cduluk

YES! :D I thought i was the only one interested in these little miniature models :P When i started becoming in love with Lexus' (in around 2000, 11yrs old) i started to collect the miniature models. I started with the 1/64 scale, then moved onto the 1/72 scale because it was the only scale the Rx300 was made in. Then in '05 when i got my first REAL Rx300, i customized the miniature to look just like it. I painted it the exact color (indigo ink pearl 8P4 / gray cladding UCAF4), made a spoiler, added an antenna out of wire, dremeled out the moonroof, dremeled out the little triangular windows next to the mirrors, added the mirror green tinting film, re-did the interior with wood and extra detail, and topped it off with my license plate (made it on paint, shrunk and printed it). Then i started seeking out the other Lexus miniatures in 1/72. I found the 98-05 GS and 02-09 SC from the same makers of the Rx300 (Hongwell/Cararama) and turned them into the 01-05 GS430 and 06-09 SC430 making similar customizations, including paint and interior redo etc... But these were the only Lexus miniatures in the 1/72 i could find. I wasn't satisfied :D With more research i found an 03-08 Toyota Harrier in the 1/72 scale made from a company called "EPOCH", and turned it into the Rx350. It took a lot of body work since the detail from Epoch was.... quite bad- but it turned out awesome. This was way before i just bought my Rx400h, so i made it into the Rx350 instead of Rx400h... And i found a 1/72 Toyota Crown and a next gen Toyota Crown from another maker, and with a LOT of body work, made one into the 07-09 ES350 and the other into the 04-06 LS430. Those took the most time since there was SOOO much body work involved; dremeling, filing, filling, sanding etc... And a few years ago in high school, i had to make a model house for one of my architecture classes. I found a picture of a house online, and made a 1/72 replica out of cardboard (created and printed out the patterns on paint, and printed) and found the fake grass and trees on ebay- all to the same scale as the 1/72 miniatures. Here are a few pics of the cars and house i made :D Keep in mind the cars are about 5cm long lol. I'm gonna take a few more pics tomorrow in daylight, my camera can't get a lot of detail in my basement lighting.

The HS250 has its own section of the forum <_< But yeah, still not much talk in there either lol

The position for the microphone is in the same spot in the Rx400h, i agree it's a bad spot. Some car makers put it in the steering wheel which i think is perfect.

We payed $31,000 for the Rx400h 3 months ago lol. I got an AMAZING deal...

oh yes!!! The turning radius has been much improved on the Rx400h. The radius in the Rx300 was awful. It's much easier to pull into parking spaces with the 400h. And i'd have to put the tire pressure monitoring system on the CONS list, i think it's nothing but trouble... and an extra expense when doing wheel work.

This makes me happy :) I think it screams to the market that will buy it. It's pure sport. 0-60 in 3.7 seconds? That's faster than the Lamborghini or Ferrari... And at half the cost. I will admit it's very sleek looking as well.

I know why the center console area is there, i think i get it. The space between the driver and passenger of cars vs SUV's has been occupied differently since... forever. In the 99-03 Rx300, there's the console that's about 3" lower than the height of the seats, giving some space between it and the shifter panel. Again, the 04-09 Rx330/350/400h has a similar concept, with a small console only coming up to the height of the seats, with that space between it and the shifter panel. But take a look at a sedan. The space between the driver and passenger is occupied differently. The console is raised to a height "above" the hight of the seat, with an armrest built in- whereas the 99-09 Rx's had armrests attached to the lumbar part of the seats. And the center console is connected to the shifter panel. I think the Lexus engineers were trying to incorporate this "sedan" feel into the 010 Rx350. Take a look at competing SUV's such as the Infiniti FX, EX, Acura RDX, MDX, Lincoln MKX, Mercedes ML etc... they all incorporate this higher console that connects to the shifter panel. No space between the console and the shifter panel like what's found in the earlier 99-09 RX's... Come to think of it, i can't think of any other luxury SUV besides Lexus' that has that space there. I bet people in the other luxury SUV forums would complain about the same thing having come from an Rx300 or early Rx330/350. I admit myself i love that space there, it's great for putting fast food when bringing it home, and i know women put their bags there... but esthetically i think having the console connected looks better, it's just less versatile. If the 010 Rx didn't have that 5" x 8" cutout in the center console, no one would question why it was there in the first place, or ask, "why didn't they just leave the console out"... one should really think of it as, "it's better than nothing". <_<

