rudders

Petrol consumption is an issue for the RX400h, but with a 3.3 litre engine I guess I'm happy with my 29mpg on mixed country roads and M25/M4 commute. I had a Volvo XC diesel when the RX was in for crash repairs and it was lovely to get back to the refinement of the RX. (Which reminds me, the RX comes off much better in a collision with a BMW!) But surprisingly the thing I miss most when I drive courtesy cars is the Mark Levinson sound system. It's the best I've ever heard in a car costing 5 figures! Reliability is also a big plus, after my nightmare of a BMW 5 series. If you make sure you've got a new auxiliary battery (e.g. Bosch £60 from Euro) then you'll be very unlucky to ever need assistance. At 40K/year you'll be getting a service every 3 months, so plenty of opportunity for preventative checks. Handling on the RX450h is definitely better and the lack of sports mode on the RX400h makes overtaking something to plan carefully for.

Had them fitted to mine at the same time as front and rear parking sensors (that was an expensive day), as I live in the countryside. Agree about the looks. However, they're Pants as mud flaps :) I was quite disappointed.

Hi Tim. I've almost forgotten the DVD player is there, it's been so long since we used it. However, I'll probably keep it with the car for when (if) I get around to selling it. If you want to get a cheap programmable remote with IR learning, I'm sure someone could lend you a Lexus one to set it up. I work in Slough, if that's any use. John.

If anyone has advice on this, my original question was never answered!

Ditto ylk88. RX400h SE-L 2006, 106K. I shall watch this thread! The other irritation I have is that the local council has cut back on cutting back the verges due to the cut-backs, with the result that the left side is regularly scraped by protruding branches and general flora - and you can guess what that means with the Lexus "waffer-theen" paint.

Do you really mean £600 for 15,000 miles for tyres??? Yup. That's about the going rate for a set of 4 Bridgestone Potenza RE031 235/55R18 99V. I had quite bad uneven wear especially rear off side, outer edge, so that may have shortened the interval. Only on my second set - haven't tried any others yet.

AndyTKD - I had a 2002 320i Touring automatic and there is just no comparison in performance. The RX has a 50% bigger engine but still uses hardly any more fuel when driven normally. Big thing to consider at this time of year - I would have been housebound last week with the BMW, but RX is almost like a proper 4x4. The only difference is that there is no driver control - it is all computers - no "sports mode" or "snow mode". I find that if I "floor it" to overtake, there is a bit of lag then a strong sideways pull on the wheel as the power kicks in - anyone else get this?

Also very similar to Linehill. Bought my 56 reg from local Lexus shop at 60,000, now 81,000. Only problem was air bag on passenger side - they replaced the seat under warranty, allegedly at a cost to them of £4000! I get 27mpg winter, 32 summer on a 70 miles round trip commute - but I do enjoy using the full power of the 3.3 V6 from time to time! It's on a service plan at £33/month. Add on about £600 every 15,000 miles or so for tyres. I've had better handling cars, but it's not too stressful on motorways and no-one buys an RX for the corners! I agree that its snow handling is surprisingly good - I wasted £150 on snow chains which I've never needed. The interior trim is not exactly luxurious and I've had the odd rattle, but that is exaggerated by the quietness of the ride. The older ICE systems are a bit of an afterthought - poor quality box bolted underneath the driver's seat. We currently can't get any sound from ours. The Mark Levinson audio on the other hand is excellent, especially when parked up (but keep the Ready light on or you'll have a flat battery!). There can't be many less intuitive sat-navs. Also, the paint job is not too robust, as mentioned elsewhere in these forums. Be careful not to get too close to hedgerows in the countryside, or rub bags against it getting in and out, as marks which would polish out on a BMW are a bit more permanent on the RX. Having said all that, I look forward to many more years of trouble-free commuting and if the mpg doesn't put you off, would recommend it.

