katzjamr

Also it does more damage to the other vehicle and its occupants

The only thing i have read is you have about three gallons left when the low fuel light comes on. I am sure you have been told it is critical to NEVER run out of gas in this vehicle so its a good idea to get in the habit of refueling sooner than you would in a conventional SUV.

Cingular is strong in the Pacific Northwest because they took over one of the better Att cellular networks founded by McCaw Cellular. It is my personal belief that each region in the country has a carrier with better coverage than its competition and i think polling people who have different carriers is a good way to try to figure it out. Most Cellular providers will allow you a two to four week grace period to cancel your contract if the service does not meet your needs. Some of it also depends on if your brother spends most of his time in the big city or gets out in the country where service can be more sparse. In addition some phone manufacturers engineer their phones to work with certain carriers more closely. Nokia at one time worked more closely with carriers to provide better reception than Motorola did. I dont know if that is still the case. Motorola in the last years has captured more market with phone design that more people want. I have a Treo 650 GSM, and my employee a Nokia digital phone and both work well. Cingular is more expensive than ATT was, and less friendly when you call customer service although i have never had to go to the depths of hell with them in India as a do when i pay my friends Sprint bill over the phone. In my area Sprint has the most spotty service, worst customer service and i would use a tin can and a string before i signed up with them. In addition to be honest I do have a Cingular cell tower on the roof of my building, so of course the signal is strong, they are a great tennant altho the tradeoff for great reception might be that extra radiation that im sure is beamed right at my desk.

Finally got my treo 650 to work with the 400h, Cingular is my carrier. Just had to tell someone, thanks for listening.

Nater you have expertly put into words what i have wanted to say to people who complain about thier 400h mpg. Of course short trips and AC account for some of it, after that its driving style. If they cant figure out how to get better mileage with all the feedback this vehicle has available to them, then they shouldnt blame the vehicle, its up to them.

After five years of trying, Congress is expected to clear an energy bill this week containing new tax credits for hybrid cars. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday mentions: "One of the biggest new tax breaks is an auto industry-backed tax credit, valued at thousands of dollars for SOME vehicles, for buying a hybrid car--one that uses both gasoline and electricity--or a vehicle powered by electricty or fuel cells. The tax credit which replaces a less generous tax deduction, is linked to the weight and fuel efficiency of the vehicles." The article goes on to say, "A tax credit gives the taxpayer a dollar-for-dollar reduction in his or her taxes." The tax breaks for hybrids are smaller, and the bill limits the number of hybrids sold by any one manufacturer that can claim the credit. Most of the credits apply to vehicles purchased or leased from the beginning of 2006 through the end of 2009." I do not have exact figures on the amount of tax credits, and which cars they apply to. I will post more when that info is available.

RX it is clear you have a talent and passion for what you do, it comes through in your post. Regarding LexKid, there are days i dont think he has a fleet of seven (+-) Lexi and one BMW and hes just pulling our leg, and there are days i think we dont know the whole story he really has the cars and there is family money available to him where it just doesnt matter what he does or affect his family adversely. Your cautions about spending ring true for our government as a whole as well as individuals. Being on the waiting list allowed me to save half of the cost of the 400h, the rest is paid through our family business. There are days i feel guilty spending this much one one vehicle, and at the same time it has energized me to work harder to be more successful.

My 400h replaced my 99 Ford Exploder and i can assure you the lexus will put a smile on your face in ways the Exploder could never do. It is safer, with a much better ride and quick. Good luck with it and tell us when yours comes in.

I think the millenium silver is the best with the tail lights that are silver, and the black accents, in the rear bumper, roof rack, spoiler, and the aluminum wheels. Bamboo pearl is also handsome in some lights however it is a color that changes with its surroundings, and can go green. In the Pacific Northwest Bamboo Pearl is the hardest color to come by, many people on the waiting list have been passed over while others who have waited less time go for the black, silver and flint micas comming in. I have the light gray interior and i like the color, however as you guessed it does not hide any soil. I am the only driver and I find myself detailing the inside twice a week to keep up. I did have the leather protected with a sealant at the dealer. I wish there was an option for a charcoal interior, my friend has a new Solara convertible black with charcoal inside and i think that would be perfect with a silver 400h.

