rcomeau

Hi, Sorry you are not happy. I have a 2010 RX450h (just turned 3) and my lifetime average is 9.0. It fluctuates between 8.8 and 9, depending on the season. I live in Montreal and I get lower mileage in the winter. I have done 3 summers and 2.5 winters, so 9,1 is probably more accurate. I do mostly city driving with long hauls to NY and Boston. I think this matches my previous Ford Escape Hybrid and is obviously better in every other respect (quiet, comfort, power etc...).

Hi, Sorry, but as a former Escape Hybrid owner, I have to comment here. A common misconception is that Ford licensed the technology from Toyota. This is not the case. Ford developed their hybrids at the same time, and Ford and Toyota came to an agreement to cross-licenced certain things to avoid unnecessary patent fights. I don't know if the electric ranges are comparable, but Ford also really babies their batteries so they would not have a lot of warranty replacements to do (and no one really knew how the batteries would hold up in real world use). The Escape cabs in NY and San Francisco proved that they held up very well indeed. Some went 500k miles and still had respectable EV capabilities.

As said above, the RX was not designed to go long distance in electric mode. The main benefit of the electric motor is to allow the gas engine (ICE) to shut down as much as possible (coasting, short range level driving) and to use energy re-captured during braking (regen braking). The ICE is still the primary source of acceleration. The electric supplements it but does not replace it. The Volt ias the next generation of the hybrid idea. The gas engine never touches the wheels. It just charges a battery when it is depleted. The Volt has a larger battery and more powerful electric motors. It does not have the same performance of the RX so it is unclear if that approach would be popular enough to be commercially viable at this point. I'd get one, but how many would? Time will tell...

Don't know what the swish sound is, but regarding the emergency brake... It is often called a hand-brake (they still are hand-brake levers in many cars) or more generally parking brakes. They are designed to be used all the time, not just for emergencies. They keep the pressure off the automatic transmission parking pin (does a CVT even have this?) so it is a good idea to use it all the time, not just once and a while. It adds an element of safety to ensure the car does not roll down a hill if you did not engage the transmission into park properly. It is more commonly used in manual transmissions, but still worth keeping the habit up. This also keeps it from sticking. Cheers.

Unfortunately, 2/3 of the Lexus dealers in Montreal are owned by the same company, and the two are pretty far from me. I used to drive 30 minutes in traffic to go to the VW dealer where I bought my car because of the great service. They changed managers at one point and the pace went downhill fast. I always thought it would be best to build a good relationship with the dealer for service, but my experience with that is mixed. I'll keep going to my dealer, but as you suggest, I'll do my homework now and be stricter about what they do for scheduled maintenance. Would have liked to build up some trust, but that does not exist anymore. Thanks.

Hi, On this topic, I'd like to get some general feedback on maintenance costs. My RX450h is now one year old, and while I am very happy with the rig, I am not so sure about my dealer where I get the service done. First, I feel that it is expensive. They always seem to have a long list of things to do for each scheduled visit. Inspections, clean this, check that. I never seem to get a bill less than $500 for what started out as a scheduled maintenance. Also, they are a bit sloppy. They NEVER change the oil change reminder sticker on the windshield and made a sloppy mistake of getting overspray on my fender when I had the front bumper repainted. They buffed it out, but I would expect better from a premium service centre. Is the cost just part of being the owner of a premium car? I had a Ford Escape Hybrid and found the service at my Ford dealer worse, but neither the Ford or Lexus dealer match the VW dealer I dealt with 10 years ado when I had a GTI. Cheers!

Hi, Thanks for the reply. The Bluetooth part works quite well (have to re-discover a few times a year) and have no complaints. The phone is also essentially an iPod so I can also connect it via the USB connector to the audio system. Thats where the issue is. Technically, the iPhone 4 is not a supported iPod, however for a long time, the only problem I had was the occasional message on the phone saying it was not connected to a supported device. After a recent iPhone update, the iPod functionality stopped working altogether. I was hoping someone with a newer 2010 or 2011 RX would have tried connecting and would be able to report results, particularly since the software was updated mid year last year which solved some of the issues. You would think that they would automatically apply the software revision rather than ask me to pay $200+ for it after just one year with the car. As I said, my dealer is ok at service, but not stellar. I don't think asking them anything technical will get a straight answer. They seem good at making an oil change become a $500 extravaganza of preventative maintenance and whatnot, but they can't be bothered to even replace the oil change reminder sticker on the windshield (a pet peeve of mine), let alone know about nav software versions and upgrades. Cheers, Roch

