RX400h

Thanks for the replies, everyone. The bike rack I saw at the bike shop positioned the bikes quite a distance away from the hatch door and costs $259. I did see one advertised in Northern Tool for $129 or so, but it looked like the vertical rack was closer to the hatch. Its description specified a 2-inch hitch? I believe.

You gas wil last waaaay longer! Congrats! By the way, does anyone know how much the dealers charge for a trailer hitch? I was looking at a hitch-type bike rack (accomodates 4 bikes) the other day.

Chevron mixes Techron in their pump gas. The problem I have with Chevron is their price - generally much higher tha Arco or even Shell.

87 (Regular) works just fine for us. I use Arco and haven't had any problems for almost one year now. I agree that once per year, a can of Techron is a good idea.

It's possible he has a copy of the "Time Machine" movie. I do and I'm not nearly as technological as he is!

I can remember a time when WWest was extremely concerned about gas mileage. Now it seems he has abandoned concern for efficiency and is adamant about buying the best handling SUV. Wwest, does the Acura get good mileage or what? If it's not a hybrid, save your money!

This is certainly the first I've heard of this type of issue. Please let us know what they find.

I generally check many things while the oil is draining, the battery among them. I also have time to clean the engine a bit. Believe me, I'd rather relax in a lounge, watching a big screen TV and drinking coffee, but doing this while paying $135 for an oil change makes me feel guilty - guilty because I know I can take my whole family out for a really nice dinner for that kind of money. Am I rich enough to ignore that? ...not yet!

I might go with a blend the next time, but for now, I have "The maximum protection against sludge buildup"! I have a feeling that it will carry my Rx through the next 5000 miles very nicely. http://www.castrol.com/castrol/productdeta...ntentId=6030785 ...and yes, as I mentioned previously, its tech data sheet lists the ILSAC GF-4 spec.

The owner's manual says 5000 miles or 6 months, whichever occurs first. With our driving, they usually arrive at the same time. Regarding synthetic oils: I feel that there is little advantage if (because of warranty requirements) you must change your oil every 5000 miles or 6 months. Let's say you drive only 5000 miles per year and change your synthetic oil and high-quality filter once during the entire year. According to Lexus, you are violating your warranty and should anything disastrous happen to your engine that is even remotely related to its oil, your infrequent changes are grounds for the dealership's NOT covering repairs. My Corvette comes from the factory with Mobile 1 synthetic and its oil life monitor's algorythm calculated remaining oil life based upon your driving habits. The manual states that you should go by the digital display of oil life exhaustion OR 1 year, whichever occures first. I change its oil once per year (oil life remaining at that time is typically 20%). Clearly, synthetic oil's properties remain intact longer than does petroleum-based oils. My Mazda is turbo-charged and is a prime candidate for synthetic oil. Still, I change it only once per year and it is still going strong after 17 years. Of course, if you plan on keeping your Lexus for 350,000 miles or more, sythetics have a better chance of getting you there without problems, as long as you don't try to go 15,000 miles between oil changes. My brother-in-law's first generation Toyota van had more than 300,000 miles on it when he sold it and was still running perfectly. He had his oil changed at Jiffy Lube. I have no doubt that Toyota oils and filter are good, but to say they are better than anything else without proof is just plain ignorance. If Toyota came out with their own tires, would you use ONLY those? Of course not!

Excellent writeup - thanks a bunch. A coworker just joined the ranks of RX400h owners and there are many here in San Diego. I was tempted to go to Mt Laguna this weekend just to "try her out" but had to back down due to prior commitments. I do have 11 Winter seasons of snow-driving experience when I lived in Connecticut, so I'm no stranger to driving on the white stuff.

The welded nut feature of the K&N makes the extra $5 for it worthwhile in my book. In the website, www.bobistheoilguy, an extensive test of oil filters revealed that a couple of filters not only filtered very well, but also exhibited a very low pressure drop across the filter. Those two are K&N and Baldwin and I've been using K&N in my Corvette for the past couple of years.

That's funny, because I obtained this from Castrol's website: SAE 5W-30: The most recommended grade in today's new cars. Exceeds all car and light truck manufacturer's warranty requirements for the protection of gasoline, diesel and turbocharged engines where API SM, SL, SJ, SH, CF or CD is recommended. Exceeds European ACEA: A1, A5, B1, B5, Corvette GM 4718M, GM 6094M, Ford WSS M2C929-A and all requirements of ILSAC GF-4 for API Certified Gasoline Engine Oils and meets Energy Conserving Standards

Thanks for the tips. This is why I used this: http://www.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?Prod=HP-1002 The next oil change will be easier, although I still may have to remove the bottom panel - getting at the filter from the top is a real bear! Believe me, I'd be tempted to use the Toyota stuff if a dealership were closer to my house. Then again, I doubt the Toyota oil is less expensive than the Castrol. Another tip: Wait at least 15 minutes (for the exhaust manifold to cool) down before reaching down (or up) there to grab the filter!

Dave, you failed to mention the time it took you? This would be important in the comparison you are making. BTW, What is your hourly rate? Well, the last time I took the RX to the dealership, I had to sit in their waiting room approximately 2 hours while the service was performed, so I guess spending 1.5 hours at home (40 miles closer than the dealership) isn't such a bad thing after all! I think the next time I do this, one hour will be all I need.

