RX400h

This could very well be true; however, I still wonder how a Murano reverses, though.

I not only mentioned this issue to Lexus while filling out my satisfaction/comments form they sent me, but I also told the Lexus rep. who called me, shortly after we picked up our RX400h. Audi has an adjustable-height hatch in one of their newest vehicles, so I imagine it won't be long before Lexus does the same. We have to park our RX outside of the garage after grocery shopping and then drive it in after unloading; luckily, we get very little rain here in Southern Cali. Still, they should've done a bit more homework before deciding how high the hatch would reach. Clearly, the majority of us are having a problem.....

Call me a skeptic, but I find it hard to believe if your battery is low, the RX400h will not allow you to reverse up a hill. How does the Nissan Murano power itself in reverse? It too, has a CVT, no?

I would think that there HAS to be a reverse gear. After all, how could the batteries provide enough power to back up a steep driveway or hill at speeds greater than 20 MPH? A steep hill, combined with a 4500 lb vehicle has GOT to require engine power, IMO.

RX330 owners have reported highway fuel mileage of close to 30, so if you are driving primarily on no-to-little traffic highway miles, buying a hybrid RX makes less sense. Its huge advantage over the RX330 comes when city/stop&go driving represents at least 50% of your driving. RX330s, as Pat Bedard states, tend to get 16-17 MPG under "city"-type conditions. Still, as LCB mentioned, it's refreshing to hear counter-bashing by an automotive expert for a change!

Getting a bit tired of hearing the same old comments about hybrids, Pat Bedard, the well-known C&D writer and mechanical engineer wrote: "You can write your check for 50 large, arrive home in a shiny black Ford F-250 Harley-Davidson Super Duty; its dubs bulging out the rear fenders like steroid-infused biceps, and no one on this staff will say, "Boy, you're never going to get your money's worth out of that thing." Or maybe you ante up for the Rddie Bauer option on your Ford Expedition. You won't be scolded on these pages, told that you'll have to sit on those leather seats for an extra 50,000 miles to recoup your foolish outlay for Eddie. But show a little enthusiasm for hybrids? We purse the puritan lips and say, "You know, the mileage is not that great. You'll have to drive it till it's as used as Willie Nelson to save gas enough to get your cost back." The knock on hybrids takes two forms, both of which I hear often around the water cooler. First, they say it is not a real solution to energy consumption because the makers lose money on each one they sell; therefore, hybrids are unsustainable. Ford's hybrid machinery is similar to system Toyota uses in the Prius, which sold 53,308 units in the first half of 2005, putting it on track to top 100,000 in the U.S. over the year. That would make it solidly profitable according to the Ford yardstick (Profits of low-cost hybrids are realized at the 70,000 vehicle mark). The other knock on hybrids is that they don't get the fuel economy promised by the EPA numbers. Oh, yes they do, if you drive them as the government drives them on the standard test. Of course, I drove my own routes at my own speeds during my week in a hybrid Lexus RX400h. About half was on freeways, sometimes at speeds above 80; at least 75 miles were in rain. I measured 25.3 mpg over 468 miles. Maybe that doesn't sound miraculous, but when we tested a conventional RX330 (C/D, July 2003), the C/D-observed fuel economy was 17 mpg. In fact, neither Lexus matched its EPA rating in our hands. But the hybrid outperformed the conventional by 8 mpg. ....If most of your driving is urban slow-and-go, a hybrid will probably do well for you. If you commute on free-flowing interstates, forget hybrids. It's that simple." Now I maintain that the majority of us working stiffs live in fairly dense cities and encounter traffic on a daily basis. Thus, driving a hybrid makes much more sense than many people realize. In fact, I was recently in Seattle, Washington and was ASTOUNDED at the massive traffic jams, seeming coming from all directions and at any time of the day - big city + high gas prices=ideal hybrid conditions.

I never heard about these. Does anyone have a link to info?

The Germans might be on to something... ← The headlines in today's paper announced that American vehicles are now more reliable than German vehicles. Mercedes and Volkswagen appear to be dragging them down quickly, but BMWs have not been doing well, either. In Car & Driver's recent small sedan comparison, their 330 (BMW) had numerous problems - a certain warning sign of reliability problems down the road (This was a new model). Regarding diesels, has anyone noticed diesel fuel prices at the pump lately? I'm seeing 50 cents per gallon higher prices than those of regular gas. That's a full 30 cents higher than super-unleaded!

Ours has had ZERO problems since delivery in April. Nissan's Quest has been a big problem for Nissan. Unfortunately, many folks don't research before they buy - two people I know recently bought Nisaan Quests - bad choice at this time....

