RX400h

THAT'S INCREDIBLE! Congrats! Few people can match that kind of mileage.

Comparing the two, for us, one gets an average of 26mpg versus the other that gets 56mpg.

Wow, you and Steve are worlds apart when it comes to your Prius fuel mileage. 56 has GOT to be on the very high end. Most of the Prius owners I spoke to are averaging about 45 MPG. Steve, someone in your household must have a heavy foot!

Regarding mileage, isn't the average mileage of the Prius quite a bit higher than that of the Yaris? maybe 8-10 MPG higher?

Also, Consumer Reports doesn't recommend the Yaris - not sure why, but I believe the Corolla is quite a bit quieter than either the Yaris or Fit.

You can get fairly close by rolling down a long hill with no AC or seat heaters, but I doubt many here see a full charge status too often.

Wagons were poor sellers in the US because everybody was buying SUVs... now the tendency is going in the same direction as Europe, where wagons are hugely popular because they offer the best space/fuel consumption combination.

More and more car makers are re-introducing wagons in the US, they will be very popular, very soon.

They don't call them wagons here; they are refered to as "crossovers". The only wagon I see is the Audi. The term "Station Wagon" is essentially, obsolete.

Living in Southern California, I believe a much better solution is to use solar power to charge an all-electric car for commuting to work. I think this'll happen (all-electric vehicles becoming more popular) before we see many CNG or diesel econocars, at least in this area. The point is convenience, and unless CNG is easy to access outside of the home, you won't see any major inroads to its popularity.

I believe the RX350 engine has higher compression to attain its advertised HP, whereas the RX400h doesn't require this with the electric motor boost. Also, I believe timing is retarded as well, when knocking is detected, either from lower octane or from high intake air temps.

Well, if Lexus would come out with a luxury wagon with the same technology as the upcoming Prius, it will be a winner.. and a huge one.

I was hesitating between the Prius and the RX400H... The Prius being a bit to bare, but best economics, the RX being a bit to big and worse economics, but best comfort... I choose the RX.. but would swap for a Hybrid luxury wagon the day it would be on sale.

Wagons have traditionally been poor sellers; that's why you probably won't see a wagon hybrid anytime soon. However if they were to make one, they'd most likely use the Camry hybrid as the platform.

Does anyone know if the RX350's owner's manual states that 87 octane fuel may be used? If it doesn't that certainly accelerates payback for the Rx400h, since the cost difference between regular and premium can be substantial. 87 octane fuel is an option in the 400h.

Toyota has the hybrid Camry, which averages 34 MPG, has about 200 HP, and is no slouch when it comes to acceleration. Maybe an ES400h that gets the same mileage as the hybrid Camry? That'd be nice.

Although most of us in this section of the Lexus forum have RX400hs, there are a few GS owners who may chime in. Here in San Diego, I've noticed that the number of Mercedes and Audis has decreased drastically over the years. After looking at Consumer Reports magazine's reliability ratings, I can understand why. Their reliability (most models) is very poor. The larger BMWs also tend to be very unreliable. Most of the BMWs I see here are 3-series; they tend to have average reliability.

After having runflat tires for three years on my Corvette, I hope to NEVER go back to using them. They are very heavy and allow small road surface irregularities to make the car hop sideways. (because of the stiff sidewalls). Even BMW's Z4 was ridiculed because of its darty steering and runflat tires. Many cars in Europe run on diesel fuel, but you won't see that happening here, either. At $.50+ per gallon higher in price than regular gas, it makes no sense to buy a diesel vehicle strictly to save money. At least our RX400hs can use regular fuel.

You mean like 10 or 20 gallons of toxic liquid high explosive in your tank ? :P

At least if you puncture a gas tank it probably won't explode (only in the movies!) or create a jetstream of air that'll puncture your skin!

Even a 2200 psi nitrogen tank can plow through a wall if the manifold valve is broken off.

Seriously, CNG cars are not ready for prime time.

WWest, are you saying that you have a 13 gallon CNG tank in your Porsche? By the way, my C5 Corvette gets 29 or 30 MPG on the highway. How's that for a 375 HP vehicle? :P

Really, what does all this have to do with our Lexus vehicles? :(

NiMH batteries won't explode or overheat as easily as lithiums, correct? Personally, I'd rather have NiMHs than lithiums or a super high pressure, explosive gas behind me, but hey, that's me....

What is the stored pressure in the vehicle? High pressure (gas) tanks can be a bit scarry!

One our VPs here at work only leases (he has an RX400h and IS320) and recently convinced our CEO to crunch the numbers for himself. After an extensive number-pounding marathon, our CEO came to the same conclusion. The bottom line can always be lower if you lease (for many reasons). I didn't lease, but I may look into doing so, the next time around.

What ever you put on, make certain your tires are NOT set to the measily 36lb that the 400h originally had stated was proper. Many of us had them set that way, only to find premature wear. Our OEM's were more than shot by 24K miles.

The sticker on the door jamb lists 30 psi. 35-36 psi seems to be the perfect pressure.

You know what I say, when folks ask me "how long for the payback"?

I ask, "how long is the payback for your Pickup" . . . or your Vet? Or your harley? or Expedition, or your Hummer or Porsche? Point being that folks don't seem to feel compeled to 'crunch numbers' for OTHER transportation (over the minimum cost of say, a little hyundai, or some equally tiny / minimum transportation) and SOME of the OTHER transportation is just dumb ... but when you talk a hybrid ... all of a sudden it has to make money for you, like fort Knox, or it's not worth it. That's what I don't get.

i agree. If the RX350 were EXACTLY the same in every other way, you can talk payback only, but this is not the case. The RX400h has the equivalent of 650 lbs-ft of torque at low engine speed. This and the CVT really set it apart from its gas-only brethren.

And come on, what RX350, when driven in a mixed cycle that favors lots of city driving, will average 19.5? From what I've heard from RX330 owners, 16-17 MPG is closer to the norm. If the RX350 owners have to pump premium, the fuel factor changes considerably, since we can use regular in most areas, without issue.

....good points by the above members! Yes, if your daily commute involves traffic, an RX400h is unmatched by any other luxury SUV out there. The more slow-moving and stop & go driving you encounter, the bigger the advantage. We average 24-25 MPG with both steady speed and slow-moving driving. And after 3 years of ownership, we have not had one problem. Take one for a drive and let us know what you think!

Dave

I don't think it makes a significant difference, since they get all the money at once, anyway. Leasing is a different story, but you should still negotiate the final price before signing.

Ah, now a lift makes things much easier. Of course, if it were up to me, I'd have a lift in my garage.......

Our dealership mounted, balanced and aligned our Alenzas for free after I voiced my displeasure about the OEM Goodyear's wearing out at 17,000 miles.

I'd say that with these Alenzas, tire rotation is necessary only after 6000-7000 miles. With the OEMs, 5000 mile rotations were absolutely necessary.

This what I've seen, as well.

We have had our Bridgestone Alenzas on now for approx. 13,000 miles and I have nothing but good things to say about them. They are quiet, handle very well (dry or wet) and provide a relatively smooth ride at 35 psi. An added bonus is their cost: $600 a set from the Tirerack (a bit more at today's prices, but not by much).

Thus far, they are wearing well and should last over 30,000 miles quite easily.

By the way, you can get a $100 discount via Tirerack; see:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/specialevent...reward_0408.jsp

Dave

It would surely brighten up the interior! :)