Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Hybrid Vehicles Lexus RX 400h Lexus RX 400h Test Drive - What Did You Think?
25 messages, Last post on Aug 31, 2005 at 8:11 PM
You are in the Lexus RX 400h Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
| Have you taken a test drive in the RX 400h? Give us your review of the vehicle here! | |
|
We just went for a test drive today with our salesperson. Our dealership is selling the 400h for MSRP with two factory options: Mark Levinson audio package (with heated front seats, cargo mat and wheel locks) or the audio package with RSES. Destination charge is $650. The dealership is also offering a local “Pro-trim” option for $329. It includes a protective strip around the wheel wells and doors, and some subtle custom trim, all replaceable for the life of the vehicle. Our car will come in a little over $51,000 with the trim and audio packages (no RSES). We’ll have to deal with the local taxes but that was a given. We were told that Lexus won’t allow their dealerships to sell anything but MSRP so some dealerships have gotten around that by buying the cars from Lexus for MSRP, then turning around and selling them for $60,000. He told us what area of the country that was in. I’m glad it’s not here. If that’s what you’re addressing, rxexpert, you must be from that area. The car was cool. Salesguy told me to make it go fast on a quiet, straight street (industrial area). I was up to 75 without even knowing it. It’s quiet and smooth. We’re #2 (12/03) but we probably won’t get our car this month because of the color. They received some Savannahs and a Flint Mica for this half a month allotment but the top-o-list-ers don’t want those, so I think there’s been quite a bit of jumping in line. |
|
|
I have been looking for a new car for about two years. I'm not usually that methodical but cars are expensive and I've enjoyed the process. My usual pattern is to read up on the car (a lot), ask a lot of questions and then drive the car. I then naturally compare the experience with the hype. In universally all cases (except perhaps the Mercedes E class) I’ve been disappointed int the reality versus the actual product. The 400H is an exception. I test drove it last evening and the experience was spooky. The car shoots away from a standing start and has good mid-level acceleration. Then you stop at a stoplight and it shuts off. No idle, no sound. Your fear is that the damn thing won’t start up again. But then it does. Very quiet, good response, great nav system, used the rear camera for backing up – lots of goodies in it that are beyond the hybrid extras (I don’t own a Lexus so maybe that’s boring for y’all). Anyway, I’m excited and hope to get ours soon. KCE |
|
My dealer gave me a call yesterday and invited me to test drive the 400h. I obviously jumped on it. All I can say is, wow! What a fantastic automobile. I think is all that it has been advertised to be. Powerful, quiet, smooth, comfortable with lots of great features. The only regret I have is that my wife was out of town and will be until Monday. But I know she will love it. We are on the list for a flint mica with black interior and our salesman told me that we will very likely have it here by the end of the month. I wonder if my wife will let me drive it  ?
|
|
|
|
|
Every test drive review I’ve read has commented on the startup process and used words like eerie etc... I just found it annoying. You have to turn the key all the way and hold it against a spring for a moment, then let go. Why, I have no idea. It’s just dumb, but there it is. There is also the disagreeable “I Agree” screen which when I asked if it could be by-passed somehow, was told that it was not possible... some one will find a way. You can, however, drive the car without hitting the button, I just don’t think you can use any of the controls (HVAC, Nav, ect.) accessed by the touch screen. The car will creep along when in gear just like an automatic at idle. Throttle control was excellent which allowed for smooth starts and no lurching... unless you wanted it to lurch. And lurch it will. From a standing start the acceleration is impressive, with a firm pressure pushing you back into the seat all the way up to freeway speeds. There is no change in this acceleration (g) level throughout the experience. There is no lull in the beginning while the engine RPM climbs up the torque curve and there is no satisfying extra bit when the turbo kicks in (my other car is a turbo Supra). Just a smooth increase in speed that is directly proportional to how far you hold down the accelerator. The same effect occurs from 50 mph and up. There is a noticeable torque-steer effect under hard acceleration, but it is not what you might think. The power steering simply feels under-boosted (heavy) and the car exhibits a noticeable reluctance to change direction, but it does not pull to one side or the other. All of this is completely manageable behavior that will be easy to adjust to. Steering is otherwise quite well weighted and provides better road feel than the RX330, which in my opinion was over-boosted. Handling seemed no different than the Thundercloud with the 18” tires. There was obvious nose plow on braking and a bit of body lead on the corners, but it was all well damped leaving you feeling completely in control the whole time. Pot holes and RR tracks are absorbed almost without notice. A 15 mph speed “hump” at 35 mph was devoured by the suspension with no rebound. Braking and deceleration have some unique characteristics. In D for drive, taking your foot off the accelerator results in the same sort of coasting behavior you would get from an automatic transmission, however down-shifting (if that phrase can be used) into B for braking does not produce more than a slight change in this behavior. I would put it something between D and 2nd on an automatic transmission. It produces no where near the effect of shifting into L for low, nor is it in any way comparable to a manual down-shift. This can become a real drawback for anyone who wants to do a lot of mountain driving, or simply likes to maneuver thru traffic with the accelerator alone and only use the brakes to stop, as I am used to doing with a manual transmission. Braking is confident and assertive. I don’t know the numbers but I would guess the RX400h to have 60-0 mph distances that are among the shortest for vehicles in its class. There is some modulation done by the system (beyond the driver’s control) that is evident under normal stopping conditions. This makes it difficult to achieve a completely smooth stop, but the modulations are not so pronounced that you feel the need to compensate for them. There is also a noticeable electric whine in the last few feet of every stop that can be either neat or annoying, depending on your take on things. One odd thing I noticed while “idling” around the parking lot and holding the vehicle at a stop is a “thump” in the drive train that seems to happen at random times. I assume its switching from engine to motor or vise versa, or balancing power between front and rear. I would have to do more experimenting with this to be more specific. I tried maneuvering around using the electrics only but it seems the gas engine kicks in too quickly for that. I can’t imagine how one gets to up to 25 mph on the electrics alone. This dealership is pulling off the 400h rims and replacing them with chromed RX330 rims and then wanting an additional $3000 over the MSRP for the privilege... I informed him that I will not be accepting this practice on my vehicle. The “tester” vehicle I drove had the upgraded sound system and heated seats, but no DVD in the back. Although he did offer me a dealer installed, 2 screen system for $2500 The sticker did not show the tow prep package, which he claimed is an “option” but which Lexus claims to be “standard”. He also informed me that the Bamboo Pearl color I want will not be in for some time. They got them in the white and silver that I know of. Their first shipment was 19 vehicles which all sold (except for the tester). Next month, however, they will only get 6 for some reason. BTW the seats and the legroom on the 400 are identical to the 330. At 6'4", I had to put the seats all the way back/donw and tilt the front all the way up to feel supported. Not as much room as my Supra or my T-100 pu, but what are you gonna do?
