irieblue

What about the loss of Touch screen, is anyone happy that they got rid of that ? Seems like a backward step

I have an 06 RX 400h, and every time i bring it in for regular service the loaner car is a rx350, and every time i remark how different they are. (1) The RX400h is faster, and feels safer for over taking maneuvers (2) The Rx350 gearbox is clunky next to the cvt, no comparison ,I don't like the jerky kickdown on the RX350 gearbox. (3) The RX400h is much quieter on the highway, it's noticeable and makes long drives that much more enjoyable. (4) I average 25 MPG in the 400h. IMHO The only reason to choose the 350 over the 400h is the cost. Regarding the shaking when the engine turns off, I have found that it depends on the type of gas you use. The higher octane gas makes the shake occur less , it bugged me when I first got the vehicle, but I do not notice it anymore.

I own a 2006 AWD RX400h, and just recently had a RX 350 as a loaner while my vehicle was in for service. Here are my thoughts on the differences.. the 350 does not have the acceleration of the 400h , both from stop and while cruising at HWY speeds. It is quite noticeable. The RX400h caries more weight and you can feel it under heavy breaking compared to the 350. I wish that when people report their milage for the 400h that they would specify whether FWD or AWD as it seems to make a difference. I get 24.5 on average for my 400h which is a 60/40 mix of HWY/City driving... That said , the things I really like about the 400h. Electric AC (Perfect for those times while you wait in the RX for the significant other to complete their shopping) CVT transmission (The RX 350 is Jarring by comparison) Quiet... The RX 400h is noticeably more quiet on the HWY.

When did they put the overlay option into the "back up camera view" My 06 does not have that feature to tell you where the car will end up depending on how much the steering wheel is turned to. Is this a 2008 RX?

I had my 10K service done last week, the Stevens Creek (Northern CA) dealership charged $192. Interestingly enough Magnussen Lexus Fremont (about 30 miles further North) said their rate was $160, (but I didn't have the time to drive the extra 60 miles). So I would suggest calling around to see which Service center gives you the best rate.

I posted about this same observation a while ago on this list when my 06 RX400h, had 750 miles on it. (I am taking it in for it's 10,000mile service tomorrow). I can say that the issue seems to have gone away over time, and I no longer notice it anymore. That said, the Accelerator is very sensitive, on this vehcle so I have resorted to using the cruise control alot more than I normally would, as I find I get better mileage that way. In the past I always thought the surging was occuring betwee 60-65 Mph. Whoever said that the RX 400h runs strictly on ICE when on the highway obviously does not own one. I have seen my 400h run entirely on battery on the highway when cruising along at 65 MPH, of course it doesn't do that for extended periods. Alot of time, though, it will run on both battery and ICE, and yes I know the difference between running the generator and powering the electric motor. In fact on a recent 1.5 hour/65 Mile trip each way here in Northern CA from San Jose to Monterey Bay (over Highway 17) (which involves driving through the Santa Cruz Mountains ) I averaged 32 MPG going and 25 MPG on the return.

What should I expect for the 10K regular service? How much did you pay ? In my area (Northern CA) lexus supposedely charges around $132/hr or maybe more, and the service person mentioned it would be a 2-3 hr Job?

I'm surprised I haven't seen any comments on the "taste of lexus" event held in San Francisco on Sept 30/Oct 1 (it was more like oakland with a view of the San Francisco city outline in the distance). They were literally thousands of people at the event , most received a direct invitation and brought along a guest or 5, to test drive all of Lexus's cars on a coned off course on what could best be described as a massive parkling lot. Lexus gave me the impression in the confirmation email that I had a confirmed 2 PM time slot, however I stood in line for 50 minutes to test drive the GS450h (90 minutes to test drive the LS460L) I'm beginning to think the GS450h is more of a marketing tool for lexus than a produc they really want to succeed . Lexus supposedely has only manufactured 900-1000 of the GS450h's on a global basis. The Trunk volume is a measly 7.5 cubic feet. The car weighs 4100 lbs, in northern CA it's impossible to test drive the car at a dealership as they don't have demo units. I did drive the GS450h to the absolute limit . On several parts of the course I could hear the chirping of the VDIM kicking in. Try as hard as I could, I couldn't get the rear of the car to break away. In fact the GS450h has this huge tendency to understeer (i.e it keeps wanting to go straight even after you have turned the wheels ). I could also feel the sheer mass of the car being transferred foward under heavy braking.

One thing I forgot to mention, is that the 600hL nav is slated to come with real time traffic monitoring courtesy of XM satellite's network, which means if you are a Howard Stern fan (Not!) you have to forgo the Sirius Satellite option. In Northern CA, I suppose that's not a bad option since people have been complaining about Sirius's poor coverage .

