RX400h

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

It is well known in the automotive industry that Toyota's Prius far outsells its only true competition - Honda's Civic hybrid. Real world mileage of each is not very different. One of the primary reasons why the Prius sells so well is the fact that it is sold ONLY as a hybrid. If you drive a Prius, it is very obvious from any distance that you are driving a hybrid. This is not the case with the Civic - hence, the slow sales. Since the real world mileage is so close, it is not a major factor when the selection is made by most consumers. Back in the early 90s, GM introduced the Corvette ZR1. It had 375 horsepower vs about 250 HP for the standard coupe and convertible Corvette. One of the ZR1's most obvious outward-appearing differences was its squarish taillights (coupe and vert lights were round). People who paid an extra $40,000 wanted others to recognize the car they were driving. After a few years of very good sales, GM decided to make ALL Corvettes with the Squarish tail lights. Immediately following this mistake-of-a-design-change, sales of ZR1s dropped drastically. The bottom line and moral of the story is that if you spend extra money on a car, you deserve to have differentiating external design attributes for instant recognition. This is food for a craving that is rooted in human nature. Does anyone think that a hybrid Corolla would sell as well as the Prius? I think not!

Good luck, Husker. It'll be well worth it! Dave

Great writeup, Colosprings! I agree. That humming noise upon agressive throttle comes from the electric motor(s), not the engine. The engine is configured to run at relatively low speeds, I believe. The only two things I wish for is an adjustable hatch height and sportier seats as an option for those of us who are NOT overweight! Dave

is that why they key cars? silly kids... the prius sells so well because it is rated at 60 mpg lol. i also would not want to add that hybrid badging on my car, id rather you use a sharpie to do the trick. I was comparing the Prius to the Honda Civic Hybrid which generally gets similar mileage. :chairshot:

I think the same reasons applied to our RX - the right color at the right time. My son who is learning how to drive, commented that the brakes and power feel so much better than those of the 1989 Mazda MX6 GT that he will end up driving when he gets his license. I reminded him that the RX cost 14 times as much as the Mazda did (as a used car).

I think this is one of the reasons why the Prius sells so well (versus the Honda Civic hybrid). On the other hand, one of the good things about the RX400h is that it tends to blend in with all those RX330s out there. It's not like parking a Ferarri or Lamborghini in a sea of common rides. After more than one year of parking everywhere, our RX400h has only a slight cut on its right-side door strip - no key damage from jealous people, thank God.

If it has been sitting and any moisture has accumulated on the brake discs, could be as simple as surface corrosion causing the brake pad to stick a little. Good point! That could very well cause the clunking noise.

That would be the basketball you left in the back! Seriously, a bad motor mount would do the same thing; however, this is extremely unlikely. I'd have it checked by the same dealership more sooner than later. It is doubtful that anything done during the oil change caused this malady, but I've heard of weirder things happening.