RX400h

Intstalling Eibachs in my son's Honda Civic was $360 (including 4-wheel alignment).

I can tell you this: Yes, any change in height will require an alignment and knowing Eibach (I just had a set of their springs and shocks installed in my son's Honda Civic), handling (primarily, sway) WILL improve noticably.

http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/Susptab...=&brand=all

I too have to chuckle when someone is willing to compromise on choices that impact their day to day lives out of fear of something that may or may not ever happen. Sure, having to take your car to the shop is a drag. Having front seats that are so uncomfortable that we can't take the RX on road trips because my wife's back gets too sore is a much bigger drag. Seriously, if your wife is getting back pain from sitting in a Lexus, she needs to see a chiropracter or other specialist. I agree that the RX seats are not sportscar-like, but let's face it, Americans are getting bigger every year. A tight-fitting Recaro seat is just not an option for most 300-lb owners. In any event, if someone has serious discomfort when sitting on a plane or bus seat, it's time to see a professional.

That door sticker number is way off. I recommend 34-36 psi in each of all four tires, regardless of brand.

"Chopping" or "cupping" as tire wear is normally due to worn shock absorbers, but the tire wear I saw was obviously due to a combination of misalignment and underinflation (due to an incorrect tire pressure recommendation), not worn struts. I did find this explanation in "Allexperts" website: Here's some more opinions from Tom and Ray:

I have to chuckle when I hear that someone is not concerned as long as the vehicle is "under warranty" because having to take your car (or have it towed) to the dealership is never much fun, even if you get a loaner car. The time spent doing this can be very significant, IMO. Personally, I don't care how great the dealership service is; if I'm always having to take time off to bring the car in, I'm not a happy camper.

I should hope that all is well in just "over a year" of ownership. Fact is, that according to Consumer Reports, Mercedes has the worst reliabilty history of all the German car manufacturers. Take a look at any of the Mercedes forums and you will not be inclined to buy one, afterward. I know many people who have had a Mercedes and are now driving Infiniti and Lexus vehicles. The story is always the same - very poor reliability, especially after the warranty has expired. Lexus vehicles are not flawless, but they are lightyears ahread of MB when it comes to reliability. Lexus chose "soft and sterile" because that's what more buyers prefer. Look at sales figures in the US for Lexus SUVs vs Mercedes SUVs. I live in a very large city/county and I see 30 times the number of RXs compared to MLs. Even when compared to the X5 BMW, Lexus easily wins the sales war. Obviously, Lexus has made the right decision when it opted for smooth and silky ride characteristics.

First of all, the ML350 IS priced similarly to the RX400h; see: http://autos.msn.com/research/compare/defa...63&v=m12703 Secondly, when I started this thread many moons ago, there was no hybrid Mercedes. In fact, Mercedes was still in a state of shock at the time. Thirdly, do you honestly think that Mercedes reliability is on par with that of Lexus? If you do, you may have started your holiday partying a bit too early. get back down to earth! :chairshot:

Congratulations! We've had ours since April of 2005 (one of the first in San Diego) and are very happy with its features and performance, along with the 24-25 MPG average we are seeing. Enjoy! Dave

If you are talking about a "plug-in" mod, no, I have never heard of it (for the RX400h) - nor do I think it is a good idea, given the nature of NiMH batteries. Dave

I would venture to say that a well-placed sound sensor that is activated in parallel with the vehicle alarm (but having its own battery and siren) would at least urge the potential thief to move on. A partially cut pipe can be welded - a much less costly alternative to buying a new cat. This may be a good business opportunity for car alarm shops.

We are very happy with our lights, especially during rare occasions when high-beam actuation is possible. Then again, we DO live near the big city, so driving on dimly-lit roads at high speeds is not an option.

I often drive a 375 HP Corvette (3200 lbs), yet I, too, am very impressed with the acceleration of the RX. Remember that Car & Driver achieved 0-60 in 6.7 seconds in the RX400h - fast enough to out-accelerate a Porsche Cayenne S! As you have found out, the RX is heavily front-biased when it comes to drive traction. Hang onto that steering wheel when stomping on the gas pedal! Dave

The oil needs to be warm enough so that a quickly-started engine that "sees" load can be lubricated very quickly. Cold oil doesn't circulate nearly as well as warm/hot oil. I agree, but primarily, the life of the batteries would be severely reduced to a point where warranty repairs would certainly diminish the stellar reputation that Lexus now enjoys. Good point!

I think the benefits of Techron in fuel are well established. I throw in a can at least once per year.

Gee, what will be next in Canada - full high beams and high-intensity neon lamps at all times? I have to chuckle a bit when I hear these types of things. There IS such a thing as too many lights to a point where it is very distracting to others on the road. Even here in the US, I notice that some LED taillights are so bright, it bothers me.

Does this have anything to do with the 3-ft high stream of water you drove through, last week? :chairshot: Seriously, we've had our RX since April of 2005 and I've never seen anything like that. Please let us know what the dealership comes up with, and good luck!

Now THAT'S impressive for a $100,000+ vehicle!

Yes, but you'd also have to replace batteries far more frequently than we will with our batteries. Plug-in technology seems like an easy, slam-dunk but it is far from that, otherwise, Toyota would've had those types of cars on the road many years ago.

From what I hear, gas mileage improves with warmer weather, although theoretically, power to the wheels should improve with colder temps. gas mileage does creep up over time, although one of the problems you have is the short distance. The oil is not getting up to normal operating temps within that distance. Ideally, you'd have an all-electric vehicle, but they are not quite ready for prime time, from what I gather. Regardless, as long as you are driving this distance, you might want to change the oil a bit more often that what is stated in the manual - perhaps, every 2000-3000 miles.

I believe you're thinking about the batteries that help power the vehicle, not the starting battery.

Daimler-Benz does have some impressive diesels, but up until recently could not get them certified for use in CA. Still, their SUVs that need the technology most critically, have no diesel or hybrid option. I see very few new MB SUVs on the road, no doubt because of both poor fuel mileage and very spotty reliability.

I recall that the last time Consumer Reports came out with an issue that contained undercoating advice, they stated that for car made during the last so many years (20?), undercoating not only doesn't do much good, but also may void certain parts of the vehicle manufacturer's warranty. Maybe someone who subscribes to their website can run a search on this?

Since it is almost Winter, use regular gas. During Summer months, I switch to midgrade to avoid power loss. Premium will provide the potential for faster acceleration (0-60 in 6.7 seconds), but is not necessary.