pfang56

Speaking of this duality of fuel economy output on the RXh, perhaps it would have been a good idea for Lexus to place a button next to the shifter for the following modes: E: Economy - Battery use maximized for ECONOMY, slow acceleration, etc. etc - MPG: 30+ (perhaps use the Prius algorithm for this one?) P: Power - Battery use and gas use maximized for ACCELERATION - MPG: 15+ Oh wait, that button was also on my traded-in 99 RX. Why didn't they add this feature in the RX400h? Cheers, Peter I have a great time puttering along when an X5 driver, shortly after noticing the "H" after the RX400, pulls into the left lane to blast by me. Not wanting to avoid "shock" therapy, I floor the gas pedal and rocket ahead. This happens every now and again and I still chuckle every time it does.....and we still average 25 MPG, heh, heh! ←

Dear Forum Readers: Coming back to this eternal question about the cost-effectiveness and other economic analysis of the RX400h, I think I personally made up my mind about it. Lexus / Toyota could have probably made a hybrid SUV which generated consistently >40MPG real life mileage. But, the car would have probably enjoyed a 0-60 acceleration time of 10+ seconds, towing capacity of 1,000lbs, and other limitations which are represented in the competitive hybrid designs. OH WAIT. Actually, I've been able to achieve 35-40MPG if I forced my RX400h to drive like a Prius. Or a Honda Insight. Or a Mercury Mariner. Or a Ford Escape for that matter. I just drive with "feather-lite" acceleration and braking, and get 10+ second 0-60. BUT. By the slight depression of the pedal, I can achieve 650 ft-lbs of torque, comparable to a Chevy Corvette Z08 and compete with $70k+ super SUVs like the new Mercedes ML500, the BMW X5 4.8, and the venerable Porsche Cayenne S. AND. The kicker for me is that at WORST, I've achieved 22 MPG. That was in the beginning. Lately, with a mix of optimized fuel economy driving and race car driving on the 101, my mileage has increased to 27MPG. So was this an economically a sound purchase? 110%. There are no comparable vehicles out there that DON'T compromise on performance for gas mileage, while also providing the flexibility of maximizing fuel economy. Another satisfied customer.... Peter ←

Dear Forum Viewers: Wow. So, following the performance guide, applying "feather like" acceleration and braking, no A/C, but WITHOUT the premium gasoline, I was able to achieve a ridiculous 37MPG (yes 37MPG) on a mix of highway and city driving for a 100 mile interval. However, this required a LOT of patience on my end, accelerating slowly onto the highway, driving on the right side, and watching others pass freely (while driving 65mph). Well, I guess the theory works, but at what cost? Cheers, Peter

To all of those RX400h Owners out there: Lexus posted ten tips for improving the RX400h fuel economy... http://www.lexus.com/assets/models/hybrid/...mance_guide.pdf Out of all of the ten tips, what was most interesting to me was: "9) Use premium fuel to improve fuel economy and performance" Ever since other owners on this site have been advocating using regular fuel, I've followed the crowd, with obvious ramifications (10% reduction relative to super unleaded). I did, seemingly notice slightly lower performance and lower fuel economy (24 mpg to 22 mpg). Just wondering - anybody else observing the same? Cheers, Peter

Dear Forum Readers: Also my first trip to the gas station. For 330 incremental miles, I needed to pump to the MAX 12.25 gallons of good ole Shell V-Power. I guess that equates to approximately 27mpg, which meets the "highway" projection. Driving style? I would say approximately 95% on the freeway to date, with little or no traffic, driving between 55-80 on the highway, A/C on, Navi on, and Stereo on. Surprisingly, in those modes where we had stop-and-go traffic (the one that comes to mind is at the 101 / 110 merge in downtown Los Angeles), the battery shines and the MPG consumption graph goes hog wild. I also have a similar gripe with the spontaneous engine starting. However, with the removal of any upshifting / downshifting due to CVT, I guess this is a reasonable compromise from a "feel" standpoint. We'll see how the long term durability / reliability ends up - I guess the extra warranty helps to ease some of my concerns. Oh well, to my wife (who will be the primary driver) her favorite features are as follows - perhaps I should have bought the 330 instead? :): 1) The automatic rear door opener (available on both the 330 and the 400h) 2) The Navigation system (available on both the 330 and the 400h) 3) Homelink (available on most commercial vehicles >$15k) I wish my wife had as sophisticated taste as yours! 20" Rims from Japan? Wow! Regards, Peter

