RX400h

A coworker who has been leasing her RX330 for more than one year now is averaging 16 MPG in mixed city/high traffic/highway driving. Of course, living and driving in a big city involves plenty of stop & go driving, making a hybrid vehicle a particularly good choice. She intends to upgrade to the 400h when her lease has expired.

Yes. this is normal but is so slight that I'm not concerned at all. The brief electric motor roar is much more noticable, IMO. Luckily, it doesn't last long and happens only during agressive gas pedal pushing.

Yesterday, I adjusted the garage door limit switch so that the angle of the last door panel was nearly horizontal. Alas, the hatch door will still contact the garage door. The pad idea is certainly good for emergencies, but for the time being, I am unloading groceries in the driveway. Hey, at least I don't have to start the engine to pull in the RX after we're done!

I posted this same question one month ago after receiving my RX400h. Apparently, this is a common problem among the Rxs. I have explained this to the Lexus regional representative when he called recently and I have noted it in the survey that was sent to me last week. As far as I know, there is no quick-fix, short of replacing the cylinders with shorter ones. I am hoping that Lexus comes up with a retro-fit solution one of these days.

It looks like the highway milage we (forum members) are seeing is right on the money and city is basically unproven, as most of us do not drive exclusively in the city. So, based upon what I've seen and experienced, actual highway mileage matches EPA and for the majority of 400h owners, 24-27 MPG average of our types of driving is extremely close to the EPA numbers. Well done, Lexus!

The sad thing is that even though many people can qualify for a $60,000 vehicle, it does not mean that they can readily afford it. You wouldn't believe how many Corvette owners out there live in an apartment or condo with NO garage. The salesperson told them they could afford it..........

We now have over 1000 miles on our 400h and are consistantly averaging 25 MPG with plenty of city and highway use. A Volkswagen new Beetle averages 25 MPG, so anyone who complains about that kind of mileage from a 4500-lb all wheel drive SUV that rockets to 60 MPH in 6.9 seconds should re-investigate real-world gas mileage! After one week of back and forth to work and Saturday and Sunday driving, we spent $15.00 to fill it up. By contrast, out 86 Honda Accord 4-cylinder would travel the same number of miles and cost $11.00 to fill up at 95 cents per gallon. Our Nissan Quest was costing us $25.00 to $28.00 to fill up at current prices. Needless to say, we are VERY happy so far! BTW, my coworker's RX330 is averaging 16 MPG in mixed driving....ouch!

The RX400h does not offer this feature. My guess is that it has something to do with the CVT transmission. Then again, it could be that some other compatibility issue has not yet been resolved.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you checked with Consumer Reports before buying the Mercedes, you'd have seen its poor reliability rating, especially when compared to almost any Lexus. Ah well, as long as you are aware of the problem areas.......

I use Zaino "Leather in a bottle" every 2-3 months and keep my car covered during the day while it is at work. I have heard (from a coworker) that "Connolly Hide Care" leather conditioner actually softens the leather to prevent cracking, but I have not tried it yet. All-in-all, ultraviolet rays are leather's worst enemy. Keep your vehicle out of the sun when possible.

It will be well worth the wait - I guarantee it!

I found out today that a coworker who drives a leased RX330 is averaging 16 MPG. When I told her that our RX400h is at 25.5 and heading upward, she said "THAT is my next vehicle!" With gas prices at $2.40 per gallon (regular), she needs to do this quickly!. I didn't have the heart to talk about the incredible torque and effortless speed, since she must wait a while before her lease runs out, but we now have another believer in our midst!

I've been using regular gas and can't imagine why anyone would be looking for more power from the RX400h. It really does feel like the power is limitless.

No squeaking here in Southern Cali!

I agree that the power of the 400h feels almost endless. In fact, the torque is so much greater than that of an RX330, you can, according to Car & Driver, "spin all four tires" if you put the hammer down from a dead stop. I thoroughly enjoy driving this vehicle (and I'm a sportscar guy at heart - 2001 Corvette coupe).

