RX400h

"New birthing system Lexus this week said it will provide wait-list customers with detailed information on manufacturing and shipment schedules. Customers will even get to take part in the birth of their car, Lexus said, as dealers will be able to assign a customer's name to a specific 400h before production and then track it through delivery." GM has had this opportunity for future Corvette owners for quite some time. I was able to track mine from the factory to the dealership and finally to my front driveway. It's a great experience! Thanks for the link; the day grows closer....

I recently spent $1100 on tires for my Corvette and believe it or not, I bought Goodyears! The new Goodyear GSD3s have outperformed the best of Michelin and Bridgestone in a recent test on dry and wet roads and the Goodyears are far less expensive than either of the others. My point? Don't automatically discount Goodyear as a manufacturer of choice. OEM tires are rarely the best choice, but recent versions can be lightyears ahead of what you were used to. I agree that Michelin rarely makes a bad tire; it's just that they are so darn expensive compared to almost everything else. The Tire rack does have a ton of info, including ratings from buyers and test results from Tirerack testers themselves. They recommended the Goodyears to me and I couldn't be happier.

I agree that it is very possible for someone who is fairly far down on the list to get bumped up quickly, especially if you consider all of the impatient people out there. My brother-in-law is a good example. He had a 3 year-old Sienna van and told me a while ago that he had hoped to buy the latest Sienna van within the year. Since I know that he endures many hours per week sitting in traffic and drives more than 60 miles per day, I advised him that Toyota will be coming out with a hybrid van that would inevitably increase his milage (and decrease his constant trips to the gas station) tremendously. Could he wait just one more year? ........not a chance! He picked up his new, 21 MPG Sienna last weekend. So, as you can see, there is no shortage of impatient people out there. BTW, the service I receive at the local Chevy dealership is superb - isn't that a surprise!

Ah, THAT explains why the local Toyota dealership dissolved the Highlander waiting list recently. We're looking forward to test-driving the 400h when it arrives. Thanks for your input. I had to chuckle yesterday: While waiting for a loaner vehicle (the Corvette needs a differential seal replacement which is covered under the extended warranty), I was asked if I preferred a car or a truck. I replied that it really doesn't matter - "I'll take whatever you've got." To my surprise, the woman going over the paperwork added " Make sure you fill the tank with gas; otherwise it WILL cost you more if we have to do it." Geez, if I knew they were going to charge me for gas, I'd have taken the Impala!!!

The statement that hybrids are going above asking is simply not true, at least in San Diego county. We have at least three Lexus dealers in the area and not ONE of them are asking above MSRP. In fact, the BMW dealerships don't ask above MSRP either, since doing this is sure to alienate customers. Yes, RX330s are being discounted heavily, but even if the RX400h were not a hybrid vehicle and simply had an extra 40 HP and some added features, it would still drive the demand for 330s down enough to warrant big discounts.

There's at least a one-year waiting list as we speak. After getting booted out of my #2 spot on the Highlander waiting list, I called around to find that the shortest list in this area is 50+. Luckily, we are #15 on the RX400h list. Dealers are telling me that if you are just signing up, you shouldn't expect to actually get one until 2006.

Last week when I stopped for gas, regular was $1.97/gallon for regular. Yesterday, it was $2.07 for regular. I think it's about time we stop buying these 13-17 MPG behemoths and start the upward trend of gas milage once again. Have you ever noticed that oil company profits never slip? Hybrid vehicles are long overdue - hence, the long waiting lists for Toyotas.

Heh heh; I was just joking around with you. We actually thought about getting a Mazda 3, which also gets very good gas milage, even with an auto tranny. The van could then be used only when necessary. The Prius would be great, but is not available around here unless you're up high on any of the dealer's lists. Ideally, though, the best compromise for us is a powerful, yet thrifty and tall vehicle that is very quiet and has many amenities. The Highlander would've been a possibility until the list on which we were on top was eliminated. but we are still looking forward to driving the RX400h. Besides, I'd feel bad if after buying a 50K Corvette, we bought a 20K car for the wife! Now if I could find a Prius to test drive without having to spend half a day at the dealership, I would in a heartbeat - just to get an idea as to how a hybrid vehicle feels.

That's what I thought! Thanks for the info. SW, How do explain those statistics????

Really? It sure doesn't look as tall! No, I have never driven one. We were #2 on the Highlander list until the manager eliminated the list recently. Our only hope for a hybrid in 2005 is the RX400H (We're # 15 on the list.), but hey, that's not a bad choice after all!

