JasonATL

We just did... buy a 400h, again. Our 1999 RX300 with 90k miles started getting to the point of needing repairs. I'm sure it would have lasted another 90k with a reasonable amount of TLC and patience, but I couldn't bear the thought of having my 5 yo daughter in the car and breaking down in a bad part of town. So, we started thinking about what to buy. My wife loves the RX400h and so do I. If the ES was in a hybrid, we'd probably consider it if it had the balance of power and MPG that the 400h does. But, it doesn't exist. So, we bought another 400h. Now we have one black (25k miles) and one silver (25 miles). Absolutely no regrets. Now, when the 600Lh is available and I win the lottery, then maybe I'll regret having just bought another 400h. But something tells me that I'm not going to win the lottery and with the 600Lh costing twice the 400h, I'm considering the 400h a bargain.

I average about 27.5 to 28.5 (measured by me, not by the computer -- it says about 29 to 29.5). I have 18k miles. Nearly all of those miles are probably conisidered city. On trips on the highway, I don't get much better than 24 MPG at 70 MPH.

Someone said that it is in the manual, but I didn't verify -- the dealer showed me. Here's what I recall it involving (but I can't say for sure that this is the right sequence/protocol). Put the display on to show the total mileage odometer. Then, with the car off, push in and hold the odometer button (to the left of the steering wheel), while turning the key from off to just-short-of-on three times. Note that this doesn't disable the warning. It simply dismisses and resets it -- it will come on again in 5,000 miles, requiring you to do this again. I made the dealer show me this the very first time it happened because it annoyed me so much. I'm fairly anal about getting the car in every for an oil change at roughly 5,000 miles, but it sometimes is at 5,100. That last 100 miles of having that warning drove me nuts!

Your discussions with detailers is why I do so much (including detailing my car) myself. I'm not a DIY guy to save money. It is to get the job done right. I might not be as skilled as the best (or even good) detailer, but I do know that I'll CARE more about MY car than any of them. Hence, I'll be careful not to scratch it or to damage the paint. I have a black RX400h. A year ago, I was in the same boat as you are now. I put a Meg's glaze and then followed with Meg's carnauba. Easy on and easy off. The look was better than new... deep, black. Trouble was, it didn't last more than a couple of months. I tried Meg's newest polymer, but it didn't last all that long on my red RX300, but the shine was okay (though not as deep as the carnauba). I've since discovered Collinite 845 Insulator Wax. It has lasted six months for me (through a rather mild Atlanta winter) on my black RX400h. It beads like crazy. Nothing that I've tried has done a better beading job that IW 845. Plus, it has as deep a look as pure carnauba to me. I use my PC to apply it. It is easy on, but a little tougher to remove than Meg's easy carnauba. I personally don't care for the sterile (not deep) look that you get from most synthetic sealants... especially on black. To me, black should look wet and deep, not just shiny like chrome. I've not tried Zaino, but from what I've read, it sounds like a lot of work for a result I'm not that interested in. I don't doubt its protective qualities and if I had a silver (or possibly beige) car, I might give it a try.

Klasse All In One is a must have... not so much for the black onyx, but it is like a good utility infielder. I use it all over the house, as well as on my cars. Again, I rarely use it as my main polish on the black onyx. But, if I'm doing the engine compartment, for example, I'll reach for the Klasse AIO. The black trim on my RX 330 goes back to black with AIO. If I'm cleaning the glass on my bathroom shower door, I'll reach for the AIO. If I'm polishing the mailbox (come on, admit it, you've thought about it), AIO. For me, the Klasse glaze is worthless, but the AIO is priceless. And yes, you have the bug. Speaking from someone who got the bug and kept it... trust me, you have it. Enjoy!

Scott M, I think I wasn't clear. I understand the theory. It is the evidence that I question. City or hwy driving (and braking) in my limited experience have not resulted in "hot wheels." Has anyone actually observed/experienced this (e.g., "I touched the wheel and I still have scar from the 3rd degree burn" or "I roasted marshmallows after driving down a hill...")?

