RX400h

This color is amazing - three weeks without washing the 400h and it still looks as if it were washed yesterday! This color hides dirt like a brown carpet!

Has anyone found this to be true of other colors, like Savannah metallic?

I did consider the 400H, but cant see any benefit for a few extra mpg if any, as I see it , the 400 is heavier initially and even with the extra power and some electric assistance , both the 330 and 400 should return about the same mpg on a freeway run as both are using just gas, maybe round the town the 400 comes out better but only because it factors in the non gas motoring which from waht I have read is not too much.

The electric motors assist the engine on a regular basis, so less "gas pedal" is needed at almost all times. This is where the increased economy comes in, not primarily from the vehicle being self-powered by the electric motors alone. Check the EPA ratings of both vehicles and you'll see that the city rating for the 400h is significantly higher. What this tells you is that if you can beat the EPA numbers by treating the quest for greater economy in the 330 as a scientific experiment, the same general improvements may be accomplished by "adjusting" driving habits in the RX400h.

The other gas-saver while driving the 400h is when negitiating heavy stop&go traffic. The 400h fuel milage skyrockets under these conditions, whereas the RX330's plummets. This is why I recommend the 400h or Highlander hybrid to anyone living in a big city. Another thing that simply can't be compared is the power difference. Having a tall vehicle does NOT necessarily mean that effortless power can not be appreciated. Driving the RX400h is not unlike driving a 400HP BMW M5 in that acceleration is effortless - kinda like working out in a gym consistently: You may not use your added strength every day, but boy, when you do need to, it really feels good to know it's there!

I guess there's not much to talk about - the 400h runs like a rocket, gets an average of 25+ fuel mileage, and has no problems to speak of! We're all spoiled!!!

I have just passed the 30000 miles on my 2004 RX330 and I am very happy with fuel economy.

My daily running includes probably 50/50 of town and freeway, so this gives a good average, which equates to 25mpg  on a regular basis, if I do mainly town running, this drops to around 21-22, but pure freeway at cruise of 65mph gives me a nice 28 mpg.I would like to add thought this has been achieved through experimenting with octane of gas, and now I find the premium to be the best for mpg, so in the end it works out cheaper.

One hint , these  cars like to be driven smoothly , without a lead foot, so try to accelerate without a racing start, again I found adopting to the characteristics of the vehicle will give the most satisfaction as the car is slightly underpowered for its weight or could be that the emmision components drain a lot of the power.

Anyway, good luck, hopefully your experience will improve, my good mpg make up for all the negative problems I have had with my RX, but that was my fault for buying one of the first to be produced.  B)

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This person should be in the Guiness Book of World Records! A non-diesel, 4200-lb vehicle with automatic transmission averaging 25 defies the laws of thermodynamics, to say the least. After all, a 4-cylinder Toyota Camry, if driven gently may achieve 24 MPG and these cars weigh far less.

Even Consumer Reports auto test drivers, who are well known as being very conservative drivers, average only 17 or 18 MPG. I'm guessing someone at the factory slipped in a Highlander 4-cylinder engine in your vehicle!

There is a product called the "Chip Kit" that includes applicators (look like soft match sticks), various grit sandpaper, and some clearcoat. The idea is that you clean, abrade, clean and apply a thin coat of paint. After it dries, you apply enough clearcoat to overfill the chip/scratch. After the clearcoat dries, you sand it down until it is flush with the surrounding undamaged clearcoat paint.

You may not end up with a proffesional-looking job, but for $20 (can be used many times), you can't beat the price, either. If you go this route, you should find an older vehicle on which to practice - it does require a technique.

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..........

OK...here's the deal on my White/Beige RX400H.  I just put a little over 500 miles on the car and filled the tank for the second time.  I had not reset the average MPG until today at the gas pump.  Up until that point the Average MPG read 22.7.

But this included whatever the dealer did during test drives.  Between the last fill-up and this one, I traveled 302.9 miles which took 13.0 Gallons.  That is exactly 23.3 MPG. 

After this last fill-up, I reset the Average MPG using the NAV System.  I decided to baby it a bit to see if I could get the mileage up.  The first part of my trip around town actually recorded 33.4 MPG Average but by the time I had run my errands and retured home the Average MPG was back down to around 24 MPG. 

I am really trying to get good mileage.  I do not gun the engine or run the air conditioner.  But I have a hard time believing people who say they are getting over 27 MPG.  This car has a lot of "breaking in" to do if I am going to reach these specs.     :(

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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.

That is great mileage! Im still waiting for my 400h to arrive.....jeez

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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.

What lead you to believe that it would be all electric for acceleration up to 30 mpg? I haven't seen anything in the Lexus literature that suggests it. "Normal acceleration - MG2 and the engine drive the vehicle."

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.

What would happen should a 400 runs out of gas?

Of course we would never let that happen, but what if??

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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.

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

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...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.

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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.