RX400h

Congratulations and welcome to the hybrid club! You and your wife will thoughly enjoy the Rx400h, especially after having the X5! :)

Great results - thanks! I'm still waiting for the Alenzas, but the good news is that my OEM tires have a ways to go before they are worn out completely. Dave

I fill my tank up every two weeks and have never had this problem. However, I HAVE had this problem while fueling other vehicles and have found that the gas pump handle was at fault - never the car. Have you tried different gas stations?

What is the problem?

We get 25 MPG with about 50/50 city/highway.

Keep in mind that 1) Tire wear numbers are good to know only if comparing tires from the same manufacturer 2) Larger diameter tires will affect your displayed speed so that it is below the actual vehicle speed. 3) Wider tires may decrease fuel mileage and may not provide more contact area, depending upon the wheel width. 4) Larger diameter tires may rub against suspension components when the vehicle's steering wheel is near full-lock.

That's Tirerack's normal price. Dave

Unfortunately, the top-rated Goodyear Tripletread is not available in our tire sizes. Still, the Bridgestones appear to be excellent tires. My set of four is still back-ordered after one month.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=34555

I'm not sure about your area, but here in Southern California, diesel fuel is 20 cents per gallon MORE expensive than premium fuel. Compare diesel cost to regular gas costs and it becomes very difficult to justify buying a diesel-powered vehicle. I, for one, am glad that my RX400h runs very well on regular gas.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few wheel and tire choices here: http://www.tirerack.com/upgrade_garage/Whe...mp;autoModClar= Still, I'm going with the Bridgestone Alenzas (if they EVER) come in! (still waiting). Dave

I can't say I blame you; I am sportscar-biased, myself.

The C5 Corvette is capable of getting 30 MPG on the highway, but virtually impossible to get anything over 18 in city driving. I typically drive it "aggressively" early in the morning when there is very little traffic, and yet still average 20 MPG. This gas mileage is what seperates the Corvette from other sportscars, like Porsches and Vipers, whose owners achieve much lower mileage numbers. You should remember, however, that the RX400h weighs 44% more than the Corvette. A GM SUV with Corvette engine would achieve far less gas mileage than the RX400h does. s

Then again, your mom's RX is probably faster than your car........ :chairshot: Seriously, there will always be features of other cars, even in the same family, that are preferable. My Corvette seats are light-years more comfortable than the RX's seats, but the 3200 lb Corvette averages only 20 MPG vs. the 4600 lb RX's 25 MPG.

Does the dealership have any other 400hs on the lot? If so, ask to listen to them.

Our 2006 RX400h has not had this problem at all. I am sure that a fix is in order for your RX. Please let us know how it turns out.

I just bought Bridgestone Alenzas from the Tirerack. All four were about $650. Michelin makes good tires, but they are generally overpriced.

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