Hi, This has been discussed before to some degree, but not quite resolved. Anyone with an early 2010 RX45h knows that support for the iPhone is lacking at best. At first, when I plugged it in, I got the "unsupported device" message on the phone, but was still able to play music on it, but the menus did not work well (when scrolling, it selected the song at the top of the list and played it immediately, making scrolling impossible). After one of my iPhone software updates, the phone stopped working at all (the USB option stays dimmed out). In some of the previous messages, it came out that there was a software update that was applied at the factory that solved the scrolling problem. I asked my dealer to look into the update, and while it addresses problems, they have to order a USB and will charge me $200+ to get and install it. Before I decide whether or not I want to go ahead, I'd appreciate if some someone can answer the following: 1: Can anyone conform that they have the iPhone working properly on their audio system? 2: Were there any other improvements to the nav/audio software in the 2011 model, and if so, is the hardware in my 2010 model able to use this latest software? I'd ask my dealer, but I honestly don't think they have a clue about any of this, and will say yes if they think I'll pony up the money for the upgrade. Thanks, Roch

Cool. I thought if it was that then I'd see the OIL or one of the other items hilighted. They have a strange definition of REQUIRED... thanks The oil light usually means that the oil pressure is critically low (e.g. leak or burning it off), which is different than a pre-set time or mileage having been reached. I think the conventional wisdom is: Maintenance light goes on, you make an appointment when convenient. Oil light goes on, you pull over right away (ASAP) and get some oil in the crank case before driving again because you may be damaging the engine. Cheers.

Did they charge for the firmware upgrade, or was it considered a warranty issue? Mine stopped working altogether since the last iPhone software update. Does yours still work? Thanks

Hi, This is an extension to a couple of posts about the iPhone incompatibility issues. Has anyone tried the new iPod Nano? While I'd rather have the phone work (it now refuses to play at all since the latest iPhone update ), I would get a nano just for the music otherwise. Thanks!

I sometimes play music by connecting my iPhone 4. It works, but I get an "unsupported device" message on the iPhone when I plug it in, and the last time I used it, the sound quality was poor (lots of distortion). Not sure why since the USB is a digital interface. By the way, i don't think the volume on the iPod makes a difference either when using the USB for the same reason. The iPod is basically an external disk at this point. Plugging through the headphone jack is a different story as this is an analog output controlled by the iPod. The car becomes an elaborate set of headphones. Let us know if youmget it working. The iPod support is definitely poor on the RX.

Yes, I get the same thing unfortunately. I found that if you scroll real fast, you can get through a few pages without the song starting. One of the problems is that when it plays the new song, it sometimes returns to the currently playing song screen, so you have to go back and pay with the menus to get tot he selection pages again. Crappy, crapy interface. It should be noted that when I plug in my iPhone, I usually get a message that the device is unsupported. One glaring flaw in an otherwise nice ride.

Hi, I've had mine for 3 months and no issues other than the bumper not being immune to being scratched when backed into by another car At about 14,000km, averaging 9.1L/100km with a combination of long trips and lots of really short trips (5km commute). This is consistent with my previous Ford Escape Hybrid and better than the Golf GTI VR6 before that. Handles ok (not a sports car) and I really appreciate the nicer features (compared to the FEH). More power, very quiet (I forgot how nice that was to have a quiet drive) and the cooled seats are welcome these days. No regrets at all.

Hi, You should see the brown defroster stripes under where the wipers park. I have them although could not find how to turn them in until after winter. I assumed it went on with the rear defogger, but later found it was part of the climate controls on the computer. Nor at all intuitive. Look forward to using it next winter. Rcomeau

Not to be picky, but... I don't think it is realistic to change to a mini van because once in a blue moon, you may need to carry a bit more cargo than you have space for inside. The rack on the roof is there for a reason. Yes, the Thule box may be a bit windy, but so is a mini van. The hitch box may be a good option, but it has drawbacks as well. What if you have a bike carrier on the back? Also, that box may become the bumper in a fender bender. Just for the sake of argument...

Just went in for my first service. I mentioned the database error, but got that blank stare from the service manager that tells you that the comment will end at her ears, or if/when she reports it, it will go nowhere. They changed the oil and swapped my winter tires for summer (actually, the 4 seasons they normally come with). They forgot to change the reminder sticker on the windshield, but cleaned the rig up nice!