...not in our case. My wife MUST have a vehicle that sits tall so she can see over much of the traffic and anticipate sudden braking and such. She also needs a minimum amount of room and excellent gas milage in the city. In facr, a brief look around you while creeping along in the morning or afternoon traffic jams will reveal many, many SUV drivers, most getting 10-15 MPG. I require a potent vehicle, regaedless of room or height, so for us and a majority of big city commuters, the RX400h is a bargain. Let's face it - if you simply want the bottom-line cheapest mode of transportation, you'll get a Kia, not N RX330. However, if you want more power, decent room AND high fuel economy for everyday driving, the RX400h is the better choice.

Ah, but let's now look at the real world for the millions of us who have to put up with heavy traffic everyday. A vehicle that normally gets halfway decent gas milage on the highway (such as yours), gets disappointing (at best) milage in the city and during the daily stop and go commute. During these conditions, your 24 MPG becomes a paltry 15 MPG (Remember, heavy, stop and go driving gives you extremely-low milage, but is boosted a bit when the speeds increase to 40 or 50 MPH, as is common to many of us. Now, at 15 MPG, we're talking about $1700 per year vs $850 for an RX400h. Now let's compare the RX400h MSRP to the RX330 MSRP. The reason why I'm doing this is because when the RX330 was first introduced, dealers were getting MSRP and were NOT dealing very often. The same holds true for almost any new model Lexus and Toyota when introduced, so I'm comparing apples to apples here. The RX400h (40 HP) will have more power and more features. Heck, the power alone is worth a bunch of money to me. With an estimated $3000 higher MSRP over the RX330, the RX400h's superior gas milage will make up for the higher MSRP in less than 4 years. Add in far fewer trips to the gas station, more power, and more amenities, and you've got yourself a vehicle that is well worth the extra money you may pay upfront.

Believe me, if you are stranded in the middle of nowhere, most hillbilly mechanics won't know how to work on an RX300, let alone the 400. In fact, you won't find many tire shops that are qualified to install or remove runflat tires, so if you drive a car with runflats (more and more cars are being equipped with them), get a sidewall puncture, and are out in the middle of nowhere, you are out of luck! Remember when airbags were first introduced? How about antilock brakes? The same concerns were presented as reasons for NOT buying vehicles with these features. Look at us now! Fear not technology, for it will benefit us all.

This was e-mailed to me recently from Lexus: "We'd like to thank all of our Lexus Hybrid Newsletter readers for the insightful questions that have been submitted about the Lexus RX 400h and the technology behind it. We're in the process of answering these questions and we'll be sharing that information with you in upcoming editions of the Lexus Hybrid Newsletter. However, we'd like to take this opportunity to answer the most frequently asked question of all: "When will the RX 400h be available?" We think the best way to answer that is to share the very latest information regarding the timing of the Lexus RX 400h launch, as well as some enlightening new product information: This is an exciting time for hybrid vehicles, with demand and acceptance continuing to grow as new products enter the market. We couldn't be more thrilled with the reception that the RX 400h has received from the media and from informed consumers like you. For the last two years, our target launch date for the all-new Lexus RX 400h luxury utility vehicle has been late 2004. With the final development stage completed and the pre-production phase now beginning, our launch date has been more finely focused. We are now looking at early 2005 for the official launch. The RX 400h's eye-catching exterior is similar to the acclaimed RX 330's, while adding style elements such as unique 18-inch wheels, dark chrome grille, sporty air intake, round foglamps and jeweled taillamps. The computer- controlled powertrain seamlessly blends power from the V6 gasoline engine, the electric-drive motors and the generator. In place of the traditional tachometer, the RX 400h has an illuminated power meter that displays the level of power generated by the gas-electric hybrid powertrain. The driver will also be able to monitor the gas-electric power distribution on the standard seven-inch touch-panel display screen that comes with the navigation system. The RX 400h all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain combines two powerful electric-drive motors with the highly efficient 3.3-liter V6 engine found in the RX 330 to significantly improve low- to mid-speed acceleration and overall fuel efficiency. The system is a full hybrid, meaning that the RX 400h is capable of operating in separate gas or electric modes, as well as a mode that combines power from both. The RX 400h will develop a combined system output of approximately 270 horsepower (versus 230 horsepower in the RX 330) and deliver combined fuel economy equivalent to the current average of a compact sedan. Zero-to-sixty acceleration will also improve over the current RX 330's sub-eight-second time. The RX 400h will also be rated as a Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV), one of the most stringent emissions ratings in the industry. The RX 400h uses a regenerative braking system to further boost system efficiency. When the vehicle is coasting or the brakes are applied, the electric motor functions as a generator, capturing kinetic energy in the form of heat collected through the braking system. It then converts that energy into usable electricity to recharge the hybrid battery. In short, the new RX 400h will become the premium model in the RX series, offering increased performance, smooth operation, better fuel efficiency and a host of high-technology, safety, luxury amenities and comfort features." We were seriously considering a Sienna, which not only gets better gas milage than just about every mid-large size SUV out there, but also can store more inside than all of them as well. However, when we heard about the RX400h and Highlander hybrids, we knew that either of these vehicles would more than make up for their smaller interior volume with significantly better fuel milage. 600+ miles to a tankfull is no less than incredible. Couple that with more power than any minivan and 100+ MPG during traffic jams (frequent in big cities like San Diego) and you end up with a package that is too good to pass up. RX400hs will change the way people look at SUVs forever.