Well, my RX400h has gone down in my history as the being the toughest vehicle in which to change oil. I must also mention that this would not be the case, had it not been for the oil filter location. Although you might be able to complete an oil/filter change without elevating the RX, I like to look around underneath, so I drove it up on Rhino ramps. Laying on my back underneath the engine bay, I noticed that the oil filter is nowhere to be found. Mmmmm, I guess I should be able to see it from above.......nope - nowhere! Next, I grabbed a lantern battery and went back underneath.....nothing. Getting a bit frustrated as it was already almost 5 PM, I rushed into the house and ran a search for "RX400h oil filter location". There wasn't anything specific to the RX400h, but a few posts mentioned that the RX330 oil filter is i the same location as that of the RX300, so my guess was that the RX400h's filter would be in the same place - correctomundo! Unfortunately, the filter is underneath the exhaust manifold and tucked away in such a location that getting at it with a wrench is very tough. Despite having three different types of oil filter wrenches, I couldn't get one to work. I then decided that removing the plastic panel that is directly underneath the filter would allow me to have more access. After removing about 8 screws, I noticed that there appeared to be 2 snaps that keep the panel from falling down. Not knowing whether they were really snaps (and knowing that daylight was fast leaving me), I was able to push the panel far enough towards the front so that I could reach in with two hands and grab the filter. I guess working out at the gym paid off because after using every last ounce of energy I could muster, the filter started turning. Of course, the oil from it dripped all over the place as it made its way down to the pavement, but that certainly wasn't the first time this happened after my loosening a filter. (our 86 Honda Accord burned my arm almost every time.) Thankfully, my K&N oil filter has a welded-on nut, which allows you to use either a socket or a box/open end wrench to torque it a little bit after tightening it by hand. Whew, what a fiasco. Anyway, when removing the oil pan plug, I noticed that there is no gasket, plastic or brass washer, or o-ring to seal the plug. Rather, both sealing surfaces are metallic AND smooth as glass - interesting. Oh, another thing: If you DO plan to change your own oil, don't get a 5-gallon container. The oil filler cap is set down far enough so that trying to use an ordinary funnel will result in oil getting all over the place when you try to pour from the large oil jug. I have a long-nose funnel and STILL had a hard time pouring without spilling. Having quart bottles would definitely help matters. Cost of oil change: Filter: K&N $11.00 Oil: Castrol 5W-30 anti-sludge formula: $10.70 for 5 gallon jug Total: $21.70 Dealer cost for oil change and tire rotation: $135.00 I still need to get the tires rotated (or do it myself), but even if I have it done at the local Discount tire, it shouldn't be more than $20, I would think. Dave

Unfortunately, this could significantly reduce the life of your batteries. Toyota knows that the batteries that are used (NMH), like the standard lead-acid battery, last longest when they are not discharged past an ideal percentage range of full. Even marine-type (deep-discharge) batteries like the Optima Yellowtop rarely live past three years, compared to 5 years for a standard auto battery. Maybe if a complete set of batteries for a hybrid could be purchased for $300, you wouldn't mind replacing them every 4 years of deep-discharging, but this is not the case. I'll keep my 25 MPG and a battery lifespan of 10 years, thank you.

Driving out of the company parking lot today, I saw another new RX400h. They are certainly proliferating rapidly, and I understand why!

According Car & Driver, * The RX400h has, because of its very powerful electric motors, 650 lbs-ft of torque. That's more than double that of the RX350. * The RX400h ran 0-60 in 6.9 seconds - significantly faster than the RX350, probably because of its massive torque at low rpm. * The RX400h averages more than 5 MPG higher than the RX350H, according to Consumer Reports. In big-city conditions, this will be at least 7 MPG, according to comparisons I've observed locally. In fact, our RX400 averages 25+ MPG, compared to 16 MPG from two RX330s belonging to former coworkers. The higher the traffic density you encounter on a normal basis, the larger the fuel mileage spread will be between the two vehicles. Of course, if you live out in the country, don't have to drive into the city everyday (in other words, you are retired), and can cruise along at 65 MPH when you do venture out, the biggest difference now becomes the superior CVT transmission in the 400 and its monster torque. Only you can decide whether the extra money is well spent. As for me, driving a hybrid SUV has spoiled me for life. Not having to gas up every week is one of life's simple pleasures after driving a van for 10 years.

I've noticed that there are few, if any rock-caused chips missing from our Lexus. Tall vehicles tend to be far less likely to receive damage. My Corvette nose accumulates much more damage than our RX. Of course, the amount of damage inevitably changes depending upon the type of roads on which you drive. Areas of the country that are cursed with rock salt and purposely-deposited sand during winter months are more likely to bring about paint destruction than southern or far western areas.

Veeeeeery nice car! ....another stab in BMW's back! Don't forget to post pics when you get one.

Not bad at all........... Has anyone seen many Highlander Hybrids on the street? I haven't seen one yet - must not be as popular as the RX.

Well, I did find out that K&N's HP-1002 fits both the RX330 AND the RX400h. It's about $9.00 at Auto Parts Warehouse. See http://www.knfilters.com/search/product.aspx?Prod=HP-1002

For some reason, they don't list oil filters!

If any of you has changed his/her own oil, did you have to buy the filter at the dealership? I've heard that dealerships around here are using 10W-30 synthetic blends. If I find that the manual recommends 5W-30 (I'll be rereading it soon), then that's what I'll use. I always change the oil in my other cars, so I'm tempted to do the same with this one, especially considering the price of having the dealership do it.