Rx-400h New Owner Questions

[C6 Chris]

We just took delivery of our White AWD 400h this afternoon. Got a great deal and transaction went smooth. Since then we have driven about a 120 miles mostly on the freeway. Haven't been through all the manuals, but a few questions have popped up that I am sure you enthusiasts may be able to shed some light on.

1. RX-400H BOOK - Is there a book available that talks about the development and technology behind this car? I would love to read a book-length story about this car.

2. HYBRID BATTERY - After driving over the hill to dinner, I noticed that battery charged to almost full, but not quite. After dinner, we noticed that the battery now registered less than 50% full. Is this normal? Does not seem right. Also, does the Hybrid Icon ever register full?

3. BREAK IN - The engine seems to kick in at times when the battery is full and we are slowly accelerating to low speed, ie, <30mph. I thought this was the perfect time for 100% battery. Perhaps this and the previous issue is related to break-in of the hybrid system?

4. DRIVE TRAIN LASH - I don't know what to call this, except this. I noticed that when cruising at a constant speed, that a minor uneven thrust is felt, kinda like a minor version of giving it gas, then letting off, then on, then off. Is this normal?

5. LEXUS PREPAID MAINTENANCE - Did you guys go for this with your car? $4000 for 4 years of maintenance seemed steep, so we passed at purchase, but we still have a chance to add it later. The kicker with this dealer is that they would pick up and drop off the car on a flat-bed and they included an Extended Warranty to 7 years... The last part was only if bought at time of original purchase.

6. FINISH PROTECTANT - For $1500, they offered an protector package that included insdde and out protectant install with detailing annually for five years. Again, we told them we would have to think about it...

[retired00]

I can offer some insight, after 7 months with mine:

1. No book that I know of, but the web and the Lexus sight have a good deal of how it works data, not sure I've ever seen a history book.

2. The battery indicator goes up and down all during your trips, will probably go from high to low in a couple miles of slow driving with mostly electric. It will register full on rare occasions, but maximum life is better induced within a range above empty and below full.

3. The car decides, basically, not you. Degree of acceleration, speed, battery charge, need for engine heat for the cat converter or radiator, etc. Sometimes I'll notice 100% battery use on a slow route, and the same route the next time has the engine on to supplement. Don't overthink it, is what I've decided. I'm getting 30 mpg around town, just what I wanted and that's how I monitor its use of the battery.

4. I don't notice any of that but some people have mentioned it. It is a CVT so it's never really "locked up" like a conventional transmission in overdrive.

5. Each person has to do his own math, I don't keep cars that long nor have an issue with getting it to them for service.

6. Meguiars NXT is a great wax, lets you check the finish yourself, and is a nice weekend detailing chore that takes less than 4 hours--which you should probably do at least 3 times a year, not once. The Lexus paint looks great after a coat. Leatherique makes great leather cleaning products. Both for much less than $1500 IMHO.

[tommy275]

regarding #4, it's well documented that this is a real issue. "surging" is the word that people usually use to describe it, in case you want to google.

i had this issue, but it seems to have dissipated after the break-in period. dealers will pretend they don't know what you're talking about, but they probably do. i've read that there's a procedure that they can use to fix this issue if you don't want to wait to see if it goes away on its own. i still get it, but now at speeds around 30, as opposed to 50-70 like i used to. frustrating, and unacceptable i think at this price point.

congrats on your new car! it's pretty super other than a few issues (rattles, surging, lower-than-expected gas mileage, horrible voice recognition, NAV system that's not intuitive and frustrating - to me at least, compared to my old MDX).

[Jim Nazium]

Hmm, prepaying for something you might not benefit from. IE 1, what if you car get stolen? IE 2, what if your car gets hit and is a total write off. IE 3, what if you sell your car after 3 or 4 years of ownership?

As a rule of thumb, nobody will really clean, wax and detail a car as well as its owner. If you had to outsource it, I think the dealer would not be the best choice. Most people paid to wax and wash cars at the dealership are paid minimum wage. If you are not up to the task yourself, try to find an independant detailing shop where the actual owner(s) work there.

No vehicle is perfect, but I have never owned a vehicle before where I have had such "synergy" with the actual powertrain. Being able to preplan my braking, coasting, speed, has such a beneficial effect.

Congrats on your purchase and enjoy it in good health.

