RX400h

Thanks for the tips. I will try them out within the next two weeks. The other thing I did not mention about the K&N oil filter is that a fairly extensive test by bobistheoilguy.com found that only a few oil filters out of the many tested provided both minimal pressure drop and excellent filtration properties. I noticed when I switched from an OEM AC Delco to the K&N in my Corvette, time-to-running pressure (about 40 psi) became noticably faster, along with reduced-duration piston slap noise. Granted, I don't know how the Toyota filter compares, but my guess is that the K&N is a "step-up" in reduced pressure drop, compared to the Toyota OEM. What this means is that internal engine components get lubricated a bit faster during the crucial seconds of startup - the time when most engine wear occurs. By the way, I do have a filter wrench that is very similar to the one you have shown. I did find that you normally need to use both hands to use it effectivly - one hand holds the wrench on the filter, while the other hand cranks the socket wrench. With the K&N filter, one hand is all that you need to loosen the filter. Dave

The K&N filter may not be as inexpensive as the OEM filter, but its welded-on nut makes installing and removing it a much easier task. I'm due for another change in a couple of weeks and I'm glad that nut will be there when I go to loosen the filter. It is in the most remote area of the engine I have ever encountered in my 32 years of changing oil and filters.

It's amazing that with the price of gas, auto manufacturers still feel the need to make bigger, faster, heavier, and thirstier vehicles. I believe it would be a huge mistake if the future hybrid RXs are larger and get poorer fuel mileage. Give us a hybrid van that is much more efficient than a 3-ton SUV. By the way, the new Acura RDX (smaller version of the MDX) was recently tested by Road and Track magazine. It averaged 13.2 MPG. When is Honda going to wake up and notice how poorly the Mazda CX-7 is selling. Yes, they both are faster than most SUVs, but average mileage is going down and THAT is very bad timing for the US. Okay, I'll get off my soap box now.

Keep in mind that there will almost always be a dramic improvement when worn tires are replaced. Back a few years ago, we had Sumitomo tires installed on our van after the worn Michelins started sounding very "rough". We were in heaven for at least one year, as the new Sumitomos were much quieter. Unfortunately, that didn't last long and after two years, the Sumis were ready for the scrap pile.

Thanks for the info! Dave

Well, at 0 rpm, the motors combine with the ICE to produce a whopping 650 lbs-ft of torque - enough to spin all four tires, if desired. The temptation is there, believe me.......

Actually, stop & go driving increases fuel mileage in the RX400h. Notice that its EPA city mileage is much higher than its highway mileage. You can easily average only 18 by driving 80 MPH for extended periods of time. With our mixture of city/highway, we average 25. Of course, when I drive the vehicle, it probably gets 18, but my wife balances this out with much more "reserved" driving. I can't seem to let those BMW X5s pass me by........

Your gas mileage will creep up over time. Ours went from an average of 21 to an average of 25 over a period of approx. 5000 miles worth of driving. Although I haven't noticed a high-pitched sound when braking, I really like the jet turbine-sound that emanates from under the hood sometimes.

I believe that if you go to the Tirerack website and enter your make and model, you will see the OEM tire size, which doesn't initially show its speed rating. Of course, one should never replace an OEM tire with a tire having a lower speed rating. Not only may you end up with reduced performance, but you can also have a blowout if you take your vehicle to a track for high speed driving. The only alternatives (with V speed rating) to the OEM Goodyears that Tirerack shows are three Michelins and a Yokohama. For some strange reason, the Bridgestone Alenza doesn't turn up in a comparison listing. However, if you search for them directly, they are listed in the correct size and speed rating. The "V" speed rating that our OEM Goodyears carry, is way up there at 149 MPH max. Generally, tires having this speed rating tend to wear out rather quickly. Dave

Back when the Goodyear GSD3s were introduced, the number of available sizes were rather slim. Those who tried them urged those who required wider sizes to wait; the tire is well worth it. After one year or less, Goodyear introduced many of the sizes people wanted, with more sizes to come. I'm guessing that the RX400h tire size requirement is not extremely popular - hence its sizeot being available as a Fortera HL. Believe me, Goodyear will come out with that size Fortera, eventually. So if you need tires right now, your choices are fairly limited. The Bridgestones appear to be a good choice for what's available.