I've always heard that wheels get hotter, but I've never been able to verify it. Do they get hotter in intown driving or on highway? I've actually felt my wheels after both. They seem to feel cool (not really cool, but not really too warm) -- certainly cooler than the rest of the car (my RX is black). I admit that I haven't felt them more than a few times after driving, but I have done it -- usually during a wash after a trip or right after I get home from work.

I don't have this problem with my Sprint PCS Treo 650 and 400h. I hear the ringing and there seems to be no significant delay in the callee hearing me.

My old standby is Woolite for the interior. I use it to get scuff marks off of the door surround and it is very effective. I think it should be gentle. If you have some around the house already, you might try it. Be sure to dilute it about 10/1. Again, I'm not saying that the prior advice is wrong or won't work. I'm just suggesting that you give it a shot if you already have it.

I saw the LS 600hL at the Atlanta Auto Show yesterday. I wish I had taken my camera to get pictures -- it is gorgeous and promises quite a bit of performance and luxury. I'm putting my pennies away for this one! If the auto show is coming your way, seeing the LS 600hL alone is worth the price of admission. It out-classed every car there. It really is a must-see. It is funny how it really makes the RX 400h look a bit "yesterday." The new ES is a really cool update. I wish it was available in a hybrid. I know it probably will be in a couple of years, but I would already have one on order if it was here now.

Congrats on the 400h. I love mine as much today (almost 14k miles) as I did when I got it -- maybe more. I'll take a shot at a couple: 1. I don't know about the cruise issue. I can reliably get the electric motor-only operation up to 40 MPH. Sometimes higher, but I won't get acceleration, just a little to help the car keep from going slower. The trick is to keep the kW dial in the white-hashed area. Above 40, below the top end of that area. Again, on cruise, I'm not sure why this varies to anything below 40 MPH. Are ALL conditions the same? A huge difference is the A/C. If the A/C is on then I can't do elecrtic-only above 30 MPH or so most of the time. But this does seem to vary. My comments above are for non-A/C driving (which I do unless really warm outside). Note that the A/C is typically on when the heat is on (when the climate control is on "Auto"). 2. I didn't notice any difference after a break-in other than my own driving habits. 3. and 4. I don't know. Others will chime in. 5. Yes. Breaking lightly is better than coasting, then breaking suddenly -- for charging batteries (break harder when needed to avoid something in front of you!). Again, look at the kW dial. "Negative" or "blue" is correlated with charging. The deeper into the blue, the more power is being generated. This was the largest change in my driving habits -- breaking the amount that seemed to optimize power regeneration. The biggest bang for the buck for me is lightly breaking while going down a hill. There is a fairly long hill on my daily commute in which I can get almost three levels of charage by lightly breaking down the hill.

What's an owner's manual? ;) I'm a bit of a DIY guy on a lot of stuff. So, it is easy to say, "If you can afford..." But, taking that argument far enough would lead to us doing nothing for ourselves unless we couldn't afford it. To me, there's satisfaction in a job well done, in addition to the $$ savings. I detail my car myself. I could afford to pay a good detailer who would arguably do a better job and take less time (it usually takes me an entire weekend). But, I save the money and know that the job is done reasonably well -- and I enjoy it. So, go for it! When someone uses their own mechanic or changes the oil themselves, we all benefit indirectly -- Lexus has to keep their price somewhat competitive, lest we all go the non-Lexus route.

There was a thread not too long ago about someone who changed their own oil on the Hybrid. It sounded like the oil or filter were less conveniently located. If you trust your current mechanic to be careful while accessing these parts (i.e., trust them not to damage other parts), then I can't see why a hybrid system would make any difference. Tire rotation and oil change have nothing to do with the hybrid system. Keep your records for resale or trade-in. Also, the point of "resetting" a computer has come up. The 400h's (and probably other newer Lexus models?) have a really annoying "warning" about oil changes every 5k. I'm good about getting my vehicles in every 5k, but I sometimes go over by 100 miles or so. So this warning message on the instrument panel really pi**ed me off! My dealer asked if there was anything that I needed them to take a look at. I told them to disable that message permanently. They couldn't, but they showed me the trick to reset it myself. Make sure at your first 5k you get your dealer to show you how to do that. It is some combinatino of pressing the odometer button (while the total mileage odometer display is showing) while turning the key, I think.

