2008 Rx400h Review

[Cavman]

Hello all, I am a new member here and new owner of a 2008 rx400h. I thought people considering an rx400h might benefit from a quick review of the car.

1) Driving. I did not drive a 2007, but did drive a 2006 rx400h and that car "shimmied" quite a bit when travelling around 40mph. The '08 is silky smooth at all speeds. It is whisper quiet, even when the engine is running. It isn't a sports car so the ride is a little softer and the brakes don't seem to stop you as quickly (comparison to bmw 3 series and Range Rover Sport) but it still hugs corners pretty well at speed.

2) Nav. As others have reported, there is no longer an "i agree" screen, rather a warning screen comes up for about 10seconds and then goes away. I will also say that the screen quality is the best I have ever seen in a car and appears almost High Definition. There are absolutely no jagged edges on the letters and the pictures look so sharp, it is simply amazing. I could not stop commenting about the screen during my delivery process. It has to be seen to be believed.

3) Gas Mileage. New epa standards rate the car at 26city and 24highway. I am getting 28.5mpg after 150miles with about 50/50 city/highway driving. Very pleased as this is 2x what I was getting in my old car. It does require a willingness to drive a little differently but the 26mpg city looks very achievable.

4) Technology. If you are into technology then this car is for you. It is absolutely loaded and all of it works perfectly and is well thought-out. The audio, map, bluetooth/phone, energy screens are easy and intuitive. After about a 5 min demo at the dealer I was good to go. And maybe it is just me, but I think the white, electo-luminescent gauges look amazing.

5) Audio. I don't have the Mark Levinson (although it is available and I think it adds around $1,500 to the price) but the audio is quite good. Surprised there is a tape deck still but that comes in handy since there is no iPod adapter (am using the cassette ipod adapter). I am getting Sirius installed tomorrow and Sirius and XM are both dealer installed options on the '08. Apparently the install takes around 6hrs and the installer couldn't get it installed before my delivery time. Will report back with how well Sirius is integrated but my understanding is that it will NOT require another antenna and that I will control the presets on the NAV system just like with FM/AM. There is a DSP and the ability to focus the speakers on the driver, the front seats or the whole car. Very nice.

6) Cabin. Luxurious and comfortable. Came from a Range Rover Sport that was also very luxurious but this car rides softer and feels easier/better to drive. There are door sills with the word "Lexus" in a blue LED hue that look very cool when you enter the car (my kids thought they looked awesome) and the seats are very comfortable (I do have the premium plus package which sounds like most dealers' main package).

Overall, I give this car a 9.5 (nothing's perfect). I have been smiling since I took delivery and I can't wait to drive it to work each morning. I love the gas mileage, the technology and the luxurious comfort. If any of you are on the fence I would encourage you to take a look. Ordinarily I would tell people to stay away from the car I drive as I don't like to have something that everyone else has, but in the case of the rx 400h, it is just too good to keep from people. Everyone that can should have the opportunity to own a car like this. It is absolutely phenomenal.

[ERC66]

Hello all, I am a new member here and new owner of a 2008 rx400h. I thought people considering an rx400h might benefit from a quick review of the car.

1) Driving. I did not drive a 2007, but did drive a 2006 rx400h and that car "shimmied" quite a bit when travelling around 40mph. The '08 is silky smooth at all speeds. It is whisper quiet, even when the engine is running. It isn't a sports car so the ride is a little softer and the brakes don't seem to stop you as quickly (comparison to bmw 3 series and Range Rover Sport) but it still hugs corners pretty well at speed.

2) Nav. As others have reported, there is no longer an "i agree" screen, rather a warning screen comes up for about 10seconds and then goes away. I will also say that the screen quality is the best I have ever seen in a car and appears almost High Definition. There are absolutely no jagged edges on the letters and the pictures look so sharp, it is simply amazing. I could not stop commenting about the screen during my delivery process. It has to be seen to be believed.

3) Gas Mileage. New epa standards rate the car at 26city and 24highway. I am getting 28.5mpg after 150miles with about 50/50 city/highway driving. Very pleased as this is 2x what I was getting in my old car. It does require a willingness to drive a little differently but the 26mpg city looks very achievable.

4) Technology. If you are into technology then this car is for you. It is absolutely loaded and all of it works perfectly and is well thought-out. The audio, map, bluetooth/phone, energy screens are easy and intuitive. After about a 5 min demo at the dealer I was good to go. And maybe it is just me, but I think the white, electo-luminescent gauges look amazing.

5) Audio. I don't have the Mark Levinson (although it is available and I think it adds around $1,500 to the price) but the audio is quite good. Surprised there is a tape deck still but that comes in handy since there is no iPod adapter (am using the cassette ipod adapter). I am getting Sirius installed tomorrow and Sirius and XM are both dealer installed options on the '08. Apparently the install takes around 6hrs and the installer couldn't get it installed before my delivery time. Will report back with how well Sirius is integrated but my understanding is that it will NOT require another antenna and that I will control the presets on the NAV system just like with FM/AM. There is a DSP and the ability to focus the speakers on the driver, the front seats or the whole car. Very nice.

