RX400h

Agreed. However, don't forget the middle ground - midgrade gas. Here where I live in San Diego, temps rarely exceed 80, so midgrade seems to work perfectly. Going to Las Vegas means making sure premium is in the tank, since temps can reach 114F at times. Dave

First, I'd like to quote my 2006 RX400h's owner's manual: Select Octane Rating 87(Research Octane Number 91) or higher. For improved vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded gasoline with an Octane rating of 91 (Research Octane Number 96) or higher is recommended Okay, now to clarify nomenclature a bit, I found this bit of information in www.refiningonline.com: Look at the statement in bold print. This is significant because the gasoline we buy here in CA is labeled as having an octane rating of (R+M)/2. To me, this means that Lexus requires (87+91)/2 = 89 (midgrade), which is an average of RON and MON. If I am correct, this is the minimum octane of gas that is recommended. During Winter months, I have successfully used regular RON +MON average of 87 and have not experienced any knocking whatsoever. However it is my experience that this may be insufficient during the Summer months. If anyone believes that they are buying pure Research Octane-rated fuel, please chime in and let us know, but I did check the pumps here and saw that our octane numbers are an average. Thoughts?

My 2006 manual that minimum octane rating of 89 is recommended. This means that Lexus allows mid-grade to be used. I will look up the exact words, this weekend. Perhaps the 07s have higher compression engines and need higher octane fuel? If so, I am glad we have an 06!

Steve, The oil filter is facing up (if I recall correctly), so filling it most of the way before installing it prevents a long pressure buildup upon startup. Also, I drive up my RX onto ramps, so even if my goal was to have all the oil in the pan, that cold oil would have to circulate through the engine when I drove up on the ramps. (The engine would start when cold, so hoping that the electric motor would power it up the ramps is futile.) Hot oil not only drains much more easily, but it also gets to pressure much faster than cold oil. This is why most car magazine mechanics still recommend that the oil be at least warm when it is changed. Dave

I wound up ordering an 08 RX350 because I only drive 6000 miles a year and it made no sense to pay a premium for a hybrid. I figured I woud have to drive 25000 miles a year to break even if I went green and besides by driving the limited mileage I am already green. Does anyone know how I can change my personal profile in this group? I'm not sure why you thought that the RX400h requires premium. The owner's manual clearly states that the 400h requires 89 octane fuel. In my book, that's midgrade gas! Most new vehicles have knock sensors that will essentially communicate to the engine control computer that timing needs to be dialed back a bit. This is also true if very warm weather causes the engine to knock. Therefore, you can actually run regular gas in an RX400h, although power will be a bit lower. Dave

The only reason why I didn't try getting at the filter from the topside is that I would be more likely to burn my arm. You should always change oil when the oil is fairly hot - it drains much more easily than when cold. Dave

I had to search the internet to see where it is. In fact I marked the general location so that I know where to fish around with my hand - it's impossible to see without removing many of the screws that retain the plastic cover, under neath the front end. Once you remove the screws closest to the engine, you can pull the front of the cover far enough away to reach in and find the filter. Getting it off is another challenge, but I now use a K&N oil filter, which has a welded-on nut that you can turn with an adjustable wrench or large box-end wrench. Oil tends to drip all over the place and even after I clean up as best I can, I still see a drop or two on the garage floor for a week after the job is done. Dave

Norcal, Wow! Thanks for the music info. It is related to Lexus in a sense, as your audio quality in one is in question. Regarding HDMI. My Plasma has it, but I don't use it since my 2 year-old DVD player doesn't have it. As a matter of fact, neither does my receiver! BTW, I believe LG currently has a DVD player that handles both Blue Ray and HD. Okay, it's time for me to stay on topic! Dave

I should try one in my Harmon Kardon system at home. I have heard that the Blue Ray and HD DVD players produce audio that is superior to that of most DVD players. As we all know, hindsight is 20/20; fortunately, this type of situation serves to remind us that we should try before we buy. Certainly, that is not always possible, but ....... Recently, I read a post from a Mazda 3 buyer who asked the salesperson if the CD player option would be able to play CDs that were recorded from MP3 tunes. The manager assured the buyer that it would do this. After buying the car, the owner found out that this wasn't the case. So, Norcal, I guess others have similar issues. Let's hope Lexus figures it out before long.

I'll have to try ours to see if I notice anything. So far, we've driven 2500 miles on our Alenzas and have had no problems at all.

I think the least you should do is register your concern about this with Lexus customer service. They may not be able to do anything right away, but perhaps future models will include a corrected sound system. I rip music to a CD and use it in the CD changer - no issues at all. Dave

Correct, the RX400h is not strictly an "economy" vehicle, so it does not qualify. And yes, the stickers are kinda ugly!

