uthorns1976

I'm desperately searching for a new vehicle. ES350 might fill the bill.

My brother has an RX400h that's a year old. I drove it once for three hours on the highway and I found the seats to be too firm for my taste. (I'm used to American car seating.) Would appreciate any comments regarding the seats in the ES350. Firm, very firm, hard, comfortable???

Thanks.

uthorns,

Here is the information about the Motorola Razr that you requested and its capabilities.

You will be able to transfer data from the phone to the car one at a time. Keep this in mind, you will not be able to transfer multiple files all at once.

This phone will allow you to use 24 digits when dialing from the navigation screen. Some phones will only allow 20 digits.

You will be able to hear your ringtone through the sound system when receiving a call. Some phones do not support this.

Over all the Razr is a very compatible phone. Hope this helps

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Yes, very helpful information. Thanks.

CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHICH BLUETOOTH PHONE I CAN PURCHASE FROM VERIZON WIRELESS THAT WILL WORK GOOD WITH MY 06 RX330?  WE PURCHASED THE MOTOROLA V710 AND YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY PROGRAM THE CONNECTION THRU THE PHONE EVERYTIME YOU RE-ENTER THE VEHICLE AND IT DOESN'T ALLOW YOU TO TRANSFER YOUR PHONE BOOK.  MOTOROLA CLAIMS THIS IS DUE TO SECURITY REASONS. 

IF THERE ISN'T A PHONE THAT'S COMPATABILE THRU VERIZON WHICH PHONE WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FROM CINGULAR?

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The transfer problem is due to verizon, and not Motorolla. That same phone from t-mobile or cingular will work. Verizon puts some type of incryption on the function of their bluetooth technology.

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A little help, please. I have searched extensively and have not found a definite answer. My brother has a 2006 RX400h. He just switched from Verizon to T-Mobile and got the Moto Razr phone (black). He called me this morning and asked me to find out if the Razr on T-Mobile will work with the bluetooth system in his Lexus?? Based on what I have read here, I'm thinking that it will but he will have to transfer his phonebook one entry at a time. Is that correct?? He has 14 days to cancel contract and he definitely wants a phone that will work with the bluetooth system in the 400h.

Also, I read a post from somone that said they weren't happy with the quality of the Razr phone. Any comments about that would be appreciated as well. Thanks.

For what its worth i just picked up the phone and called my salesman at Lexus.  He said they would put this vehicle on the lot at only 2000 under msrp, they have three vehicles nearly new on the lot now with under 10K in miles (not 400h's) and all are selling at only 2 to 3K under list.  Im sure there is some bargaining room there, however 45K could be fair as much as i would like to see it cheaper.  Make him an offer and let him see if he can sell it for more, it could be urs if no one bites.

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I agree with katz. $45K isn't too bad for a $51,000 vehicle that's basically new. However, when you add the 6.25% sales tax that the buyer has to pay when registering the vehicle, that really throws a monkey wrench into the deal.

I signed up for the RX400h at my local Lexus dealer in April 2004. I was number 25 on a list of 35 buyers. They held this list too 35 to make things simple. Today is August 6th 2005 and we are still waiting to get our hands on one. The salesperson did tell me it will be any day now, but this is what I have been hearing all along.

I would love to hear from others about how long they have been waiting. We have only seen two on the road so far! The dealer is located in Northern California.

Maybe some day I will be able to report good news, but until now I'm still waiting. :o

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Walked into the dealership on a Tuesday evening. Test drove a car. Picked it up from the dealer the next day. Something smells rotten.

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Saw some posts on another forum. Buyers in New York, New Jersey getting $3,000 off sticker. Dealer in Florida advertised in newspaper $3,000 off sticker on all in stock 400h's.

Last month the Rx400h i had ordered more than a year ago, finally arrived. I kept it for a while, but didn't really fall mich in love with it. So i decided it was best for me to trade it in before i started to cry...

I wanted to trade it in for an 05 GS430 since i don't care much for the new 06's. I called and e-mailed more than 12 dealers in New England to see if they had any VERY low mileage 05 GS430's in the color etc. that i was looking for. The following day i got a call from some used car dealer in NH that had an 05 GS430 with only 113 miles, not "used" since it was never owned by a private party supposedly...

First i "told" them that i wasn't doing a trade of any kind. They were selling the GS430 for $47,580, and i got them down to $46,600. Then at this point i told them that i "could" trade in my car. Then they asked what it was and i told them it was a 2 week old Rx400h, which i purchased for $53,xxx, and that it only had 900 miles on it. After the trade i only had to pay them $800. That means they gave me....$45,800 for the rx400h. And i have NO idea about a $2,000 tax reduction   I didn't even know i got one to begin with!!??

