RX400h

I know that high-sulfer fuel has been blamed for many a gauge/sender unit malfunction in C5 Corvettes. Many have resolved the issue by pouring a can of Techron in their tank. California already has low-sulfer fuel, but perhaps other states do not? ....just a thought.

Guys, some forums have an "Off-Topic" section that allows almost any type of discussion. This forum does not, so in order to avoid animosity about a subject that was not the main topic of this post (thankfully), I think it's time for this post to end. Dave

Keep in mind that the factory-specified tire pressure recommendation that is listed in the manual and on a door jamb sticker is incorrect. The correct pressure should be 34-36 psi at approx. 70 degrees, before driving. The best I could do was to get free mounting and balancing after my tires were worn out at the inner and outer edges after 18,000 miles. When you get new tires, ignore the factory pressure spec; your tires will last much longer. I recommend the Bridgestone Alenzas - excellent tires and highly rated by the Tirerack customers.

I guess the possibilities are endless and we may see some or all of what you mention, W. For an efficient, yet somewhat powerful sedan, the Camry Hybrid is stellar, IMO. Ah, but we are getting a bit off-topic again. What happened to the snow country comments. Maybe the original poster received enough information...... Dave

Okay, let's not get too far off-topic here. Debating whether global warming is real or not can easily get out of hand, so why don't we back away from this issue - at least here. The gas prices here are expected to go up to $4.00 or more, this Summer and I think that's reason enough to have a hybrid SUV. Thanks, Dave

I am still somewhat amazed that Jeeps are still selling, given their less than stellar repair history (according to Consumer Reports and neighbors who had them). I guess their two advantages are their off-road ability and their cost. Still, I will always remember my neighbor's comments about his Grand Cherokee: "Every time I look underneath it, I see another leak!" The RX400h is light-years ahead as far as fuel economy, quality, and reliability - well worth the extra cost, IMO.

Many OEM tires wear out far more quickly than aftermarket versions, even by the same manufacturer. This is why I stayed away from the OEM tires when it comes time for replacement. Still, one might assume that the Michelins are longer-lasting compared to the OEM Goodyears, but as I mentioned previously, it is those Goodyears that are made of a very soft compound, not the aftermarket Goodyears, which have been highly rated by many magazines and Tirerack buyers.

I bring up the warranty issue because many header manufacturers state in their warranty that it is voided if the headers are wrapped with a thermal barrier. I had Doug Thorley headers in my 68 Corvette and I remember seeing this warning. I can theorize why this is so. Stainless steel will corrode quite easily if moisture and anaerobic conditions are present. Let's say you take a piece of 316 stainless steel and immerse it in a pool of water. It should remain pristine as long as its passivation "layer" is exposed to moving water. Now take that same piece and bolt a plastic washer to it. After only a few weeks, the stainless steel surface that is under the washer will exhibit pitting corrosion. Perhaps if the entire exhaust pipe is hermetically sealed so that absolutely no moisture may enter, the stainless steel would remain pristine. However, chances are that a wrap of some sort may not completely seal the surface underneath it, allowing crevice (pitting) corrosion to occur. So the key is to seal the pipes so well that no water could possibly wick its way in and underneath the "barrier". Dave

Excellent writeup! However, I think I would research into this application a bit further, as most header manufacturers will void their warranty if thermal wraps are applied. Apparently, the metal used for exhaust headers is designed to radiate heat outward to help cool the metal itself. Barrier coatings are sometimes used as stated: Thermal Barrier is an excellent heat barrier and is recommended for the bottom of intake manifolds & exhaust crossovers to reduce heat transfer. It may also be applied to windage trays, crank scrapers and crankshafts for oil shedding. In certain instances Thermal Barrier may be desirable on the inside of oil pans where good heat retention is desired, such as at drag races, where oil in the pan may become cold while waiting in staging lanes. Although heat and sound are greatly subdued by applying thermal barriers, the potential damage to the underlying metal in exhaust header applications should not be underestimated. I would also check with Lexus to verify whether this type of modification voids its warranty. Dave

A good comparison should come after many thousands of miles, IMO. I've had many different types of similarly-sized tires over the past 10 years on our Nissan Quest van - Goodyears, Sumitomos, Coopers, Dunlops, etc. and most, if not all felt great for the first 5-10 thousand miles. It's the mileage that comes after that that will separate the wheat, so to speak. That being said, I continue to be cautiously enthusiastic about our Bridgestone Alenzas - great tires thus far!

Some people use a cage to contain their pets in the back. I find that if someone is in the back seat, he or she can keep my dog still. If I need to take her by myself or with one person, I take my 1989 Mazda; it's hard to scratch the fabric seats!

Say, the steering wheel IS on the wrong side!

