GDixon

Thanks for the Covercraft website hint. It was checked and they don't have anything listed for the 2008 RX350 except a whole car cover. They call them "front end covers" since "bra" is apparently too spicy. That must mean that the RX330 is slightly different in the front than the 08 RX350. A Google search doesn't come up with anything either. I'll keep looking and perhaps give Colgan a call since their response to my email questions about the fit has not come for several days.

I have a few questions about the Colgan bra and mirror covers for those of you who have one for your RX. The bra would only be occasionally used for long high-speed trips and not in the rain or snow. 1) Is the Carbon Fibre Vinyl option an advantage in any way? If it looks better with the same protection then that is enough for me. 2) The "T-style" for the hood appears to attach to the hood near the wiper blades and looks like it would flap less while covering the sloped hood even more against damage. What are the thoughts about that option? It seems to be available for the RX. 3) In searching the Colgan website for a 2008 Lexus RX350 bra, the results come up with a RX330 bra. They have not replied to a questioning email yet so I'll try here. Is there any difference in the front end design of the RX330 vs the 2008 RX350? They look the same but a half inch here or there could cause a problem. An ill-fitting bra is not acceptable and may cause more damage than not having one at all. :cries: Thanks in advance for the information.

Thanks for the feedback. Now that I am a bit more informed, there are a few more questions about the Colgan bra and mirror covers. 1) Is the Carbon Fibre Vinyl option an advantage in any way? If it looks better with the same protection then that is enough for me. 2) The "T-style" for the hood appears to attach to the hood near the wiper blades and looks like it would flap less while covering the sloped hood even more against damage. What are the thoughts about that option? It seems to be available for the RX. 3) In searching the Colgan website for a 2008 Lexus RX350 bra, the results come up with a RX330 bra. They have not replied to a questioning email yet so I'll try here. Is there any difference in the front end design of the RX330 vs the 2008 RX350? They look the same but a half inch here or there could cause a problem. An ill-fitting bra is not acceptable and may cause more damage than not having one at all. Thanks again for the information. I'll post this on the RX forum to see if someone there has the details as well.

You Tube is the source of expertise that is also a year old?! Interesting, especially when the data is not available. I'll go with Consumer Reports thank you. CR has extensive tests, both objective and subjective, with side-by-side comparisons if their website is used. Since they have no preferences or advertising their information is reasonably unbiased. There is little sense in getting huffy over which RX is the better car. Personal preferences will be the deciding factor in the end.

"Feel" is an important, but subjective, aspect of appreciating one's car but raw data exposes the facts. The RX400h is 300 pounds heavier than the RX350. The breaking distances are significantly longer in the 400 from 60 mph. On dry it is 16 feet longer (146 vs 130) and on wet 11 feet (152 vs 141) - just under a 10% difference on the same tires and with ABS. However, since lsrxlex can go over 120K miles on a set of brakes, they apparently aren't used very much. :whistles: The HP is nearly the same (268 vs 270) and the 350 get to 60 mph .1 second faster. Maximum accident avoidance speed for the 400 is 47.5 mph while the 350 is 50.5 mph. Average mileage for the 400 was 23 mpg and the 300 was 19. All of this data is from Consumer Reports and using their website allows a side-by-side comparison. To me, it appears that the 300 pounds of extra weight contributes to much of the difference in the numbers. Of course, this can all be equalized if one drives alone compared to someone with a "hefty" spouse to haul around.

Ok, you heard from a "green" hybrid owner now hear from a dirty 08 RX350 AWD owner - and 60 years old as well. That would make a "dirty old man". Check out Consumer Reports for their evaluation of hybrid's savings if that is why you are considering one. At our age, we may not be around to recoup the minimal savings. The RX400h does not have a significantly huge highway mileage advantage. Those electric motors are great for putt-putting around in town but the gap narrows on the open highway. For me, the batteries and motors add too much weight with the accompanying sluggishness and the electronics with the required additional technology add a failure factor. Lexus breeds brand loyalty so expect the RX400h owners to love their cars and the RX350 owners to do the same. Both are fine cars. The RX350 has the best power to weight ratio of the regular SUVs. On the freeway it is quick and nimble. At 100 miles per day, the probability is that you will need responsiveness at some point unless you drive the LA freeways. Then the electric motor is all that is necessary. A moped driven on the center line will get you wherever faster. In the July Consumer Reports tests the accident avoidance speed was higher for the RX350 than it was for the much ballyhooed and great handling Acura MDX. Take both Lexus models for a comprehensive test drive and choose for yourself. Be sure to ask the Lexus Service Manager about doing the service yourself. While knowing that he might try to keep himself employed, it will still be a starting point for some servicing information. The RX350 looks to have impossible to replace spark plugs but the originals will last our lifetimes. A cover plate under the engine must be removed to access the oil drain plug and filter. All of the other fluids are good for 100K miles in the 2008 RX350 according to my Service Manager (transmission, power steering, and whatever else). The lubricants are new to the 08.