....and Mercedes keeps insisting that its diesels are the answer........

Welcome aboard! Don't forget to check the tires' air pressure when you get home or better yet, ask the dealership to double-check before you leave. They tend to forget to lower the pressure and the potential result is heavy tire wear in the center of each overinflated tire. Enjoy!

That's a great comparison list, QT! I noticed that the ground clearance listed for the Highlander is quite a bit more than that of the RX400h. The overall height of each is similar, so I'm not sure why there is a significant difference.

I received this issue as well. The interesting thing is that the Highlander produced lower fuel mileage numbers than the RX400h, yet the RX400h is heavier by 100 lbs. They did mention that the RX was quieter and better riding. Its disadvantage is that it doesn't handle quite as well. The other thing I noticed is that the RX offers heated seats, the Highlander, nada. As expected, both vehicles trounced the Mercedes and BMW competition. No competitor came close to the gas milage figures of the two hybrids. As was mentioned, many are extreme gas guzzlers. BTW, I don't baby the RX and yet get a consistent 25 MPG.

I have a great time puttering along when an X5 driver, shortly after noticing the "H" after the RX400, pulls into the left lane to blast by me. Not wanting to avoid "shock" therapy, I floor the gas pedal and rocket ahead. This happens every now and again and I still chuckle every time it does.....and we still average 25 MPG, heh, heh!

I never heard of this type of service!

...our RX400h's tires were overinflated when we picked up the vehicle. Apparently, the factory inflates to maximum pressure so that flat spots do not develop in the tires from sitting in one position for extended periods, both on the way to the dealership and on the dealership's lots. This was explained to me by the service consultant yesterday. He figures that occasionally, the techs forget to lower the pressure by bleeding the tires, just before the customer buys the vehicle.

I would hope that they use a frequency that is not within the typical police radar bandwidth. Otherwise, the Lexus radar would could as a jammer to the police units. Ditto for laser transmitters.

I agree that the numbers are close, but if you want to know what the potential of a vehicle is, check with Car & Driver. They clocked the new Corvette Z06 at 0-60 MPH in 3.6 seconds :o . If it were 10 years ago, I would agree that everyone looking at big V8 SUVs could care less about economy, but these are times of rapidly accelerating fuel costs and a significant number of new vehicle shoppers are looking at EPA figures. Personally, I would not have purchased an SUV if the 400h or Highlander hybrid were not available. Only my (previously owned) 68 Corvette has generated more comments from friends, neighbors, and strangers. The most commonly asked question at this time is "How's the gas mileage?" Regarding your wife's thirst for power: Lexus will be coming out with an LS600h - 500HP and the economy of a six cylinder (or at least a very efficient small V8).

Actually, according to Car & Driver, the RX400h out-accelerates even the 8-cylinder BMW X5 [6.9 seconds(RX400h) vs 7.1 seconds(X5)] and trounces it in fuel mileage (the X5 achieves only 16/22 EPA numbers). Also, as you noticed, the RX400h has a smoother, more comfortable ride. From what I've experienced, most women prefer the smoother ride over ultimate handling. We weighed fuel mileage and reliability (the Lexus RXs are Consumer Reports top picks) over handling for our SUV purchasing decision and with gas prices soaring beyond what anyone had expected even last year, we're happy we made this decision. Still, if everyone thought the way we do...........

Where, pray tell, would you fit a natural gas tank...on the roof (like a city bus)? Dang, that would look pretty weird!

"In a recent 5,200 kilometre coast-to-coast trip conducted by Germany's Auto Bild newspaper in the U.S. a Mercedes ML 320 CDI diesel beat a hybrid Lexus RX 400 H. The Mercedes diesel averaged a consumption of 9.1 litres per 100 kilometres while the Lexus Hybrid recorded a fuel consumption of 10.2 litres. " As you can see, the test was conducted by a German magazine and favored highway driving. Passenger car diesels are all but dead here in the US - no surprise, given diesel fuel's $.20 greater cost per gallon than even regular unleaded gas. Toyota caught the Germans flat-footed, so the Germans must try to defend themselves in some way, shape or form.

It's basically a wash - with superunleaded running almost 10% higher in cost than regular, any fuel savings because of better mileage is used up as added fuel cost. The minor benefit is extra power, but let's face it, few of us are asking for MORE power!

Hurt by the constant kidney-pounding from rock-hard seats/suspension and body contortions to enter and exit? Yes! Spoiled? No! :chairshot:

Not yet, but I would love to drive the new Z06 (505 HP). Then again, maybe I shouldn't (cost $70,000)! The nice thing about the C6s is the NAV option. I'm kinda spoiled when I use the RX.