mrc88dal

Hi all, I was just in Boston and was disappointed in how dated my Ver. 5.1 nav database is. The "Big Dig" roadways were missing which left me trying to find my way to the I-93 on-ramp without navigation. Does anyone w/a later disc, especially Boston users, know if later versions have significant changes to New England? I'd even be happy with a synopsis from the manufacturer as to what areas were improved in each version update. I just don't want to purchase a new disc and not get any more functionality. I've held onto my 5.1 disc so I could preserve the "override" capability via the MX screen but that capability is of no use if you can't navigate out of a city. Also, has anyone tried burning a nav disc w/the latest database but retaining the 5.1 file so the override capability still exists? I believe someone posted instructions on how to do that several months ago. Thanks!!

Yes, mainly because snow tires yield much better traction in snow and ice. As I said in my previous post, snow tires are a "must" if you want to operate on snowy roads, regardless of which/how many wheels are powered. All of my vehicles get dedicated snow tires in the winter.

I couldn't disagree more with this part of your post. We just went through the second snowiest winter ever recorded in NH(10') and my RX plowed through all of it with no problems whatsoever. 12" of snow and higher drifts presented no problem. The main reason, as written ad nauseum on this forum, is fitting the RX with dedicated snow tires, knowing your limitations(no unmaintained roads), and applying appropriate winter driver techniques. If you march off in the snow and assume that an all season or M+S tire is adequate, you'll be sadly mistaken and will likely end up complaining about the RX's snow performance or even trading it in in some cases. In my area, it's routine to see GMC Yukons and other 4WD's piled up on the side of the road largely do to inexperienced drivers on OEM tires thinking that 4WD makes them invincible. As the previous owner of a 4WD Sequoia w/snow tires who deals w/the snow routinely, I think I have a good basis of comparison. There was not a day this winter that my RX remained garaged due to snow and I never came close to "wrecking".

I'll add another vote for the Alenzas. I had to replace my Michelins at @25K due to wear.

Hi All, Just wondered if anyone else has had to re-do their front brakes yet or if it's just my wife riding the pedal :D The dealer said the fronts were at 3mm with 2mm being the minimum to pass sate inspection. They mentioned I could probably go another 5K before I'd reach 2mm. I elected to get them done as we have a major road trip coming up.

Just Google your nearest Bridgestone/Firestone Service Center. There's got to be one in your area. I've had good experiences at the ones in our area. You can also buy them from Tire Rack and have them shipped/installed by one of their approved shops in your area. I'm certain you'll be happy w/the Alenzas.

Just wanted to plug the Alenzas(No, I don't work for Bridgestone). I love the ones on my RX so much I recommended them to my sister as a replacement for the OEM Michelins on her Volvo XC90. She was stunned at the difference. Tire Rack is a great place to read reviews on the Geolanders. Happy shopping!

Be sure to check out the reviews of the Bridgestone Alenzas here and on Tire Rack. I had the same complaint w/my Michelins and absolutely love the Alenzas. They are quiet, smooth, and offer excellent performance in both dry and wet conditions. After I purchased them, I deliberately drove through puddles and rain-soaked roads at high speed-no hydroplaning whatsoever! Happy shopping! Rey-Vent Visors really compliment your design-congrats!!

Guess I'll weigh in here. I use Premium simply because my manual states it's preferred over regular. I believe the manual puts it that way so that if you're in an area where there is no premium, you can feel free to fill up with regular. Ultimately, it really boils down to why Lexus wrote it that way and whether or not you choose to believe them. In my working life, we follow the operating manual "to the letter". Our engines can burn a variety of different fuels but some are preferred and that's what we use if at all possible.