The Rx400h was neptune blue mica, had the ivory interior (well a black dashboard and doors etc ), navigation, DVD, rear camera i think? ...didn't even use any of these i only had it for 2 weeks.

I'm much happier with my GS430. It has everything the 400h had and MORE.

It's just my opinion though...don't wanna make any more enemies here LOL  :P

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Be sure your accountant takes the (up to) $2,000 tax deduction on your 2005 Form 1040. You earned it by purchasing the vehicle. The deduction can be taken right on the 1040. So, those who don't itemize can take it also.

I agree with you on the black dashboard. But, that's just my opinion. No more bashing of the vehicle by me.

You don't need to pay to transfer a factory warranty...

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In Texas, a black vehicle is hot, hot, hot. Black on black is going to be even more so. Have the front side windows been tinted??

I think $42K is a fair price. If, as I said in an earlier post, if he could get the dealer to show the vehicle as a trade-in and then sell it to you at the trade-in price, you would both win. Some dealers will do it, some won't.

For what it's worth, my brother has had his 400h since 7/1. His previous vehicle was, interestingly enough, a Tahoe with 78K miles. He drives a lot so he needs decent gas mileage. He's tickled to death with the mileage he gets from the 400h...consistent mid-20s in 100 degree temps. with A/C going all the time. His vehicle is black with ivory interior. I haven't seen a black interior but it's gotta' be better than the ivory or silver. They are too light in my opinion and show all the dirt.

The 400h isn't perfect but it's a very nice car and the engine is very powerful. I drove the vehicle home from the dealership, a 3.5 hour drive. I was very surprised just how powerful it is and the ride was very smooth on Michelin tires. Since the vehicle you are considering is black, I assume it has Michelins. Others have Goodyear Eagles. I'm not a fan of Michelins but, as I said, the ride is smooth.

What type of satellite radio did the guy install...VAIStech??? Was it installed by the Lexus dealer???

I'm under the impression that more things can be adjusted with CBEST settings than the list of door settings and such they give you with the car. I've seen a more extensive list of those settings posted for the RX330. I assume the more extensive list is what Jerry is asking for.

uthorns, putting those terms into google is bringing up a lot of hits and none of the first 30 or so appears to be the pdf you mention. I've tried narrowing the search and I don't get the pdf either. Is what you found the CustomerSelectionForm pdf or something more extensive? If it is the latter, can you post the pdf or a link here?

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patt...My apologies. What I found is indeed customerselectionform.pdf. It has 16 items listed. 13 of the 16 items have to do with doors, 1 moonroof, 1 A/C and 1 lighting. Sorry...

Does anyone have the C-Best settings list for the RX400h ?

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My dealer handed me the one for the RX330 and asked for my choices. I asked about the Door Locking settings and wanted to 'try' first before deciding and he was agreeable to that. I then started reading the Owner's Manual and found that this one was described in the manual and I could do it myself. After some difficulty with it, I went back to the dealership and showed them the Owner's Manual instructions. They couldn't do it and was suggesting I let their service people do it with their equipment. 'No Thanks' After some more experimenting, I got it! :P I later showed it to the salesman! I like the option which locks all doors after getting up to about 12 mph! I didn't like starting the car, backing out which locked the doors, and then I'd have to unlock to let my wife get in on the passenger side.

Enough of my 'door' experiences. Have you checked the Owner's Manual for the particular settings you're interested in??

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You can find a pdf file on the web by searching for "lexus door lock settings rx400h." It shows you all the settings available for doors, etc.

How far is it? The Lexus dealer may do pickup/dropoff for service.

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The Lexus dealer is approx. 30 minutes from his home. Something he should definitely check into. Thanks.

very tough car to  purchase. No matter even if the dealer offers him $42,000 he still picks up over $3000 in tax savings by trading it in.

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Given that he's buying a GM vehicle, I doubt the GM dealer's going to want the Lexus on his used car lot. He'll probably wholesale it. Wholesalers aren't very generous so $40,000 might be top dollar. Who knows??

Like I said before, in Texas the sales tax on vehicles is 6.25%. So, a $42,000 offer would equate to $44,625 with the tax savings.

Perhaps you could work a deal whereby the current owner trades the 400h in and you buy it from the dealer for the trade-in price plus sales tax??? I have done that in the past. It's a win-win. The guy trading in the vehicle saves the sales tax and you get a good price. The dealer may charge a nominal fee for handling the paperwork, perhaps $50.

By the way, snowdale, are you interested in the 400h?? Have you driven it?? What color exterior/interior??

the car stickered out for about $50,000 and about another $500 for the satellite radio. So thats $50,500. He should have gained a $2000. tax break ($48,500} then deduct about 4 months usuage and depreciation ($2500} $46,000. That basically a $1000 or so below what it would cost you for a new  and gaining the tax break

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Keep in mind that the "tax break" is a tax DEDUCTION of up to $2,000, not a tax CREDIT. So, the amount of tax savings the person gets depends on what bracket he/she is in. Assuming full $2,000 deduction, 25% bracket = $500 savings on taxes.

