LCB

I feel your pain. I REALLY LOVE the Thundercloud metallic on the limited edition models the produced in 2005. Its one sweet looking silver color. And they had the black birds eye wood trim which was the perfect touch. But i wanted an 06 400h, so I chose the next best color in my opinion, which is Flint Mica with black leather, silver trim. I agree, Lexus really needs to open up some colors. Everthing is so neutral.

I want the V8 in the 5 passenger model. Keep it lighter so its faster. If I wanted a 7 passenger SUV, I would buy the larger lexus. I'm happy they are continuing a sporty, aggressive look.

I'm getting 17.5 mpg in 2 days with the 330 loaner, same commute, driving pattern. I'm always 24-25 in the 400h. I have somewhat of a heavy foot and lots of hills around my house/commute to work. Is the suspension more stiff in the 330 has well? Its feels really jaring every time I hit a bump. It has 10k miles. My 400h has 5k miles. I hope it doesn't turn into this. This experience is kinda funny because 2 years ago I had a 330 and thought it was as smooth as butter. Great job of Lexus of improving on that platform so much.

Always take a hybrid to a mechanic. You're taking a huge risk to save a few bucks. Is this your first service, because the 1st 5000 service is free at Lexus. Plus, you get free loaner cars which are invaluable to me.

My 400h is in for service and to fix a scratch, so I have a RX330 as a loaner for a few days. This experience truly makes me appreciate the Hybrid so much more. It's like driving a Ford truck compared to the smooth riding experience of the 400h. I miss the acceleration, the smooth riding down hills, the quietness, the steering, and just about everything about the driving experience. There is absolutely no way I could ever go back to the gas version of the RX. Only thing I like is that it does not have that annoying bell if i don't put the seat belt on immediately! Any way to fix this on the 400h?

Well what is the price of a fully loaded GS and a fully loaded NM edition? That will show the true difference.

Some more facts I stole from 1sicklex in another post... The RX 400h sold 2,470 units. The newly revised INfiniti FX 35 and 45 didn't beat that in a month. The Brand new from the ground up Mercedes ML sold 2,740 units last month, that is 350 AND 500 numbers. So with 2 models, they BARELY outsold the RX. BMWs X5 with 3.0, 4.4 and 4.8 models, sold 2,462 units. THe RX 400 is FINE, selling better than ever. Considering the COST of this SUV, this says a lot. I love some facts

Jan: 1,477 sold Feb: 1,893 sold Mar: 2,470 sold

And just wait until summer. Gas is predicted to reach $3.50 this summer.

Performance is nearly equal, with a slight edge for the 400h. 400h AWD: 0-60 in 7.3 350 AWD: 0-60 in 7.4 And like SW03ES mentions above...do you really think any of us care about which one is a few thousand cheaper? Why don't we all just go buy Highlanders if we want to worry about price. An extra few thousand dollars on a $45,000 vehicle means nothing to most Lexus owners.

I love the CVT. Never have to feel the gears shifting. Plus, dont forget your tax credit. I think it went up in 2006. And you live in Cali I see - can't all Cali Hybrid cars drive in the HOV lanes regardless of number of passengers?

The AWD is also a little faster. AWD: 0-60 in 7.3 FWD: 0-60 in 7.5 and the AWD is much safer in the rain. The all-wheel-drive system is fully automatic. There is no driver involvement necessary. Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC) automatically route power to either the front or the rear wheels as necessary to give a smooth ride and help provide optimum traction

These cars are so great I would not think twice about buying another for the Wife - if I was married. The only other SUV I would consider is the new Jeep Cherokee SRT-8 that just hit showrooms. Its like driving a sports car and is quicker than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, but only $39k. It would be a nice 2nd option if I had 2 cars. Jason - there are several 400h's on the lot at Nalley Lexus in Smyrna. I see you live over in Roswell. I drove by there yesterday and they had at least 10-15 out front. I paid $3k off MSRP there in August. They will give you a deal.

I think I have rear rattle now. Is there a TSB report on this issue?

I may have found a solution: http://l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=744 Looks like that is in the same spot I keep change now (the door handle), but maybe it holds the change from rattling back and forth. Anyone have this installed?