Hi all, I'm considering purchasing a Thule Atlantis 1600 cargo box for the RX but have a simple question. Namely, do I need to purchase the Thule crossbars or can I safely mount the box on the RX crossbars? The box weighs 39lbs with a recommended max. cargo weight of 110 lbs for a grand total of 159 lbs. Looking through the owners manual, I found a max. weight limitation of 165 lbs. for the roof cargo area but it's not clear as to whether that limitation is about the crossbars/sidebars themselves or the entire roof. Any clarification would be appreciated; especially from those of you who have been using one on your RX. The Thule bars aren't cheap so I'd prefer to use the factory crossbars if they're strong enough. Thanks!

Overall I'm wowed by my dealership but would like to see a couple of improvements. Namely: 1. Lexus Loaners. My dealership has some Lexus loaners but the rest are Camrys and Avalons. These are OK but to date I've never had a Lexus loaner. Ideally, I'd like to have a choice of Lexus loaners so that I could try out different models with a mind toward a future purchase. 2. Service Check-In Time. Checking in takes far too long and if people are ahead of you, even longer. I believe I've told them what to do and I just want the service advisor to quickly confirm that and hand me the keys to my loaner. If I can rent a car and simply pick out the one I want and drive it off the lot, why do I have to do all of this rental paperwork at my dealership? Lexus should pre-load my license#, credit card etc. into their computer so the process is expedited. Thanks for your inquiry!

More like two years in my case! I've got 40K on my 21 month old 400h. No mechanical problems and a respectable 26mpg on average. What could be better than Cayenne-like performance, excellent reliability, and great fuel economy? Thanks Lexus!

I couldn't agree with you more. I personally feel the "jury's still out on GW" but chose the 400h for material reasons. Namely, I liked the performance, CVT transmission, fuel economy, and Toyota reliability. Were it not for those factors, there are other vehicles I would've considered. The end result is the same, motivations aside. I consume less fuel and pollute less than my last car, a Toyota Sequoia. I believe this is how hybrids must proceed. They must offer improvements besides fuel economy and low emissions. This will encourage drivers from from both "camps" to pursue Hybrid/Green technology. Perhaps Mr. West should step up and invest in Hybrid technology like the rest of us have. After all, this is the Hybrid Owners forum. Enjoy your GS!

Wasn't 2006 the first year for the 400h? I have a 2006 with 40K miles and haven't had any mechanical problems. I think the axiom that you should "never buy the first year" doesn't apply in my experience to Lexus. I have, and know many people who have, purchased "year one" Lexus models(IS 300, LX470 etc.) and have never had a problem. There's no doubt you'll pay a premium if you want one of the first vehicles to hit the shore but if you wait until later in the year, you can often save quite a bit. I got $5000.00 off my 400h in August, '06.

I'll speak to the tire question. I believe most here would say "definitely" opt for the Michelins over the OEM Goodyears. The Michelins will last longer and are quieter. My 400h came with the Michelins and I was reasonably happy with them except while driving in heavy rain. They easily hydroplane in my opinion. I likely could have gotten 30-35K out of them but elected to replace them at @25K with Bridgestone Alenzas which many of us have installed on our 400hs. I find the Alenzas to be quiet and their performance in wet/dry conditions superior to the Michelins. Maybe the dealer will let you put an alternative tire on your new car. Everything's negotiable. Best of luck and enjoy your new 400h!

Glad you're back Rey! Like you, I see no benefit in whining and am here to seek help with issues that effect my enjoyment of the 400h. I installed XM, replaced the OEM tires, and learned some NAV tricks all based on the cordial help from memebers on this forum. I've also tried to help in areas that I know about, namely snow tires and "real world" use of the 400h in heavy snow. Some just want to complain even after hearing that dedicated snow tires are mandatory in snowy areas. That's their issue-not mine. We all appreciate your positive attitude. Looking forward to future posts Rey!

Excellent post Dennis! I'm a "tire guy" and would never want to use snow tires for spirited summer driving for the reasons mentioned above. The Alenzas are excellent in rain, quiet, and offer vastly superior handling than my OEM Michelins. As much as I love my dedicated snow tires(Blizzaks), I can hardly wait to get them off of the RX in April and put the Alenzas on!!

