BGLister

Interesting thread! I got a new 400h yesterday - only 4 miles on the clock. I am in West Yorkshire and commute in and out of Bradford in heavy traffic. So far, my average is 31 mpg in 50 miles - engine no way near "run in" yet of course! Coming out of RX300 and 350, seeing mpg that starts with a 3x, and from crawling in traffic, is simply wierd, but great at the same time. I always thought that at speeds above about 20mph, the 400h would switch to petrol mode. Completely wrong! Today I have been driving (on the flat) for a couple of miles at a time doing 30-40mph on battery only. I am sure the novelty will wear off, but 1 day into ownership and I am finding it wonderful and amazing. It is smooth, quiet, and more than adequate power getting off the line (but I am treating it gently right now). Loving it.

Thanks.According to manual should have three as you suggest. Definitely should be 3 keys = 2 black and the 1 grey (valet key). I'm on my 3rd RX and they have all come with 3 keys regardless of whether hybrid or not. I would ask them to supply you with other spare key for the sake of completeness for when you come to sell it on.

UPDATE: Purchased a new RX400h Exec for a shade over £14K! Had to jump quickly given that stocks are running low so colour choices disapperaing quickly. Its a good deal, that compensates for the depreciation on the 350. At this rate, the new caqr may even appreciate in value a little if sold on quickly!!

I think you have got it there. Should be 2 normal keys, one valet key. Nav releases come out around October - currrent release is called 08/09 and you can check that on the media screen by going to Menu, then Map info. 08/09 version removes the lock out on the navigation system meaning your passenger can enter destination details whilst the vehicles is in motion. Discs from 07/08 release onwards come as a set of 4 DVDs for Europe. 2 manuals - one for the car, one for the nav system (which is just as big!). Service book. Check the tyres out and see if there is any record of them having been rotated in the car - back to front and vice versa - to manage their wear. You may find entries in the Info screen. New cars come with a tank of fuel - not sure whether used ones do, but a nice dealer may do that and include the road tax. Other than that, it should be a painless experience. I've just ordered my 3rd RX - this time a hybrid, but I think the same things above apply to any of the RX models. Bryan

Well, I've gone and done it. Got a good deal p/ex my 2 yr old RX350 for a new RX400h. I loved the 350 and will really miss it. I would say it has been the best all round car I have had so far. The 400h deals at the moment made it hard to justify another 350 though - the difference in cost to change was just an extra £2,500 for the hybrid, so I am hoping that the depreciation and running costs will make it worth while. I know it is a different experience, but I suppose the time has come to embrace the 'new' technology. The prices for the RX450h have been announced to dealers and go from £42-55K. That's £42K for the 'poverty spec'! I think that is good news for all RX drivers, as prices for used models may harden and even go up from where they are right now. I will post up a report of my experiences of living with the 400h a short time after I get it. I have had the RX300 too before the 350, so I am a bit of a convert!

I have to agree with what you say. On balance, I prefer the RX350 over the RX400h for all the reasons you say. The problem is - the majority of people are now sold more on the hybrid variety, making them more desirable so they keep their value better. That means losing a lot of money on something that I really like 350) OR - losing less money on something I don't like as much (the 400). What I can say is, whatever the RX - they are still much nicer that other makes of SUV and the quality is noticeably superior!

I have the 350 at the moment, but a 300 before that. The 350 is more refined than the 300. The engine is smoother, gear changes are VERY smooth, steering is better weighted - and all these three things go together and work really seamlessly. The 400h is a different beast entirely and just not feel as 'together' as the 350. Hard to explain why exactly, even though it has the CVT transmission so you don't feel gear changes in the same way. However, its not fair to compare thr 400h and 350 as they are not like for like, and the hybrid system is still in its relative infancy compared to 100+ years for the combustion engine. I like the RR Sport from afar, but I'm sorry to say that I hate the interior on them. I have therefore never even soiled my shoes by getting in one. Especially as someone I know who has a Discovery 3 does not rate the build quality on that at all. In fact, alot of cars look nice until you get in them, seem them up close and touch the controls. I know the current RX is old now and due to be replaced, but it is well put together compared to 95%+ of all cars out there.

