RX400h

You are correct. However, the C6 Corvettes are no better than the C5s when it comes to reliabilty, so while I think they may be improving, it is not nearly to the level of a Lexus, Acura, or Infiniti. I did hear that the direct injection engines (including VW) are allowing far too much blowby oil to enter their intakes. The Cadillac CTS variety have dismal repair histories, so it is unlikely they are miraculously improved. My advice to those who buy GM, Chrysler, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW, and Range Rover vehicles is this: If you plan to keep the vehicle beyond the warranty, get an extended warranty or you WILL most likely be sorry.

According to Consumer Reports, problem areas with the Equinox have included Drive System, Fuel System, Electrical, Suspension, Brakes, Paint/Trim, Body Integrity, Power Equipment and Audio System. It seems these problems tend to surface after 2-3 years of ownership. Perhaps that means GM's quality is getting better; my Corvette started having "issues" after only 1 year.

As a Chevy owner, I'll have to chastise you for making such a suggestion! :chairshot:

When we had our garage door springs replaced, we asked the installer to adjust the door upward a couple of inches. Now our RX400h rear hatch clears the garage door by about 1/2 inch.

Consumer Reports tire ratings includes a rating for rolling resistance. Unfortunately, it appears that they did not test the Parada Spec-X so I could not compare. I did mention this before but it's worth repeating. Take owner's "reviews" with a grain of salt. Many have limited experience with a wide range of tires for the particular vehicles they are driving. Often, they compare a new tire with the OEM tire that has 40,000 miles on it. A better way to compare tires is to read Consumer Reports' ratings, as well as tire test results by Tirerack, Car & Driver, and Road & Track (the last two for primarily Summer tires).

These are the tires (in 18-inch size) I will be buying for my RX400h, soon. The howling Alenzas are starting to irritate me. (Note: It may be my own fault that the Alenzas howl, since I may have waited too long before rotating them at some point). The Tirerack salesguy to whom I spoke highly recommended the Yokos.

I agree. You might want to have the dealership test the 12V battery. This is the time of year when a weak battery will show signs of immenent failure.

Then again, who else parks and sits in their RX400h with the gear shift selector in neutral? :)

I believe Costco doesn't do battery installs; I brought the new battery home and installed it in about 15 minutes, even after vacuuming and cleaning out the battery tray, abrading the terminals and cable ring connectors, and wiping down the battery cover and surrounding plastic covers. There is a $9.00 battery return fee that is given when the old battery is submitted. Since I didn't have the old battery with me, I will return it and the new battery's receipt the next time I go to Costco. So the total cost without returning the old battery was $71.76, which includes CA tax of $5.77. I did not reset the ISC and will monitor fuel mileage to see if it changes. I also did not reset the windows but will check them, this weekend. My wife drove the RX to work and so far - no complaints! Dave

Ah, it looks like you have just a few more thousand miles on your RX than we do on ours. I just got back from Costco and installed a fresh Kirkland battery ($58.00). I fully expect to not have to do this again for another 5-6 years. (Our RX is now 5 and a half years old.)

Well, it turns out that my wife had been seeing this message but she never mentioned it to me. i guess it's time to pay a visit to Costco for a new battery.

Rey, how many miles are on your RX? I may be proactive and change our battery if it turns out yours is toast. Thanks, Dave

If you peruse the CU annual buyers guide or annual auto issue, you will notice that Mercedes and some Audis, BMWs, and Volkswagens have horrible reliability ratings. So yes, it may very well be a good idea to buy extended warranties for some models of these vehicles. However, take a look at the reliability ratings of the RX 330, 350, and 400h. You'll note that they have had excellent ratings. Thus, buying an extended warranty for any of these vehicles is most likely not a "good" bet. If it makes you feel better and you don't mind spending the >$1000 cost, well, that's your perogative. To me, odds are that I will not save money in the long run by purchasing the extended warranty.

You might want to read this before you buy an extended warranty: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/buying-advice/extended-warranties-4-08/overview/extended-warranties-ov.htm and http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/buying-advice/extended-warranties-4-08/how-they-work/extended-warranties-how-they-work.htm and http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/buying-advice/extended-warranties-4-08/how-they-work/how-they-work-continued/extended-warranties-how-they-work-terms-and-coverage.htm#4 in summation: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/buying-advice/extended-warranties-4-08/highlights/extended-warranties-highlights.htm

I believe that not all battery "tenders" are also chargers. One of the most popular charger/tenders is the Deltran Battery Tender Plus. It will charge a weak battery until fully charged and then just "tend" by keeping the battery at that charge level. However, some AGM batteries, if depleted to a certain level, require more than the 1.25-2 amps that tender/chargers can supply. 8-10 amps is recommended for some of those types of batteries.

It is definitely not a California term - must be something he picked up in Montana!

"depends" ?? Aren't those adult diapers that I hope I never need? :P But no ... the verb turn(s) has an alternate meaning of "change(s) or as you say, "depends" ... and it's been that way for many, many decades that I know. See the example below, in the 5th paragraph - 3rd word of paragraph 5: http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/347/347.F2d.471.18800.html Now my spelling is OFTEN hideous so if you want to rip me a new one over that ... it's well deserved. Little PDA keys and not wearing reading glasses ... bad combo. Ah, I understand; you are living in the 60s! I have to admit that I don't recall ever hearing anyone use "turns" instead of "depends". (And I'm no spring chicken!)

Snow driving turns a lot on the drier. Snow driving turns a lot on the depth & temps & condition of the snow. Snow driving turns a lot on the tires. Is this some new form of English? Do you really mean to say, "depends" and not "turns"????

I believe that statement sums up the answer quite nicely.

Seeing that he has a new Alfa Romeo, I don't think he lives in the US. Other countries' laws may differ.

Well, you can go to Joe's garage and pay $100 less than you would at the Toyota dealership! Hey, this is what the average millionaire would do. It's all about saving your money so that you can retire at age 55.

Would Toyota loan you a car to use all day? I think not.