RX400h

That's assuring to know - thanks! I hope to get more than 18,000 miles; maybe the alignment will help in this regard. Dave

Why take chances when the better half is doing most of the driving during the week? These Bridgestones are rated very highly - not highest, as the Goodyear Fortera is #1 - see http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresult...ay.jsp?type=HAS However, the RX400h tire size is not yet available in Fortera sizes. The Alenzas are back-ordered until the end of this month, but I think we should be okay until then. I'm going to have the dealership mount and align them (I ordered them from tirerack.com for $600 and some change). I may also have them install a trailor hitch so we can get a 4-bike rack, soon. The bike rack installs on a 2-inch hitch. I should have some impression insight to convey within a month or so. Dave

Actually, the Lexus RX350 has slightly more horsepower than the RX400h. The 400, however, has much more torque.

...and the hybrid Camry is said to average 36 MPG!!!!! That's amazing!

You should remember that Alan was probably working for Ford when he originally planned this purchase. And typically, the engineering department tears apart competitor's vehicles; the CEO is not required to do his or her own testing (at least according to what I've read).

You are a very honest man! I lived in the NE for 27 years. After visiting Southern CA and telling everyone of what I encountered, almost all tried to convince me that the change of seasons far outweighed the beautiful weather. Only one person admitted that he would move in a heatbeat if he hadn't established roots already. He was another honest man.

From what I understand, our engines are NOT high-compression and do NOT require premium fuel. The owner's manual states that regular gas is just fine, if I recall correctly. Maybe someone can post the manual's statement.....

With most vehicles, lowering the ride height requires replacing the factory springs with shorter versions. These shorter versions are often available in different spring rates, but it is possible for a swap to provide the same ride qualities as OEM. I like the ride height of our RX400h when we traverse steep dips or driveways. Other vehicles may scrape, but the RX has never had this happen, yet. My Corvette, on the other hand, was lowered just by rotating suspension bolts. I was able to lower it by 1 inch, just by doing this. Unfortunately, the result is that I have to be extra careful when going over dips in the road. Still, the car looks much better to me (less wheel well space above the tire). Dave

Then again, you live in New York...... (I can joke about it because I was born in Queens!) Ah Yes New York, I was in San francisco for the last Earthquake(Candlestick park). New York aint so bad eh... Hey, I live in San Diego - BIG difference, there! I did visit San Francisco once and didn't care for it - too cold!

Thanks, Peti! I will give it my best shot! Dave

Then again, you live in New York...... (I can joke about it because I was born in Queens!)

I've had my RX 400h for just over a week. I checked the cold tire pressure. 37psi from the dealer. I intend to maintain them at 37-38 psi. Its a fair balance between comfort and milage economy, keeping in mind that ride comfort is subjective. Dealer is Metro Lexus, Brookpark, Ohio. Keep in mind that dealerships often forget to lower the pressure that is set at the factory. Apparently, keeping the pressure near 40 psi prevents flat spots from occuring when the vehicle is shipped from Japan. The dealerships are supposed to reduce the pressure to that which is recommended by Lexus. If I were you, I'd keep an eye on the tires' center tread wear at that high a pressure. I estimate that 32-34 is ideal for the Goodyears, based upon the wear pattern I have been seeing when the pressure is 30 psi. Dave

Ours did get a bit more noticable, but not so much that it bothers me. Still, it wouldn't hurt to ask the service advisor if the factory has anything to say about it.

Corvettes have a battery-powered pressure sensor/transmitter strapped inside each wheel; there are no wires required. The original Humvees (not sure about the H2s and H3s) allowed the driver to increase and decrease tire pressure from inside the cabin, primarily to traverse sandy terrain. Grphon, Where is the tire pressre displayed? Is it accessed via the "mode" button?

Thankfully, there were no injuries, just a bruised ego, but she'll get over it :)The tires are Goodyears and as a general rule-of-thumb, OEM tires are not the best wearing tires. I will go with Bridgestones, primarily because Goodyear's latest aftermarket tires (which have repeatedly achieved top ratings) are not yet available in the RX400h size.