[ [ I attended the San Francisco Event on Friday (9/15/06), and in true Lexus style, the atmosphere/location was fantastic. Great food, great wine, lots of Lexus employees offering comments and listening to feedback, oh and of course the cars: 06 RX400h, 07 GS 450h, and the star of the night.. 08 600hL.... A couple of observations about the GS 450h. The 5 Gen Nav is a huge improvement over the current 4th Gen found in the 06 RX, in fact all the screens look better with the higher resolution. The interior sound level is rated at 34.5 dB (although I don't imagine that's HWY speeds) but with the doors closed, it is extremely quiet. The trunk space is a shocker to me (extremely small) .Lexus has these (think glove campartment without the door) cutaways on either side of the trunk so a golf bag would fit in the trunk. IMHO there is only room for luggage for 2 people, also Fitting todays shopping boxes into the trunk will be a lesson in frustration. The drivers seat ergonomics are great for someone like me (6ft larger frame). It felt like it would be comfortable for a long drive. The overall interior is what I'd expect in their top of the (GS) range. I truly felt at home moving from a RX 400h interior to the GS 450h interior.. 600hL This is an absolutely gorgeous car, The car was open for Lexus guests to thoroughly check out. (The car on display was Silver metallic Gray in color, although Lexus probably has a different name for the paint scheme). This particular car was outfitted with the executive rear seat package, Mark Levinson sound system and rear DVD entertainment system. The ML in this vehicle sounds fantastic, it's in a different league to the ML in my RX 400h. Coupled to the 10 inch DVD screen it makes watching /listening to DVD's unlike anything you would expect in a factory setup, although in all practicality you would disturb the chauffeur/driver if you played the system at the level's it's capable of. About that rear 'right" seat... It's extremely comfortable and can recline 45 degrees. The ottoman (foot rest) is also electronic, but to get the true at home benefit, you need to adjust the right front passenger seat forward. Did I mention you can control the *right front* seat from that *rear right* seat. It almost seems like Lexus is going after the Maybach crowd with this arrangement. One negative side effect of having the 45 degree reclining rear seats, is that it eats up a huge portion of the trunk space. i.e The space that the seats recline into is walled off in the trunk. Everyone who saw the trunk was like WOW, that's tiny for a car like this. In reality it seems like the space is only slightly more than in the GS 450h. Mark my word, when the official reviews get under way, reviewers will comment on the reduced trunk space with the executive seating package. The rear right seat also has a Shiatsu massgae feature, if you have ever been to a Sharper Image store and tried one of their high end massage chairs, that's the type of massage you get from the right rear seat, incredible comes to mind having this available in a car. I have sat in the back of a LS 430 with the ultra luxury package, and that massage does not compare. Unfortunately it's only the right rear seat that gets this feature, not the driver, not the left rear seat, although if you do kick the massage feature up to it's max, you will feel the slight residual on the left seat. Nav screen: The screen resolution in the 600hL seems improved over the 5 th gen Nav system, I really didn't have time to play with all the features and buttons, suffice to say that there's alot of stuff packed into it. There's also more buttons than you can shake a stick at. This particular 600hL had the facial recognition camera, but obviously there was no way to check out it's functionality. It was kind of cool how lexus had the car setup, they ran external power to the car so all systems could be live, but it wasn't like they had just left the ignition on. Apparently this car was a special prototype with the goal of letting people experience the creature comforts of the car. Pricing: Lexus was really cagey (obviously) about the pricing on the 600hL, I did get the standard 92-100K ballpark. But a decked out 600hL could run as high as $125K... The car is expected to land in showrooms between May and June 2007. If you do get the opportunity to go to a Lexus special event, I urge you to attend, next up for me is to go test drive the GS 450h and the LS 460 at the end of the September.

Rumors of an unveiling at the 2007 Tokyo auto show, with it arrival in US showrooms in spring of 2008. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Featu...rticleId=116536

As long as there is no Gas Guzzler Tax, I would be happy with any combined fuel rating over 20 MPG. The reason I would choose the LS600hL over the LS460L are: (1) AWD (2) CVT Transmission (3) Performance (relative to Audi A8 , MBZ S550, BMW 7 series)

I haven't seen mention of whether active suspension is an option. Seems like they should tout this with a car this size that will end up with almost 480 Hp and AWD. The BMW and MBZ have active suspension as an option.

Does the LS600hL (or the LS460 for that matter) have the option of an active suspension? That would be a deal breaker for me on any auto in this segment. I'm surprised that Lexus has not touted Active suspension on it's web site (Active suspension is a $6K option on the MBZ S550). Also there is no way that the LS600hL will come it at $125K. No way.. Jim McCraw NY times has just been added to list of non credible journalists. The article was poorly written to begin with for a major "rag" covering a world wide product release.

Since I haven't seen links or mention of the official release of the LS 600hL . Here are some links to salivate over. http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/12/new-yor...exus-ls-600h-l/ http://www.lexus.com/2007ls_prelaunch/ A comparison to the current BMW 7 series. http://www.johnsonconsultation.com/BvL.jpg While it's still too early for the final specs/pricing , (I was at the Lexus dealer ship in the afternoon after the release) a sales person implied that the final HP rating will be closer to 480 BHP (Makes sense since the ICE is 380 BHP on it's own), and that this car will be mid $80's to low $90's to start. Lexus seems to be positioning the LS 600hL as a competitor to the Mercedes S 600 which is a $129K vehicle. It will remain to be seen whether lexus can pull that coup off.