all the various options easily myself--with the Lexus, the dealer has to do this. The dealer treated me like royalty and everything was first class. The Lexus dealer is very nice, but not quite at the level of the Hummer dealer. I'm waiting for the Lexus dealer to really impress me. I also called Lexus to inquire about the new factory installed antenna for XM. They said they would get back to me in 2 days. No call in 2 days :( Rob

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Followup on the antenna--Lexus never did get back to me. :angry:

My dealer followed up for me. :)

News not great IMO. He said that if you buy a 2007 with XM from the factory, the antenna will be the same as what I have and it will be installed fairly similarly with a wire exposed. No clean sharkfin antenna or anything nice like that. He said that this is problably the end of the rx400h design cycle and that it will go thru a redesign, so no nice antenna setup. I thought I was buying a Lexus--everything first class----not.

Rob

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