Ullevi

You cannot have an "estimated distance to empty" calculation on the hybrid as there is no way of knowing how much driving on the electric motors or how much on the ICE you will be doing. Regarding a switch to bias economy/electric operation as opposed to "performance",I have read on the US forums that the next generation RX hybrids will have just that.Whether we get that switchable option in the UK is another matter.

1. Discount currently running at 5% on new SE with Nav or SE-L. Does that sound reasonable? Can't help on that one,sorry. 2. The 2007 model has a major upgrade to the Navigation system...having seen the difference visually it is pretty big. I was told that this could not be retro-fitted to an older RX400h...is that true? That is it is more than just a software upgrade. 2007 Nav canoot be fitted to a non 2007 model as far as I know. 3. Does anyone have interior pictures of their RX400 at night. I would really like to see what the interior looks like lit up at night and cannot find any pictures on the net to that effect. sorry 4. The dealership has left me very confused about the Bluetooth options available. I was told that you can only use the Bluetooth option with a limited number of phones and you have to have the phone docked etc. Even my father in laws Jag S type has the ability to sync pretty much most phones via bluetooth without docking stations etc. I have seen leather clad mobile holders near the gear levers on some cars...are they just holders or part of the bluetooth set up? I have a Sony-Ericsson which works perfectly and does not need to be plugged in to work hands free.As long as it is in the car it works,even in my jacket in the boot! 5. Dealership told me today that you only really start seeing 30+mpg fuel economy after about 10k miles. Sounds ridiculous to me having read many posts on here...I take it they were talking rubbish. Short journeys from cold do not bring the best out of this car for economy(do they in any car?),as the engine spends some time heating things up. In mixed use I am currnetly getting 30mpg when being careful.Long journeys down the motorway,sticking to 70-75mph give me 32-33 mpg. My record for a 150 mile round trip,A roads and motorways has been 36.8 mpg.Having said that I never bought this care for fuel economy. If you let your right foot have fun,then obviously mpg will suffer. 6. Been quoted £400 + VAT for front and rear parking sensors and have been told they have got a grip with the continuous beeping issue I have read on the forum. Is that price reasonable? I manage perfectly well with the rear view camera,but I must admit I initially missed rear sensors after moving from my previous car. I would probably find front parking sensors more useful,but I don't know how practical they are. 7. What is the best rate on PCP deals that people have got from Lexus? My bank can source me a brand new car on a PCP rate of 7.8% APR. Anyone got better from Lexus recently? Don't know,sorry. In summary,I have had the RX400h for about 16 months,my first Lexus.and I am still completely delighted with it.So much so that I am not even thinking of getting a new car yet,and when I do I think it's likely to be another (new generation?) RX hybrid.It is comfortable,luxurious,practical for the family,great on driving holidays,and don't forget you can get out of paying the London congestion charge. Good luck with your choice.

My RX400h is 15 months old and I have only had the battery charge indicator at 8/8 twice. As others have said,a long downhill slope will achieve 8/8,but that's about it. Unless you live in the mountains,then you're not going to see 8/8 much. I'll be driving through Pyrinees a lot this summer,so may be I'll get a chance to get some 8/8s on the down slopes :winky:

B)--> QUOTE(T7RY B @ Nov 13 2006, 05:59 PM) ← Pic of RX taxi but I don't know what area it's from? I think it's New York. I know there are some RX400h appearing as yellow cabs there.

I can third that. Great service and a great deal with my Lexus and my MR2

I have now had the RX400h for a full winter and a full summer and what you are descibing,Lole,is a characteristic of the hybrid system. There is no doubt that fuel economy suffers when temperatures drop,as I have found,like others,that the engine will be used on cold mornings to bring the engine up to temperature,so for quite a few miles in cold weather the ICE will be running when you would normally expect the electric motors to be engaged on their own. I also note that you have a short drive to work(8 miles)-the engine is barely getting warmed up by the time you arrive at work,so the hybrid is not operating efficiently in these conditions.I have the same problem with my 6 mile drive to work in winter!

Nope, nor for me. I use the Tesico 99 RON stuff.. I heard the price of unleaded is dropping anyway?? Does this also apply to the higher octane unleaded fuels too? Yep,I use Shell V-Power which is 99RON,and its price has plummeted recently.92.9p/L around here at mo..

I agree,A-Plan were great when i renewed my insurance in April,also took care of my second car by mirroring my NCB from the Lexus. Nice to see they have a banner on this website. :D

A-Plan were great-extremely competitive and great service-not like the usual call centres with the big companies where when you speak to someone the chances are they are cluless about cars and not much help with anything. I notice A-Plan now have a banner on this web site!!!!!

Shell have replaced Optimax with V-Power which is 99RON. 97.9p/L near me.That's what I'm using. :)

Hmmm,yes.I must admit I was rather bemused by this thread. I did wonder whether some people bothered to find out about the car,test drove it thoroughly to make sure it met with their requirements BEFORE buying it. If by doing so they discovered that the car did not meet their requirements and they undertook further research to find a car that met their needs,then they would find buying a car that matched their needs better much more satisfying. I don't know how other people do it,but I study any car very carefully both in the flesh and by checking its specifications before I buy it,and also compare it to its rivals. If MP3 connectivity,fiddling with the sat nav whilst driving was so important,then they should have bought something else. Incredible.