The 303 Protectant should give the tires the look you want. For me, the 303 on tires isn't wet enough. It is really not very shiny at all. So, I "mix" 303 with Meg's tire gel to the wet look I want. I spray some 303 on the tire, put some Meg's gel on a tire sponge and spread. Nice shiny, wet look, due to the Meg's gel. The 303 seems to make it last a lot longer than the Meg's gel alone. Again, the 303 alone will probably give you the look you want. Spray it on, spread it, wait a few minutes then buff it off. A clean, but not wet, look to my eyes.

I used the PC 7424 and a swirl mark remover pad Sorry jonw440. My mistake for not quoting and being clear. I meant to address the question to the OP, JAS. JAS had said, "I tried polishing them." I was curious as to what products and process was used. Perhaps if we knew that, we could offer even further tips/experiences.

Guilty! I fully expect the majority that drive a 400h to be biased. That's the point. Those of us who have an h are heavily biased. We love our 400h's. I'm waiting to see all of the posts from those who had the choice of a 400h and chose the 330 (or 350) and why. For those people, I expect that it comes down to $$. For me, the tradeoff was a no-brainer for all the reasons stated. I'm sure that an RX330 owner would be unbiased on this issue!

How did you polish them? With what? I tried Meguiar's PlastX (plastic polish) with great results. They weren't totally fogged up, but were somewhat fogged. Here's a link to another thread on this topic (with PlastX pictures): http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=20640

I doubt I will ever buy a conventional gasoline engine only auto again. As DeanB points out, the difference in emissions is enormous. The power of the 400h should be at least equal to, if not better than. The other appointments (setting aside a few months of waiting for the upgraded NAV) are equal. Styling is individual preference. I agree with SW03ES -- I like the unique wheels, grill, and fog lights. To me, the sheen of the wheels is much preferred to the bland aluminum matte. So, the only difference is a few thousand -- today. All calculations of difference that I've seen have implicitly assumed the same trade-in value for the h. I don't have any data on this, but neither does anyone else. So, it is just as possible that the h brings a premium on the used market. THis would make the cost of ownership a wash or possibly favor the h (depending on the price of gas and the value one places on the time spent at the pump). Someone's logic above was that the h would be outdated soon, since it was more likely to be "updated." This logic is almost laughable, given that we're talking about the RX330 moving to an RX350 after only two years. The trend in the world is moving towards hybrid or alternative fuels. Hybrids are the latest tech. Yes, it will improve. But, Toyota's is amazingly advanced. How many more folks that have driven a hybrid will swear off gas-only? Has anyone driven a hybrid and said, "I'll never get a hybrid again?" Probably. But my guess is that it is far more heavily weighted toward the former. Buy the h. You'll never regret it. If you buy the 350, it is likely (especially given that you are even considering the h) that you'll regret it and wonder, "should I have gotten the 400h?" or, "What am I missing?" If you buy the h, you'll never wonder what you're missing -- because all you'll be missing is worse performance and gobs of emissions (and plenty of wasted gasoline).

I've not seen any references to a 430 version of the RXxxxh. My recollection was that Lexus is soon to introduce a GS450h (not GX450h) and then an LSxxxh (which I understood to be a 600 -- LS600h, possibly an LS600hL with a long wheel base). I can find hard info (e.g., AutoWeek or Lexus) on these. No mention of an GX or an RX430h -- other than people incorrectly calling the RX400h an RX430h (confusing it with the RX330). I have also seen/heard rumor that they are working on an ES hybrid, but can't find hard info. Why would they try to squeeze another 18 HP, just to have an RX430h? The RX400h already has tons of power and comes at a premium price. This doesn't sound right to me. Is your dealer confused? Or, do they have better info? My bet is confused.

My suggestion is to go back to the Lexus dealer armed with this long list of "I tried...". If necessary, insist that this get escalated to the regional service rep. With all of the trouble-shooting that you've done, I would get them to look into it. Of course, what you have working against you is the, "We haven't listed it as a compatible device; therefore, we have no obligation to support it...".

