RX400h

I guess in Canada, there's no need to be concerned about having a lower viscosity at 100C, but folks who live in very warm climates (Arizona, Nevada) may be better off with a high-temp viscosity that is higher than 9.3 CST. Porsche factory-fills many of their vehicles with 0W-40 synthetic. Perhaps their 6 cylinder engines run hotter than ours, but nonetheless, I am a bit nervous about using a low viscosity oil, even here in San Diego.

Lemon, Do you know what its viscosity is at 100 degrees C in CST? I use Castrol GTX with a viscosity of 10.8 CST at that temperature. Typically, a 5W-20 oil would have a lower viscosity at this temperature and since my manual recommends 5W-30, that's what I use. Thanks, Dave

I hadn't seen that, but this is a bit puzzling: If removing the mats does not solve the problem, then how could shortening the gas pedal be the solution. Personally, I think NHTSA can't prove that something else has caused the runaway acceleration issue. They seem to want people to believe that some weird computer glitch causes the gas pedal to remain "floored", even if the floor mat is not installed. The fact remains that the recent ES350 that crashed had an RX400h carpet in it. My guess is that the solution of shortening the pedal is not necessary if the correct floor mat is secured properly.

Just ask yourself if you'd ever buy an extended warranty on a Whirlpool refrigerator or gas dryer. I wouldn't for the same reason I don't have one on my Lexus. Odds are very good that it wouldn't be needed. Now if I were somehow inclined to buy a Mercedes or Audi, I'd HAVE to get an extended warranty.

I'd stay away from aftermarket extended warranties, as I haven't heard a single good thing about them. Our 06 RX400h is 4.5 years old and we have not had a single thing go bad. My guess is that we won't see any problems for years to come. As far as the mastic, you may have to use rubbing compound, but very carefully. But first, try something like Simple Green (not concentrated). I've cleaned up tar using that, more than once.

You don't have to include "guidance" - just say "Suspend" (while accenting the "d") and the NAV will announce "Guidance suspended".

45,000+ miles, 4.5 years and not a single problem with our RX400h. I am amazed (and very happy)!

I had to laugh at some of those comments that followed the article. One person posted: BMW = Most efficient car company in the world I guess it's not THIS world they're talking about!

All you had to do was ask!

I think that about sums it up. Amen to THAT! Do you know what the nice thing is about all this excitement? We're not talking about mysterious oil leaks, doors that don't lock, gas gauges that have stopped working, etc, etc. Go to any Mercedes, BMW, or Audi forum and you'll feel alot better about our "uneventful" forum. As skyfish pointed out, most criticism of Lexus hybrids is based upon personal preference and perception. If that's all we have to worry about, we are truly lucky (or insightful enough to buy a Lexus) people.

When we are talking about whether people are comparing the Murano to the RX and if you insist they are, then why are so many more peoplen choosing the RXs? Of course, you can't always equate sales to quality, but many sales trends do point to this as being the case. The Honda Civic, Toyota Prius, etc all show very high sales figures, and for good reason.

I think you are confusing "elitist" with loyal when it comes to the Lexus brand. One of the main reasons why Lexus sells so much better than Mercedes is reliability. Here in the US, many of us have owned German and American vehicles and quite frankly have grown tired of their poor reliabilty. Of course, after years of earning accolades, the Lexus name does have a "high-end" aura about it that must irritate the Germans to no end. They can claim "performance" as the best reason for buyers to purchase their vehicles, but here in the US, more and more buyers place that category further down on the list.

Then I invite you to compare sales figures to see just what Americans are buying. I live in a very large city and based upon what I see, I can assure you, they are not buying Muranos. I see 20 RXs to every Murano. Yes, I am viewing just a sample, but I believe my sample is a good indication of what is being purchased among a larger population spread.