Thanks for the info dhs,I've got most of what's on the list,so I guess it will be a trip down to halfords for the headlight converters. Cheers.

This is the first trip I am taking abroad in the RX400. Does anyone have any experience/advice on the best way to convert the headlight beams for continental driving? I understand Halfrauds do a kit,is it any good for the RX?

I didn't know you could get a chrome bumper protector.I looked at the standard one,but didn't like the combination with the colour. Where can I get to see a chrome one? I think they do clear plastic film type protectors,but obviously one of those would not cover existing scratches. Bad luck on your scratches,easily done unfortunately.

Just had it's 1 year service at 7,000miles. currently getting 32-33mpg on mainly urban runs. Did get 37mpg on a 160mile run in May-being very careful-A-roads and M-way at only 60-65 mpg

It's called "thinking outside of the envelope". It requires brains to do it(successfully). And what should we call you?

I found the best way is to pre-book on line with a well known company. Look at Hertz/Avis/Europcar.Most convenient is to pick it up/drop off at the airport-they all have offices in most main airports-or if you prefer to take a taxi to your resort you can collect your car from the nearest offices. And yes,you do get genuine Hertz etc.,not subcontracted. I have used them (and most recently Europcar).Had good clean new cars(barely run in). Well worth booking in advance on internet-will get a better price than when they have you over a barrell when you're at their counter! Also internet is great for comparing prices-I noticed vast differences in like for like cars even amongst the premium companies.

Hi Swager. I have had the 400h for 6 months and done just over 6,000 miles. I have not noticed any uneven tyre wear as yet. My AC is on all the time.I have managed to get 37mpg on a 100 mile run(A-road and mainly M1) but that was nursing it along at 60 to 65 mph.Normal driving long distances I will get 30-32mpg at normal motorway speeds(70-80mph).If I push it to 85ish mph it does about 28mpg or so. Around town gentle driving gives me 30-32 mpg,but will drop if you challenge at the traffic light GP.This is from cold,and not doing many town miles(short distances). The gearbox is smooooth as it is a electronic CVT so there are no gear changes-just smooth acceleration when you want it. I am delighted with this car,and when future generations of the Lexus Synergy Drive come out,I will likely replace this car with its successor.It is comfortable,fast yet economical enough when you want it to be.By the way,don't buy this car if what you want is just economy-that is not the point of this car.

Or if you don't want to do any serious off-roading you may want to consider an RX350 or RX400h and avoid that smelly diesel stuff!

Last time I looked Lexus/Lexus GB/Lexus dealerships were not registered charities,and,therefore,of course they are after your money.The point is whether they provide the appropriate level of service and customer satisfaction. It is difficult to generalize,but compared to other makes such as Audi and BMW,my experience with Lexus has been very positive.Having said that,I have noticed that I prefer some dealerships to others,as you would expect.The dealership that provides me with the service that I expect,or gets closest to it will get my money.Incidentally,I also had a very positive experience with Saab in the past or at least one particular dealership. I am sure there are others that have had excellent experiences with BMW and sh1te with Lexus,but i am only talking about my own personal experience. Shoggy,if you are getting good customer service from Lexus Bolton,good on you,and long may it continue!

Footballers' Wives has featured various Lexuses over the years,usually SC430s.In the latest series an RX400h appeared in one of the episodes. I don't know if anyone has mentioned the SC430 in Terminator 3.

Yeap,well worth giving them a call. £800 for my Lexus RX400h plus my MR2 Roadster(£470 + £330)-mirroring my full NCB that I had on the Lexus onto my MR2. Happy Motoring :D

Yeah,I heard on BBC Radio5 this morning it was a GS450h. I didn't think these were available in the UK yet.

The DTE feature,I believe has been left out of the 400h because of the electric/petrol duality making such calculations impossible.Plus apparently it is imperative not to run out of fuel in a hybrid,so presumably they don't want drivers driving right down to the wire.I gather the RX300 does have a DTE feature. All I can say is that when putting in petrol soon after the fuel warning light coming on,there seems to have been about 3 gallons left in the tank.From that you can make your own calculations. Like you,I came from SAAB to buy my RX400h,my first Lexus.I am delighted,however with performance and fuel economy.I went from a SAAB 9-5 Aero automatic,so with the RX400h I have better performance than the 9-5 Aero with better fuel economy.I do a mix of driving,but with a lot of urban short journeys.With the Saab I used to get under 22mpg over prolonged measurement.With the RX400h I'm getting 29mpg without trying hard.Now for a 2 ton "brick" of a car,I don't think that's too bad.Plus don't forget your CO2 emissions are similar to many hum-drum saloons. You don't expect a 2 ton SUV to be economical do you?

15 months old? Then your Lexus Assistance will still be in force.Why not contact them to acertain the nature of the problem?Then if they deem the car unfit to drive they will tow it for you to a dealership where they can put right any problems under the 3 yr/60,000 mile warranty.