At first, the driver's door pillar seemed to be right in the way when merging into traffic from an on-ramp. I forced someone over the second day that I had it. After that it was just a matter of being more careful and bending forward a bit to use the rear view mirrors and looking around that pillar.

My 08 RX350 is due for its first oil change in another 2000 miles but I'm going to trust the Lexus dealer to put in oil and a filter that will not cause the engine to melt down. My dealer uses a synthetic blend and when I do my own at 10K miles it will be straight synthetic. Since there is not a cheap way to make synthetic, any name-brand that is on sale will work just fine. The time that you might have worried is when your car was driven off of the lot so it is too late now. The first 5K miles is the most important for break-in wear. The service manager didn't know what Lexus used for the original oil when he was asked. It is obviously good enough for a break-in oil and extends for the first 5K miles so it and the filter must be of excellent quality. The RX is my first new car that has not required an oil change at about 500 miles so I was also a bit apprehensive. Like you, dropping 40K+ on a new car was disconcerting at first and the expectation is to have the car for quite a long time so being careful now is logical. However, if you check this forum you will find that it is extremely rare for a Lexus to have an engine wear problem of any kind. My advice is to not obsess over this first oil change. Just enjoy your car. Lexus will not ruin your car with cheap oil especially this early in the warranty period. There are other more important things to fret about now that we know the true father of Nicole Smith's baby - like maybe the fate of Paris Hilton. As far as the price of an oil change, call the Lexus dealer's service department and ask or ask when you get the free 5K change. My contacts with the service department have been quite pleasant, accommodating, and informative.

Well, yes, Rain-X is used on certain windows in the winter. Never on a window with a wiper blade operation or on mirrored surfaces. It is only appropriate in the 3 or 4 months of rainy weather here in No Cal. The discussion here was mainly about keeping the inside of windows clean of the films (and greasy marks from the wife's lotion-soaked elbows. ).

It appears that window cleaning chemicals have as much consensus here as does car wax. Whatever commercial cleaner is used alone will dissolve the variety of crud on the glass to a more or lesser extent. However, unless every molecule of the cleaner is removed, there will be a layer of material left, albeit somewhat thinner. Check windows at an angle in bright sunlight or on a humid morning and there will likely be some evidence of wipe marks and thus, debris. I am rabid about clean windows for some anal reason so you might try this technique that works for me. First use Sprayaway, Stoner's, Windex, 20/20, alcohol, ammonia, or whatever jerks your chain and wipe the chemical off of the window as well as possible. They all have been tried and all leave something behind while at the same time putting the gunk temporarly into solution. Then immediately go over the window with a mist of purified or distilled water and a microfiber towel to remove the residue. Wipe until dry while turning the towel or use another towel for the final pass. On the final pass of the MF towel, it should feel like it is sticking to the glass. Then you know that the window is "squeaky" clean. After that treatment there is little or no residue that could cause a chemical buildup and the next window cleaning will be easier and just as bright. The bottom line is that water is as close to a universal solvent as there is and pure water completely evaporates. Yes, all of you physicists, I know there will be some molecules left over of whatever was originally on the window but they will be of such diluted concentration as to be undetectable short of an electron microscope.

I am sure people in this forum will have a fit to think of a bra on an 08 RX350 but we are taking a long trip at high speed through the Nevada desert to silica-filled Yellowstone NP. (Animals die younger there because the silica wears out their teeth!) What are the thoughts? The bra would only be used for long, high speed trips. BTW nobody makes them yet that I can find online. My negative experience, and the reason a bra is considered, is that in 1985 I bought a new Porsche 944 and put 10K miles on it in 3 weeks during a cross-country trip. As a result, the paint on the nose and rear view mirrors was horribly pitted and it "had" to be repainted. It looked like a gravel truck had been tailgated for half the trip. OK, a bug at 130 mph might even cause damage but our new Lexus doesn't need the aggravation. As an aside, black hulks at the side of the road at night in Nevada might turn out to be open range cattle. That realization dropped the speed to 100 since the headlights were being overdriven. Halogen lights were used after that experience. The Lexus high beams are rated very well by Consumer Reports and the top speed is electronically limited to 112 mph -darn. One last thing. A double coat of Turtle Wax ICE was used on the Savannah Metallic RX350 and it looks wonderful. Does anyone else have experience with this wax regarding protection, longevity, opinions, and so forth? Thanks, GDixon

