What First...?

[Buk]

Greetings,

This weekend I hope to pick up my first hybrid and also my first Lexus. I'm moving up from a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder to a 2010 RX450h.

What questions should I ask that perhaps the dealer may not cover? From what I've read here so far it sounds like synthetic oil, premium fuel and enjoy the ride and don't ever run out of gas.

Is there a break-in procedure?

Other information you wish to share?

Thanks,

Buk

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

Greetings,

This weekend I hope to pick up my first hybrid and also my first Lexus. I'm moving up from a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder to a 2010 RX450h.

What questions should I ask that perhaps the dealer may not cover? From what I've read here so far it sounds like synthetic oil, premium fuel and enjoy the ride and don't ever run out of gas.

Is there a break-in procedure?

Other information you wish to share?

Thanks,

Buk

Buk, you'll be one envied guy when you get your 450h. I wish we had the dough, but the ol' 2006 will have to last a bit longer. Have you been to the Lexus web site yet to see how wide the range is on features? We're talking OVER $17,000 from the most spartan version to the most feature jam packed. Unbelievable!

As for the Dealer / sales people, many don't know a hybrid from shinola. It can be quite difficult to hook up with a genuine knowledgeable person. Our local dealer just flat out lied about stuff that I knew from studying up. Good luck with that. As for synthetic, I believe the new Atkinson ICE they've incorporated into the new model takes 0W-20 ... and that's ONLY made in synthetic ... no dinosaur juice.

[Buk]

Yes, I've been all over the Lexus web site, the Lexus drivers' web site, this web site and read or watched nearly every written and video review I could find. I've test driven the car at two different dealerships and the car I'm picking up has nearly everything I wanted except color, HUD, radar cruise control and the 120volt outlet.

So I think I have an understanding of the shortcomings of the car. I need to make it last quite awhile and want to start off on the right foot.

Thanks,

Buk

[Jim Clark]

Buk,

Did you get the car? If not, you might want to consider waiting a bit and getting the color and options you want. Matador Red is, of course, the best color. The radar cruise might be neat if you do a lot of highway driving but it's expensive. I believe there are converters you can get to give you 120v from the 12v outlets.

If you did get it, you'll enjoy it no matter what color it is or what options it has.

We also plan on having ours for a very long time. We just traded our old '94 Jeep Grand Cherokee on a Prius in the cash for clunkers program (great deal). So we've got our '08 400h (25k miles), the new Prius (wife's commuter car that will see about 12k per year), and my BMW 330Ci rag top ('01 with 19k miles). The 400h and the BMW will probably only see about 5-6k miles per year each. We probably won't need a new car for 10 years.

[Buk]

I agree the red is a very nice color perhaps my second choice, but I was hoping for the Black Sapphire Pearl. The dealers I've spoken to indicate it is very hard color to obtain and would be months of waiting to get.

The semi was to deliver a Obsidian Black one on Saturday, but that didn't happen. Why they can't get on their computer and get accurate delivery information I don't know.

I'm sure I'll be happy with the car as it is a step up (or two) from the Nissan. So far I'm not greatly impressed with the "Lexus" treatment from the dealer.

Buk

[katzjamr]

i know it is so hard to wait, but living with a second choice color for the length of your ownership puts waiting an extra month or two in perspective. I waited a year on the list before my 400h finally got to the dealership. Love the millenium silver, it stays pretty clean in the pacific northwest rain, however if i knew how much i was going to wash the car anyway i would go for the charcoal that was available at the time, and the black interior rather than the too light grey. Get all the options you can afford, it helps resale and its amazing to find out what you actually use after you own the car. also its my personal opinion once the dealer knows you will only accept a specific color they might work harder to find it. I know blues and a certain gold were in short supply when i got mine. Toyota seems to have some convoluted system of sending more of certain colors to a region and making some colors more scarce.

[Buk]

I forgot to mention the other voting member of the family liked the black over the red. Black is a nice compromise to make all parties happy.

I think I got nearly everything I wanted that I could afford.

Now if it would just arrive, I could confirm that!!

[Buk]

Picked up the car last night. Salesperson indicated no special break-in procedures. So hopped in, drove home and read the manual. Manual indicates typical break-in: no sudden stops, no excessive speed, no continuous speed.

Tomorrow we start breaking it in.

Initial reactions: nice quiet ride, remote touch is nice and I like not reaching forward to get to touch screen, voice commands nice, immediate pairing to our iPhones, iPhone plugged into USB and controlled nicely.

Black not my favorite color, wife loves and I'll adjust.

Buk

[ljbad4life]

Picked up the car last night. Salesperson indicated no special break-in procedures. So hopped in, drove home and read the manual. Manual indicates typical break-in: no sudden stops, no excessive speed, no continuous speed.

Tomorrow we start breaking it in.

Initial reactions: nice quiet ride, remote touch is nice and I like not reaching forward to get to touch screen, voice commands nice, immediate pairing to our iPhones, iPhone plugged into USB and controlled nicely.

Black not my favorite color, wife loves and I'll adjust.

Buk

Keep Us updated on you new rx 450h, congrats by the way. Black looks beautiful when clean, but gets dirty quickly.

[katzjamr]

good luck with your new 450h, we know you will enjoy it as much as we do our hybrids.

[RX400h]

Congratulations, Buc and welcome to the Hybrid Club!

Dave