Bazan: Very difficult decision. Both are excellent automobiles, and you absolutely can't go wrong with either vehicle. Assuming you have your heart set on the LEXUS RX series, I have a few thoughts... Against the hybrid: a) Gas Mileage Savings Fallacy: The truth is, you will probably be paying approximately $7-8k more for a comparably equipped RX400h today relative to the RX330, as the RX400h has NO discount, whereas the RX330 can be had at 2-3k under MSRP. You will have to drive 200,000 miles at $2.50 per gallon in order to make the difference up between 30mpg and 20mpg. B) "Future Proof" Technology?: Probably my biggest problem with the RX400h is that it's the first "luxury" hybrid, sedan or SUV. Getting 30mpg is not terribly impressive, and you can bet that there will be bigger, badder, more fuel efficient cars up ahead in the next few years. c) "First year" product: Look at Gen 1 of the Toyota Prius. An okay car. Look at Gen 2 of the Toyota Prius. It seems obvious that they made some serious strides in improving the vehicle from the "first" generation of the prius vs. the second generation. For the hybrid: a) V6-V8 Power Upgrade: Have you checked the premiums between the V6 and V8 variants for SUVs these days? Equip a X5 3.0i just like a standard X5 4.4i. What's the price difference? Around $5k. Do the same with any other Luxury SUV make (XC90, Cayenne, ML, etc.), and I guarantee you will find a similar price differential. It doesn't take a genius that the market seems to apply a pricing premium for more powerful cars. The bigger paradox here for the hybrid, is that instead of decreasing your fuel economy, you increase your fuel economy! B) "Greener" Car (SULEV, 30mpg, etc. etc.): No need for description here. c) Lexus "exclusivity": Here, in southern california, RX330's are a dime a dozen. There's no surprise that this is the best selling luxury SUV in the US. If you want feel you need something "different" from the rest of the models, the Hybrid is the way to go. d) Tax Credits, and other Niceties: $2000 deduction if you buy this year. HOV access. Free parking. Not bad at all. So, in the end, my general feeling is that there is NO financial model / justification you can create to support purchasing the RX400h. But, like any other $40k luxury purchase (especially on a seriously depreciating asset like an auto), when do any financial justifications matter? Buy the car that you "like better". Emotionally. Buy, drive, and don't look back. That being said, me and my wife decided to go for the RX400h, and we haven't looked back. Take care and good luck, Peter

Dear RX400h: By now, you should probably have your car. Some observations nonetheless: a) Personally, I think the Light grey interior matches extremely well with the exterior (millenium silver) as well as the dark charcoal / black covered dash and the brushed steel electronics B) Will it fade? Absolutely. My guess is that the light grey interior can only get DARKER after some use. That's expected with any light colored interior I guess. Congratulations on getting the vehicle - we are not looking back whatsoever (of course, until they come out with the GX000h :). Now, the hunt for a nice license plate frame begins! (the only one that Lexus had was an "RX400h" plate, which was $49 for each side!!!) Regards, Peter

Okay, my apologies in advance (probably due to new car giddiness), but the basis of my observation on the laser guided cruise control was simply through the 621 page owner's manual. In fact, the manual has an entire section dedicated to the darn feature, but today, after trying to find the special stick, there was none. To all Lexus Forum Readers - Really sorry about this one...:( Okay. In terms of the warranty (hope this is not too late for you), I took off $200 off the warranty in the span of about a few minutes. I think I could have pushed further (if they can move that much in a few minutes, they can probably move more), but I was probably too giddy to get the keys quickly. Good luck with your purchase. It is a wonderful vehicle. Regards, Peter