Hey guys :) I've had my 2008 Rx400h for about 3 months now, after trading in my 2003 Rx300. I just wanted to share my overall experiences having driven both. Here are some of the things i like better about the Rx400h: The Navigation Screen The screen in the 400h is much larger and of better resolution than the tiny one in the 300. The pixel transition speed is also faster on the 400h screen which is less distracting. The 400h screen menu gives you the option to toggle between icon color (either brown or blue) vs the standard icon color of brown in the 300 screen. And the screen in the 400h is brighter which makes it easier to see in bright sunlight. The gauge cluster This might seem like a weird one, but i really appreciate the beauty of a nice gauge display. The Rx300 speedometer gauges are back-lit by a cold cathode tube, which emits an "off-white" color, which turns into a faded green as it ages. The rx400h speedometer gauges are back-lit with LED's which emit a pure white color which is more pleasing to the eyes. Although the 300 and 400h share the same "optitron" technology (using a tinted cover to bring out the black/white effect) i think the 400h makes the best use of it, and makes for a more appealing effect. The rings around the speedometer, power, gas and temp gauges are also nice to look at. A+ to Lexus for this one :) Illuminated Homelink Buttons Although the Rx300 did have the three homelink buttons on the sun visor, they weren't illuminated. This made it a chore to find them at nighttime. The homelink buttons in the 400h are illuminated which makes it easier to locate during nighttime. Also, the location of the homelink buttons was moved to the upper "center" console in the 400h vs on the drivers sun visor in the 300. It was always a pain to have to reach above your head in front of you to press them, which sort of obstructed your view for a second. Dual Climate Control This has to be one of the best relationship "anti-argument " features put out by Lexus. Whenever i'd drive with my girlfriend in the Rx300, there was always a battle when it came to programming the temperature setting. Either i'd want it warm when she'd want it cold, or visa versa. No longer a problem in the 400h due to the dual climate control. I can keep my side nice and toasty while she can grow icicles on her her side :) Definitely a cool invention. Illuminated Door Sills When you open the doors of the Rx300, if you look down you will see the door sill, a long strip of aluminum with the word "LEXUS" engraved in the center- very classy. But the engineers of the Rx400h found a way to beat it, by having the word LEXUS illuminated a bright blue color. Passengers are greeted with the light every time they open the door, and i get a lot of compliments about it. Interior Quietness Compared to the road nosies heard while in the Rx300, the Rx400h offers much more sound deadening qualities. Besides engine noises, the car interior seems silent when in motion. Definitely makes riding in the Rx400h feel more luxurious. Gate Shifter Again, i might be alone in this one, but i really like the use of the gate shifter unit vs the linear one found on the Rx300. Having to press a button to move the shifter up or down in the 300 was sort of.... a pain. The 400h shifter uses both x and y movements which makes gear selection easier without having to look at the unit. Not to mention the gate shifter looks much more modern. Steering Wheel Controls The Rx400h steering wheel contains switches for radio volume, seek and mode, along with switches for the bluetooth and gauge display options. Having easy access controls on the steering wheels allows you to make setting changes without taking your hands off of the wheel. This is something i always envied when i had the Rx300, which didn't have any controls at all. Rear Power Door When i first heard about the feature, i thought i would never have a use for it. I also thought if i were to ever get caught using it... well being a guy that could be embarrassing. But, it's proven to be a useful feature even to a guy. Being able to press a button on the key to open the rear tailgate is a blessing when carrying heavy bags- oops, i mean weights, lumber and plumbing equipment :P Definitely a nice feature. Headlight AFS and auto-leveling Auto-leveling is not necessarily a new feature with HID headlights (which the Rx300 had) but the use of it has improved for the 400h. Whenever one accelerates quickly in the 400h, the headlight beam automatically lowers to prevent you from blinding oncoming drivers (as the nose of the car raises). Also, when braking hard, the beam automatically moves upward, responding to the dip in the front end. The auto-leveling in the Rx300 only moved the beam up or down if there was excessive weight in the rear cargo area etc. It did not respond to things like acceleration and quick braking like it does in the 400h. But the AFS system IS a new feature found in the 400h. The AFS system allows the headlight beam to move left and right (whereas auto-leveling only moves the beam up or down) based on steering. If you're traveling above 20mph and take even the slightest turn, the left projector beam moves left to give you more lighting in the direction you are going. It does the same if you are moving to the right, but by a lesser degree (which i think is stupid, but i'll talk about that later...). Headlight Washers Although i have never actually used them for the purpose of cleaning off the headlight lenses, it's pretty cool to press a button and have the nozzles pop out of the bumper and spray, freaking out innocent passer byers :P Bluetooth This is another feature i didn't think i would actually use, but it's proven to be a nice amenity that the Rx300 lacked. Not having to hold the phone to your ear is pretty cool, and being able to pick-up and hang-up calls via the steering wheel or nav screen is also a nice safety feature. Interior Materials I find the quality of the interior dash materials in the Rx400h an improvement over the Rx300. The