Jim Clark

A college buddy was test driving a used BMW without the owner in the car, he tried to take a corner too fast, rolled the car and totaled it. Do not let a stranger take your car without you. Prices for good used 400h's have been VERY strong. That's why we bought new, not enough discount for used. When they do the redesign, we'll probably take somewhat of a hit.

We've averaged 26 mpg on our '08 400h, very good for a big heavy SUV. The only reason we went with a hybrid was so the wife could use the HOV lanes in her commute. MPG is not a good reason to buy a hybrid, payback is too long. RX400h, what are the differences in CO output (not CO2)?

Maybe it needs a new battery?

We went to the dealer so my wife could test drive one, not intending to buy that day. As I was walking in I saw a new Matador Red Mica out front and immediately knew that would be our color IF we bought one. I also checked a Brandywine one they had there but liked the Matador better. They happened to have a Matador Red in stock and we drove it home that day.

To cal the 400h AWD is a joke. The only thing driving the rear wheels is the rear electric motor. I've hear of situations where people have been on snow or ice and the system goes nuts and basically shuts down to prevent damaging the hybrid system. That being said, I wouldn't buy one without AWD, it'll be important when you sell it. Do a search on AWD.

We've averaged about 26 mpg and use premium gas. I've heard of people getting much better deals than we got which was about the same as yours. Demand was high and there was little inventory available when we bought ours so they weren't cutting very good deals.

I seriously doubt they would give an option of shutting down the gas engine. Some people would run their batteries down too far, possibly damaging them. As others stated, the gas engine must warm up when first started to heat the oil, the catalytic converter, and cabin in cold weather. After it is up to operating temperature, the electric motors will do more of the work but the gas engine is still running most of the time. It will shut down when stopped, when coasting downhill, or when driving slowly such as a parking lot. These are not electric cars, they are "hybrid" gas/electric cars. They have excellent gas mileage and super low emissions for a big SUV. We have been averaging 26 mpg during the winter.

Good write-up on the differences. It was stuff like the memory functions and auto-dimming mirrors (all 3) that made the decision for us as well. We also like the more luxurious interior and we don't need any more cargo space than the 400h. But the real reason we bought any hybrid was so the wife could use the HOV lanes in her commute to her new DC office. We also wanted a nice wagon to replace the Audi S6 Avant and the 400h fit the bill.

Haven't driven the Audi Q7 but we traded an Audi S6 Avant on the 400h. The Q7 is really a different animal, it's a lot bigger than a regular Avant. Audis are great cars until out-of-warranty repairs start to hit. Fortunately we never had anything major. They're luxurious and they drive great. The sportier models are a lot of fun to drive. Our S6 had 340 HP and a firm sport suspension, it was a race car disguised as a soccer mom transport. The Quattro AWD system is as good as it gets. The 400h AWD system is a joke. If you were to consider a Q7 wait until they bring it in with the TDI engine.

That is an excellent deal depending on what options it has. RX400h's were in high demand in our area when we bought and there wasn't much inventory so they weren't cutting good deals. They were asking $44k for used 2007's with 15-20k miles. The sunroof is part of he Premium Package and/or Premium Plus Package. I believe nearly EVERY 400h comes with the Premium Plus Package, no dealers order them without it. You definitely want the Premium Plus Package and Nav. Other important options are 18" wheels, towing prep package, and the heated seats/intermittent wipers. Most dealers order 400's pretty loaded, buyers of these cars want them loaded. It's also important for resale. What was sticker on that car? It would be around $50k if pretty well loaded. The person that quoted me said it came with Navigation and the Tow prep package you just wrote about. The MSRP was like $49-$50K. At $49k+ sticker, it probably has all the stuff I mentioned. In that case it is a VERY good deal. As far as buying or leasing, it depends on the deal they're offering. Just figure out what interest rate you're paying. Some manufacturers offer very favorable financing deals. The lease gives you the option of turning the car in at lease end but these cars seem to be holding their value so well you'll probably buy it at lease end.

That is an excellent deal depending on what options it has. RX400h's were in high demand in our area when we bought and there wasn't much inventory so they weren't cutting good deals. They were asking $44k for used 2007's with 15-20k miles. The sunroof is part of he Premium Package and/or Premium Plus Package. I believe nearly EVERY 400h comes with the Premium Plus Package, no dealers order them without it. You definitely want the Premium Plus Package and Nav. Other important options are 18" wheels, towing prep package, and the heated seats/intermittent wipers. Most dealers order 400's pretty loaded, buyers of these cars want them loaded. It's also important for resale. What was sticker on that car? It would be around $50k if pretty well loaded.

The Lexus will not handle anything like your G35. The Lexus is a 4400 lb "luxury" SUV and it handles accordingly, it is actually not very good. It has good power for a 4400 lb SUV but it will not compare to your G35. The 400h excels in the luxury department. I thought sunroofs were standard. The Nav system is OK but it's expensive. Most dealers order all their 400h's with Nav, It's rare to see a new one without it.

If you price out a loaded Highlander Hybrid, it's only a few thousand less than the 400h. Of course you can get a bare bones Highlander for quite a bit less. We previously had an Audi S6 and wanted all the convenience features the Audi had and the Lexus had most of them. Of particular importance was memory settings for almost everything. We also went with a new 2008 model because the prices for used 400h's were so high. I haven't been in a Highlander but I understand the cargo area is bigger and has a 3rd row seat. But the Lexus is plenty big, there's lots of room for all 5 occupants and the cargo area is plenty big.

With Nick's bit of research, it seems there is indeed a mechanical connection from the steering wheel to the rack. The difference from non-hybrid vehicles is that the power steering pump is driven by an electric motor rather than a belt from the engine because the gas engine isn't always on. But, it seems the mechanical backup is VERY difficult to muscle in the event of power steering failure.

Bumping. Anyone?

Bumping. Anyone?

I feel ours kick in but there's no significant "clunk".

I wonder if he got it to work?

We went with a new RX400h because the prices for used ones was so high.

What gordonw said, option, but dealers order all of them with it.

Decided to call the dealer and ask if they had ever installed any kind of lowering kit. The service advisor said they only install original Lexus parts and would not install aftermarket parts. He said there "could" be warranty issues if something else went wrong with the suspension or something related to the suspension. I also called Lexus USA and the guy I got was pretty clueless. He had never hear of it being done. I asked about warranty issues and he said there "could" be warranty issues with any non-Lexus parts.

I found some older threads but wanted updates. I have a new '08 RX400h. I'm thinking of installing the Eibach Pro Kit springs. Please provide as much detail about ride and handling as possible. Pictures would be great. I don't want to put something too stiff on there.