Also, if you buy it, you'll have to pay the sales tax on the purchase price when you register it. That's another 6.25% which, in this case, is a lot of money.

Assuming the vehicle has heated seats and the Levinson, the sticker is $50,705. If no heated seats, deduct $665. The biggest discount I have heard of is $2,000 off sticker on a new one.

I agree with katz...$45,000 would be generous. Personally, I would offer $45000/1.0625 = $42,350. Then, you'd be in the vehicle for $45,000 after paying the sales tax. I think that would be a good deal for you and the seller in my opinion. If he traded the vehicle in and got $40,000 for it, he would also save 6.25% sales tax on the deal. $40,000 x 1.0625 = $42,500. Based on that, adjust your offer up to $42,500.

I'm not in the car business so this is just my personal opinion FWIW.

Perhaps LexKid will post a response. He traded his 400h for a GS so he may have a good feel for the vehicle's value.

Wonder why he bought the 400h in the first place????

2006 Lexus RX400h

Base price - $49,060

- Lexus DVD Rear-Seat Entertainment System (RSES) (includes two pairs of wireless headphones [2]) - $1,840 [3]

- Heated Front Seats with Rain-Sensing Wipers - $665 [3]

- Mark Levinson® [4] 11-speaker, 210-watt [5] Premium Audio System with in-dash, single-feed, six-disc CD changer - $980

Generally its not an issue with resale value. As long as you keep good records and can show the maintenance has been performed properly he shouldn't have any issues.

My fear is the hybrid system, right now there are ZERO independent mechanics out there that know how to diagnose issues with the hybrid system. Does he truly understand what it is and why its different from a normal car?

For things like oil changes its not an issue, but it is for brakes for instance, and he even seems adverse to warranty work.

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Yes, he knows about the hybrid system and how it is different from a "normal" car. He "read up" on it before purchasing the vehicle. That's why he wanted the vehicle, for the hybrid system and the improved fuel mileage.

I wouldn't say that he's "adverse to warranty work." He has always owned GM vehicles and he took them to the local GM dealer for warranty work. For non-warranty work, he went to a local independent mechanic that we know. However, the Lexus dealership is not convenient to go to. So, I'm not sure what's going to happen when the vehicle needs dealer service. Of course, he really won't have a choice since only a Lexus or Toyota dealer can work on the hybrid system.

At this point, I think the best thing I can do is butt out and let him do as he pleases. It's his car and he's a grownup.

Guess he could have called Roadside Assistance and asked that they bring him a replacement battery, huh??  I'm sure they routinely do stuff like that    

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My guess is they wouldn't have wanted to do that, they would want to check the car over well and make sure the battery didnt go because of some issue with the electrical system.

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Steve...excellent point. I am in agreement with you. Unfortunately, the vehicle's owner is averse to any contact with the Lexus dealer. :( At this point, any service is DIY or independent mechanic. My concern about that approach is that, down the road, his vehicle will have poor resale value :( due to lack of dealer service records but I'm unfamiliar with Lexus pre-owned vehicle values. So, I really don't know for sure.

wwest i appreciate all of your posts as you add an insight many do not have.  The Lexus of Bellvue dealership also owns the one in tacoma  (where i signed up and purchased my 400h).  Their lists are much shorter, and all of that added crap you mentioned is optional.

400h4me, the two things you have working against you are that on the west coast these vehicles are still more popular, and only one car has come into my dealership out of all of them without the Mark Levinson.  As soon as those cars hit the dock on the west coast they know the vin numbers and the options and start calling their customers.  This dealership made thier first black on black 400h the demo car and has had that available for test drives since late April. (i pity the soul that purchases that abused stepchild).  Still there is always one there to test.  Something is up with your dealership they are not sharing with u, and at the very least i dont think they can get a vehicle optioned the way u described.  Buy the one with the Mark Levinson, millenium silver with black interior is a very handsome combination in my opinon, my light gray interior has been hard to maintain, even with no dog inside.

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If it has Levinson, it has to have heated seats, right??? I didn't think you could get the Levinson without heated seats?? How does the "standard" stereo compare to the Levinson sound wise??

When you think about it, the vehicle without any added options is very nice and you save $3,000. Of course, half of the $3K is the RSES. :(

I guess all the Rx400's for sale are in LA and TX where they are happy to discount them. Wonder if BUY MY WAITLIST POSITION FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY (Lexus : RX)  (Reserve Not Met)-$8000  on ebay is real. It is in L.A. not LA.