My first RX was in Brechin Slate. Lovely colour IMHO and a bit different. The shade is not disimilar to the med-blue colour on these web pages infact, if only they were metallic. Bonus is that the colour hides dirt and swirls well as it is neither dark or very light. Mine had the beige interior and it looked lovely. I don't think it would be good with black. Personally, I would pay the extra £2K and get the higher spec car, more choice, more goodies, and get a little more back for it at trade in time.

Comes down to a head or heart decision I suppose. Our lifestyle may also change meaning more motorway miles in Europe in the future. On that footing, I doubt the 400h has an advantage over the 350. I know what you mean about the residuals though and that is a point to consider. The offer I have been made for a 400h depends upon the stock the dealer holds. They are all new and unregistered, but its take it or leave it. They are Exec Ltd Editions so they all have the aluminium trim - no wood pack - unless that can be done retrospectively?

I'gve got one on loan now to try out. First impressions compared to my RX350: -ves 1. Steering is noticably heavier than RX350 2. Car feels heavier and slower on the motorway sliproad - I think more due to the CVT tranmission 3. Car also feels noiser and less refined than RX350 - transmission again 4. Not sure about the interior - I'm not an old guy by any means, but I like a bit of wood in the cabin, it adds a bit of warmth to the styling and breaks up the blandness of all the aluminium +ves 1. I like running around in stealth mode and creeping up on people when on completely electric drive. Met some friends in the RX400h who were out walking yesterday - and they had amazed looks on their faces as the car climbed up the hill next to them, silently 2. Improved economy, obviously. Not quite as good as I had expected on the motorway, but better than the RX350 around town. So - I really don't know what to do. With the offers made to me, it is only £3K more to get a new 400h over a 350, but I still really like the 350 - but I know the depreciation will be more on the 350 and the economy not as good - but I like the interior more than the 400h, and I' m a petrol head. Really don't know what to do now!!! I guess it comes down to £££ and value for money. But I don't have the answer yet and its killing me.

2.9%APR!!!! Really? Is that through Lexus Financial Services. I need to know ASAP as I seriously considering a change, but the best flate rate (not even APR!) has been 4.15% through LFS. 2.9% APR would be just incredible! It seems to me though that you have to negotiate as hard on the finance as on the cost to change with dealerships. If it really is 2.9% APR - PLEASE PM mke the dealer's name!!

Sorry - I mixed your post up with jarophs - getting myself confused!

OK - I didn't know that there was a caliper problem - that makes sense now. What did they do for the seat?

Quick question. Did they really replace brake discs, under warranty???? I would have thougt they were wear and tear items, like tyres. My driver's seat also looks a little saggier than the passenger seat now. What kind of fix did they effect for that??

That does not sound like too bad a deal. I have been looking to replace my 350 with another 350 - but the deals I have been offered are actually insulting to me! In essence, to change like for like would mean £15K deprectation in 15 months, and £10K to change, and for a used car!! Remember - this is LIKE for LIKE petrol - not a 350 to 400h. Absolutely appalling. So if there are any dealers out there with a low mileage, nearly new RX350SE MM or SE-L, with oakham interior, under 12 months old, happy to P/EX for a mint 2 year old RX350SE MM - do feel free to get in touch with me if you can offer a sensible deal.

Thanks guys. I took a look at a Mazda CX-7 today. It bears an uncanny resemblance to an RX350, certainly in the metal it looks like and RX clone. Has a 2.3 turbo engine giving around 240 bhp and there was one in the dealers, unregistered, marked down from £25K (list) to £20K. But.... You can tell the difference in quality of the trim, and the amazing equipment list on the RX goes way beyond. So the Mazda is like a really cut down RX that would look good on the motorway, but you can see why it costs so much less when you are inside it. Great car (on paper anyway, I didn't drive it) for £20K on an 09 plate. On balance, I think the RX350 is great, and I'm disappointed that Lexus won't launch the new RX as a permanent four wheel drive petrol only version in the UK, but I can see their logic and know I'm a rare breed. Guess I will look around at nearly new 350s and see if there is a deal to be done, otherwise I will stick with the one I have. Or import one from Japan?

