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Hybrid Vehicles Lexus RX 400h New Lexus RX 400h Owners - Give Us Your Report
97 messages, Last post on Oct 06, 2009 at 9:04 AM
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I traded in a 2003 Audi Allroad 2.7T with low mileage for the RX400H. I've had 5 Lexuses in the past and the quality and reliability were always top notch. Morever the trade in values were always very good. With my last Audi and one previous one (an Audi for an Audi) I took a beating on trade-in. The substantially lower depreciation rate on Lexuses make them a better buy. It's only one week in the new Lexus but I find it vastly superior to the Audi Allroad. The Audi had air suspension and I didn't think the Lexus suspension would be as good but it is. Fuel economy is superior and inline with reports posted here. I've taken one measurement: with airconditioning constantly on 24.9 mpg. The Lexus to my surprise corners as well as the Audi squealing tires et al. The Lexus corners more flatly probably due to the VDIM system. Steering is very precise and alignment perfect. The smooth flow of power is unmatched; hillclimbing is a joy. This hybrid offers a great deal more than fuel economy and super low emissions and in an excellent value
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Replying to: idele (Jul 13, 2005 4:01 am)
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Replying to: falconone (Jul 13, 2005 4:32 am) |
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I own an RX400h. It is an excellent luxury performance vehicle. If fuel economy was paramount, which seems to be the sole criterium of many of the preceding posters, I would have bought a Prius. But I want luxury and performance and that requires a different car than the Prius. In fact, mpg performance of my RX400h is at least 25% better than my previous car when driven in the same gas and brakes style. Adapting my driving style to taking advantage of the hybrid drive adds another 10 % improvement in mpg. I regard the improvement in fuel economy purely as a bonus and, even without the better mpg, the RX400h, with the usual Lexus attention to detail and execution, is a joy to own.
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Replying to: idele (Aug 08, 2005 2:55 pm) |
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Have 4k on my 400h and couldn't be happier. Averaged 27.5 for first 1500 miles of mostly hwy and mnt. driving, but was disappointed in city (25ish on short, cold runs with a/c on). Then read guidelines for EPA city test and tried to duplicate. No a/c, 12 miles avg. 20mph and 5 min at idle is how they do it. I drove 16 miles, little higher avg speed and probably 3-4 min at idle ("no gas or electric draw"). My avg: 33.5 and it stayed above 30 for next 10+ miles. My test at 2500 ft. elevation in 75 degree weather. This car is without a doubt the most enjoyable vehicle I've ever driven. Don't like the minor "thunk" sound and feel when the ICE kicks in. I did have one concern that happened on slow driving (dozens of stops in 2-3 miles) when I began getting a loud click noise from the rear whenever I hit the brake. This continued for another few miles then when I braked and stayed hard on the brake peddle, I got a "whooshing" sound from the engine area. After resuming highway driving, all "problems" disappear and never returned. 
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Replying to: mkkid (Aug 23, 2005 11:10 am) We own an '04 RX330 and an '06 400h and we're (my wife and I collectively) averaging a paltry 22MPG on the 400h over some 3K miles. This is according to the Lexus computer, not my own computation. I tried driving for a while with the AC off, and got up to 24.5MPG in mostly Highway driving. Over the same driving conditions the RX 330 gets around 17MPG. So my net gain for $9K is 5MPG. Yuk. Given 15k miles per year, and $4/gallon it will take me 12 years to break even! While I like the tranny and the pep of the 400h, and I like pulling into the garage silently, and I LOVE my lexus dealer (hence the his and hers RXs), I don't care for the bait and switch with the mileage -- the EPA estimate is 33/27 and I'm unable to touch that even with very careful driving (downhill). Any thoughts about what I might be doing wrong? 
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Replying to: hylyskeptical (Sep 14, 2005 2:06 pm) its bigger than the same info under the steering wheel display. What you want are 5 minute mpg averages above your present averages. Some ways to get this: Now this may sound like boring granny driving, but I find its fun. It gives me something to think about on my commute and each 5 minutes is a new challenge. (Lexus should have a 1 minute mode to reallly monitor driving.) I drive in the fast lane, which in the NYC burbs is 65 - 75 mph, which gets me there fast and I think actually helps mileage since it generally isn't as congested as the other lanes giving more room for coasting and planning. I'm still working on whether firm acceleration using the electrics for a short period with very bad mpg is better than slower acceleration with little or no electrics and only bad mpg. (Personally I like to watch the electrics kick in.) Also wondering if anything is gained by by braking even harder when the kw needle is already full max. (I don't think so, just more regular brakes, but it does sound like there is more whine from the generators.) Having said all this if you are driving at a fixed, high speed on a flat highway in hot weather, like the NY Times did when they "reviewed" the hybrid your mileage is not going to be much better. Its only when you can use the hybrid's advantage in changing road conditions that mileage get's significantly better. If you drive the hybrid the same as your regular car, much of the hybrid's advantages will disappear. Driving like a hybrid driver for a couple of weeks and most of these things you'll do without thinking. (I find myself doing long slow braking in my wife's Audi.) Good luck.
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Replying to: hylyskeptical (Sep 14, 2005 2:06 pm) |
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Replying to: markatty (Sep 15, 2005 2:37 am) My present tank includes driving from Portland to Seattle plus 5 days of mixed city highway driving and registers at 29.0 on the navigation screen. I generally find that this reading is reduced by about .2 when dividing the miles by the gallons used. I am averaging about 6 mpg better than on my 2003 RX300. I did not purchase my 400h with the idea that the extra mpg would pay for the increased price. I do, however, like the fact that I am using less gas and am more friendly to the environment. A friend of mine who lives in Vancouver, Washington wanted to buy the 400h. His work place is about 5 minutes from his house and he takes numerous short trips each day. I talked him into buying the RX330 as it is better suited to his driving pattern. He is quite happy with his RX330. The 400h is not the car for everyone. Individuals should do a lot of research as to what the 400h does and will do. Several test drives of both short and longer trips would help in the decision. I would buy my 400h again, but I knew what I would be getting before I made my purchase |
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