[C6 Chris]

Thank you all for your helpful insights! I am looking forward to being a new member of your "Club" :P

Too bad about there not being a book on this specific car. This is my wifes car and my car is the new C6 Corvette and previous to that the C5 Corvette. (For those Hybrid Owners our there, the C5 & C6 Corvettes get 28 mpg (30 mpg at 60mph) on the freeway and 19 in the city, not bad for 400 hp) Anyways, there are lots of books on the Corvettes over the years, but one in particular is on the C5 (1997-2004) Corvette and is called "All Corvettes are Red". The book talks about how the car almost got cut from the lineup, how the C5 Corvette was conceived, its success, the technology behind it (balsa wood in the floor, hyrdoplaned formed rails etc.) and the political movements within GM during this time. I imagine a similar scenario played out at Toyota as many different ways of solving various systems were discussed, tested and then implemented. Anyways, would make for an interesting read... Unfortunately, I guess that if it is ever written, it may be in Japanese. :whistles:

[RX400h]

Hello Chris and welcome to the club. I still have my C5 and enjoy it immensely. Aggressive city driving does cause the fuel mileage to plummet and I've seen 16 MPG. But as you've stated, highway mileage is stellar. The RX400h is at its best in the city, but that kilowatt-charged silky power is addictive on the highway, that's for certain.

Anyway, enjoy them both and feel free to ask us any questions!

Dave

[gtoph]

5. LEXUS PREPAID MAINTENANCE - Did you guys go for this with your car? $4000 for 4 years of maintenance seemed steep, so we passed at purchase, but we still have a chance to add it later. The kicker with this dealer is that they would pick up and drop off the car on a flat-bed and they included an Extended Warranty to 7 years... The last part was only if bought at time of original purchase.

6. FINISH PROTECTANT - For $1500, they offered an protector package that included insdde and out protectant install with detailing annually for five years. Again, we told them we would have to think about it...

Just my .02 on these as well...

5. My purchase was from out of state so I didn't get the usual add-on BS speech, but I assume this is just for routine things like oil, tire rotation and such. I would just get your free one (at 5k) done at the dealer and then you can take it to any reputable (ie not jiffy-lube or some other crap chain store) place and have the same stuff done for a lot less. If you have an issue with using a dealer, take it to Toyota and you can get offical parts, and it'll still be a lot cheaper.

6. Likewise, todays paints hold up just fine without any add-on spray crap. If you really want it, check your local shops. Just as an example, they wanted $200 to tint the front two windows at the dealer, where all they do is sub it out to some local shop anyway. I actually got a recommendation from the parts guy and we ended up paying about $80.

Detailing, just go to your local carwash anytime you feel the need to have it detailed.

[katzjamr]

I would also rather wax my vehicle rather than have it 'permanently' protected. The cleaning and waxing removes environmental dirt and road tar, I also agree with retired 00, that the Meguiars NXT is one of the best waxes i have ever used. As you surmise the story of the hybrid development at Toyota is an interesting one, there was a long article in the sunday New York Times magazine section that documents the development of the Prius, really the grandfather of what we are driving now. For a conservative company like Toyota to be pushed by its president to make a hybrid, (prior to the current gas crisis) then when the final car is produced he asks them to double the gas mileage again and the prototype fails after driving one block its a good read.

[skyfish400h]

I would also rather wax my vehicle rather than have it 'permanently' protected. The cleaning and waxing removes environmental dirt and road tar, I also agree with retired 00, that the Meguiars NXT is one of the best waxes i have ever used. As you surmise the story of the hybrid development at Toyota is an interesting one, there was a long article in the sunday New York Times magazine section that documents the development of the Prius, really the grandfather of what we are driving now. For a conservative company like Toyota to be pushed by its president to make a hybrid, (prior to the current gas crisis) then when the final car is produced he asks them to double the gas mileage again and the prototype fails after driving one block its a good read.

Another interestnig bit of history is that both GM and Ford had announced a long time ago that they were going to persue hybrid technology and both Toyota and Honda motors responded (ala cold war) with their own hybrid efforts. Only difference is Ford and GM gave up on the idea shortly after the announcement, but didn't tell anyone.... So today the only hybrids are from Toyota and Honda. Ford managed to revive their efforts enough to produce the Escape, but they are still far behind the two Jappanese automakers. GM is dead in the water.

If you haven't seen it yet, rent the "Who Killed the Electric Car" movie. It will give you insights into this kind of politics and brinksmanship within the auto industry. Highly recommended.

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

. . . . .

2. HYBRID BATTERY - After driving over the hill to dinner, I noticed that battery charged to almost full, but not quite. After dinner, we noticed that the battery now registered less than 50% full. Is this normal? Does not seem right. Also, does the Hybrid Icon ever register full?

5. LEXUS PREPAID MAINTENANCE - Did you guys go for this with your car? $4000 for 4 years of

6. FINISH PROTECTANT - For $1500, . . . .

Welcome!

2. The batteries like to stay under 80% SOC and above 20% SOC so don't fret about that.

5. NEVER, let me rephrase, . . . NEVER buy junk that you don't have to, from Toyota / Lexus. Can you spell OVER PRICED? Whether it's the Cabin air filters, the extended waranty, you name it. You can find it for less than half of the dealer cost, by searching the web.

6. See # 5 :)

Your 400h will give youi tons of enjoyment.