RX400h

Yes - Magnetic Red II and welcome to the C-club, Bob! I bought it, new in June of 01 - my first new car. The Corvette and Lexus are at opposite ends of the "ride" spectrum but that's why I like them both. I'm sure you feel the same way about yours. Dave

....just what I didn't want to hear: "I turned on the wipers but only the driver's side was moving." Since I had recently had the recalls done, I thought perhaps something was disconnected and not reconnected by the service tech, so I called the service manager to inquire as to whether this could've been the case. "I've heard of this happening to another customer." he said. "Just pop the hood and tighten the wiper arm bolts. There's one at the base of each wiper arm. They tend to come loose over time." Sure enough, that's all it took - a box-end wrench and 20 seconds of my time. So, if you find that your passenger side wiper doesn't move while your driver's side does, you now know what to do.

Certainly, there are some people who will prefer sport versions and who would be willing to pay more. I think it's a good idea.

...same here. Our stainless steel refrigerator doors get cleaned often. When it comes to "modern" technology, I tell my kids all the time, "Just because you CAN do something, doesn't always mean you should." and "That looks like the answer to a question no one asked." Talking to your cell phone during working hours or while exposed to more than a small amount of ambient noise tends to fall into both categories.

I had a cup of coffee in the "cubby" and I believe it sat inside so that spills would be next to impossible. The screen in that newer Lexus was much closer to the windshield, which makes it easier to keep your eyes on the road. I think the hamburger joint in town makes good use of tablets - a person stands in the parking lot, taking orders from folks waiting to get to the drive-thru window. But for vehicles, I think the Lexus designers made the right choice by going with a PC-style setup (IMO).

It cost my dealership about $57 for the gas. (I believe CA has the highest gas prices in the US.) Perhaps it IS a US thing only, but I'm glad my dealership does it. Regarding touch screens: Remember that many "older" folks own Lexus vehicles, thus, resting your wrist and forearm is highly prefered over extending your arm and hand to input destinations, phone numbers, etc. I find that even when "typing" on my touch screen phone, my hands and arms tire after a while. I can go much longer typing on a real keyboard with my wrist and arm properly supported. This is why I also prefer a laptop over a tablet for almost everything I do on the run. (That plus the infinitely-adjustable screen comes in handy when using it on my lap.)

Tex, I had to laugh when I saw your comment! Another high-tech feature some vehicles have that can be disconcerting for some is active-handling. Some vehicles do not allow the driver to turn it off.

I purposely waited until my dealership had all the parts, just in case any were needed after inspection of my RX400h. Our RX was among the first batch to be delivered to San Diego in March/April of 2005, so I didn't know what to expect as far as how "extensive" this recall experience would be. It turns out that not much was needed, only: IPM (Intelligent Power Module) Transistor Carpet and retention clips Car floor cover kit The crankshaft pulley was found to be okay. The inside and outside of the vehicle was meticulously cleaned, $55 worth of fuel was pumped in and a license plate cover was installed, all for free. My loaner vehicle was an RX350 with only 258 miles on its odometer. It performed well but did not have the low-end torque or gas mileage of my "old" RX400h. The NAV was huge and the mouse-like knob for control of all its features is much handier than always having to reach over to touch a screen that inevitably has lots of fingerprints all over it. Sometimes a touch screen is not an improvement. I did have them update the NAV DVD (no installation charge), so that was my only expense. On a side note: When I was younger, we had to write with our heads almost parallel to the desk - not a problem for young folks but not the best thing for your neck as you grew older. A couple of weeks ago while waiting in the airport for an overseas flight, I noticed 4 or 5 people using laptops. A couple of younger travelers had tablets and, as I did so many times as a youngster, had their heads bent down at a 90 degree angle so that they could read their tablet on their lap. While on the plane, some people had netbooks that fit nicely on the fold-down meal tray, the screen tilted at just the right angle. One person next to me had an iPad that was leaned up against the seatback. As soon as the plane hit some turbulence, the iPad came crashing down against the meal tray. I couldn't help but think that sometimes we humans go backwards in some ways when it comes to technology. Anyway, I'm sorry I went off-topic but I had to mention that after driving the RX350 with the mouse-controlled NAV. Thank you, Lexus for not staying with something, just because it is currently popular.

Thanks, Jaswood for the insightful info.

Wow, what a fiasco! I believe my RX400h now has 4 recalls and all the parts are in so I am taking in in, this week to have everything done. Regarding your situation: I think that most owners would've had the repairs/replacements done (free of charge) and chalked it up to bad dealership policy (or lack thereof). But really, negotiating a brand new RX450H because of what happened is well beyond "making things right". In my opinion, the over-ruling of Mr. Wendelstadt was justified. I (and many, many others, compared to the number of RX400h owners) went through similar aggravation with my Corvette's column lock mechanism. The dealerships would install a block-off plate ONLY if the car had an automatic transmission. My car did not, so the dealership "fix" was to install a replacement module (for which I had to pay) that was no different from the design-flawed original. I had to install my own bypass to circumvent the steering wheel locking mechanism. Of course there was no replacement car even considered, nor did I expect such. I understand your aggravation but it looks like that particular dealership is at fault for selling you the RX without at least notifying you of the recalls. Lexus should be expected to intervene on your behalf but getting the dealership to give you a car that is 6-7 years newer is not reasonable, IMO.

I would connect a "battery Tender Plus" to the 12V battery and throw some "STA-BIL" fuel stabilizer in the gas tank.

That reminds me of the Al Pacino movie in which he (being blind) and a 19 year old went to test-drive a Ferrari. The salesman refused to let the "kid" drive until Al offered him $2000, just to let the kid test-drive it. When I was 17, a Nissan dealership salesman refused to let me drive a used 240Z, despite driving in with a new Subaru. Perhaps you were able to drive the GS because of your RX, but I wasn't so lucky, way back in the day.

Evan, That may be because air flow through the new filter increased, especially if your old filter was fairly dirty. Dave

Well, I'm basing my estimations on the number of CT200hs I see. here in San Diego. I think the Prius is faster and sells far better. The new GS gets fuel mileage that is not that much worse than that of the CT, yet is light years faster.Sales of the GS hybrid are bound to improve.

All, I'm basing my estimations on the number of CT200hs I see. here in San Diego. I think the Prius is faster and sells far better.

I'll tell you one thing, it's alot faster and handles much better than our RX400hs or RX450hs, that's for certain. Lexus is finding out that an upscale, slow, sporty hybrid does not sell well (CT200h).

The GS 450 has received excellent reviews in the car mags. Its "fun-to-drive" rating has increased dramatically and I expect that the GS450h will retain much of this improvement as well. I think you will be pleased

If your tires are wearing at their outer edges, then they are most certainly under pressurized. I would increase fill pressure as long as you do not exceed the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire.

9 kids? No wonder you do your own work! I typically look at the two Ts - time and tools. If I don't have either or both, I take the car in to the shop. Of course, as I grow older, I lose the first and gain the second......:)

Certainly, the new one is nicer-looking but because I have to dish out $1000 for my kids' text books every semester, I'll have to pass on this deal.

At this point in time, the life of lithium ion batteries for automotive propulsion is unknown. The life of NiMH batteries is well established with some Prius vehicles surpassing 250,000 miles using the OEM batteries.

Okay, NOW I've seen it all!

Thanks, I think there may be a few people here who'd be interested.

Bob, I've been reading about this CA-only extension of the hybrid components warranty for quite a few years now. The best way to verify may be with the CA BAR.

Interesting read: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/buying-advice/extended-warranties-4-08/overview/extended-warranties-ov.htm