Some responses to your questions: a) Purchased the extended 7yr/100k platinum warranty. Oh well. Peace of mind for the next 7 years (really costing less than $1 per day over 7 years) exceeded the cost of the warranty, especially given the "first year" status of this vehicle. There are a LOT of nifty electronics followed by nearly 1000 pages of instructions with all of the new features, there is a LOT that could go wrong, especially with a "first year" vehicle. B) I paid at MSRP. Nothing above. Negotiated price down for platinum warranty. c) Suspension system. I'll need to read up on it. I don't believe I read anything in the manual that mentioned the adjustable suspension. My guess is that it DOES NOT include any notion of adjustable suspension because of the new VDIM / Stability system. Cheers, Peter

Wow. After many months of waiting, it finally arrived. Picture attached for all of you RX400h launch naysayers... Package: RX400h Millenium Silver / Grey interior w/ML/heated seats Some initial impressions: - REALLY quiet startup. So quiet, that I was a little confused whether the car was on. They probably could have done a better job providing some warning beep to notify that the engine was running :( - REALLY quiet interior. Looked in the manual and they state the inclusion of some special noise reduction front glass found only in the LS430. :) - Laser guided cruise control. Surprised that this model has it. Can't wait to try it out on Saturday on the 101 :) - Power? Plenty of it. This one really wants to be pushed. :) - Brakes. Hmm. More mushy than I'm used to...perhaps this is the regenerative breaking on tap? :( - Battery under rear seat. I'm wondering if the interior would ever get super hot with the battery underneath the rear seat. Let's hope not. - Bluetooth. Yes. It integrates reasonably well with my VZW equipped v710, save for the crippled OBEX support. - Rims, Rims, Rims. I considered getting the chrome rims, but with the Silver exterior, I didn't think it would look right. Glad I passed on them. - Manuals. Whoa. Here are some of the docs that came with the car: a) 621 page owner's manual, B) 169 page navigation manual, c) 76 page owner's supplement, d) 51 page lemon law supplement, e) 23 page RX400h hybrid overview, and f) 36 page rx400h valet. Well, at least I'm saving some fuel :) Overall, very happy with the purchase. We'll see in the coming days. Wish me luck! Regards, Peter

Dear Patt: They wanted to charge me the full "retail" for the Lexus Service Contract (you can see the pricing on the website), but I was able to negotiate down to a reasonable amount. This was COMPLETELY new to them, being that I was one of the first ones to go to the finance manager, so they had to call around and ask what the correct "retail pricing" is for the Rx400h. Regards, Peter

Dear Forum: Just went to the dealership today to fill out the long CA specific "retail contract", now that they have the actual VIN. Price was $50,863 for ML and heated seats, cargo net, and wheel locks, as expected. I bit on the 7/100k platinum given that this is a first year release car with a bit more electronics than a standard RX, and trust me - piece of mind was worth the extra money for me! :) Looks like delivery will be within the week, but I won't hold my breath for that one until I see the actual car. I also got thrown several optional service contracts - the finish protector, LoJack, etc. - but passed. Anyway, the dealer had one RX400h white / tan for demo with ML / heated seats combo. From far away, looks seriously SIMILAR to the RX330, save for the different wheels and the large sticker that stamps "31 MPG / 27 MPG" :) (Oh yeah, 650 ft-lb of torque helps too). All in all, we are very excited. Good luck everybody, Peter

Dear Owners: Finally received the call yesterday in regards to the RX400h (no Rear DVD), for delivery on April 18th. It looks like they were delayed by 3 days (April 15th), so it's not too bad. The MSRP was confirmed, although honestly the dealer didn't know if the car had the laser guided cruise control. Of course, worse for me, was that they only had white available in its first 14 units, so I'm going to need to wait for the second shipment (in early May) for my wife's color preference. Oh well. So now, our future "trade-in" 99 RX300 will have to sit in the garage for another few weeks in its current pristine condition...but the dealer mentioned they could take the trade-in earlier once they get the VIN of the new car. Later, Peter