I "second" RX400h's comments on the Alenza's. They're awesome in the rain, greatly improve handling, and are quiet.

I drive in snow(2nd snowiest season on record this year) and mountains frequently and have had no problem getting around in the 400h. I will say that snow tires are a "must" and of course driver "technique" in snow goes a long way. I won't hesitate to purchase another.

Did they Road Force Balance them? It's not quite as critical as with higher performance cars/tires but it's still a good idea. Jim, I'm not familiar with Road Force Balancing. That wasn't offered as an option to me. I declined the road protection plan however. Mark

Emissions and fuel economy aside, the 400 hybrid is a blast to drive compared to many other SUV's and it's sibling(RX350). Lots of torque to pull out into traffic and "Porsche Cayenne S" like acceleration. The CVT transmission is extremely smooth and I think I'd be hesitant to go back to a conventional transmission. With some good tires(many suggestions on this forum, I have Alenzas), handling is more than adequate and better than many other SUV's. Best of luck with your decision!

Does it work with your 2006 Rx400h? Does it use the radio screen? Can your read it? It works flawlessly on my 2006 400h. The Vaistech displays the Station Number/Artist/Song on the radio's LCD display by alternately pushing the "Text" button on the radio control head. I have no problem reading that information at any time during night or day. My unit offers two sets of six XM channel presets and iPod playback via the iPod's headphone jack(no control of the iPod via the radio head). I'm very happy with the unit as are others on this forum.

After a lot of additional research, I decided to go with the Alenzas. They were put on today and I concur with Dave, they're awesome. The ride is smooth and quiet. The tire really seems to smooth out the bumps and rolling resistance is equivalent to the OEM Michelins. I haven't been able to thoroughly evaluate the handling but hard acceleration is very controlled and the RX responds nicely with plenty of grip. Assuming the wet performance lives up to the reviews, I can't find any reason not to seriously consider this tire. I ended up purchasing them at the local Firestone store. The price was $197/tire mounted and balanced without factoring in the $100 rebate I'll be getting from Bridgestone. I normally buy my tires through Tire Rack but their cost was $163/tire plus $10/tire shipping. I still would have had to find someone to mount and balance them and dispose of the old tires so I feel I did reasonably well at the Firestone store. The tires were in stock there but had to be ordered at the other tire shops I called. As for the "Ilovelexus2007" question, my OEM michelins lasted @25K miles(I use dedicated snows in the winter). I probably could've have gone one more season with them but found their hydroplaning unsafe at times and I like to have plenty of grip on the pavement. I do rotate my tires every 5K. Mark

Hi Guys, I've been following the tire discussion in the other thread but wanted to ask a specific question of those of you who have replaced the OEM tires. My 400h came with the Michelins and I've been generally satisfied with them except for their performance in rain(easily hydroplane) and their wear. Since 9/06, we've driven 35K and mount dedicated snow tires on the Rx from Nov. to Apr. With that said, the Michelins are pretty worn and don't pass the "Quarter" test at this time even though they've only driven part of that 35K. I've decided I want to replace them and have the following considerations: 1. We use snow tires so I really don't care about snow performance although the tires do need to perform in 32 +/- 10 degree temperatures. 2. I'm most concerned with wet performance, noise, and handling in that order. 3. I don't want to deal with rubbing and am happy with the OEM size/look. I'd consider a slightly larger size provided it fits on the OEM rims and honors points #1 and #2 and doesn't present fitment issues. 4. Cost is important but not paramount. I routinely buy Michelin(summer) and Bridgestone(Blizzaks) tires and have been happy with them. My Goodyear experience is not good. I don't know much about the other brands that fit the 400h(Tire Rack) including the MIchelin Pilot option and Continental. Thanks so much for any advice you can provide! Mark

35,000 miles error-free over a 2-year period. We'll definitely be getting another once we hit 100K!