RX400h

An opportunity for someone to custom grind new intake cams, convert to the atkinson cycle?

Change an RX400h to an RX330h and increase the gas mileage by 30%?

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The RX (harrier) is available with a 2.4l engine in Japan. Just add the hybrid system and you have your RX330h with excellent mpg. The 400h is more about power than economy.

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It wouldn't be too funny if an RX330h gets blown away by a less expensive RX330. Buyers of mid to large sized SUVs want plenty of power. Spending more money with less power is one risk that Lexus does NOT want to take. The Ford Escape hybrid provides plenty of MPGs for those who want the big fuel milage numbers regardless of power loss.

Nope, just regular oil.  I spoke to the dealer & the recommended oil change interval on the hybrid will be the same as their other models at 5,000 miles.

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....thus, the quandry I bring up! How will the oil remain hot enough to burn off moisture? A coworker bought a 4-Runner back a while ago and drove it to work every day. The trouble was that he lived only 3 miles away. By the time the engine had 50,000 miles on it, the oil sludge caused it to fail totaly. His engine oil never reached "operating" temperature, either to or from work. Why would this NOT happen in a hybrid that shuts its engine down at low speeds, in an environment that encourages on-off cycles that are spread apart significantly?

Maybe SW can elaborate since he has a Prius?

Most us agree that engine oil needs to reach a certain temperature in order to "burn off" moisture that tends to make its way into oil. Typically, a temperature north of 180F is essential and that is why frequent short trips are sure to drastically decrease oil life.

Full hybrids like the Prius and RX400h may travel many miles with engine off during high-traffic conditions which, one would think, would tend to allow the engine oil to cool down. Let's say you commute 15-20 miles one-way on your way to work every morning and that there tends to be fairly heavy traffic along the way.

How would you suppose the hybrid would handle keeping the oil hot? If the oil does NOT remain hot or if it never reaches a high enough temperature to burn off moisture, wouldn't it be prudent for Toyota/Lexus to incorporate an oil life monitor that adjusts oil life accordingly?

Does anyone know how this type of situation is dealt with? I may have to change oil more frequently if I see that the oil temp cannot get beyond 180 or so.

Comments?

It does have a 3.3 liter engine however when configured with the electric motor/generators it gives you the equivalent of a 4.0 liter engine which is the size of a small v-8.

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.....and 650 lbs-ft of torque!!!!

Synthetic oil is factory-fill in Corvette, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche, among others, mainly because of its extended drain interval capability(with a long-life filter, of course). Public perception is that if these manufacturers use it, it must be superior. Certainly, if you purchase any of the aforementioned vehicles as new, you MUST use oils that are approved by the manufacturer. Changing oil, like changing antifreeze, is an inconvenience to most auto consumers, so including long-life oils and antifreezes becomes a great selling point. The ultimate life of an engine is far less of an issue, as most consumers sell their vehicles long before the engines have failed due to wear.

BTW, Consumer Reports has recommended that if your vehicle comes from the factory with dino oil, there is little reason to switch over to synthetic.

I see this type of argument all the time in the Corvette Forum and I have to remind them that my brother-in-law sold his Toyota van (1st generation) with over 300,000 miles on it. He changed his oil every 5000 miles and used plain ol 5W-30 petroleum-based oil.

My point? Nitpicking over two brands of synthetic oil is rediculous. How many miles do you want your engine to last, 500,000? You'll be long buried before you recoup your extra cost. That being said, I must reveal that I use Mobil 1 in my Mazda MX6 GT-Turbo for obvious reasons. Dino oil has a tendency to coke around turbo bearings, something not as likely with synthetic oils. New turbos are NOT inexpensive.

My Corvette comes factory-filled with Mobil 1 and I change it every year (5500 miles or less). However, our Nissan Quest uses regular Mobil and its engine has more than 110,000 trouble-free miles on it.

The weak link with all synthetic oil engines is the filter, not the oil. If Lexus recommends dino oil and filter changes every 5000 miles, then that's what I'll do. You'd be wise to do the same.

