RXREY

That's correct, I live in L.A. and am not one to drive too far and never has my car seen more than a little rain. The Toyo Prxes S/Ts performed great in the little rain we have had. I also feel that I still have at least a year, maybe two on these tires, by then I will definitely know what I'll do. Thanks for the great input. I value all of your suggestions and am grateful to all of you for your kind assistance. Rey in L.A.

I have heard that Toyo Versado LX tires are the best for quietness and ride comfort and still last a long time. They seem to be amazing tires from every report. Anyone know anything about this? I have the Toyo Proxes S/Ts on my 400h and they have been amazing but have been getting louder on the freeway or so I think. I can't be sure but it seems that I have to turn up the radio louder now than a while back. I have 15K miles on them and they look like they aren't going to wear down for a long time yet so I am just getting the lowdown. I am still not sure about the Alenzas. It will take a lot for me to go to another tire other than Toyo. Thanks, Rey

Yes, I am definitely taking your advice on the Alenzas. Thanks for the great input. Rey in L.A.

I haven't had a single problem with the extra bit bigger size except it rides nice and looks great. It's amazing that the extra 1/2 inch makes the car look more like it should! Maybe its the tries but it really handles great with the slightly bigger and wider tires. The original size just looked too small for me. That along with the bumper lip and the removal of the roof rack...well, I think the car looks amazing. To each his own, I know I love what I've done with my "Princess"! Take care..oh, and have a GREAT Thanksgiving this weekend everyone! 11/08 Rey

My Toyos are 255/55 18" and when I get new tires, possibly the Alenzas, I will stay with the slightly larger than stock tire. They really look much better and actually equalize the onboard MPG computer. Rey

Let me ask you folk that know much more about this. I have had my Toyo Proxes S/Ts for about two years and they have been terrific. I do feel that now that I have had them this long that, when on the freeway for example, I tend to have to turn up my radio louder than I used to ...(I just had a birthday and really don't want to attribute it to that, I'd rather blame the tires!). I am thinking of doing what many on this fine forum have done, when the time comes, and give the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenzas a try. I now have noticed that there is a Bridgestone Dueler H/L and one that is Bridgestone Dueler H/L "Alenza". Are there two? Are these different? Are the Alenzas quiet? I know that I can look this up, but I want to hear from you Lexus folk. Please respond. I have at least a couple more years of wear on the Toyos but at the same time these have been amazing tires and am torn. I am not even sure if all of the road noise is the tire. How does your 400h sound at and over 60MPH? I have had my 06 with 30K miles on it for three years now. Rey

I am rattle free as all of you know. I found all of the various rattles, squeaks, etc. that I heard the first few weeks of owning my 2006 400h. They were all silly things that shouldn't have happened with a Lexus but they were all benign. For example,leather seated cars have always been prone to squeaks, etc. The lock tabs that hold the privacy screen in the cargo area need to be pushed up when the screen isn't being used. The seat belt adjuster,slide needed a gasket to buffer it from moving against itself. The newest one that I finally found was my sun roof! All of a sudden there was a squeak and I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I was frustrated since my car had been silent for so long. I found it! It was at the front edge, insulation rubber strip, front part of the sunroof. I simply retracted it back a little to be able to get to the front of it, the part that fits snugly with the car roof... put a little Vaseline on the front of that strip and voila! Silent. It must have dried a little from time and it needed a little lube. There, that's it. Rey

I do believe that by the time we need new batteries, 150K plus, the price will be even less. I have heard that the hybrid battery may even last 200k miles or maybe even a lot more. We'll have to see. I am not too concerned, I believe in Lexus cars. I hope that I will be proven right because as far as I can see, I hope to have this car for at least 10-12 years total, or for me, 100- 120K miles. Rey