dashboards in both the 300 and 400h are made from that "squishy" material, but all other surfaces in the 300 are made from hard plastic. In the 400h, the hard plastic pieces are covered with textured vinyl which gives it more of a Lexus "feel". If it isn't covered in textured vinyl, it's covered in a nice velvety material (like on the upper side pillars). Although, i do find the seat leather in the 400h to be a little more "rubbery" than the leather found in the Rx300. I believe it's made this way to resist cracking and fading, which was common in the leather of the Rx300. Nevertheless, i find the 400h overall interior to be of better quality. Heated Seat Controls Although the Rx300 did come with front heated seats, there were only two settings, a low and a high. The controls for the Rx400h heated seats have been improved with a potentiometer dial which allows for an infinite linear selection from off to high. Performance Wow! There's a definite improvement in acceleration in the 400h. I used to think the power in the Rx300 was brisk, but that was until i started driving the Rx400h. Although the 0-60 time of 7.2 seconds for the Rx400h AWD isn't "Porsche" fast, it certainly beats the 8.8 second time of the Rx300. Definitely enough pep to switch out of lanes and merge when on the highway. CVT transmission I had no idea what this was until i drove the Rx400h for the first time. On the test drive, i noticed the car never seemed to switch gears. You know that lurch you feel when a standard automatic transmission switches gears? No such feel is ever felt in the Rx400h. Acceleration is a complete linear increase with no breaks or lurching. It's a nice feature and makes the ride more enjoyable. Only downside is that it makes acceleration sound slow, not really that sports car tone. Telescoping Steering Wheel Never really thought about this feature until it came in handy. When the Rx400h is turned off, the steering wheel retracts and lifts to it's highest point. When the car is turned on, it comes back out and down to the driver's set position. I like how it gets out of the way after turning the car off, it allows you to be able to carry out books or whatever without scratching the steering wheel. I assume it's to give the rather large American easier entry and exit :P , but nevertheless it has many advantages lol. Automatic Windshield Wipers Probably one of the most convenient features found in the 400h that wasn't optional on the Rx300. There's a sensor at the top of the windshield in front of the rear-view mirror that detects rain droplets, along with the amount and the rate at which they're falling. The computer is then able to tell the wipers how fast and at what interval to move! Whether it's lightly sprinkling or pouring, it knows what to do. It's even able to adjust the speed and frequency based on how fast you're going- it's definitely one of the smartest technologies found in the Rx400h. The real test will be determined when the snow begins to fall, but i have a feeling it will perform just as well. Cup Holders For anyone who has either owned or driven in an Rx300, you know how horrible the cup holders are. They're only recessed maybe 2" which isn't nearly enough depth to safely secure any drink of any size. I am happy to say the cup holders in the Rx400h have been improved and have passed the spill test. Safety This isn't really something i'm able to enjoy on a daily basis, but it's nice to know that it's there. The Rx300 is equipped with both driver & passenger front airbags, along with frontal side airbags, but that doesn't even compare with the defense the 400h has prepared. The Rx400h also has both front & rear curtain airbags along with a drivers knee airbag to add to the usual frontal airbags. It's nice to know that in the event of a crash, the Rx400h will do it's best to keep the driver in one piece :) LED Taillights The Rx400h offers LED taillights which produce quicker and more crisp light compared to the filament bulbs in the Rx300. The response time of LED's is up to 8x faster than filament bulbs, and the "quick" illumination is pretty cool. Gas Mileage I have saved this one for last, because i feel it deserves last place. The Rx400h mileage of city 26mpg and highway 24mpg IS statistically an increase compared to the city 16mpg and highway 20mpg of the Rx300, but i feel the increase looks better on paper than in real time use (i will explain later). Now here are some things i feel the Rx400h either lacks or needs improvement on compared to the Rx300. Gas Mileage Like i said before, statistically the Rx400h burns less gas per mile in comparison to the Rx300, but i can't help but feel the benefits are somewhat skewed, and this is why: The gas tank in the Rx300 is 19.8 gallons, whereas the gas tank in the Rx400h is a mere 17.2 gallons. So even though the Rx400h gets better mileage, i am re-fueling JUST AS OFTEN as i did when i had the Rx300. And since the tank in the Rx400h is smaller than the one found in the Rx300 (and smaller than the tanks found many other SUV's) you pay less at the pump per fill-up. I believe this gives you the "illusion" that you are saving more money than you really are. Yes, i know the tank is smaller because there's more battery equipment etc, but it's definitely something to think about. Gas Cover Open switch On the Rx300, there was a miniature lever on the ground next to the drivers seat that would have to be pulled for the gas tank cover to be flipped open. It was very responsive. But on the Rx400h, there's this stupid electronic button that needs to be pressed for the cover to flip open. I would say 99.99% of the time, you need to press it 3 times before it opens. It's NOT very responsive. Not to mention it's located on the left lower dash panel that's parallel to the driver's line of vision, which makes it impossible to find unless you move your head down to your lap to find it. Not to mention it's not illuminated, so you need to to turn on the interior light to see it. Everything about this function sucks lol. Moonroof