RX400h

Don't hate us for being different :D I promise I won't brag about my gas mileage too much!

/ducks and hides

Not to much to brag about from what Im hearing.......People say the mileage is not as good as expected..:cries:

I've gone 250 miles on a half tank thus far, so I'd say that milage is very good, considering the tank size is only 17.2 gallons!

Wrong!  I actually liked some of the old Chevys my family owned in the '70s.  It's the recent ones that suck (although the trend started in the '80s).  I'm talking about almost new ones that are already falling apart.  The sad part is that if they spent maybe $50 to upgrade the plastics in their interior, it would increase the saleability much more than that.  Shortsighted morons.

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The 60s and 70s plastics were very susceptable to UV damage - much more so than the plastics that have been used in interiors for the last 20 years or so. I know because I owned a 68 Corvette for 22 years. Armorall skyrocketed to fame because their silicone-based formula protected the old type of plastics from crumbling in your hand. On the other hand, I knew a guy who had a Cavelier for 15 years. Its interior plastics were perfect at time of sale. Yes, plastics have come a long way from the 60s and 70s. Even the plastics in Hyundais are superior to those used during the muscle car days.

LOL who ever heard of a stripped mercedes. Heck, who ever heard of a stripped lexus? A lexus isn't stripped; it has everything you could ever want. With mercedes though, every option you add on, more money you pay. It's like a game. with lexus, you see it, and you get it. There is either a lower-end or high end. Mercedes has a million options not standard.

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It's the same thing with Porsches. You can easily spend $80,000 on a Boxster!

:chairshot:

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Uh, have you checked the forum section title lately? It reads: RX300/RX330/RX400H

SW mentioned that the 400hs may get their own section (makes sense), but until that happens, enjoy the company!

Yeah i test drove one the same day i looked at a CPO rx at my dealer. And yes, it's better than the older ML's (i have driven in those before) but still not as good as a Lexus. Deffinetly not worth $47,000 though!!

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This is why I compared the ML350 to the RX400h - the cost. While technically, you can buy a stripped ML for 42K, it is unlikely that you'll find one anywhere.

Still not sold. The interiors are better, but not up to the standards put forth by the benchmark makers. I'm not basing my opinions on vehicles designed 20 years ago, the STS is all new and took everything GM has to design and build it, and its STILL not as well built as the competition and its no longer any cheaper.

As for ride, well thats your opinion but I've driven C5s and they ride nowhere near as good as any Lexus, but they're not supposed to. I also had a cobalt as a rental back a few months ago...don't agree there either.

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The key is in the tires. The C5, like the BMW Z4 came factory-equipped with rock-hard-sidewall runflat tires. They produced slotcar-like handling but tended to transmit every small bump through the driver's spine.......enter the Goodyear GS D3 tires......MUCH smoother ride and much quieter. Their only drawback is a slightly less-crisp turning response. Try riding in a non-runflat C5 after riding in an RX and I think you'll "feel" what I mean.

Getting back to interiors.....Check out the Pontiac GTO interior - right up there with the best of the Japanese.

Lex- did you drive the all new one? It just came out a week ago. Supposedly it rides much better than the old one.

RX- No waiting lists but its not that type of vehicle. You dont see waiting lists like that on a normal type of vehicle, only something "chic" like a hybrid. They'll sell far more of them than Lexus sells RX400hs in the end though.

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I've read that Lexus sells more of this size and type (luxury) of SUV than any other manufacturer, including Mercedes. If this is true, then I expect the RXs to continue to outsell the ML line quite handily. The fact that the ML reliability has been at the bottom of the barrel for many years now doesn't help their sales, that's for certain.

Regarding waiting lists: Some in recent memory.....

The first Mazda Miata

The PT Cruiser

The Infinity G35 Coupe

The 1997 Corvette

The 2002 BMW M3

There could be some Mercedes models in the bunch, but I haven't heard of any.

That's old school GM. The new breed utilizes hydro-formed frames that significantly reduces welds and joints that would normally produce squeeks and rattles. My 2001 Corvette not only rides as well as the Rx400h, but also, like virtually all C5 Corvettes, is squeek and rattle-free after almost 4 years of daily driving. My seats are more comfortable than any others I've sat in, and I've been driven in Porsches, BMWs and Mercedes plenty of times.