This has GOT to be better than the 30 psi recommended pressure that the 06s had. Still, you might want to keep tabs on their wear patterns. Dave

For those hybrids that are so equiped (my '06 400h is not), the threshold would likely be well below any of the numbers we have been discussing here. Besides it only works if ONE tire is rolling at a different rate than the others. If they are ALL evenly underinflated, it will not set off this sensor. The low pressure warning in my Corvette is 24 psi, so you are correct in that this number is typically well below pressures that would result in outside tire wear.

The max pressure is listed on the tire and yes, it is "cold" pressure.

Please watch this video; the driver in front pressurized his tires to 34 psi - just 4 psi over GM's recommendation. http://www.corvettekillstories.com/photoga...ics/spinout.wmv

Some years ago, before I knew anything about tires, I used to fill my older Corvette's tires to the max pressure. Not only did this result in accelerated wear in the middle of the tires, but it also resulted in squeeling tires and poor handling. And the tires WERE steel-belted radials. If you check with the pros at the Tire Rack, they will tell you that you should almost never inflate your tires to the max indicated pressure. I am baffled as to why any police district would support this theory. I witnessed a guy in a 96 Corvette, spin out because he had inadvertently inflated his tires to "max". It is obvious to me that the RX400h that we have needs to have its tires inflated to a pressure that is greater than 30 psi. However, there is such a thing as going too high and I'll bet the "max" pressure would surely diminish handling in dry weather, as well as prematurely wear out the center of the tires.

Katz, Usually when a tire is wearing unevenly, it is the vehicle alignment that is at fault. This is why I can't blame the tires for this mishap. I should've been more diligent at checking the wear pattern. It looks like there is enough tread in the middle to go another 5000 miles. I think Michelins make some great tires, it's just that are so overpriced, it bothers me. Dave

It turned out to be a bad day for my other half when she applied the brakes during rush hour traffic, on a damp, foggy morning. Yes, the RX slid into a van after the brakes were applied hard. When I got home this evening, I examined the tires and sure enough, the out side tread of each is almost gone. I then checked each tire's pressure and found them to be dead-on at 30 psi. In my opinion, the pressure should really be 32 or maybe, 34 psi. Perhaps if a carload of people is typical, 30 psi may be okay, but be forwarned - 30 psi pressure has resulted in an accident that could've been avoided! The bumper has a small crack in it and is very slightly tilted, but everything else is okay. I guess it's time to get new tires and pump those babies up beyond the factory-recommended 30 psi! Dave

I believe Consumer Reports still lists the RX400h at the top of the luxury SUV ratings, possibly because its fuel economy is quite a bit higher than that of all other luxury SUVs. Gas prices don't seem to be heading downward; if fact, they are still creeping towards $3.00/gallon once again. My philosophy is that if high-power and sporty handling is tops on your list, get a light (compared to an SUV) sportscar. You can end up with better handling, much more power, and even better fuel mileage compared to a "sporty" SUV. A "combination" of vehicles over a "compromise" vehicle is another way to put it. Dave

Now THIS, I've gotta see!

Not to hijack this thread too much further, but I have to mention that even though Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes love to believe that their clientelle are all wealthy billionaires, this is simply a fallacy. I know many Lexus, BMW, and Mercedes owners, as well as the people who sell to them and I can assure you that most owners in this area are not in the "wealthy" category. Many have average homes or even condos; some don't even own homes. I am certainly not wealthy by any streatch of the imagination. What is wealthy? Wealthy is NOT middle class and middle class America is very much overweight. That being said, I must mention that I would love to have my Corvette seats in the Lexus, but that will not happen anytime soon and I certainly don't expect Lexus to imitate BMW's sporty nature any time soon as well. I do appreciate all of the other technological wonders this car has to offer. Certainly, if my back was so bad that I couldn't drive the RX without pain, I would buy a car that offered seats with more support.