Switche(s) plural for a reason On the upper console of the Rx300, there was ONE rocker switch that controlled all functions of the moonroof (open, close, tilt up and tilt down). To open the moonroof, you quickly pressed side A of the switch. To close the moonroof, you quickly press side B of the switch. To tilt open the moonroof, you hold down side A of the switch, and to tilt down, you do the same thing. Simple right? Yes, it was. But on the upper console of the Rx400h, there are now TWO rocker switches that control the same functions of the moonroof. To open the moonroof, you press side A of switch 1. To close the moonroof, you press side B of switch 1. But to tilt up the moonroof, you need to press side A of switch 2.... and to tilt down the moonroof, you need to press side B of switch 2. It may seem easier on paper, but it isn't. I always forget which switch does what, and which side does what, and of course they're not illuminated so it makes it 2x as hard to use the moonroof at nighttime. Voice Commands Some of you may be wondering why i put this new feature in the 'cons' section of this post, but trust me, this is where it belongs. This feature is probably one of the most useless features to have to play with in the Rx400h. Just think of the types of commands you'd want to be able to tell the car to do... maybe increase temperature? change the radio station to x, y, or z? Tell you if there are any road blocks ahead? Well, the Rx400h voice command feature doesn't do any of these. All it can do is change the radio station "up" or "down", switch between "cd changer" and "fm radio" or "go home" if your voice is something like that of a professional English teacher. Not to mention there's about a 2 second delay after you press the button, and another delay while you listen to the girl say "after the beep, please say your command"... I've played with the voice command feature in some of the Acura models, and it's superior to the Rx400h feature by a landslide. It's absolutely useless, and may even cause frustration as you listen to it say, "pardon?" after you have told it to "go home" about a thousand times... Engine Sound Since the Rx400h is a hybrid, you'd think engine sounds would be quieter than the Rx330/350, right? WRONG. It's not even "just as loud"- it's louder. When you first turn the car on, you hear nothing. When you start driving, you still hear nothing, until you hit 5mph when the engine starts. The engine at idol or at low speeds with low to moderate acceleration is quiet, until you hit the accelerator. When you hit the gas pedal, the engine roars, almost like a V8 or diesel. At first it was very annoying, but you get used to it. Everyone who drives with me for the first time always asks why it's so loud... Delay in Acceleration Although the acceleration is very brisk in the Rx400h, there's a bit of a delay between when you hit the gas and when it takes off. Actually, it's quite noticeable. But despite the delay, as soon as it does "kick-in", your head pushes back against the headrest and you feel the power. If the delay wasn't present, it could take a good second off the 0-60 time for sure... Navigation Functionality Yes i did mention how i like the display of the 07+ navigation screens, but i find the process of entering a destination a little more complicated. In the Rx300, if i wanted to go to my "home", i would click the destination button on the console, press the home icon, click start, and the guidance would begin. But in the Rx400h, if i want to go home, i have to click the destination button on the dash, click the home icon, but then there's another prompt asking if i want to "add to destination" or "replace destination", THEN i can click start for the guidance to begin. I thought i may have been doing something wrong, but i checked on my cousins 07 Rx350, and it's the same deal. So yet again, it's another way in which technology becomes a little more complicated :( Nighttime Illumination of center console This is something many people probably don't even notice (or care about...) but it bothers me. In the Rx300, the gauge cluster dials are illuminated in that shade of white, while EVERY other switch or icon in the car is illuminated light green- which i think is very classy. But in the Rx400h, it seems every panel is of a different color. The gauge cluster is white (which i love). The window switches are of a light green color along with the shifter panel icons, heated seat and headlight washer controls. The "pwr door" button on the left panel is of a darker green along with the homelink buttons, which doesn't match any other green light in the car. And you know how the silver center console is broken up into the top nav/temp section and lower radio section? Well, the radio icons and buttons of the lower portion illuminate an off-white color, while the nav and temp buttons are illuminated a very "bleached-out" green shade, like they took a white bulb and coated only half of it with green tint... It's as if the engineers of each section of the interior lighting didn't converse to make sure everything matched. IMO it shows lack of effort and quality, but heck, it's just me :) Driver's View while backing-up In the Rx300, you have plenty of window space behind you to look out for objects that may be behind you, but the rear window in the Rx400h gives you much, much less viewing space. Not to mention the rear side windows rake upwards which gives you less viewing space on the sides too. And yes, one may argue that the Rx400h offers the rear-view camera that pops up on the nav screen while in reverse, but honestly, it doesn't help much when parking. Yes, it may help if there's a 3ft tall person walking behind you, but it's absolutely impossible to calculate depth deception from the camera. In the camera it may seem like you have 6 ft behind you, when in reality you only have 3. I find it 100% useless when trying to parallel park... Well that's all i can think of for now :D if anyone wants to comment or add something else, please do!! :)