I'm in the situation where I am self employed and there are some perks to changing cars on a regular basis. I have a 2 year old RX350 and really like it, but I am thinking about changing it, but for what? I like the fact the RX350 has permanent four wheel drive, useful for living up on the Pennines with ths snow we just had. I am not convinced that a 400h would be quite the same in use, although the extra fuel economy would be good. Saying this, surely it is a bad time to buy a new RX when the 450h is around the corner (but only after Lexus GB has moved all of its 400h stock)? I have looked at other SUVs: 1. Range Rover Sport - big and brash, and the interior does not look too great IMHO. Build quality is a bit suspect in places too. Performance wise, the biggest diesel (3.6) would probably be outgunned by an RX350 2. VW Touareg - nice car, but there are areas that make it feel 'cheap' such as the side cupboards in the boot. Shutting the door seems to give away that it does not feel as solid as the Lexus 3. Volvo - XC90 - just not my cup of tea, and a bit sluggish too with less than 200 bhp 4. BMW X5 - expensive and dull looking on the inside. Everything is extra so it starts to get costly when speccing one up. Plus point is they have good residuals, minus point is that they are still expensive second had 5. Audi Q7 - massive thing. Nicer on the outside than the inside. It seems you can have any colour interior, so long as its black - when I prefer light coloured interiors So...back to Lexus. Could have a look at the GS450h uber saloon, once I can get over the fact that I don't have 4x4 or the capacity to thow an old fridge in the back (or even a suitcase as the boot is smaller than the petrol only GS). But overall, I am struggling to the extent that I am thinking of trading my RX350 in for....another RX350....because I can't think of anything else that seems right. But would that be madness? They don't make the RX350 anymore, and the Mark 3 RX will only be arriving on our shores in hybrid guise, and I could be setting myself up for mega depreciation all over again. Is it worth it? :-/

Out of interest, how old is the car? I was wondering whether the colour loss is due to being wiped over with something too rough or cleaners; OR - ihas it faded due to exposure to stong sunlight? A very good product for cleaning and protecting dashboards is called Aerospace 303. It leaves a non-gloss finish (though still not entirely matt), and serves to protect against sunlight. It also has 101 other uses around the car for wiping over and protecting trim, inside, outside and under the bonnet. I am not saying it will completely restore colour loss, but it may well improve matters and also have the benefit of stopping further deterioration. Link to it here http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/interior/303...t/prod_366.html as an example. I use it and have been quite pleased with it as part of my general cleaning/caring routine.

I know this is primarily about the RX400h which has been interesting, but I would like to share my experiences in snow with the RX300 and RX350. I live on the Pennines in West Yorkshire where we have had around 8" of snow in the last couple of days and can say from experience that 'how' the cars are driven is of paramount importance in snow. As has been said above, once you have too much speed and you are heading downhill on ice/snow - the brakes are not going to be able to help you much, except that you may still be able to steer the car more. I had to go down a steep snow covered hill on Monday and took it really easily. With the RX350, you can drop the gear into 1st and just let the car roll down. I also use the brake VERY gently just to try and stop it from accelerating away. Too much brake though, and the ABS can kick in, and the rear of the car can try and overtake the front. That's why when learning to off road, you are taught to keep your foot well away from the brake. I just let the car down the hill very gently, and I was OK. Much better off than the cars that went ahead of me and crashed into each other and then a dry stone wall. Having AWD does not make you a God or immune to crashing though! Another thing I do is to let some air out of the tyres so they read arouns 25 psi, gives the tyre a bigger foot print. But I would only do this in extreme circumstances for running on alot of fresh snow. Once back to more normal conditions, I would pump the tyres back up to 30 psi. Giving the car too much gas on snow/ice can give four wheel wheelspin - and I have done on this purpose but still never seen the traction control light come on to try reign it in. I take it from that that the car is still quite happy with what is going on!

