RX400h

You definitely don't want to drive a Maxima, then - grabby brakes, super-touchy throttle and air vents that don't adjust sideways! Yes, the RX400h is a winner. However, it's funny how so many people are in denial as to the fuel savings it achieves. My wife's coworker drives a Mercedes ML320 and insists that there is very little difference in gas mileage between it and the RX400h! How ignorant can someone be?

I see that the Honda Insight and Accord hybrids did not qualify, either. Hey, at least we're getting the $2000 tax credit!

Most insurance companies will have this type of windshield damage fixed for free - no deductible at all. The glass repair people come to you, whether you're at home or at the office. They did an excellent job with my Mazda windshield's chip.

Patt and I are certainly not doctors. We are engineers who are facinated by high-tech stuff. It is certainly beneficial to see thoughts from people of many professions.

The problem with plug-ins is that it would mean (for many commuters) that the engine would be turned on for only a few miles, encouraging oil sludge from improper warm-up. This would mean that super-frequent oil changes (every month or so) would be mandatory to prevent said sludge build-up from destroying the engine. How do you get around this scenario? Obviously, Toyota and Honda have not determined the answer.

Very nice! Does your payback calculations assume a 10% per year rise in fuel costs or is the chart not connected to the payback time calc? Another thing that is not mentioned is the increase in horsepower and especially, torque when referring to the Highlander and RX400h. Consumers typically will pay thousands of dollars to get a significant jump in power. Perhaps a "Luxury SUV" chart that adds a few $ to the non-hybrid vehicle cost would be beneficial.

We signed up in April of 04 as well and received our non-DVD entertainment RX400h in April of this year. In fact, we were among those who received theirs after the very first shipment came in.

Why in the world would he spend money on a battery unless it was late Saturday and all dealerships were closed?

Yes. We really scrutinized the color match, bumper fit and finish. Our RX was actually the third (including the wrong RX330 bumper cover) Bamboo Pearl bumper they painted within the last five weeks, so they certainly had some practice. I'm anxious to look at it under full sun, as it was overcast when we picked it up. Still, I'll bet the color is perfect under the sun as well.

Why were you disassembling it - mods already?

Well, we finally picked up the RX400h last night. After a $1000 rental car bill, a noticed screw sticking out of one of the front tires (RX400h), and a $500 deductible payment, we were on our way. Boy, does it feel good to smell that new leather again! One of the things that irritated me the most about that rental Maxima was the dang air vents - the wouldn't pivot left to right, just up and down. What were they (Nissan) thinking? Anyway, we're anxious to continue to put more miles on the Lex (only 3000 miles at present) and enjoy the NAV once more! Thanks again for the advice and support, everyone. Dave

There are quite a few "Dent-fixer"-type companies around here. However, they don't paint, so any damage requiring repaint must be repaired by a body shop. Minor or paint damage-free dings could be fixed at the dealership. They would simply call one of the mobile services and have it done.

Believe me, batteries go DOA more often than you think. Even Optimas, the preferred battery of Corvette owners, sometimes die after only a few months. I'm sure Toyota doesn't actually make its 12 volt batteries. Rest assured though, that the warranty fully covers the battery (and almost everything else).

We went from a Nissan Quest that was averaging about 17-18 MPG to the RX400h, which consistently delivers 25 MPG. The paint, fit and interior finish is superb and electric motor noise occurs only under heavy load. 28% better fuel milage and 110 HP and 450 lbs-ft of extra power is no compromise at all, and the way fuel prices are rising, even simple payback calculations show a time period that is reasonable. (....well, except for Lexkid!)

Actually, the Lexus dealerships around here do not do body work repairs. One sends its customers to the Chevy dealership, one to a Mercedes body shop, and one to the nearby Toyota Collision center (which is where we brought our 400h). The body shop doesn't provide a loaner vehicle, so we had to rent one from the local Enterprise. Finally, I received a call from the body shop yesterday, telling me that the bumper is in (after 2 weeks of ordering it). Our RX has been in the shop for more than three weeks and we are VERY anxious to pick it up tomorrow. However, we WON'T be looking forward to paying for the rental Maxima up front. Thanks for the support, everyone. Remember, don't let that front bumper get damaged!

Our old 1994 Nissan Quest would shut down electrical power (after a period of time) if any light is left on and the ignition is off. Even my Corvette will do this to protect its battery from being drained. Wouldn't you think that a 2006 high-end vehicle would have this feature?

