RX400h

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.

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.

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!

← 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.

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. ← 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.

Hey, at least I didn't hit the garage door with the hatch! :P I just made sure that I knew if it would, should someone inadvertantly hit the button to open the hatch! I will let everyone know if I have any success with this issue. Thanks!

I used it yesterday and I can say without reservation that it cools very well!

When we arrived to pick up our 400, the salesman told us that all RX400hs sold by this dealersip will include lifetime membership in the "Lexus Bluetooth Concierge" activation and support. For a one-time $90 fee, this service provides live assistance for complete car phone system setup. They provide education, training, handset recommendation and service. We felt that given the extent of the service and the low cost, it would be money well-spent. If you don't have this service, you might want to inquire about it. I'm fairly certain that you can receive calls while driving, since it is essentially hands-free.

DENSO Develops New Components for Hybrids; Used in Rx 400h and Highlander DENSO Corporation has developed four new components for hybrid vehicles: a hybrid control computer; a new battery-monitoring unit; a DC-DC converter, and an electric compressor for air conditioning systems. All are smaller and lighter than conventional components, but meet the increasing needs of the growing number of larger hybrid vehicles. Toyota uses the new Denso elements in its Lexus Rx400h (Harrier in Japan) and Toyota Highlander Hybrid (Kluger in Japan). Hybrid Control Computer. The hybrid control computer, developed jointly with Toyota Motor Corporation, integrates such control functions as hybrid system control, engine control, and battery control into one unit. The hybrid control computer enables a significant size reduction of the control units. Battery-Monitoring Unit. The new battery-monitoring unit takes over the tasks of monitoring the battery’s voltage, current and temperature. The battery-monitoring unit was designed separately from the hybrid control computer, because the battery-monitoring unit needs to be installed close to the main battery DC-DC Converter. DENSO’s newly developed DC-DC converter is approximately 10% smaller than a conventional DC-DC converter, but delivers 20% more output—120 amperes from 100 amperes—allowing it to respond to the power needs of larger vehicles. DENSO adopted a new circuit control technology to reduce energy loss in the DC-DC converter,allowing it to size the unit. To handle the increased output current, DENSO improved the converter’s power elements by changing the mounting method from soldering to welding. Customized integrated circuits reduce the area of the converter’s circuit board by approximately 40%, contributing to the 10% converter size reduction. Electric Compressor. The electric compressor, jointly developed with Toyota Industries Corporation, is the first to incorporate an inverter that drives the built-in motor. This structure reduces the compressor size by approximately 60% compared with a conventional electric compressor and inverter (when they are assumed to provide the same output). DENSO miniaturized the inverter by using simplified circuits and a higher-density mounting with three-dimensional wirings. It is difficult to integrate the conventional compressor and inverter, because the conventional inverter is cooled by the engine’s coolant system. To solve this problem, DENSO developed a new cooling method using air conditioning refrigerant in the compressor, allowing the integration of the electric compressor and the inverter. DENSO’s segment conductor wiring method, developed for alternators in 2000, reduced the size of the built-in motor.

Don't feel too bad, you probably have no basement! We do have a neighbors up the street who park their BMW X5 outside. However, even my 89 Mazda MX6 GT sits in the garage. I grew up not having a garage, so I vowed to do the best I could to keep all my vehicles out of the rain.

I agree. Some traffic lights don't turn green for 5 minutes and typical "slow & go" traffic eats up gas in a non-hybrid vehicle. I start out very slowly when there is no one behind me, but drive with the flow when expected to. I did notice that the manual states that 87 octane is acceptable, but increased performance may be realized if higher octane fuel is used. I appreciate this option, as premium gas costs significantly more than regular.

One day, we left our van's hatch open and hit the button to close the garage door. Before I could reverse the door, the hatch door already had a scratch in it. Lexkid, it looks like your garage is even lower than LexRex's. I need to get my hands on a service manual to investigate further.......

All of the "How-it-works" descriptions stated that the RX400h can go 41 MPH without use of the gas engine. However, the manual states 20 or 21 MPH before the engine kicks in. This is similar to that of the Prius. I'm averaging about 26-28 MPG, judging by my gage. However, since I don't what what the milage was when the dealership filled the tank, I can't be certain until I top it off and run it down somewhat. I would expect that the engine will loosen up a bit, allowing the milage to increase.

Has anyone modified your rear hatch travel so that the hatch door doesn't extend so high in the air? If I let it go all the way up, it'll smack my garage door. It looks like Lexus let this issue slip through the cracks. To those of you who have not tried it yet, be forewarned! I don't want to hear about anyone scratching or dinging their RX doors.

Nice writup, QT. We are really enjoying ours as well. LexKid, you'll be joining us before you know it. In the meantime, enjoy your other toys!

We noticed this as well. It takes a little bit getting used to - regulating the speed at which you depress the pedal, but after driving the RX for a while, I hardly notice it. I get a big kick out of cruising parking lots and seeing people stare at us, not believing their eyes and ears as the silent SUV slips by them!