Are the Rx330's with the performance package any... well, better performing speed wise? Are they any faster than the standard Rx330?

Oh boy, i hope everything gets fixed! I often wonder what other hybrid problems we'll face :/

ebay, ebay, ebay :) A few months ago i scored a new set of Rx400h wheels chromed WITH tires, for $1300 shipped. I wanted the OEM wheels just chromed, to keep the hybrid style. I did the same thing with my old Rx300, found someone on ebay selling the factory wheels chromed for $600. If you like the factory design, check out ebay for sure. There are a lot of companies on ebay from CA that strip the factory wheels and tripple chrome them. At first i was hesitant because i didn't know if the chrome would last, but i put 3 years on the chrome set with the Rx300 and am pushing 2 months on the Rx00h wheels. No signs of pitting or peeling whatsoever. The key is washing them weekly and keeping them away from snow and salt. Being in Rhode Island, i have a factory silver set i use in winter months and switch to the chrome set during summer. Since you're in AZ, you should be fine year round. They also offer an "exchange" where you send in your factory set, pay $500 and they give you a chrome set. Might work for you since you don't need a factory silver set being down south. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LEXUS-GS430...sQ5fAccessories good luck! :)

The new honda CR-V has the quick touch blinkers too...

Yeah i still agree disconnecting the battery is the safest way. The car's prepared for a disconnected battery, it knows what to reset after this procedure. It many not be prepared for the airbag fuse to be taken out. I'm not sure if it would need a reset via this method... and i wouldn't want to find out at highway speeds with a car facing me in my lane :(

Do you know if these apply to all years?