I got my new DVD today via Lexus Map updates. Great service considering that I ordered it online and it arrived after just 2 days, all the way from Brussels. I am suited that we can now put destinations in whilst on the move - its how it always should have been!!! Not noticed anything else new, but its only been a matter of hours. Well worth the £119 considering the motion lock is also removed.

I agree with you, a car "should" keep its looks for more than 12 months. Unfortunately, the way the brakes are prepared on these cars by Lexus/Toyota falls short of that expectation. Brakes work in a harsh operating environment: brake dust, grime, water, salt, cycles of hot and cold. The calipers on an RX just aren't able to keep their cosmetic looks, and the dealers themselves destroy the plating through using aggressive alloy wheel cleaners. Other premium brands like Audi make a much better job of painting the calipers so they are alot more durable. It niggles me too and I have thought about re-plating the calipers, without taking them off the car, using a paint on electroplating kit from Frost Automotive, the classic car care supplies people. I got a nasty surprise on my RX 300 when looking inside the passenger seat. At 2 years, the internal frame was oxidised and rusty all over. My 2007 RX 350 has rust on the frame under the back seats. I noticed this when vacuuming the car interior out as my 2 year old can make some mess. I had to retrieve some sweet papers and crisps from under the seat, and had a shock when I looked under the back seat using a torch to see all of the oxidation. Now I don't expect THAT to happen on a premium car, always garaged, and not 2 years old. Very disappointing, and I will probably take that up with a dealer before the warranty expires. The problem in my experience is that many Lexus technicians are still not sympathetic when working on someone else's car and that they can cause more damage, marks, scratches etc in the process of 'fixing' something. In the case of the back seat frame, I do not know whether that means a complete back seat or not, but I can imagine that the paintwork in the door shuts would get scraped if they had to exchange the seat. It sucks.

I have a 2007 RX350 - cost me £30K - stealers have offered me £16-18K in part ex against similar cars, a year newer, priced between £25-28K. Therefore a cost to change of at least £7,500 (best offer) to £10,000 (worst). I walked away from puzzled looking salesmen who thought they were offering a fantastic deal, until I pointed out to them I would be setting myself up for even more future depreciation, just proven by themselves.

The bonnet grill also changed on the RX400h and RX350 during 2008. IMHO, the grill on the new RX400h looks nicer, but I'm pushed to tell the difference on the RX350.

The rust does nothing for the appearance of the vehicle but thanks for your comments. As far as I am aware, the 'as new' finish on brake calipers is a result of passivate plating. Unfortunately, this comes off in time - but the worst thing is alloy wheel cleaners! They absolutely strip the plating off leaving them looking like untreated metal, which essentially they then are. Although I don't like the 'rusty' look, I would find it hard to hold Lexus responsible for this in say the same way as alloy wheels corroding. I think I would feel a little sheepish going into a dealer and asking them to put my car on the ramp, strip off the wheels, the brakes, replace calipers (and hence also the pads) with new ones, bleed the brake hydraulic system - when within 2 years, it will have gone like that again. If you were to go through all that trouble, I would ask to collect the new calipers from the dealer and have them professionally enamelled up somwhere before being fitted. In that way, their durability of appearance will be greatly enhanced and much more resistant to acidic alloy wheel cleaners that they use when they valet a car at service time.

I have spoken to my supplying dealer, their service department, and also had an email reply from Lexus themselves - the RX does not have Voice Command of the climate control. No one had told me why this is the case, when other Lexus models do have it. Of course, if you can prove otherwise and there is something hidden in the depths of the engineering menu that can access this functionality, then do let us all know!