I can't imagine any dealer getting near sticker on an 05 when the RX400h is due out during the first quarter of 05. This version will have 40 more HP, get 36MPG in the city, and be priced not too far away from the latest 330. The demand (as per the huge waiting lists) is said to be astronomical. This is why it is unlikely that the deals for the gas-only versions will go away any time soon.

I'm #15 on a list for the RX400h and was #2 on the list for the Toyota Highlander hybrid. (Highlander seats 7, so I wanted the option of testing that one as well)Today, when going through my Visa bill, I noticed that the Toyota dealership had refunded my $500 deposit without telling me. I called the sales manager and he explained that there will be a 6-month delay of the introduction of the hybrid SUVs from Toyota. When asked why he refunded my deposit, he explained that there were so many requests for info regarding the Prius and Highlander, in addition to waiting lists that are spiraling out of control, that they had to eliminate all hybrid waiting lists. I then called the Lexus dealership and a saleperson there explained that March is the expected month for the first RX400h delivery. Currently, the waiting list is so long that anyone placing their name on the list will not actually be able to buy an RX400h until sometime in 2006 - the list is incredibly long! Hey, it gives me a bit more time to save my pennies; I just hope that I don't have to wait too long.

Thankfully, none of the dealerships I called is going to charge a markup. When I was looking for a Magnetic Red Corvette in 01, I had to order from out-of-state to avoid paying a markup or retail and 01 was the fifth year of production for the C5! My backup is the Highlander hybrid because I really don't want to spend $50,000 on an RX.

I am number 15 on one dealer's list and on an e-mail notification from another. As a backup. I am also on a hybrid Highlander list (#2). Thus far, I have not heard anything other than January 05 for the first RX400h and maybe March before my reserved RX is in. The dealer suggested that I may be able to get one sooner if someone higher on the list refuses a color that I prefer, but I won't be betting on that happening.

The dealers in California are saying the availability has slipped. I'm hearing February/March. I also saw an article that said they will ship first to the states where they have the most pressure to improve fleet mileage so probably there will be some staggering in how it will show up across the US. Hopefully, that means CA will be first! I'm number 15 on one list and the dealership expects the first demo in January. I'm guessing March before I get mine, but hey, that leaves me more time to save my pennies! :)

27.6 must be a combined number, as Toyota has specified 37-38 as a city milage figure. Highway milage, as with the Prius, will be less. Also, it is more likely that the RX400h will be sold starting in January; the original prediction was the Fall of 04, but I guess we could be surprised!

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I was told that the brochures will be out this Fall. Until then, there is mostly speculation as to the available options.

Actually, I used 36 MPG in my calculations, since that's what I've seen as the projected milage. Ford is using 38 MPG and according the their NYC test results, this figure is entirely possible. You are certainly correct in saying that those who drive mostly (uncrowded) highway miles are less likely to recover the extra $ quickly, but even those who use the highways often (in or near large cities) end up experiencing plenty of stop-and-go driving which more closely resembles city driving than highway driving. Combine this "morning commute" traffic with actual city traffic and the savings from having the engine shut down often will really accumulate quickly. As far as the Ford hybrid goes - I believe most people expect the worst after many years of the Focus problems. Lexus and Toyota? ......I have no doubt that they will be well-received!

I highly recommend this product: http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/mercha...gory_Code=Zaino I've been using it for three years now on my Corvette's seats and they look and smell like they did the day I bought the car. Zaino recommends reapplying every couple of months.

I agree, although there are many owners out there (myself included) who change their own oil and have nothing more than a small notebook with dates and milage numbers written down. A coworker had this problem with his Toyota 4-Runner. The problem stemmed from insufficient driving time (5 miles to work), coupled with oil change intervals that were based upon milage and not time. My Corvette uses synthetic oil (factory-fill) and even though oil change intervals can be stretched to 12,000 miles (mostly highway miles) in some cases, I must change oil every 12 months (5500 miles, in my case). My advice: Talk to the former owner if possible about maintenance in detail, especially if they have no receipts.