Not that I'm an expert, but flushing seems to be a completely unnecessary and dangerous step. With today's oil quality and synthetics available, regular 5K mile oil changes should do it. Synthetic oil makes additives obsolete. When I bought my RX350 it was astounding that there was no break-in period and no break-in oil used. That is how well engine surfaces are machined and how much more refined are the engine materials. Driving 500 miles with thinned oil and the debris that the flush causes the oil to pick up doesn't sound like a brilliant idea. Bearing surfaces and rings would be subject to scoring and wear. My old VW used to get a quart of Stoddard solvent (it is non-flammible), idle for 10 minutes, and then an oil change every 3K miles. The oil strainer did not really do much filtering back then and oils were not of today's standard. It probably wouldn't be done today even with an old VW with the boxer engine. How about pouring a quart of diesel fuel down the intake manifold each oil change to burn out the carbon build up on the pistons and valves. That was an old VW trick that should never be tried nowadays. The emission system (and the neighbors) would go insane. If you must try something that might help, duct tape a cow magnet to the outside of the oil filter to pick up extra-fine ferrous metal. Then the metal is discarded with the filter. Save the magnet for the next filter of course. It works on my diesel tractors. Also, use the best oil filter you can buy. Wix (aka Napa) filters work very well on all of my vehicles. Toyota/Lexus filters might be of good quality as well but I haven't seen any research on them. GDixon

The OEM Michelin MV4 S8 tires on my 08 RX350 are made for gas mileage and little else. There are very few grand touring all-season tires in the exact 235/55 18 (736 rev/mi) range for replacement. I'm looking at Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge in 235/60 (718 rev/mi), 255/45 (773 rev/mi), or 255/55 (720 rev/mi). The speedo will be a bit off but it is not a major problem. Rim width seems OK for all of the tires. The Goodyears have much better handling and braking performance and would be preferred since my driving tends to be a bit brisk. Has anyone experienced these tires on a Lexus? Is there something better out there for lively driving that has performed well on an RX3xx? How about the Bridgestone Truanza LS? We are going on a trip to Yellowstone NP, Glacier NP, and winding down the Pacific coast this fall with possible water or light snow on the roads. The Michelins are notorious for poor wet and snow grip and finding out their limits at an inopportune time is an experience to be avoided. Thanks for the feedback in advance. GDixon

Just purchased an 08 RX350 and have some questions. The dealer could not or did not satisfactorily answer them. 1. When driving at highway speeds and then accelerating to pass the car seems to lag or lug for a second after automatically downshifting. If it were a chainsaw, the carb would need adjusting because it was too rich. The service manager said that this is normal - of course. And yes, premium Chevron gas is used. Is this common with an RX transmission? 2. The throttle seems awfully touchy when starting from a stop. It has to be feathered to keep from downshifting and jumping forward as if stung by a bee. Other cars, and even mopeds, can drive away from the RX from a stoplight. That is, unless you want whiplash. Anyone else have this issue? 3. The car came with a towing package but the rear bumper does not have an electrical harness anywhere nearby to accommodate necessary connections. After-market hitches are not yet available for the 2008 but when they are, I can do my own install rather than pay the inflated dealer price. What have other discovered about an electrical harness for trailer lights, tow hitches, and the towing ability of the RX350? 4. Anyone have experience with self-maintenance? The spark plugs appear to be nearly impossible to access, the oil filter and drain plug are covered by a pan, and the owner's manual is skimpy on information. There does not seem to be a third-party service manual by Chilton, HP, or Haynes available. Does anyone know of a source for such information in manual form? The closest Lexus dealer is over an hour away so minor maintenance can be/should be done at home. So the above will not be confused as gripes, the RX is a very nice car and my wife is completely enamored with it. She makes excuses to run errands now just so she can drive it. For me, it is not like the Porsche we owned but that is a different niche car than the Lexus. The RX makes utility a luxury.