RX400h

Have you ever looked at statistics showing the average weight of Americans vs. those of other countries' (like Japan's) population? One of the problems with incorporating side bolsters and three sets of lumbar support pillows is that it can be very uncomfortable for "large" people. Lexus is trying to give the large people room by making the seats similar to the old "bench" seats of years ago. I didn't like them then and I'm not a fan of "broad" seats, now. Still, I understand that a car manufacturer can't please all of the people all of the time. I know a hefty former-coworker who chose an RX330 over a BMW X5, partially because of the seats. The X5's were a bit to "constraining" for him. You may not be severely overweight, but unfortunately, those who are, are in the majority and end up steering design decisions to their favor.

My Canon S2 has a super-simple flash activation mechanism - my finger; it lifts and pivots the flash upward, telling the camera that I want the flash to work. Simple, inexpensive, and one less thing to worry about in the future. Why, might you ask, would a high-end point&shoot camera use such a simple flash activation scheme? That's easy to answer - they put most of their money into the superior optics to do what matters most - take excellent pictures. The point I'm making is that Lexus spent most of the vehicle cost on the incredibly sophisticated hybrid system - a system that no British Range Rover, BMW, or Mercedes can hold a hold a candle to. Would anyone rather have 16 MPG and lumbar support? Not me - I'll take the fuel economy and overlook a couple of "niceties" that I can certainly do without. People complain about the C5 Corvette's interior, yet nothing else on the road could match its speed, handling , and fuel economy (yes, it gets 29 MPG on the highway at 75 MPH) for the money ($50K, like the Lexus). GM spent their money on these attributes and not so much the features that are less important.

I just HAD to chuckle when I read this statement: C'mon now, how many Priuses are so loud that they would awaken the neighbors? We're not talking about a souped-up muscle car here! I would suspect that this device would certainly void the warranty.

I have watched a dvd for over an hour in a garden centre carpark while waiting for my wife :) I left it set in Ready so big high power battery charged the 12v aux battery. The engine never started up in that time. BUT I left the switch in the aux position with a door open while I was checking out my trailer socket. The battery was flat after approx 1 hour! I would always keep it on "READY" when udio What did you do with the dead battery? Back a while ago, someone mentioned that you should never "jump" the starting battery. Dave

I think it is still a bit new for anything like that. I did notice that there is a cold air path through the front hood, directly at the air filter. That design extracts at least a 5+ HP over a non CAI (Cold Air Intake) design. I like it! Dave

Even though I was born in Queens (Astoria general hospital), I knew little about the area, after having been brought up in Connecticut. One day, back a few years ago, my brother Jerry gave me a tour of Manhatten. He attended and graduated from Columbia University and knew the area well. All I can say is: You are a brave soul - traversing the streets of New York every day! Dave

I've heard other RX400h owners say that 1-2 MPG increases are common when switching to premium. Unfortunately, if you drive over 10,000 miles per year, using premium will either gain you nothing or cost you money, depending on the cost spread between regular and premium. We use regular consistently and never get less than 24 MPG.

Remember too, that the honest RX330 owners are getting 16 MPG under normal driving conditions. We average 25 and to me, that is a significant improvement over most SUVs' fuel economy numbers.

Maybe I've become accustomed to it because I do not notice it. It is possible that there may be an adjustment or software update, so do check with the dealership when you have a chance.

Three months after we bout our RX, some yahoo in a Frontier pickup decided to try to snake his way backward out of a gas station island. Miscalculating didtances and steering angles, he backed into the right front corner of our RX. It took Lexus three weeks to get a bumper skin. However, that was over one year ago, so hopefully, you will have better luck. We had ours repaired at the Toyota Collision center in Carlsbad. They did an excellent job.

All that "check this and that" labor adds up, that's for sure!

Just curious- Since these two air filters are as easy or easier to change than the oil & oil filter, why do you choose to pay to have them done? Actually, my wife had this done. She had asked me if she should let the dealership do this and because it isnecessary only after more than one and a half years, I let them do it. I'm guessing that the next time they need changing, I will try to find and change them, myself. Now that I think of it, this may have been the 15,000 mile service, not the 10,000 mile one. My self-oil changes cost me $22 in materials.