  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...TRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

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In most of the hybrid Forums, people who try to sell their place on WaitLists are not viewed positively. I suppose there might be a few Buyers who might bid on this but to me, the offer is in very poor taste generated by greed IF the offer is for monetary reimbursement. It is worse than a dealership's premium add-on procedure to take advantage of the market.

I still am high on a Highlander Hybrid waitlist with a $500 deposit but would not try to "sell" my place even though I probably will not use it. My situation has changed since I now have the Lexus RX 400h. If I decide to not buy another hybrid such as the HH, I will get off the HH WaitList to give the next person in line a chance to buy.

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I don't recall seeing any of the 400h auctions on ebay that ended with anything other than "Reserve not met." That includes the "position" auctions.

I wonder if a Lexus dealer would actually give someone's position to someone else based on that position being "sold" to the other person????

Its sunday afternoon and i just came from a toyota dealership where i visited with a salesperson for a non auto related issue, and i asked him if he had any Highlander Hybrids for sale.  Sure enough they had a sliver, limited that they were selling over sticker for 46K, he said they were in such short supply that they had to pay 'retail for it from another dealer' whatever that means.  If Highlanders can sell at just 5K below a 400h, it makes me feel better about spending the extra for the Lexus.

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"pay retail for it from another dealer" means they supposedly purchased the car from another dealer at the sticker price or something like that. Sounds like they're b.s.ing people to try to inflate the selling price. :chairshot:

I know that in the GM world, dealers often "buy" cars from other dealers but they certainly don't "pay retail." When a dealer buys a vehicle from another dealer to satisfy a customer request, they don't make as much on that vehicle because I don't think they get the "holdback" on the vehicle. I think the other dealer gets it.

There is a TSIB (EG010-05) concerning the ISC Learning procedure to re-initialize the idle speed control if the 12v battery dies.

If this is not performed the following may happen:

1. The engine runs too long or more frequently than normal.

2. Reduced fuel economy.

3. Transmission gear "clatter" noise at idle is more pronounced.

I wonder if some of the complaints of poor fuel economy is related to this learning procedure not being performed after a battery dies.

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Where does one find these TSIBs???

I signed up for the RX400h at my local Lexus dealer in April 2004. I was number 25 on a list of 35 buyers. They held this list too 35 to make things simple. Today is August 6th 2005 and we are still waiting to get our hands on one. The salesperson did tell me it will be any day now, but this is what I have been hearing all along.

I would love to hear from others about how long they have been waiting. We have only seen two on the road so far! The dealer is located in Northern California.

Maybe some day I will be able to report good news, but until now I'm still waiting. :o

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Have you checked with other dealers in your area??? There was no waiting here but I'm in Texas. We had several vehicles to choose from back on July 1.

Are you asking for a particular color?? Do you want RSES?? I understand RSES is hard to come by in some areas.

Unless the headlights were on.

Was the key on acc position?

Don't know what postion key was in and I doubt that the headlights were on.

As has been discussed here at length, the trailer hitch requires that the junction block assembly, 82670-48050, be installed.  Does anyone have any idea where the junction block assembly is located??

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If you have a RX400h, you only need the 3500lb hitch and the wiring harness that comes with it. You don't need any additional converters or parts. The 400h comes with a socket that the wiring harness plugs right in to. I have it all hooked up.

If you have a RX330 without the towing prep package you would need the converter. The instructions say you'd have to locate the rear junction box component which is supposedly under the driver-side rear seat (you have to slide the seat forward, fold it down, lift up the carpet flap to get at it) and replace it with the converter.

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speedy...I read the following on another forum:

"only thing about putting a PT228-48045 hitch on the 400h is that you discard the two air deflectors in the corners of the rear bumpers. Otherwise its identical."

What did you do about the "air deflectors?"

Its just a battery...

If he wanted to replace it himself thats his perogative, it wont invalidate the warranty. Only wastes his $100 though. He probably bought too much battery too.

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I'm in total agreement with you but it was his decision to pay $52 for a new battery and avoid a trip to the Lexus dealer.

Guess he could have called Roadside Assistance and asked that they bring him a replacement battery, huh?? I'm sure they routinely do stuff like that

I would think it would, but apparently it does not.

Leaving the door lights on overnight will probably not kill the battery, but a couple of days would.

I was suprised the lights stayed on though.

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My brother played the stereo with the doors open for a couple of hours while working on his 400h. After doing so, 12V battery was dead. So, it apparently doesn't take too long if you leave enough stuff on.

Another shortcoming of the 400h. What do you expect for $50K...perfection??:whistles:

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You really get old...:whistles:

What's this "old" supposed to mean?

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"You really get old :whistles: " means that he's tired of me saying that the 400h has some minor shortcomings because I have done so several times. From now on, I'll keep my opinion to myself.

who makes a SuperCharger for a 92 LS?

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I vote for nitrous. Then, get custom plates..."Bottle Fed". :D