Really!? I've only seen one 010 Rx350, definitely not any 450h's :(

Yeah, it's really simple. Just make sure to wear thick gloves when doing it, as there's a LOT of sharp metal under there. The metal's like a razor blade. I had replaced the seats in my old Rx300 and found this out the hard way :(

moonmoon, i like them!!! Can you post more pictures of them installed on the car? maybe further back pictures?

Definitely don't accept the HS without the extra features, IMO without them, there's nothing special about it. You won't be able to sleep at night knowing your HS isn't all the HS it could be <_< Especially when you thought you were getting so much more. I'd suggest having an HS imported to Canada and having the gauge cluster and the associated components converted to metric; the dealer will be able to do it, and i bet they've done it many times before.

Wow, those are some pretty harsh threats! Hmmm, but don't you guys wanna see the pics? Here, I'll give this up. My top 5 list ended up being and this is in order: 1) Mercedes Benz ML350 4matic 2) Lexus GX 470 3) Subaru Outback Limited 4) Volvo C70 5) Cadillac SRX The ones that didn't make the top 5 were: Toyota Vienna (The minivan thing, we just couldn't bring ourselves to it.) BMW X5 ( Man the options cost just too dang much money!) Audi Q5 and 7, ( so long as theres a warrentee, their great. But I was scared...lol!) Saturn Outlook ( I was willing to take a real close look at one, but then they announced that Saturn will be closed down. I know parts will still be out there, but the depreciation is going to kill this consideration.) Toyota Highlander ( I really liked this option. It was really tied for the fifth spot, but the Cadillac offered more luxury feel.) GM ( I'm sorry, but they have alot of work ahead of them first.) Ford Flex ( The Flex was cool, but only on the inside. The whole cube square look thing was just a bit to much. I like the looks of the Edge, but it was to small. And Ford in my opinion has excellent quality. The fuel mileage still needs to be better to really make them more competitive though.) Acura MDX ( Fugly, sorry, but their just tooooo fugly. It's my opinion, everyone has thier own. I think it's terrible.) Volkswagon Tourag ( Alot of money for a couple cool features. To me, Volkswagen makes the R32, and that's it.) Lexus RX 350 and 450H ( This is really only slightly larger than our sedans now. And I have this small nounce of an issue with the RX ride. Because it sits up higher, and the wheel base appears to be so tucked in underneath it coupled with the soft suspension becomes unnerving right at the point of initial turn in. Like it could flip over on ya. I know it won't. And you probably get used to it after a while, but for me it was really unsettling.) And the interior isn't as quiet to me as you would think it should be. And the long dash is sort of an oddity as well.) Jeep Grand Cherokee ( It's ok. the interior is to box and upright looking. but I think the better years for Jeep are coming, and this just isn't one of them yet. Another company I think that just needs more time to retool their "new" direction.) i like your views, i agree 100%

Does the car have nav? I'd assume no, because i'm pretty sure the back-up cam comes with nav.

I don't mind the style of the 2003-ish BMW 3 series sedans, i think they look very classy. If you want it and can afford it, i say go for it. Like i said before, you only live once. Even if it didn't turn out, not the end of the world. As for the wife, if she's anything like my girlfriend (or like any girl for that matter), car's don't mean much. She'll probably find it hard to spend more money for a GX when she's "ok" with the 4Runner. It seems for most women (not to be sexist :P ) car's are just a means for getting around (as horrible as that idea seems lol) It would be like your wife trying to get you to spend more money on "designer" clothes. :P Let her spend the extra money on something she likes- i mean, the 4Runner is safe and reliable, it does the job for someone who doesn't like cars...

I've seen someone with a VW Phaeton replace the rear badge with a Bentley emblem. Since the Phaeton is so rare at it is, if someone saw it with the Bentley badge, they'd probably believe it... So smooth, what did you decide on? :D

You only live once!

I think it's time for Lexus to come out with the next generation SC. It has the same body style as the 02 which was released in 01. It's a little... old, no? If they made the SC a little more "masculine" with a little more power it would probably be a "more" popular car.