Geez, that was a long story RXREY :-), but thanks for sharing. I, myself will probably keep the car for another 10-12 years, so far I've loved every features on this car, except a push ignition button and keyless entry would be nice. Anyways, a little off topic here, I visited my Lexus dealer yesterday, and guess what I saw, seas of brand new RX350 standing by waiting to find its owner, I guess the economy really hits everyone hard. Anyone seeing the same thing? I counted, and it were 27 RX350s total, with only 2 RX400hs on the lot, somehow I got the feeling that 400h will be very a exclusive vehicle for many years to come... Yeah, sorry 'bout that....I tend to go on and on.....I am a college professor and often times I tend to be in lecture mode! Take care, Rey

I bought my 2006 "Princess" January 2006. I now have a little over 30,000miles and ZERO problems. The 30K service was $500, which was shocking. I get about 25.5 MPG on 91 octane and I do live in L.A., I mention this because it might make a difference since I live in an area where the weather is very mild year round and I do believe that the make up of gas is different here in CA...right? I had many rattles that I have found and fixed and the car is silent now,rattle free:....the seat belt adjuster by my ear...I put spacers between the moving parts...the little movable, spring loaded tabs in the back hatch area that lock the privacy screen...they simply needed to be pushed in when the screen is off....the moon roof squeaked at the front contact point, Vaseline took care of that....Well, anyway, the car is amazing and I am planning on having it ten more years. The first year that I had it someone poured acid all over it...$7,000 worth of damage but of course that wasn't the car's fault and it got repainted and fixed 100% by an amazing body shop. I hated the Good Year tires but I have amazing 255/55/18" TOYO Proxes S/T s on the car and they are amazing tires. I've had them for 17,000miles. OK, that's my story. Great car. Rey , happy Lexus owner in L.A.

Hmm, I did a better job filling the slots with my jerryrigged little plastic pieces that I made. No one has ever noticed them. I do love the front lip and the clean roof...I really like the look of my RX400h! I'm not too shy to say..... Rey Bustos in beautiful L.A.

Welcome to the roofrackless club! I have NEVER missed that on my pretty car! Please let me know more about the inserts and the accompanying attachments. I did all of the filling myself and no one, even at the dealership has ever noticed. I used plastic that I cut and molded to fit...but I will bow down to anything that is actually made for the slots so please let us know. I also live in LA so maybe I will spot your topless RX one of these days! Take care, Rey

That's funny Steve!...Well, I don't drink so this is another reason not to! The numbers apparently get scrambled in your head! Take care my friend and thanks for the input. Anyway, I still think it was a lot but that's life. I do like that they really keep my "Princess" running like a top. I again had the 2008 RX350 loaner and it is really powerful from stop! It is amazing compared to the soft pull of my 400h. BUT then after that my car feels much better. The CVT is just so nice and I accelerate so much faster at higher speeds. But, the initial pull of the 350 is awesome. Rey

No biggie but I don't see $999 anywhere...it must be something that isn't registering on my computer...the title says $599 and when I started the writing on the post it's $599...anyway, it turned out that the $599 was the initial quote that I got when I agreed and dropped it off. Then I got about $147 off for the points earned from using the Lexus credit card so the actual cost before the deduction was $547 so the whole thing ended up being about $400..... Thanks for all of the responses, as per usual. I love you guys! Rey

I changed the cabin filter a few months ago...I got one that was gray? Sound familiar? It was supposed to be great...anyway, it sounds like $599 is a lot but then that's what SW03ES paid....

No, you read that wrong, I wrote $599!...so you were also charged that much...hmmm...well, it's a lot but I really like this dealership and I love keeping my Princess 100%... I'll be looking for more responses to this...Rey

I'm due for my 30K service, the first "Big one". I was told it would be $599 minus my many points for using the Lexus card for everything and paying at the end of the month...but even with the deduction of the use of their credit card...sheeesh, that's a lot of mullah, dinero, "Lexus Tea"... Rey in L.A.

I'm being charged $599 for my 30K. service.