Now, about competition with Porsche: Both Car & Driver and Road & Track compared the new C6 Corvette against the latest Porsche 911. Both magazines voted the Corvette as the better overall sportscar. By the way, the new Chevy Cobalt is as quiet as the Lexus RXs. If you don't believe that, try one out. GM has come along way from the dark days of years past. They still have a way to go, but don't base your opinions on vehicles that were designed 20 years ago.

As far as interiors go, the old saying applies to Lexus as well as it does every other manufacturer:

You can't please everybody!

i agree totally; the interior is horrible. I hate the silver; still waiting for mine to come on though; i've got the ivory int. should look better? no?

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Horrible? Dang, we need to put you in a Dodge Neon for at least one week and then ask you again how the RX interior looks.:chairshot:

I agree with Patt as to the unnatural "ultrasheen" of the wood trim that is commonly used. Keep the wood stuff in the house, I always say.....

I personally think the new ML is a very attractive vehicle, but I've yet to drive one.

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Thus far, I have not heard of huge waiting lists for this gas guzzler, has anyone else?

... I would venture to say that fuel economy, power, and luxury rank in that order when decisions are made as to whether an RX330 or other gasoline-only vehicle is considered and purchased over the RX400h.

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I would disagree with you on that point, I think most people who are considering hybrids in general rank the decision criteria you'd mentioned in this order: power, fuel economy, luxury. And those considering the 400h specifically probably rank them as: power, luxury, fuel economy.

Be honest, if the 400h didn't have the "neck snapping" 650 lb-ft of torque, would you have bought it ?

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Yes, because we wanted our next vehicle to be (in this order)

Reliable

Economical

Tall

Powerful

If power were number one, we's have bought an SUV long ago. Remember, no SUV Lexus has ever introduced has generated the excitement that the 400h has generated. More power with lower gas milage would not have been nearly as popular as having both in one vehicle.

what about lease deals? Anyone doing that?

My thought was that when the 2008 models come out there may be some improvements that I will want to have, so being on a lease might make it easier to swap up...

thoughts?

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Leasing is considered to be a good choice finacially if the vehicle is used for business. However for most people, the better choice is an outright purchase. I'll bet the resale value remains high for some time.

Good point, Patt and Skyfish about the huge increase in torque that the RX400h has. Since I normally design fixtures and products that are not subject to large stresses, safety factors are a much less critical part of my job. BTW, I closely examined the RX400h wheels last weekend and I really like their design and paint quality. In fact, the exterior paint is also very impressive.

Would you do us a favor and drive your brand new 400h to a MB dealer and ask for test drive of the ML350 ? And then report as objectively as you can on the results ?

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It is true that you cannot base any decision solely on facts and figures. However, I think we can all agree that they don't pay much attention to efficiency (fuel milage) when designing these behemoths. I for one, would not even consider buying a vehicle that has an EPA rating of 16 city and 20 highway. My Corvette is rated 19 city and 29 highway and is the biggest gas hog I own (as soon as I sell the Nissan Quest).

Now, I would love to go to an MB dealership and wait until a bunch of salepeople come by before I point at the sticker EPA numbers in horror, gasping loudly!

This has been the complaint with the 97-04 Corvette for many years and the best explaination that was given to me is this:

GM wanted to produce the highest-performing sportscar for the masses - handling, braking, and acceleration had to be beyond anything else in its price range. Certainly, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Mazda, and Nissan produced sportscars with better interiors, yet none could surpass the core competancy of the Corvette. Yes, its leather and plastic components were not what some would expect of a $50,000 vehicle, but in the end, Chevrolet's Corvette out-lasted most, if not all of its direct competition. The reason? Performance, plain and simple.

The RX400h was always intended to be a tour d force of engineering achievement, so much so that in order to keep the price below the stratosphere, some "cuts" had to be made. Most know that Toyota is NOT making a normal profit margin on its hybrids. However, I would venture to say that fuel economy, power, and luxury rank in that order when decisions are made as to whether an RX330 or other gasoline-only vehicle is considered and purchased over the RX400h.

Anyway, that's my take as to why the RX400h can never be all things to all people.

The standard LoJack is $700 and the latest LoJack that notifies police (or you) as soon as the vehicle moves without your sensor in proximity goes for $1000.

You would think that a wheels should have a fairly generous safety factor for loads due to vehicle weight. Even if the 400 weighs 500lbs more than the 330, that's a piddling 125 lbs per wheel. I guess in a sue-happy society, though.........