I was under the impression that most new vehicles will shut off power if a light is accidentally left on for more than a certain time period. Even our old 94 Nissan Quest had this feature. I know my Corvette does as well. Why wouldn't a 2006 Lexus?

As I tell people all the time, if you take a leisurely drive to work, either on an empty highway or down a lonely country road, you will gain nothing in fuel mileage if you choose a 400h vs a 330. Unfortunately, the majority of working folks have to put up with a tememndous amount of daily traffic, five days per week, 47+ weeks per year. I have two coworkers who drive RX330s, both are achieving no more than 16-17 MPG on average. Our RX400h, on the other hand, is averaging 25+ MPG. Okay, now let's look at some other "real world" mileage numbers taken from Road & Track: Acura TSX: 24.3 Acura RL: 18.4 BMW 530i: 21.1 Chrysler 300C: 18.3 Ford Mustang GT: 18.0 Honda Accord V6: 23.3 Lexus GS430: 17.6 Lexus IS300: 23.3 Mazda 3s: 26.6 Mercedes ML500: 18.0 Nissan Maxima 3.5SE: 21.0 Porsche Cayenne Turbo: 12.8 Toyota Celica GT-S (2500 lbs): 24.7 Volkswagen Toureg V8: 14.8 Volvo XC90 AWD T6: 17.0 Needless to say, hybrid technology WORKS!

Does any of the hybrids have a tach? It may be totally unnecessary if the vehicle utilizes a CV transmission. The KW gage is like a boost gage - more entertaining than necessary.

I agree with Steve, et. al. 100%. You shouldn't be out 1 penny for the rental vehicle. Is it not possible for the body shop to put the damaged bumper back on and give you YOUR car back until a new bumper cover is located?? No offense to anyone but, at this point, that would seem to be the sensible thing to do. Who knows how long it will take to get the necessary parts. ← Actually, this is exactly what I intended to do last Monday. Before I did, I called Lexus parts and the guy there insisted that the bumper cover was due to arrive on Wednesday. Upon hearing this, I canceled my plan to retrieve the RX. Of course, every day since Wednesday has been sending my blood pressure up. The two things that bother me most is that our RX is not being driven (startup battery is slowly losing its charge and engine fluids are not being circulated - never a good thing) and for the time being, we are being reimbursed only 85% of the rental fee (which we have to pay up-front) Should eventual arbitration deem that we did NOT have to beep at the guy as he suddenly veered into our RX, then we will receive the other 15%. However, that may take months. What I don't want to do is drop off the rental car, pick up the Rx and hear two days later that the part is in and we will need to drop off the RX for two or three days. Murphy's law says that this is what will happen. In the meantime, we drive a Maxima that smells like smoke, gets worse gas mileage, and has no NAV!

I called the bumper-basher's insurance company today and their representative agreed that it is certainly not our fault that we've had the rental car for so long. The RX is very drivable, but we and the repair facility were duped into thinking that the bumper cover would be in soon. Of course, the repar facility's listing of damaged parts, including a 2005 RX330 bumper cover couldn't have helped matters, either. When I asked them about this, they replied that the RX400h "isn't in the system, and we HAD to list something". So, the dealership could've been duped as well! What a mess! At least the agent is not going to withold payment to us for use of the rental vehicle. But I agree that Lexus should pay for some of it.

Unfortunately, keeping your tires at 35 psi will likely result in heavy wear at the center of each tire and little wear around the inside and outside of the tread. Your tire life will be reduced significantly and I'm betting that these tires are NOT inexpensive.

It is and getting worse by the day. The other thing is that we were getting spoiled by the NAV. Now we feel like lost nomads in the Sahara! "If you can determine the part number for the bumper or any other Lexus part then you can search the parts inventories of Lexus dealers nationwide at http://www.partsvoice.com/partsvoice/conte...part.html" The Lexus parts guy did scan the country and found zero - nada front bumper covers for the 2006 RX400h. Ours is coming from Japan.

....18 days and no bumper yet! Everyone, please, do not allow anyone to damage either of your bumpers. Boy, do we miss the 400h.

Wow! That was some of the best stock investment advice I've ever read. Sadly, most people will read savy advice and just continue to live their lives as they have. I once worked with a woman whose husband invested in apartment buildings here in San Diego since the early 80s. During the early 90s, he advised me to start buying apartment buildings. Boy, am I sorry I didn't persue this form of investment! As most of you know, real estate has skyrocked more in California than almost anywhere else in the nation. It should've been a no-brainer for me at the time. But, as RX in NC stated, you have to make a commitment and persist.