Now I'll bet that if you bought the 400h in April and for some reason had to sell it in November, you'd get pretty close to the MSRP. However, try the same thing with the 330 and you're likely to be out $5,000 or more. Until something better comes along, the resale value of the 400 will be extremely high for years to come.

Another thing that is worth big bucks to most folks is the 650 lbs-ft of Torque that is available at very low rpm. This is more than twice that of the 330! That kind of rocket-power is very valuable, even in day-to-day driving. Add the extra sound-proofing and you've got a heckuva lot of vehicle, even for 50K.

Someone help.....

How?, in simple steps,  do you enter Names and phone numbers.

also loading phone book via bluetooth, with LG 325.

Not real happy with Nav.  infomation base.  Lacking many locations.

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Have you watched the videos in Lexus' website? I spent at least 30 minutes last night watching them and I thought they were very informative.

Go here http://www.lexus.com/models/rx/interior.html

and click on view tutorial.

Ahhhh, I LIKE that 0-60 time - matches a BMW X5 and gets TWICE the fuel milage as the Bimmer! THATSA technology....

RX manual says 7500 for normal conditions. I think most of us are following the 5000 mile severe schedule. Shouldn't your question be 5000 or 7500?

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I agree. Anyone who pushes 3000 mile oil changes is either living in the past or has financial interest in an oil change shop. The bottom line is that if you think anything more than 3000 miles is too long, send a sample to get it analyzed. The results sheet will tell you whether you had more life left in the oil.

The auto guru at Popular Mechanics magazine recommends 5000-6000 mile change intervals using petroleum-based oil. My Corvette uses synthetic and includes an oil-life monitor. After one year (the maximum amount of time between oil changes as stated in the owner's manual) and 5500 miles, my oil life monitor indicates that there is still 20% life remaining. (This is based upon my particular driving habits)

My advice is to go by the manufacturer's recommendations for severe service and you won't go wrong.

It's kinda like changing all of the high-fat meals at McDonalds to salad mixes. This would be a disastrous move as the majority of people going there want a choice of low fat and high-taste foods. The real hits, however, are the high-taste and low fat foods (like breaded, spicy chicken breast). Notice that I didn't say high-taste and non-fat foods, as this, like a hybrid with super-high performance and the gas milage of a Prius, is not yet possible. In the meantime, the chicken breast sandwiches are selling fast!

Read all about the launch, including exclusive official pictures, by clicking the link below.

Lexus Launch New 2006 IS at Geneva Auto Show.

Click on the pictures for luscious high resolution images

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Very nice, but why didn't they convert the metric torque to good old English units?

I agree. The starting point for power in this segment is approx. 260. Even the Honda Odyssey van has more horsepower than the RX330. The Acura MDX has had more for a while now, but Lexus gets the last laugh with faster acceleration AND significantly better fuel milage. Yes, the competition is fierce, but the consumer is the winner in almost all cases.

The prius has a compression ratio of only 9.5:1, less than the 400h. 13:1 is the expansion ratio, though I guess you are right to call it the base compression ratio. As you know, the efficiency comes from the high expansion ratio without a high compression ratio that could cause detonation.

I looked at the Toyota Japan website, and found that the Prius already uses early intake valve closing to achieve the Atkinson cycle. I thought that they used linkages.

So why didn't they just put in different pistons and change the valve timing to Atkinson cycle? Perhaps they have to some extent, 9.5:1 compression 10.6:1 expansion, and that resulted in the reduced power.

It does seem like a missed opportunity.

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Will the Prius GT have the same cycle? If not, that may explain why the RX400h does not - performance as a priority.

No, I just think the performance level of my 2001 AWD RX300 is more than adequate, and I don't see the sense in trading even more improved fuel economy for V8 performance in the RX400h.

But I'm probably one of the only VOCAL ones that feel that way.

