chmod

Doesn't make the site any more easy to read or navigate to get used to it. It lacks contrast. patrick

I installed Alenzas (255 x 55 x 18s) on our 2007. They are absolutely superb tires and transformed the car dramatically. I am sure there are many appropriate tires to be had. Insofar as TireRack not selling one or another brand, it's likely a distribution issue. But considering the rather significant number of "miles reviewed" on TireRack for the Alenzas, one of two conclusions can be drawn... - they are pretty damn good - everyone who bought them made a mistake and won't admit it. ;-) Pick one. regards, patrick

My regrets, sounds like a series of nightmares. Having said that, dealers are a crap-shoot. I am anxious for our 2007 400H to be out of warranty so we can utilize a competent independent shop. The local Stealer simply overcharges everything. Having the car washed gratis is not sufficient to cover the costs they charge. Best of luck. chmod

We opted to upgrade to the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenzas, and went up to 255 x 55 R18 from the stock Michelin 235 x 55. The differences are startling. Ours is a 2007, the stock tires had around 20k on them, and felt like we were running on raw steel. First, and clearly superficially, the car looks far better. I'm sorry, the 235 tires look like bicycle tires and are simply not the right look to our eyes. Lexus has a history of doing this, and though I am sure there is some MPG issue to factor, you cannot discount having more rubber on the road under certain circumstances. It is not stupid looking now in terms of over sized, it is now in proportion. Secondly, the car now feels like it is gripping the road. On the stock Michelins the feel was like it was balanced on a beam, not grippy in the least. This is our weekend car, her daily car. On a daily basis I drive an M5 BMW, so I have a basis with which to compare handling and feel. We have a twisty, mountainous road (Highway 17) to traverse to reach the Valley and the car feels very secure now. Neither my wife nor myself previously felt particularly nimble or agile driving this road, notably when it was wet with run-off. As others have noted, there is no rubbing of any kind, lock to lock, nor is the alignment off because of the wider tire. It looks and rides very well. The size upgrade alone is highly recommended, the specific tire also but there are five or six brands very tightly rated and that decision is perhaps best left to the dealer relationship, price or historical preference.

I'm only 6' 2" and weigh around 210. I find the seats to be really shallow, they hit me half way down the thigh. The seats are significantly more deep, and better all the way around, on Lexus' other high end cars. The 400 seats are just slightly better than 4-Runner seats. I am amazed (but not saying you aren't OK with them) to read people posting as if they were premium, properly sized and the equal of Lexus other seats - they aren't even close. NOTE: I am not refuting what you are claiming or somehow saying you are not telling it like it is - for you. I also like the car a bunch so this is not a criticism of the car overall. But these seats compare poorly to other cars in the same price range. Ever sat in a Volvo XC-90 seat? No comparison. regards, chmod

I wanted to thank the OP for taking the time to describe this fix. Our filter was absolute garbage, almost totally black. Our 2007 400H has around 7k on it. Worse, the factory filter was apparently not impregnated with charcoal. The replacement is, and the difference is nice. It is not a huge difference, but it clearly scrubs the air a little more especially with diesel fumes, etc. We don't live in a particularly dusty area, or so I thought. Apparently the filter was doing its job to a high degree as it was far from white! Thank you again. regards, chmod

We have the same year and system. You cannot do what you seek. I have spent considerable time on my own, and in dialog with Lexus. At this stage of the evolution of the product, the rear is controlled only from the back seat. Here's a scenario I put forth to Lexus, as being completely reasonable to assume...it is not what you describe but is not dissimilar in terms of front-rear synergy. Two kids in the back seats, wanting to watch a movie. You, the driver, pop it into the front player, press the "REAR" screen touch (it exists and does nothing in our car) and the movie appears in the rear. WRONG. This is not supported. If you have small kids then why the heck not? I need to crawl into the back to turn it on or pause it or eject it? Hmmmm. It is likely this will evolve into more sophisticated functions. But right now it is limited to playing a disk in the rear, and being able to pipe the sound to the overall car sound system. That is the extent of the cross-functionality. regards. patrick

I'll let the photo speak for itself. Guess things change in three years.