In most states when you are rear ended in an auto accident the person who hit you is entirely at fault. This person has already been dishonest and you need professionals on your side to get your car fixed correctly. In many areas when you take your car in for auto body repair it is recorded on a national list that the insurance companies monitor. So even if you dont claim the damage, your insurance company can see a repair has been done. This car is almost new, and mismatched paint or poor repair wll put you on the road to lower value for your car. Have it done right, and let your insurance company go after him to collect. Even though a small area was damaged, a much larger area may have to be repainted to make it all work.

The 400h has more sound deadening material all around the cabin than any rx before it. Lexus had a concern that people would object to whine of the electric motors, to the point that they put in a laminated windshield to reduce that noise source also. As you surmise, your engine and transmission noise is throatier under heavier acceleration, its not a noise that bothers me, and was clearly there during the three cars i test drove. For me, i am aware of tire noise on different road surfaces much more than engine drivetrain. My dealer told me to turn up the sound sytem (just kidding)

I have a 400h with the gray interior and i am surprised how little soil this color hides. I have detailed it inside four times in the last two weeks, as many times as i have washed the outside, and there are still some marks that are left behind. The dealer has offered to work on this however i would like to take care of it myself. I recently rode in a friend's new Solara and wished i had her charcoal leather interior. Lexus really needs to provide choices other than ivory, tan and black for the rx series.

The Lexus web site finally allowed me to register last week, and knew the vin number of my 400h. For the last few days it has not allowed me to log on, not recognizing my password. The Lexus help desk tells me the online system will be up and down periodically as they are still tweaking the system.

Sorry, i did not see a post here that said Verizon would not work with the Lexus. I personally use a Motorola headset with my bluetooth treo 650 as i find the voice qualtiy on both ends, and ease of switching between vehicles to be of a greater benefit. My carrier is Cingular. The other issue is that while the treo will mate with many bluetooth devices, it will only automatcially recognize the last one you used, unless u manually go in and change the device.

Stick with the carrier that you trust that provides the best phone cell coverage in your area. In the northwest cingular is strong they took over a solid att system, sprint is the most spotty here. In the rest of the country cingular may not be the best, you seem to have good luck with Verizon, and a history with their service.

Interestingly there was a post in another forum of someone losing all power steering and on another site that tests new cars they lost their "power steering computer module" in the long term test vehicle on the 400h The SUV is in the shop for the part that is backordered about a week.

the road is too slippery, icy snowy for traction (tires worn perhaps) and no system on the vehicle is able to maintain stability. you are sliding or in a skid.

true, however how many hybrids have they had in for a 5k service, and with the interest in this car they very well could remember, perhaps it was flagged on the computer.

I find myself driving more like a granny as well and not minding it, even more so i dont mind traffic jams as much because at least while im stuck im saving fuel. I imagine somewhere some insurance company has some prius accident history vs regularly fueled cars. Thank you all for your replies.

Moving from my old SUV to the 400h took a change in driving mindset. I am more conscious of gradual starts and stops and anticipating traffic to get the best mpg out of the vehicle. It occurs to me i am also a safer driver as a result. Yes there are times when i am late, and i use the power of the 400h more aggressively, however 90% of the time im in the laid back hybrid mode of travel. Does this translate into fewer accidents with hybrids in the real world? I am wondering if someone has empirical data to back this up or its just my imaginiation.

I also have the treo 650 that im very happy with, i have synched it with the phone, however my 400h isnt working with it either. One of my salesmen told me that someone has figured out how to make this phone work in the 400h i will be seeing him in the next few weeks and report if i have success. At the same time i do use a motorola headset with the treo #(820) that i find very comfortable, so im not sure that i will use the 400h bluetooth feature.

I agree on the color of the 'yellow' wood, and their dark birdseye maple on the rx330 is no prize either. I dont mind the leather steering cover on the 400h, some people who wear rings have scratched the wood on thier non leather wheels.

I would vote for a Kw gauge that was calibrated more finely in the regenerative department. The ICE turns on an off so frequently that an oil pressure guage might be distracting LOL. Speaking of distracting, perhaps Toyota felt that one more guage to watch instead of driving would be a safety hazard.

I vote for slower and more gradual braking, coasting and more gradual braking adds regeneration over time, and its a more comfortable way to drive, for your passengers too. I personally dont think the harder stop at the end is worth any extra juice that may be put back into the battery. I will admit that driving like a grandpa gets old sometimes and i have spurts where i drive more aggressively, the available power in this suv is one of its best features.

regarding the lexol problem with stickyness, dont most cleaners come with an 800 number from the manufacturer for handling consumer issues with their products? Is there a consumer help line number on the back of the Lexol products you used?