|
|
|
|
|
Replying to: skyfish400h (Apr 23, 2005 4:31 pm) The RX400 doesn't shift cuz it has a CVT transmission which never shifts..it is in the right gear at the right time. And the RX400 uses the electric motor (which inverts to a generator) to brake. The brake pads never touch the rotors until later in the braking cycle or under hard braking. Thus, you will get more use out of your brake pads!!! One thing that might annoy a lot of people that hasn't been discussed is the faint whining noise the car makes when braking or coasting. That's the regenerative braking system coming into play. It's a normal sound. As well, DO NOT RUN OUT OF GAS. The hybrid can not operate on battery alone with out gas in the engine, so make sure you always have gas in the car. I agree with you on the dealer taking of the OEM rims and putting on chromed RX300 rims and upcharging you. What a shame, the original rims are quite nice. Unfortuntately, it's how they are putting the premium on the vehicle. It's either a sticker mark up or an accessory addition. I am sure they will leave the factory rims on if you were to tell them you'll pay an extra 1500 over MSRP for the car. |
|
|
Replying to: skyfish400h (Apr 23, 2005 4:31 pm) The “tester” vehicle I drove had the upgraded sound system and heated seats, but no DVD in the back. Although he did offer me a dealer installed, 2 screen system for $2500 this is slightly OT, but I put in an order in for a HH and the dealer told me that the rear DVD player was not available at this time (didn't know why) and told me I could go to circuit city (or wherever) and get one installed. but then I read this post from a thread regarding aftermarket DVD systems (#470 from Highlander Hybrid board): I called Toyota's 1-800 number and the employee who answered said very clearly and without hesitation that any changes made after the sale that had anything even remotely to do with the wiring in the HH would immediately void the warranty (she said this was unlike the warranties on other models)! If a Lexus dealer puts in an aftermarket DVD system, does that not void the Lexus warrenty? is it OK because a "dealer" is installing it? (which just means they contract it out to circuit city anyway) I'm not talking about the dvd option you can get from the factory, but the dvd package that was describe above that the lexus dealer offered. |
|
|
This afternoon, it was the perfect afternoon to run a new test on city driving gas mileage with the 400h since, it was not hot (rained hard early in the day & cloudy, fairly cool, thank God, in PM) and I did not need the air conditioning. I would have baked if it was a typical Midwest, warm & humid afternoon. I wanted to compare "apples with apples" since on my previous test several weeks ago, I had no need for air conditioning. My driving test in my city was a total of 27.5 miles in typical streets with quite a few traffic lights. I cannot say that I drove in very steep, hilly areas, but I did have to go through a lot of gentle inclines. Some of the drive was had fairly flat streets with speed limits of 35 mph. This is where I was getting terrific gas mileage. As usual, the my average for the first 5 minutes was 20 mpg. It then got considerably better & at times after about 10 minutes of driving, I was up to 38-40+. I had a few 5 minute intervals averaging the max shown on the screen (60+). These were in flat terrain going at about 35 mph. I don't think the ICE was running at all during these instances. That screen was up at 60 for long periods of time. There were times when I was going at more than 45 mph (usually down hills) during the test.. Just to "spite" Headless, I did even better in mpg this time than my test of several weeks ago. At that time I averaged 37-38 (don't remember the exact figure). I was up to 40.4 mpg for 20.5 miles when I decided to stop by my Lexus dealer to show them the results. I did not turn off the ignition, because I wanted the salesman to view the results on the screen for himself. Needless to say he was a bit startled. By the time I pulled into my garage 7 miles later, the computer stood at exactly 40 mpg. So there you have it. I'm not sure if I am now getting better gas mileage or not since the car has more than 2000 miles on it as opposed to 400-500 on my first test. I doubt it has any bearing on it. I think it is just a matter of the driving conditions and the environment that will determine your gas mileage. Perhaps, Dylan Hixon can enlighten us on this aspect. Is there any proven improvement on gas mileage after the so called break-in period? That's it for now folks. I am going out with my wife to celebrate out 30th Anniversary. I will return to check your responses to my driving test experience later tonight or tomorrow. |
|
|
Replying to: cyclone4 (Jun 08, 2005 2:58 pm) You're driving a different car from me...I wouldn't see those numbers even if I pushed my car! Headless
|
|
|
Replying to: cyclone4 (Jun 08, 2005 2:58 pm) BTW, happy anniversary...30 years is very special...hope you have a nice celebration! Headless
|
|
You are here:
Forums
Hybrid Vehicles Lexus RX 400h Lexus RX 400h Test Drive - What Did You Think?
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2008 Lexus RX 400h
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
Today's Chats