Maybe I should read the manual, but if it is a short answer, can you correct the database yourself? Thanks, Roch

Hi, I recently posted about an error in the Nav database in my RX450h while travelling to New York. I just repeated the trip (Montreal-New York, round trip) and have made more observations. In my initial thread, I assumed one of the problems was in converting km to miles (it seemed that switching from miles to km fixed the problem). After repeating the trip, I think the problem is simply that the speed limit for the I87 os wrong, and is way below reality. It totally makes it useless for navigation to an address because it looks for any route other than the highway to get anywhere. On my return trip, after just getting on the I87 (essentially a 600km straight line to Montreal) the nav system refused to recommend that route. It preferred to have me do a 180, cross Manhattan and take a route up the other side! Is there anyone in the area that can confirm the error? Can updates be downloaded when I get my car serviced? Thanks, Roch

HI, Can anyone say if the cargo liner is the same for the RX350 and RX450h? I would assume so but wanted to make sure. They threw in winter mats when I bought the 450h, but I might want the cargo liner (I still have bad memories of the carpet in my Escape Hybrid always riding up). Cheers.

Well, to be fair, the Audi cheated. He kept slipping to the side where his wheels would grip and get a bit of momentum. The Acura won fair and square though.

Hi, I just finished driving from Montreal to New York (NJ actually, just across the river from Manhattan). I had programmed the Nav from the start to guide me to the hotel and found some interesting issues. First, it seemed that the predicted arrival time was way later than I would have expected. After crossing into the US, I essentially had 5 hours or so driving down I87. I noticed that the Nav was continuously trying to get me off the I87 to side roads. Any side road. I ignored it and it would always recalculate, and almost beg me to get off the highway at the next exit. It bugged me for a while, and I was also puzzled at how it thought 300km would take 5 hours or so... Finally, I realized that it was assuming that the speed limit on the I87 was 65kph instead of 65mph. That explained why it wanted me on side roads. At one point, I stopped for a minute, and switched the Nav units to miles. It took a few minutes of driving, but that caused the Nav to fall in love with the I87 again, and for the arrival time to make sense (10:30pm instead of 12:15am!). I also noticed that the average speed in the dashboard display was wrong. After 3 hours virtually non-stop (after a fill up on the highway) at 105-110 kph (one 5 minute Starbucks coffee stop) the average speed was 55kph. I would have believed 55mph. My questions are: Has any one else noticed this (any Canadian or European users)? I would be grateful if someone in the US can try switching to kilometres for any trip to see if they get the same effect. Finally, who can I report this to? I will let the dealer know, but I assume that would not get anywhere and want to report the software bug to someone that might actually log it for the developers. Otherwise, very nice drive. Started in a snow storm but cleared up for a relaxing, quiet drive. Cheers, Roch

Well, they never advertised and ability to do donuts (doughnuts in Canada) in the parking lot. We had some snow a few days ago, and I tried to play with the stability control in a parking lot. Unfortunately, I had to be careful as it was not empty (I was too busy to find a really empty lot). I don't think I was able to get above 25-30 km/hr but definitely noticed something kick in when I tried to deliberately spin out. I can't say if it was asymmetric braking or if power was being applied, but it felt different than just traction control. Some day I'll take the time to play some more. I keep the winter tires on for another month, so hopefully I'll get a blizzard before then to try it out (you guys in Washington stole our snow!). Cheers.

Thanks for the extra info. It is disappointing that the 450h does not do more. I do think that calling it downright dangerous might be a bit of a hyperbole though, as that would mean that every front wheel drive vehicle is also dangerous since they don't engage the rear wheels. Winter tires are the law here, and I'd get them before getting AWD (better handling/safety bang for the buck), at least here where it usually stays close or below freezing for 4 months in a row (el ninio and global warming notwithstanding). We have not been getting much snow here, so I have not had a chance to try doing doughnuts in a mall parking lot yet. I only have had my 450h for almost 2 weeks, and it spent one of those at an airport parking lot. Otherwise, I really love the car. Maybe it is perspective as I came from a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid. The FEH was a good, dependable car (least trouble than any car I've ever owned, or maybe tied with my '87 Mazda 323LX) but lacked a lot of stuff. AWD, but no stability control. You complain about the Nav system? Have a look at that one! Try flipping CDs when you change regions, or having it plot a drive from anywhere in Canada to anywhere in the US (it can't as it has Canada on one CD, and various US regions on others). Try seat heater buttons that are placed next to the seat position switches (out of sight and no on/off tactile feedback)...

Have you tried the 450h and another "more capable" AWD in the same tests? I live in a snowy area and I have not lost control of any car since I was a teenager in my old Scirocco. AWD, stability control and snow tires are not magic. You do have snow tires right? If not, its like buying a fire truck to protect your house but don't spend on a smoke detector... These systems only widen the envelope of control. If you have your family out and driving in the snow, you should be keeping away from the edges anyway. Of course unexpected things happen, and we all want the best control and safety, so I'd be interested in hearing about side-by-side tests with comparably equipped 450h and another "better" machine (BMW X-something?).