RX400h

Rey, You should remember that the user ratings in the Tirerack web site can be somewhat deceptive, as the "user" may not have been able to truly compare the various tire models. I would be more likely to believe Consumer Reports vs users unless a majority of users are reporting problems after a number of miles. JimsGX's experience is a good "sign", though.

According to Consumer Reports, the Michelin Primacy MXV4 tops the charts among "H"-rated all-season tires. They are available in 255/55/18 size and have the best rolling resistance rating along with better-than-average tread life. They are fairly expensive at $222 per tire. The Toyo Versado LX is listed among the "T" and "V"-rated all season tires, but did no better than 5th place (V-rated) and 9th place (T-rated).

....until you pull up to the gas pumps at the same time jrober does and he tells you he is averaging 32.5 MPG in his hybrid Lexus RX. My nephew's wife bought an RX350 just before regular shot up to 4.20/gallon. She was not a happy camper! I just had to throw out those comments. After all, this is a hybrid forum! :P

I agree with Lemon - there is no tire pressure monitoring system in our 2006 RX400hs, so your comment about Toyota's lack of common sense does not apply in this case. What I was trying to say earlier is that it seemed like you didn't have anything major to complain about, so you singled out the non-existant tire pressure monitoring system. When people ask me why I don't complain about the rain here in San Diego, I tell them I grew up in CT. While that in of itself doesn't make the weather here, perfect, it does help to keep my complaining to a minimum! ;)

Well I wouldn't trade my RX400h for any other SUV. If this is the biggest problem you've had, you, like the hundreds of thousands of other RX owners, are very fortunate to have a Lexus and not an Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, or BMW SUV!

Again, do NOT bolt aluminum to steel where there are corrosive elements or even just water. Stainless steel would be better, although any areas that are not exposed to air or fresh-running water will experience pitting corrosion.

True, but if it's bolted to steel, it could become a giant anode and be eaten away by corrosion (literally).

I assume you meant letting a local Discount Tire store match the price. Don't forget to figure in shipping. In many cases, the Tirerack will not charge for tax, which can be almost 9% of the cost, depending upon which state you live in. I just bought a couple of Goodyear GSD3 tires for the Corvette. Discount tire could not match the Tirerack price, but they were close enough that I went with them.

If it's aluminum, it'd better be hard anodized with a sodium dichromate seal. Otherwise, it'll get really ugly if exposed to salt water.

Actually, many PVC compounds are brittle when cold. That shield may be UHMW polyethylene. Very few 4-wheel drive vehicles have heavy-duty protection against boulders and the like, so the RX400h is certainly not alone. Perhaps there's a way to add a another plastic piece that would prevent snow from getting under the larger piece.

We all warned you about living that far north but you wouldn't listen! :D That price ($500) is absurd but I'm not too surprised at the US price. That would like paying $125 for a Toyota Corolla part.

For the most part, our Bridgestone Alenzas have been great tires. At about 32,000 miles, they are just starting to growl a bit. There is still a decent amount of tread left. I may try a different, yet still highly-rated brand the next time I need tires.

LOL RX! Hey, it's good to laugh during these "trying" times........ :)

If this were the case where the OP lives, that would mean his car is worth a mere $7500. If his car is really worth, say $30,000, then the loss amounts to just 20% of the car's value. Something just "aint" right! No wonder why there are so many "salvaged" vehicles out there.

I suggest you get a phone with a real keyboard, then. As I tell my kids all the time, Just because you CAN do something, doesn't always mean you should! Most virtual keyboards are garbage - the I-phone, included. I use either a real keyboard or the stylus if using the touch screen on my Wing.

Our Alenzas now have about 32,000 miles on them and they are just starting to emit some howling. It's not enough to be extremely annoying but nonetheless, it is there. I'll let you know if it gets any worse.

Hello, Peter, So your dealership cannot order this disc? You may want to call Lexus customer service to inquire as to whether one can be sent to your dealership.

Hey, his last name is Dangerfield - gets no respect!

Let me get this straight: You're a computer systems engineer at 16 years of age, yet your grammar is at a 6th grade level? C'mon, kid, we all seem to have a hard time believing that you are capable of creating proper sentence structure, let alone coming up with a fix for a very complicated problem. However, I admire your determination!

Yes, if percentage hydraulic braking vs. regenerative braking increases, we'll all be replacing our brake pads far sooner. What will probably happen is that a more complicated system will be developed to know ahead of time when rough roads/no propulsion conditions are immenent. Regerative braking will be disabled and the former non-adjusters will be happy.

In all the years I have been perusing this forum, I have never seen anything this bizzare! The dealership should contact Japan to find out what could cause this type of thing. Obviously, if it happens only every 13 months, the chances of the technician experiencing it is very low.

Well, I guess we can say the same thing about carburators, ignition points, drum brakes, roll-down windows, no air bags, manual steering, and hand-crank starters. Nah, I'll take at least some of the modern stuff, thank you!

Personally, I think the complaint by Prius owners of "insufficient braking" is highly exaggerated. It is a quirk of the regenerative braking system, but as was mentioned, is not a safety issue unless many accidents are being reported. I remember having a loaner Nissan Maxima in 2005. The throttle was touchier than what I was used to and for a brief while, it was disconcerting. Was it a safety issue that should have resulted in a recall? No, but it was different than the "norm" and thus was subject to customer complaints.

That's a good analogy, RC, We have recently discussed this: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=62220

Hey, SOMBODY's got to soak up this sunshine! :P