I had a similar experience with Sumitomo tires on our Nissan Quest. The tires were perfectly quiet and smooth for about 10,000 miles or so. After that, the tread noise became very irritating, at best. We now have over 1000 miles on our Bridgestone Alenzas and from what I've read in the many reviews on the internet, they should remain quiet for a very long time (non-unidirectional threads probably help in this regards). As was mentioned, though - time and mileage will tell. So far, our Alenzas get two thumbs up from my household. Dave

Generally when that happens, it means the base material was not properly prepared OR primer was not applied before painting. ALWAYs use a primer before painting steel or aluminum. Dave

....impressive reply by WWest - good explanation!

Actually, I can say the same thing about the Bridgestones - MUCH better handling compared to the OEM tires. Another thing to consider is unsprung weight. The lighter the components, the better the ride. For this reason, I shy away from heavier wheels and/or tires. Dave

This is one of the reasons why I chose the Bridgestones: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresult...;speed_rating=Y Every review by owners of SUVs were very positive about them. Even owners of RX330s were very impressed. I'm sure the Toyos are good tires as well; it's just that with so much positive feedback on the Bridgestones (and an incredible price of $600/4)m I just couldn't pass them up.

I've driven in many Mercedes vehicles and I'm not sure what you are talking about. Lexus is known throughout the industry as having one of the best interiors. Audi does a good job, but I'm not impressed with Mercedes. The lights-again-not the interior but reading lights-check this ones and you'll know what I mean. Lawyers would eat that up and go directly at Toyota's juggular on that one. As I said, what makes sense to the average person does not necessarily make sense to a lawyer. I can almost guarantee you that you don't trim a tree that hangs out over a sidewalk, some jogger will wack his or her head on a branch and sue you for failing to provide safe passageway. It doesn't matter if any normal person would see the tree limb and move out of the way. Again, lawsuit-happy gold-diggers could care less if their actions cause the rest of us to suffer daily. If you get only 14-18 MPG with an RX400h, then you are driving like a maniac, pure and simple. I drive very briskly and my wife, as an average driver and we average 25 MPG. My previous coworkers, who both had RX330s, average 16 MPG. Both are VERY conservative drivers. I blast past X5s all the time and STILL average 25 MPG. I guarantee you, I am having fun when I see the look on their faces! "Affording" the gas has nothing to do with it. I refuse to waste my money on gas for a vehicle that can't get better than 14 MPG in the city. Even my Corvette gets better than that. The German SUV manufacturers were caught flat-footed by the RX400h. How embarrasing to Porsche that an RX400h is faster than their Cayenne S, yet trounces it when it comes to efficiency. Where is the high-level engineering? It's at Toyota!

I guess you never read anything about the first-year Mercedes SUV. It was so full of squeeks and rattles that sales plummeted for years. I don't think they ever fully recovered from the bad press they received after that fiasco. Even today, Mercedes Benz has one of the worst reliability ratings of any carmaker. I think if you were to poll RX400h owners, you'd find that the majority of them have few-to-no rattles or squeeks. Ours is virtually perfect in that regard. My interior lights turn off after a few seconds of closing the door. Not being to use the GPS protects Toyota from getting sued by all the sue-happy leeches out there. It's sad that there are so many, but they are there, waiting to sue after a collision that happened while they were entering an address in the NAV system. The ML500 gets 12 MPG in real-world city driving - no thanks! Yes, other gasoline-only vehicles are quieter during brisk acceleration, but that is a small price to pay for the extra power and twice the fuel mileage if the RX, IMO. Have you ever compared the "real world mileage" to that of any competing SUVs? The Mercedes and Volkswagens are horrible and the BMWs are not far behind. I'd go broke driving any one of the German SUVs, believe me. It sounds like you never test-drove your RX before you bought it. While this is not the vehicle for everyone, it is rated #1 by Consumer Reports for very good reasons. I kindly suggest that you buy the Mercedes and don't forget to wave to us as we pass you at the gas station.

I agree with Gordon; many of today's luxury vehicle seats are loaded with electronics and related safety components. I believe that the RX400h seats were designed to accomodate anyone who weighs anywhere from 90 to 290 lbs. Unfortunately, we who are in decent shape, end up with the bench-style seats. Perhaps we should let Lexus customer service know that adjustable side and thigh supports would be much appreciated. Dave

I recently had the 2-inch hitch installed and am planning to order the 4-bike rack that Northern Tool sells for $119. The local Sports store sells them for $200. Since I need to mount four bikes at a time, my options are somewhat limited. Dave

The book says the cargo area only looses one inch (higher floor) due to battery storage. I was under the impression that the back seats are taller,not the floor itself.

Some SUVs have ultrasonic range snesors that beep more frequently as the object gets closer. Even better would be a distance measurement display (you can buy the kit for about $100) that tells you what the distance is, fairly accurately. I agree that it IS difficult to judge using the camera or by looking back. The best vehicles for judging distance of objects behind you are small pickup trucks, IMO. However, having a large vehicle that is somewhat tall almost guarantees that backing up will be tricky. Even my Corvette rear end location is tough to judge when backing up. I always allow much more than enough room. Dave

We have no complaints with the way ours work although sometimes when I adjust the rearview mirror, the wipers will be activated briefly.

We love this vehicle - safe, smooth, quiet, great gas mileage, and fast!