6) Cabin. Luxurious and comfortable. Came from a Range Rover Sport that was also very luxurious but this car rides softer and feels easier/better to drive. There are door sills with the word "Lexus" in a blue LED hue that look very cool when you enter the car (my kids thought they looked awesome) and the seats are very comfortable (I do have the premium plus package which sounds like most dealers' main package).

Overall, I give this car a 9.5 (nothing's perfect). I have been smiling since I took delivery and I can't wait to drive it to work each morning. I love the gas mileage, the technology and the luxurious comfort. If any of you are on the fence I would encourage you to take a look. Ordinarily I would tell people to stay away from the car I drive as I don't like to have something that everyone else has, but in the case of the rx 400h, it is just too good to keep from people. Everyone that can should have the opportunity to own a car like this. It is absolutely phenomenal.

Hi there. I agree! I also have a new 2008 RX400h and love it for all the same reasons. And, you didn't even mention COLOR. I got the Matador Red which I was a bit nervous about at first, but people that I don't even know are noticing it and giving me positive "wows!" So, yes, I'm also feeling very good about this decision. FYI - I'm at 700 miles and 24.9 MPG. I'm going to run it up to 1000 miles and then restart the calc.

[RX400h]

Great review - thanks! We were one of the first owners in San Diego, way back in April of 2005. After 2+ years, we are averaging close to 25 MPG with a light foot during the week (wife) and heavy foot (at times) during the weekend (me). I really enjoy driving right by the gas station instead of having to stop every week to fill up the tank.

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

Welcome Caveman, . . . just a little curious about your rave review. What were you driving before the 400h ? Often folks reviews are based off their comparison of the things they drove previously. We too love our 400h, and for example, that was after switching from a Range Rover. It had better visibility and no blind spots, but then again it's built more like a fish bowel. Don't even get me started on the RR's mileage, or reliability ... one only need read Consumer Reports to hear about that. But again, I'm curious what your prior ride was.

[Cavman]

Welcome Caveman, . . . just a little curious about your rave review. What were you driving before the 400h ? Often folks reviews are based off their comparison of the things they drove previously. We too love our 400h, and for example, that was after switching from a Range Rover. It had better visibility and no blind spots, but then again it's built more like a fish bowel. Don't even get me started on the RR's mileage, or reliability ... one only need read Consumer Reports to hear about that. But again, I'm curious what your prior ride was.

The car I traded in was a 2006 Range Rover Sport. I really liked the car but the gas mileage was attrocious (around 13-14mpg even when I was driving like a grandma to try to maximize mileage).

Also, an update on the Sirius installation. It is complete and does require a very small antenna that the service department placed in the back left corner of the roof (almost impossible to notice it). The NAV shows the stations/info and it is also shown in the small LCD screen of the radio. You get 3 presets (SAT 1, SAT 2, and SAT 3) each with the capability to store 6 stations (total of 18 presets saved over the 3 SAT inputs) and the "mode" button on the steering wheel toggles through the AM/FM/SAT/CD/Tape. Very nice.

Was hoping to not have an extra antenna on the roof but this is very inconspicuous and it connects perfectly into the stock Lexus head unit.

Let me know if anyone has other questions about the Sirius install or the car.

[SloopG]

Just bought a 2008 RX400 today. How much were you charged for the Sirius installed? Did it include an MP3 jack or is it just sat radio connection? Does it include any free subscription service?

regards,

sloopG

[Cavman]

Just bought a 2008 RX400 today. How much were you charged for the Sirius installed? Did it include an MP3 jack or is it just sat radio connection? Does it include any free subscription service?

regards,

sloopG

I paid $895 installed. It does not have an mp3 jack but does integrate perfectly into the Lexus head unit (ie there is no Sirius specific headunit velcro'd to my dash). It did not include a free year of service. The installation takes about 4hrs because I think they run the antenna wire under the seats from the back of the roof to the radio. Install is perfect and I am very happy. It does require another small antenna on the roof (unlike my range rover where it was integrated) but this way they can offer XM or Sirius and that is smart, in my opinion. Highly recommended. As for the mp3 jack, I am using the cassette adapter (I think it is called AVB or something) that got good reviews on Amazon and was $9. sound quality is fantastic.

[SloopG]

The integrated Sirius is just so expensive. My dealer let me look at their accessory pricing sheet and the Sirius was actually $100 higher than the XM installed. I also went with the cassette for getting music out of my iPhone. Works great with the bluetooth cutting out the music when a call comes in.

[Jim Nazium]

Just curious for those considering upgrading there Nav CD, if the "I agree" screen will disappear as well, and if the newest cd will work if made into a Hybrid DVD...

Cheers,

MadloR