Another thing to consider is the ratio of city to highway mileage. Because most of us live in or near heavily-populated areas, our percentage of stop & go driving far exceeds our 70 MPH cruising percentage. Because of this factor, payback for the added cost of an RX400h occurs sooner (in most cases). Certainly, if you live out in the country and can average 55 MPH on sparsely-driven roads, the benefits of a full hybrid vehicle (without cylinder deactivation) may not be significant.

Great news! That 27+ MPG matches that of the Toyota Scion Xb 4-cylinder econocar; that in of itself is phenomenal! During normal day-to-day driving, the brakes are more than adequate. Agressive driving is more BMW territory and Lexus steers towards the better ride rather than ultimate handling. I doubt that philosophy will change anytime soon. My coworkers Mercedes ML350 is averaging about 16 or 17 MPG and she spends $70 per week. Sadly, I told her about the RX400h long ago, but she just couldn't wait. She now pays the piper at the gas pumps.

Patt, more than one of the articles I have read in car magazines have stated that the RX400h can be powered by the electric motors up to 30-32 MPH. I was a bit surprised to learn in the literature received with the RX that the actual number is 20-22 MPH. Our first tank yielded 25.4 MPG and I am monitoring the usage periodically.

I think there was a blurb about this in the manual. Essentually, if you run out of gas, you either call the roadside assistance number or walk to the gas station. You won't be able to run on electric power alone if the gas tank is empty.

...60 mph, you'll get about 28.4 mpg ...65 mph you'll get around 27 mpg ...at 70 mph, you'll get in mid 25s ...at 75-80 mph, you'll get in upper 24s Actually, these figures for the RX400h are significantly worse than what a Camry 4 cylinder can do. A Camry 4 cylinder gets (based on almost a dozen I have rented and driven thousands of miles): ...60 mph, about 34 mpg ...65 mph about 32.5 mpg ...70 mph, about 31 mpg ...75-80 mph, about 29 mpg The Toyota Highlander is about the same size vehicle as the RX400h and is available with the Camry 4 cylinder engine and so probably gets the same or a little better gas mileage than the RX400h. A 4 cylinder Highlander can only accelerate 0-60 in 10.5 - 11.0 seconds, so the RX400h is alot more powerful. ← Comparing highway mileage figures is not what true hybrids are all about. The Honda Accord hybrid gets great highway milage because of cylinder deactivation. However, its city milage is not as high as that of the RX400h. I think it's safe to say that most of us see a fair amount of daily traffic and this is where the RX400h trounces any other SUV its size.

FANTASTIC NEWS! You are getting the same mileage as a Toyota Scion XB econobox!

We're using regular gas as well. After 520 miles, the RX400h is averaging 25.2 MPG with a good 50/50 mix of city/highway, often at 80 MPH speeds. To keep this in perspective, a Toyota Scion Xb box car with wimpy 4-cylinder engine averages 27.2 MPG (according to Popular Mechanics mag.). I'm very happy so far!

Well, that is the definition of buyers remourse. You bought something, its not what you expected, and its made you remourseful...buyers remorse. As to the mileage. Like I've said many times before... Give It Time We were dissapointed with the mileage on our Prius for 8 months, even bringing it in to see if something was wrong with it. Now it gets 48MPG, and I know why as I followed my fiance down to my office today. She drives like a crazy person. I bet I could get 55 with it. ← Here are some "Real World" figures for more vehicles from Popular Mechanics: Toyota Scion XB: Worst milage = 19.6, Best = 34.3, Avg = 27.2 Now, keep in mind that this is a light, 4-cylinder econobox that is not anything close to being fast! Nissan Titan SE: Worst milage = 11.7, Best = 16.8, Avg = 15.5 Sure, this is a V8 truck, but look at how low some new vehicles' gas mileage is getting! Mercedes Benz E500 4matic: Worst milage = 12.8, Best = 23.9, Avg = 17.3 The RX400h is looking better all the time, now isn't it?

One thing you forgot to mention is that you can easily trounce the FX35 in a race while still beating him in fuel mileage, while also getting a $2000 tax break and possibly the use of the HOV lanes. Also, look at the extras you have that he may not such as a very sophisticated stability system, side air bags, voice-recognition NAV with blue tooth, etc, etc. $50K is alot of dinero but you do get alot of technology for the money. Take a poll here and I think you'll find that the majority are happy with their purchase.