In a not too long ago test of SUV tires, Consumer Reports noted the following: "All-season truck and SUV tires Among all-season tires, the Goodyear Fortera HL Edition (*est. $120) and Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza (*est. $120) run neck and neck in tire reviews. Both, experts say, are excellent SUV tires, and both tires are included in comparative testing at The Tire Rack. Editors say both ride well, but the Goodyear Fortera is rated slightly better for comfort and steering response. The Bridgestone tires have some features that are not easily tested, including a double-layer tread that's meant to improve traction as the primary tread begins to wear. As a result, the Alenza has one of the highest government treadwear ratings of 600 for H-rated tires and 700 for T-rated tires. Competing tires, including the Goodyear Fortera tires, have treadwear ratings of around 540. (Read more about government treadwear ratings in our Best Research section below.) The Goodyear Fortera HL Edition gets high scores from three tire reviewers, and experts say this truck and SUV tire has an excellent blend of handling, ride and safety qualities. The Goodyear tire gets especially high scores from experts for wet and dry braking, and this SUV tire is competent on snow and ice, making it a good choice for mild winter weather. The Goodyear Fortera easily outgrips the Michelin Cross Terrain SUV tire (*est. $145) in tests at Car and Driver and in other SUV tire reviews. The Goodyear Fortera HL Edition and Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza truck and SUV tires are both highly competent, and they compete head-to-head on pricing as well. We've included the Goodyear Fortera tires in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers, since we saw this tire reviewed by more experts (possibly because the Alenza is a newer SUV tire). The Fortera and Alenza are both premium all-season truck and SUV tires, with corresponding high price tags. We found some tires in reviews, however, that come close in many aspects to the performance of these more expensive tires. The Kelly Safari Signature (*est. $90) and Dayton Timberline HT (*est. $75) are good budget all-season options. The Kelly SUV tire gets excellent scores for performance on ice and gets kudos from reviewers for low noise. Overall, however, the Kelly doesn't handle quite as well as the Fortera and Alenza truck tires. The Dayton Timberline is competent across the board, falling just short of the higher-end Fortera and Alenza tires, but outclassing tires such as the Toyo Open Country M410 (*est. $90) and Uniroyal Laredo Cross Country (*est. $85). Another good budget tire is the Dunlop Radial Rover AT (*est. $85). Reviews say that the Dunlop tires deliver a smooth, quiet ride and perform well in braking tests, with the exception of icy surfaces. Cornering and emergency handling are good but not excellent. Dunlop offers a 60,000-mile treadlife warranty on the Radial Rover AT." It looks you can't go wrong with either, with the Goodyears having a slight edge in the handling department. Full article here: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/automoti.../fullstory.html

I would expect that if there was obvious alignment issues as evidenced by uneven tire wear, an alignment should be completed at no charge. Maybe I'm a bit spoiled by Lexus in general, but if I were the guy bringing my RX in for this problem, I'd insist.

In my opinion - yes, the dealership should check and align as necessary.

So that must have been YOUR RX400h I saw blasting by me on 15 South, doing 110 MPH! Don't worry, I won't relay that info to the dealership........... Seriously, I'm guessing that Toyota bought the Goodyears for an incredibly low price. Certainly, this is not indicative of the rest of their line of tires. As I mentioned previously, OEM tires are often much less durable than the best aftermarket tires. The same holds true for many OEM brakepads and other wearable components.

Tire cupping is almost always indicative of bad shock absorbers. Our Goodyears are looking good after 13,000 miles. No, they won't last 40,000 miles, but OEMs rarely do. In fact, I was looking at tire selections for my Mazda at a Discount tire shop not too long ago and the salesguy pointed out a few OEM tires that had 10,000 mile warranties. I'm not talking about super high performance tires, either. These were H-rated OEMs by Bridgestone, Michelin, etc. Apparently, longevity is not a concern of many auto manufacturers. As proof, my Goodyear GSD3 tires on my Corvette are hardly wearing at all after 10,000 miles. These are ultra high-performance tires that are far superior to anything that goes on most new vehicles.

Didn't they offer to find you a replacement? Dave

I agree. Try another dealership.

This firmware would also have to include "lower battery life" with "better economy". Remember, the RX400h weighs 4600 lbs. Allowing it to use more of the battery's charge would result in having to replace the batteries sooner than the current 150,000+ miles.

I think the battery warranty is eight or ten years. Of course, you'd have to try to calculate whether the cost of new batteries offsets the higher mileage. It's funny how no matter how well some things are engineered, there's always someone who has a "better" idea. Many are well-researched, but the plug-in concept, I'm afraid, was not. Dave

"Toyota has been tracking battery life of its hybrid cars, on sale in Japan since 1997 (and over here since 2000). The latest word is that the hybrid battery pack - note, not the ordinary 12-volt battery running "hotel loads" - is good for the design life of the car. Engineers usually figure this at 150,000 miles, with an expected bell curve of low and high extremes. The reason for this longevity is interesting, and it also augurs poorly for the plug-in hybrid concept. The greatest chemical stress on any battery occurs at its operational extremes, the last 20 percent before full discharge and the top 20 percent of full recharge. To avoid these extremes and enhance life, Toyota's hybrid battery pack is designed to operate at 60-percent charge, +/- 10 percent. Under extreme conditions, this is stretched perhaps another 5 percent in either direction. Therefore, the hybrid battery pack spends most of its life at 50-to-70-percent charge, avoiding the detrimental effects of low or high extremes. By contrast, a plug-in hybrid car gains range and performance by exploiting this plug-in pack to the fullest. As wth ordinary rechargeable batteries, it's likely to trade longevity for this capability."

Thanks, Steve. It is my pleasure to help out the forum and to meet so many incredible people. Dave

Typically, when a procedure calls for turning the ignition "On", it refers to rotating the key from "Off" to "On", without starting the engine. This is part of my Corvette's procedure to reset the "Oil Life Remaining" display back to 0%.

Lately, I've been reading very good things about Goodyear (not OEM) tires. Consumer reports has rated GY tires #1 for the past couple of years. I don't have my mags handy at this time, but anyone who subscribes can check into this. I do know that the Goodyear GSD3s (ultra high-performance tires) are not only the best tires I've ever driven on in the rain and on dry roads, but they also trounced every other high-performance tire in a recent Car & Driver test.

I could've sworn I saw an article about an IS diesel. Has anyone else seen this?

I agree. We have to remember what the 400h weighs: 4600 lbs. I'll bet that if an H2 were to try to stop quickly and didn't allow an incredibly long distance between it and the vehicle in front of it, there's be one squashed vehicle as a result. I am spoiled royally by the Corvette - unbelieveably short stopping distances and seats that not only provide perfect lower back support, but also coddle from the sides. Everything is a compromise of sorts and our RX400h is no exception. If you really want to know if your brakes are faulty, I recommend that you drive another h to compare.