Okay, I had to pull out my Consumer Reports auto edition for you two Nissan fans...... According to CR, both the Highlander hybrid and Highlander gas outscore the newly designed Murano, with the Highlander hybrid trouncing the Murano's average fuel mileage by 5 MPG. In addition, the Highlanders run on regular, whereas the Murano - strictly premium. Next, let's look at safety...... The Highlander once again triumphs with NHTSA ratings for the driver front and side as "no or minor injury likely". The new Murano's driver front rating is "Moderate injury likely". Finally, let's take a look at reliability, shall we? While the Murano has a better than average reliability rating, the Highlander (gas and hybrid versions) again is superior with a "much better than average" rating. Other Nissans don't fare nearly as well, with the Titan, Pathfinder, and Versa achieving an "average" rating, only. Again, my biggest beef with comparing a new-design Murano with a 4-year old design RX400h is the huge difference in service at the dealership. Huge difference. Of course, the original poster was talking about a 2010 RX450h, not an RX400h, so saying a brand new design of a Nissan is better than an older version of Lexus isn't helping with the discussion. Many of us (including myself) veered off track with the Nissan comments; in reality, people who are shopping Lexus are not cross-shopping Nissan. I guess I could say that a new Corvette Z06 easily outperforms a more expensive-yet-5 year old Porsche 911 Turbo, but the person shopping for a Porsche is not going to consider the Z06.

Uh, telling someone to leave is not really something that any of the non-moderators or managers should say, please! Rey, I think you'd have to admit that vast majority of folks who frequent this forum love their RX. There will always be the occasional hater, but that happens with almost anything we may feel is universally likes - pasta, for instance! How could anyone not like it? (At least, that's what I've always told my kids). Personally speaking, I've never owned a vehicle as reliable as our RX400h, and we've had two Nissans, Mazdas, Hondas, Mercury, etc. If you look at sales figures for the RX line, it becomes very obvious that we are in good company. So have a glass of wine, relax, and enjoy your Lexus! Dave

While you may feel that 23 MPG in the city is incredible, it is a far cry from the 28-30 MPG that hybrid SUVs, such as the RX400h and RX450H have been achieving. And high-traffic, big city environments are where hybrids have always excelled. If you have been perusing this forum for any length of time, you'd know that many of us will advise newcomers who are interested in a hybrid Lexus that unless they spend an ample amount of time driving in city traffic, there will not be a large difference in fuel savings over a gasolene-only vehicle. I believe the Toyota RAV4 boasts similar numbers as the Murano. But you glazed over my other point - Nissan service. I was told very bluntly by more than one Nissan dealership clerk that if I needed a ride more than 10 miles away, I was out of luck. That was just one part of the overall Nissan experience that turned me off to the brand. It's somewhat like comparing Honda to Acura service or Chevrolet to Cadillac - huge difference and a big reason why the RX-series are the best selling SUVs in the US - far outselling the Infiniti SUVs and even anything that Nissan has to offer.

We had both a Maxima and fully-optioned Quest before buying our RX400h and to us, while the Nissan's were well-built to some extent (I say this because there were some problems with each.), they really were not in the same class as the Lexus. Perhaps the Infiniti SUVs are there when performance characteristics are compared, but as far as amenities, reliability, fuel economy and dealer service are concerned, there is just no comparison. I guess one man's trash is another man's treasure, as they say. (This is not to say that Nissan's are trash!)

Congratulations, Buc and welcome to the Hybrid Club! Dave

Aus, I hope you really didn't use a torch to check under your RX. Hopefully, in Australia, a torch is a flashlight! :D Dave

I think Lexus was wise not to make any major body changes, given that the RX is the best selling luxury SUV in the US and perhaps, the world.

We have many, many miles on our Bridgestone Alenzas and they have to be the best all-season tires we've ever had. We have the stock size and inflate to 35 psi. At $600/set of 4, they are well-priced.

Wow, if those were the only problems you've encountered and yet are planning to buy any of the competitors' vehicles, you will be in for a shocking surprise. Ask any Mercedes, Audi, or BMW SUV owner how often he or she has had to bring the vehicle back to the dealership for non-maintenance issues and you will most likely change your mind. We've never owned a more reliable brand of vehicle in the 35+ years of owning many, many others.

You should have said, "Excuse me, I just bought a Lexus dealership and was wondering how your experience was when buying this vehicle." After all, I always make it a point to talk to the "little" people every now and then......." :D

This type of thing occurs in non-hybrid vehicles when one of a few things happen. 1. The battery is weak or is damaged internally. A circuit board that is failing can produce similar symptoms. 2. A chassis ground wire is loose. 3. There is a short somewhere. I would think that one or more of these causes could show up in a hybrid as well, although the majority of Lexus and Toyota hybrids have had stellar reliability.

Whether the tires should be side-swapped often depends upon whether the vehicle is front, rear, or all-wheel drive. Check your owner's manual; it should contain an image that shows the correct movement. The other potential issue with not rotating is non-symetrical wear patterns. Rotating the tires tends to compensate for this by alternating the areas that wear most.