Although this service normally includes many "checks" (check this, check that), I told the dealership to change the two filters - air and air conditioning. Since I change my own oil, that was not required. I believe the bill came to $160 or so. I'll bet it's $300+ if all the services are done.

I'll probably be looking for tires by our Rx's 2nd birthday. I'm the type that researches things to death before buying. Of course, we need to put things in perspective, too. I have a 1989 Mazda MX6 GT-Turbo and given its age, I will not buy $100 tires for it.....$70, maybe.......

While this may have been true many years ago, it is certainly not today, at least for the majority of non-OEM Goodyear tires. As I mentioned previously, Goodyear has been receiving accolades of awards as of late. If you are a sportscar enthusiest, you probably already know that there is no better than the GSD3 when it comes to all-around performance on dry or wet roads.

Hey, I was picking on Steve, not you!

One answer may be simple: The Goodyear Eagle RS-A on mine only has a treadwear rating on the sidewall of 260. I have an '06 Avalon, as well, with a Michelin MXV4 S-8 that has a 400 treadwear rating. The tire just is not a long-wearing model. I had the same Goodyear tire on a Mercedes sedan in the past and it only got 17k miles. As I mentioned before, it is not uncommon for Tire manufacturers to supply car manufacturers with good-handling (therefore, soft, sticky thread), and quiet tires that do not last long. The manufacturers know full well that the tires perform well only for a short number of miles; chances are, they are getting them at a low price. A Discount tire salesman told me that most tire manufacturers make tires like this - some Michelins last only 10-15,000 miles, but perform extremely well while they last. It is really unfair to single out one manufacturer. Goodyear makes very long-lasting tires that are consistently top-rated by magazines such as Car & Driver and Consumer Reports. I have had excellent experiences with Their GS D3 tires. Dave

The latest Car & Driver had a sub-$20K sedan comparison: 1) Volkswagen Rabbit (thirsty, poor reliability) 2) Mazda 3 (better-than-average reliability and best handling car of the bunch) 3) Honda Civic (good economy, but dash that is either loved or hated) 4) Hundai (smooth ride, but sloppy handling) 6) Toyota Corolla (great gas mileage, but granny-handling) 6) Nissan Sentra (nice interior, but poor handling) Of course, performance played a huge part in determining the winner. Dave

Then you must be a VERY rich man......:) Seriously, I am looking for an economy car that costs less than 17,000. I guess I won't be getting any"smart key" feature at that price. Since my brother-in-law works at a Mazda dealership, the Mazda 3 sedan is looking very good (with family discount) at $16k for a car with a good number of features, such as side air bags, power options (Touring edition) and aluminum wheels.

I'll bet she wished she had Lo-Jack!

Earlier model C5 Corvettes had a feature where the doors would unlock automatically whenever the driver was within a short distance. This feature was discontinued for obvious reasons. Perhaps Lexus knows something that we don't about the "smart key".........

Dealerships are notorious for forgetting to deflate the tires to the door sticker-specified pressure. For obtaining the longest life possible out of your tires, use that pressure as a starting point. You may have to raise or lower it, depending upon ambient temperature, but probably not more than +/- 3 psi from that printed on the door sticker. Dave

Why? Is there some design issue that you feel is causing this to happen?

...a bit unrelated, but this reminded me of when my brother and I were curious as to whether we could put tire chains on his Subaru's tires. We called the service manager at the dealership and the first thing that popped out of his mouth was "WHERE YAH GOIN, ALASKA????" We still laugh about that one. Seriously, though, I strongly suspect that the RX400h was proof-tested in heavy snow, long before it was released to the public. I wouldn't worry a bit. Dave

Speaking of polishes (and to break up the obvious tension here), I have found that Rejex is an excellent "polish" - very easy to apply, protects as good as the best of them, and lasts a good long time. It certainly doesn't smell as nice as Zaino, but is a bit more visible. Zano doesn't seem to be as thick as paste waxes, but does last longer. By the way, Zaino leather in a bottle smells exactly like fresh leather; I use it on my Corvette seats every couple of months. Dave