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Well, I'm not trading in my 01 Corvette for a newer model (400HP)either, so I don't blame you for not wanting to upgrade. However, I certainly don't bash the C6 Corvette or those who are buying one. Our RX400h will be replacing a 152 HP Nissan Quest minivan.

Neither are the 10,999 who have asked for their money back!

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Porsche is working on a Cayenne/Toyota hybrid. Maybe they'll offer you a good trade in value for your 911! You know what they say - If you can't beat em, join em!

I would even go as far to suggest that you wait for a 400h, as its transmission is a huge improvement over the traditional automatic. In addition, acceleration, ride, and quietness has been improved over the 330. Of course, getting almost double the city gas milage is icing on the cake, all for a few thousand more. 11,000 people who have deposited up to $1000 for this vehicle are probably not wrong!

I wonder if cylinder deactivation (to boost highway milage) is far behind. Rumor has it that the Sienna hybrid will achieve 40 MPG in 2007.

Different colors wouldn't have to look gaudy. Lexus does different colors on their special editions all the time. You wouldn't want hot mama neon green but a nice deep red or maybe a deep green would be classy and different.

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I tend to agree. There are many beautiful colors out there that Lexus does not have available. The reason I ask is that it would be nice in a way to have a car that is instantly recognizable as the most advanced vehicle on the planet. As I mentioned previously, there are advantages to parking incognito, but when I pay a premium for a certain model, it's fun to get recognition, isn't it?

I'm convinced that part of the reason why you see so few Honda Civic Hybrids is that they look exactly like a regular Civic. The Prius gets instant recognition (good or bad) for its futuristic shape. I think it looks great and I am always quick to point one out to my kids. Prius owners love the attention, I'm sure. The RX400h certainly won't cause as neck-snapping as it passes by on the highway because only the very knowledgable will recignize it as the high-tech innovation that it is.

....my 2 cents....

How many of you think that Lexus should offer unique colors for the RX400h? Personally, I think they need some new ones to go with the high-tech image. Of course, the good news is that you can probably park one almost anywhere without worry that its unconventional newness will attract the wrong crowd. In other words, it should blend right in with the hundreds of thousands of RX330s on the road. THAT can be a GOOD thing, I guess!

Haven't seen this one answered yet but we're getting close to 400h in the showroom.  Does anyone know if, like the Jeep, the 400H can be towed at normal speeds behind an RV with all 4 wheels on the ground?  I think the lack of connecting driveshaft should make this possible but haven't been able to get definitive answer from Service, Sales or the Forum yet.

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Have you called Toyota Customer Service yet? If not, you might give them a try. If they don't know, they should be able to find out.

Wow, that's pretty close to the $50K I suggested the cost would be without the DVD. Thanks for the update. I'm looking forward to a test drive soon.

BTW, I just checked my e-mail and sure enough, there was the Winter 05 newsletter from Lexus. The odd thing is that there is no mention of a moonroof option. I wonder why. I was under the impression that it would be standard equipment.

Quickly, go back and check!!!! Seriously, it is unlikely that the price is on it and are you certain that it was a 400h?

Mmmm, I'll have to look into the tax benefits..... BTW, some tidbits of which I have read recently.....the RX350 with 280 HP and the Prius GT - a sporty economy car? ......should be interesting.

RX 400, I've never seen the purpose of leasing a car. We buy car that we like for cash and keep it a very long time. I have worried that with the delay in availability some dealers will favor their existing customers whose leases are running out over those of us on the lists.

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Pat,

We do the same. Our Nissan Quest van is now over 11 years old. It's time for a change. I don't think that dealers could get away with bumping list-customers with lease return customers because if word got out, the dealership reputation would be in danger of suffering big-time. Say, for instance you knew someone who was returning a lease RX300 in April and was not on the waiting list. If you saw that person return with a 400h, you'd probably make sure that everyone and anyone were warned to stay away from THAT dealership.

SW, although I have a small side business, a vehicle is typically not needed. This is why I cannot justify leasing at this time.