How odd. I'll take a photo of ours tonight after work and post it for my sanity's sake ;-) patrick

Well, I am working from memory as it is not my primary ride, it is my wife's. Ours is a 2007 with the Levinson system, FYI. It is just to the right of the LCD screen for the CD player, and there are two of these - one above the other. That's the best I can do. patrick

Hello. Yeah, we had the same issue and ultimately had to ask the dealer. The drill...it is not documented to my knowledge. put the DVD into the rear player. Go to the Audio screen on the front dash, and then press the DISK "bar", it appears to be dual-function depending upon which end of the bar you press - below the screen on the right. If you are in PARK, the image appears front and rear - the audio plays on the overall car system regardless. Once you leave PARK the video is the rear only. regards, patrick

This has rapidly degraded into something closely resembling a USENET rant. MODERATORS - shut this (previously useful, now useless) noise down, close the thread. regards, patrick

I like the appearance of the tread pattern, they are very similar to the awesome Michelin HydroEdge, which are available in the wrong size as well. ;-) thanks. regards, patrick

I do not believe there are any air bags in any manufacturer's seats, unless the 400H is very unique, but I agree with the tenor of your replies. There ARE sensors to tell the system if the seat is occupied, however, and therein may lie the rub. The lack of thigh support is really a disparity. Sit in a Volvo XC90 - the difference in depth, and in fact degree of plushness (is that a real word?) is laughable yet they are priced to the same market. We just returned one off a three year lease so I speak from first hand experience. Overall I vastly prefer the 400H, but the seats suck by comparison, folks. What worries me, is the "sensing" for the airbag use. Otherwise, the switch is trivial, I've done it multiple times. I've bolted Recaro's into older 4Runners and all of a sudden, the car is a pleasure to drive. The older 4Runner seats are like children's wooden stools. Sadly, the 2007 400H seats are only marginally larger, and somewhat softer but not hugely so. They DO adjust more, but they are simply not scaled for anyone over a very average size, in my opinion. I am looking for some way to overcome this, but not at the expense of safety. Electronic adjustments are not necessary, but they are handy. Heated seats, though nice, are rarely used where we live. The rails are nothing but bolts. BUT, the ability of the car to know when to deploy, etc. from the dash and the door, are indeed major issues. I speculate the only hope is for another Lexus seat, which may be very simple to swap in. These cars share so many systems (it is one of the reasons the parent company, Toyota, has been so successful - they share parts and systems across their lines like crazy.) So I'll continue to see what options exist. Sending messages to marketing folks is not high on my list. ;-) Maybe I need to focus upon modding the seat, per say, with additional thigh support versus swapping it out? Thanks for your thoughts. regards, patrick

I preface this by saying I am not the primary driver of the otherwise awesome 07 400H. But compared to our traded in Volvo, or my BMW, the seats are shallow by perhaps 5 inches compared to either of the other two. Seriously, these seats hit me mid thigh. This is not trivial. I'm 6'2", which maybe is taller than average but not that tall and I am interested in anyone's thoughts on swapping in other Lexus seats. Without knowing the details of fitment, I cannot imagine there being any serious issues to prevent this. Are any of the other Lexus seats more deep? Has anyone read of this being possible? Anyone care to speculate? thanks patrick ps...oddly, this form prevents the editing of the sub-Subject, in which there is a typo. Moderators? Can you fix this? Done! (RX400h)

This is really outstanding work, and much appreciated. regards, patrick

Hello. New to the forum and new owner of an 07 400H (silver with black interior, bells and whistles) The factory fogs use 55w H11 bulbs, as you already know. So the wiring is in place to support the heat and load. Your issue is matching the color temperature to the headlights? The ellipsoid glass the "H" series uses on the fogs imparts a very uniform light pattern so that won't be an issue. I have long used this brand in my other car, a BMW 540. http://www.hoen-usa.com/guide2.htm They manufacture properly color temp matched bulbs, including fog light bulbs. I use them in my BMW with the Xenon headlights, and my fogs match them almost perfectly. Previously they were yellowish as you indicated in another post. So check them out. This is all they sell and mine have been in place for over five years with nearly daily use. Send them a note and see what they recommend. It's a simple as replacing a bulb (which can be quite a project on some cars!) regards, patrick