It sounds like you were on a downhill stretch on cruise control. 3 minutes sounds like a really long downhill stretch. I have a mile or two downhill (not steep, just nice and smooth slight downhil) stretch on my daily commute. When on cruise at about 65 MPH, there is no indication that the ICE is on and the electric motors will kick in intermittenly to maintain the speed. It is also possible that you had the wind at your back to cut down on your drag -- or you were drafting behind a semi? I doubt that it had anything to do with the fuel left. In fact, on the assumption that the 400h obeys the laws of physics (it can't create energy from nothing), it would have had to burn more fuel in order to charge the battery beyond the norm. You said you were in a hurry. So, when you started out, you might have accelerated quickly and then didn't use the electric motors at low speeds. Your normal breaking would have recharged the battery. Going home would have appeared normal, since you would have (assuming this scenario is accurate) been going back uphill or driving otherwise as you normally would (since you weren't in a hurry).

RandyByTheBay, You mentioned a bluetooth headset. Is your phone set to connect to the headset in addition to the 400h (or any other devices)? If so, try removing them. I tried a headset once. I hated it. But, I did have to re-pair my phone and 400h after adding (and deleting) the headset. Since then, there have been no problems. Is the headset in the car with you? It sounds like your phone or your 400h are timing out somehow. I haven't seen any time-out settings on my phone (Sprint PCS Treo 650) or 400h, but I wonder if they exist? Have you had any troubles with other BT devices (headsets, computers) or any successes? Just trying to brainstorm potential conflicts... obviously, the phone or the 400h is having an issue. The key question is, which one?

SW03ES brings up a good point. It sounds like you'll do a much better job than the dealer. ASK THEM NOT TO WAX IT. If you don't, you're likely to regret it, given the sloppy job that some dealerships do. They are likely to induce micro scratches and swirls. In fact, I'd contact them now to make very clear that you don't want the exterior touched when the truck arrives (other than removing that white wrap). On my next one, that's what I'll be telling them.

Thanks for the replies so far. I agree that Camry and Highlander are wonderful cars. My father-in-law has a Highlander Hybrid. Unfortunately, it just doesn't seem the same (even to him) as the 400h. I've also found (with our previous ES300 and Camry) that there is a noticeable difference between a well-equipped Camry and an ES300 (and not just in price). Finally, now that we've been spoiled by the service at the Lexus dealership, I can't see going back. In fact, I'd take a Camry and possibly a Highlander if they came with the same level of service as the Lexus brand. They just don't from the dealers around here. I'm still on the fence. I agree that having two identical (other than color) cars of the same year is odd. The oddity is at least partially offset by my love for the 400h. While NAV is now an "option", I'm afraid must be standard equipment for my wife's next car. Another one of those things (e.g., cell phones, blackberry's, etc.) that we managed to live so long without, but can't figure out how.

Here's the situation: I love my RX400h. I have sworn to never buy a gasoline only vehicle going forward. I have not sworn off non-Lexus (or Toyota) vehicles, but it would take a lot to convince me of jumping off the Toyota or Lexus wagon. My wife drives our 1999 RX300. It is about ready to be traded in -- I'm feeling guilty about driving the new car. She previously had an ES300 that she loved. I like the room of an SUV, she likes the handling of a car. She thinks that the RX400h drives enough like a car (vs. the RX300) that she would consider that. She really likes the 400h, but if there was an ESxxxh, this would be a no-brainer to buy it. Her birthday is coming up soon. I could say, "we'll wait until the GS450h is released" and promise her one, but... they look to be about $10k more, they are less practical (we take the kiddo on trips and will only take an SUV), and it won't come out for another 6 months (2-3 at best). So, talk me out of going ahead and getting a second RX400h for the garage -- I already know it will have to be a different color. By the way, any news on discounting? I saw on the Lexus "Build your own Lexus" site that they have removed the "model is in short supply" warning that used to come up. So, my assumption is that I won't have to wait for one and my HOPE is that we might even be able to go quite a bit below list.