Consider it done! Dave

I really doubt that the dealership would rent you one of their loaner vehicles for that long a time. However, you could 1. Sell your Toyota to a private party now for more than what the dealership would give you. 2. Buy a 1999-2000 Honda Civic for about $5000 - $6000. They are out there. 3. Drive the Civic until the 08 RX arrives. 4. Sell the Civic for about the same price as what you paid. It requires a bit more paperwork, but by buying a vehicle that doesn't lose value very quickly, you could end up loosing very little or nothing vs losing $2000 on your Toyota. ....food for thought.... Dave

Thanks for the report; that's great news and verification as to how much better our gas mileage is over non-hybrid SUVs.

That's a 60% increase in city mileage - BIG improvement in my book!

Actually, based upon Car & Driver's recent findings, an RX400h on a full charge accelerated to 60 MPH in 6.7 seconds - that's .1 seconds quicker than the RX350. The equivalent torque of 650 lbs-ft to the wheels gives the 400h a distinct "seat-of-the-pants" acceleration feel that cannot be duplicated without the massive kilowatt boost from electric motors (at least when we're talking about the RX line). Regarding brake longevity, hybrids that use regenerative braking exhibit much less pad wear than do those cars that do not have this feature. Again the huge advantage of owning a Toyota-made hybrid is big city driving and the huge increase in fuel mileage of which anyone can take advantage. Real-life city mileage of high-HP and high-weight non-hybrids is dismal, at least from what I've found.

Rey brought up a good point. Even though you will be spending 80% of your drive on the highway, the big question is, "How often is that highway congested?" If it is anything like the highways here in San Diego, the choice of getting an RX400h is an easy one. When you creep along in heavy traffic, you use no gas whatsoever - none! Your $3500 premium gets taken care of very quickly when your gas mileage in traffic is 33 MPG. An RX350 under the same conditions could very easily give you mid-to-low teens, or half what the 400h would return. When my wife drove a Nissan quest (V6 with 152 HP), she had to fill up every week. Now that she drives the RX400h, she fills up every two weeks; it's that drastic a change. Of course, if you are somehow able to drive on an empty highway, and seldom experience stop & go traffic, by all means, consider the RX350. I must tell you, though, that once you get used to the seamless nature of the CVT transmission, you will not want to go back to a regular auto transmission. By the way, I change my own oil and filter (and spark plugs when the time arrives). While getting to the oil filter takes a bit more time than it does when changing the filter of some other vehicles, it is in no way difficult if you have the right filter and wrench. Dave

What is the MFD? I bought an extended warranty for the Corvette and probably broke even. We elected not to buy one for the RX, since odds are good that it will not be needed. Most, if not all extended warranties have a time limit and because we drive no more than 12,000 miles per year, there wouldn't be that many miles on the odometer when the time portion of the warranty expires. I guess if you rack up the miles, an extended warranty may be tempting. Dave

Congratulations. You have to admit, though, that you feel better about telling someone you just bought a Lexus, instead of having to say you bought a Hyundai.

Routine service consists mainly of oil and oil filter every 5000 miles, rotation of tires at the same time, and air/air conditioning filters every 10,000 miles. No individual or combination of services should take any longer than a couple of hours. Regarding oil changes, I do my own, but would be hesitant to take a hybrid to a quikie-lube shop, primarily because I would rather not have to explain to every service tech why the engine doesn't start when he turns the key. Besides, I like the time savings of changing oil, myself. Dave

"Butch"? Now I've heard it all! My Bridgestones are not harsh at all. In fact, we regularly receive compliments as to how smooth the ride is and I keep the pressure of each at 36 psi. Yes, their tread pattern is a bit agressive, but you'll be glad they are the next time you get caught in a downpour or snowfall. Michelins, while good tires, are almost always overpriced when compared to other tires of the same caliber. At least that's what I've found during my 33 years of driving.

The CVT is amazing. Once you have one you will never want to deal with shifting or an automatic's braindead seeking for the right gear again. It simpley puts the power to the wheels when you need it. Done. As for the slight surging sensation some have reported, it pales in comparsion to anything you would experinece in a manual or automatic transmission vehicle. What seems to be happening is the sharing of power delivery between the engine and the electric motor can be mismatched at times which seems to the passenger like you are not holding your foot steady on the gas peddle. "Lurch" is probalby too strong a word for it. Its a control algorithm thing and that is why the code has been updated. I experienced it for a short time when I had about 1000 mi on the car but have not noticed it since then. Normally crusing is very smooth and surge free even when the electirc motor assist is comming in and out. In my opion this is not an issue and the HSD drivetrain is world class. I agree. I have not heard of this issue from any of the RX400h owners I have met or work with and have to believe that it is not present in anywhere near a majority of RX400h owners. Yes, it is noticable in some vehicles, but no, it is not an epidemic by any stretch of the imagination. This transmission is superior to any other I have driven. Dave

...without a doubt! Now, GM is trying the same thing.

From what I understand, the workaround is good only for the drive before which it is entered. You have to do the routine every time, I believe. As for tires, I bought the Bridgestone Alenzas for $600 and they are very quiet - highly recommended. I haven't read any posts regarding the installation of sound-dampening material, so you may be a pioneer of you do it. Hopefully, someone else will chime in about the NAV versions. I have one of the first RX400hs and am considering purchase of an upgraded DVD, too.