Yes, the older Prius' had them..... thanks I didn't know what years. Oh, and be careful what you say...., I have those on the sides of my Rx400h! (Lol).. ...but, anyway, I didn't like it on the rear, many dealers have been putting them on, but because it's placed directly under the existing "RX400h" it's apparent that it's a completely different type face. They do come off easily, they are only one there with 3M car tape. ... Anyway, I do like the one that I put on the rear hatch chrome trim, the chrome on chrome one. See above "RXREY" posts for pictures. To each his own. I went to a semi trailer show once and some owners decorate their rigs like a Christmas trees and others take every adornment off and go "naked". Variety, it's a great thing, and no one will argue that point! Rey

That was a nice smoothing out post! I too was harsh but you have to admit, you were a little smug! Lol. Anyway, I am an artist and designer and I even teach at the Art Center College of Design, world famous for car design, so I do know about "less is more" but this is just an object, our car, and it is open to being modified and sometimes more is what someone wants. I've always over ornamented my cars...chrome,etc.. It's like tattoos. I don't have any but someone may be covered with tattoos head to foot. So who's right? The answer is that both are right! warmly, Rey

I see them bit it's on the older Prius, the ones that don't look like the ones now....I don't know the year but I do see them. They kind of look like Corollas....anyway, I have them on the side of my car but I don't want to post any more pics because I do like to overdo stuff. I like it. It's on one of my posts, I believe I titled it, "new emblems" or something like that. Anyway, yes, it's dealerships that started putting the Prius hybrid logotypes on. I got mine from the Lexus dealership and they got them from Toyota along with my Hybrid Synergy Drive emblems that I see on Prius' and Camrys.

That one has no hybrid logo at all actually... It's the "Hybrid" emblem that was designed for the Prius. It is put on at the dealership. It doesn't really blend with any of the logotype on the 400h. I see quite a few of them here in L.A.. I really like finding the logotype that I want on ebay. There are so many hybrids now that you can find a good variety. Obviously no one knows that my "hybrid" logo was from a Ford Escape. It looks really nice...to me. I simply love chrome logotypes! Is that so wrong? Rey, shining in L.A.

That came off as a little smug, maybe it is an age thing to get smug. I think HyBruce WANTS the emblem, as I do, the new blue "L" doesn't mean anything to most people...not the point....HyBruce, I believe, was not asking whether to take everything off but maybe a solution to the "ugly" emblem. I love emblems. It's my car and we don't all like the same thing, thank goodness. I gave him a solution instead of a lecture. OK, so you don't care to ornament your cars and don't need for anyone to know what you drive....goodie for you. Now I hope that HyBruce will add the logotype that I put on the back of my car. I don't like the RX350 and I will do anything to set my 400h apart from the gas version. I've driven the RX350 and it's NOTHING like my 400h except in looks. I tried to be respectful in my reply, I hope I didn't come off as disrespectful. I just don't like smugness. Rey

The one that you are talking about is from a Prius and I agree, they aren't as nice as the others that I have seen. Just find what you want yourself. I like going on the net and looking for exactly what I want. I can ALWAYS find what I want. I wanted at least one hybrid logo on the back and found this one. There are many from Ford Escapes, like this one, and pretty cheap too. Just go on ebay and type "Hybrid Emblems" and a whole bunch of stuff comes up. This one pictured here is off of my 400h was a great solution for me and it doesn't scream out at you. It fit perfectly on the chrome back hatch trim. I love chrome on chrome. Rey

I have amazing tires on my 400h. Toyo S/T Poxes 255/55 18". I have had them for a year and a half ,15k miles,and show very little wear and NEVER have they rubbed. The slightly bigger size makes the car look so much better. It fills the well a tad more but enough to make it very apparent that the car seems it should have been placed on 255/55 tires. Anyway I've really been happy with them. They look great,feel great and handle great....well, they ARE great...sorry for the fourth grade level review but I really love them! I have a bunch of pictures on the post that I placed, "Best tires when it comes time". I believe that its still on this first page of posts. Good luck but you'll be happy to get anything than what the car comes with. At least you got some miles from your Michellins, I got 11K out of the crummy Good Years! Rey