My garage doors are roll-up and the RX hatch door will hit them. I certainly wouldn't mind backing in but with a wife who is nervous about driving the RX in the rain, getting her to back in would be like pulling teeth - impossible! The best answer, I think, is to limit the hatch travel. However, because it is a power-assisted design, limiting the cylinder travel may not do the trick.

I'll have to investigate further.....

The new Mercedes SUV with 3.5-liter, 24-valve engine was recently tested by Car & Driver magazine. The results?

Horsepower:

ML350: 268

RX400h: 268

Torque:

ML350: 258 lbs-ft

RX400h: 650 lbs-ft

Acceleration, 0-60:

ML350: 7.1 seconds

RX400h: 6.7 seconds (updated from long-term Car & Driver test)

Fuel milage:

ML350: 16 city and 20 highway

RX400h: 31 city and 27 highway

Weight

ML350: 4802 lbs

RX400h: 4500 lbs

Cost:

ML350: $47,280

RX400h: $48,300

Interior sound level:

ML350 66 dBA

RX400h: 67 dBA

I guess Mercedes fans will have to wait for the NEXT redesign before they can cut back on fuel costs!

It's not so much the diameter that determines ride quality (all other things relating to the suspension being equal), but rather, it is the aspect ratio of the tires. Generally, the smaller the ratio (width to height), the stiffer the sidewall and the firmer the ride. I've ridden on jarring 15-inch wheel/tire-equipped cars and super plush 18-inch wheel/tire-equipped tires. It all depends upon the aspect ratio.

Tires should be rotated every 4000 to 6000 miles (all and four wheel-drive vehicle tires should be rotated more often than 2 wheel-drive vehicle tires), so I can't imagine why you were told to have your Rx's tires rotated so soon. Now if it were a used vehicle and they forgot to do this, I'd understand.

Did you leave the shift lever in Drive and your foot on the brake? Even though the brake lights are LEDs, they may draw enough juice to cause the startups you mention. I couldn't find anything in the manual about total shut downs and the most I have let the RX sit in Park without shutting down was about 10 minutes.

[quoquestion is: Can the tailgate travel be limited. I need only an inch or so. Mmmmmmm.

Have you tried backing in the Lexus RX so both cars have their driver doors on the center aisle.  I find that with the power door in the rear of the garage away fromt he overhead door, opening the read door is no problem and I have more room for the drriver's door as well.

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I would probably be okay with that, especially since there are zero emissions entering the garage while moving the 400h slowly. However, this is not something my wife would do. As it is now, I set up one of those plastic ball/string aids, whereas when the ball contacts the windshield, she stops. She parks the RX near the Corvette, so anything I can do to make it easier for he to NOT bump into it is top priority!

Anyone know a simple way to get a list of available commands. Going through the various help screens is painful. A printed list would be nice??

Ron

When I am looking at the energy consumption graph on the main display, I can say "Map" and have the display switch to showing the map.  Anyone know if there is a voice command to make the display switch from map mode back to the energy graph?

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Did your dealer supply you with a DVD to watch? We haven't looked at ours yet, but supposedly, it explains how to use all the NAV features. There is also a tutorial in the Lexus website.

That MPG doesn't seem as impressive as I once thought.  I just took my 04 RX330 to Los Angeles and back this weekend.  On the computer meter, it stated that I was getting about 22 highway.

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Never mind the mpg, going to Los Angeles and making it back with vehicle intact is impressive enough :P . But seriously, my (or any) RX330 can can easily get 26-27 mpg on the freeway, however, when you get off the freeway the mileage gets back to the low 20's very quickly, I suppose that's when the hybrid earns its keep. And why are we so concerned with the mpg anyway, honestly, are people buying the 400h in order to make a stand on the environment or similar issues, or is it more for the 'gee-whiz' factor.

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My Corvette gets 30 MPG on the highway, but those of us who live in large cities have to contend with commuter traffic every day. And yes, hybrids shine under these conditions. However, there are a few other reasons why hybrids make sense now.

1) $2000 tax credit taken off the top

2) Possible use of ROV lanes

3) 650 lbs-ft of torque to blast by Excursions in a blink of the eye (that alone is worth the extra $5000 in my book)

By the way, I average 17 MPG in the Corvette; that lofty highway mileage figure doesn't do me much good most of the time.