I am no expert - just a RX400h owner who drove it on snow for this first time last winter. I bought snow chains, but they didn't leave their box! The RX400h has computer-controlled transmission which worked like a dream, even up fairly steep slopes. Stopping is more of an issue - perhaps chains could help there. And after all the potholes appeared, it made me even happier I had ditched my BMW 5 with low profile tyres! I guess the main considerations would be resale value and fuel consumption.

My dealer is suggesting that my brake discs will need replacing when I next have the pads renewed. I'm not convinced - there is no scoring, nor rust. What are the criteria for determining whether the discs need replacing? Do I need a micrometer?

Not helpful, perhaps, but I paid for the Lexus Parking Aid LPA800 (front and back) and was disappointed. The enable/disable switch was not even integrated with the existing dashboard layout - instead they drilled a new hole to the right of the steering column with a small unlabelled round black button. And I use this button a lot, since the front sensors beep constantly at low speeds, worried no doubt that I am about to collide with the ground! The rear sensors are better and are useful on dark nights because the rear lights are not strong enough to give a useful picture on the camera...even when the lens is spotless.

Could anyone please point me to instructions on how to remove the DVD player from under the driver's seat on an October 2006 RX400h SE-L? It is unreliable and I want to investigate replacing it. I don't want to break anything by mistake! Thanks, John.

I agree about scratching easily. I managed to scratch up the wings by wearing a belt while leaning over to clean the windscreen (it's my first SUV - not used to it!) I was disappointed at how easily any solid object seems to remove the surface. I've had 2 BMWs, 3 Renaults and 2 Vauxhalls in the last 15 years, all with better paint. My worst ever was a 1989 Sierra though.

I too have a knock from rear left. The roll-up luggage cover certainly can rattle in its mount. Also folding seat locking points. Check the petrol filler cover isn't loose - that would rattle in the turbulence.

Try getting an online valuation via Glass's Guide. It's £3.50 well spent - gave me a good tool when negotiating my last part exchange. There are detailed questions about mileage, condition and extras, all of which affect the real-world value.

If I 'nurse' my 400 cross country I can get around 38. Hit the motoway, stay around 70 then about 30. Crikey - methinks not all RX400h's are created equal. Switching the air-con off makes a big difference, but at motorway speeds I couldn't get anywhere near 30mpg. Best mpg is at a steady 35-40mph. I would hate to get stuck behind you when you're getting 38mpg cross country :) I've also noticed the first 5 minutes have much worse mpg in winter. It obviously uses quite a bit of fuel warming everything up. I've only had it since Oct, so looking forward to the summer (if we get one).

I'll add my voice to the ringing endorsements. Got stuck in Guildford in my BMW 530 for 3 days last February. As a result of that experience I bought snow chains when I traded up to the RX400h. That seems to have been a waste of money - it just doesn't need them! Still, I keep them in the car anyway - like warding off rain by walking out with an umbrella. They might be handy going down hill one day too. I haven't seen a BMW 3 or 5 in the Surrey Hills for a week now!

Quite right - I talk tosh a lot of the time. But I stand by the PDC comments - an audible alert would be a great option since the bonnet dips away and I haven't got used to it yet. Also, with the feeble reversing lights and country mud on the camera, an audible alert at the back would be nice too.

Thanks. Still getting used to things. Sometimes it's not until you've lost something that you appreciate it. Sure my 530d was unreliable and the engine was noisy, but there are some things to consider if you read this and are thinking of changing: - straight line ride was marginally better - it went round corners better - ergonomically superior in terms of switch gear - seat didn't give me back ache - the reversing light was bright enough in the BMW that I didn't need to open the driver's door to see where I'm going - front bumper PDC is sorely missed - it's only a matter of time before I hit something in a car park - also miss the built-in child booster seat - that would be nice option on a Lexus - the iDrive system on the BMWs is better in terms of voice control and automatic Bluetooth linking - my Motorola L7 needs manual connection every time - the mirror folding switch is hard to locate - it was much easier on the Renault Laguna! - the DVD player is so far under the driver's seat that my son has to undo his seat belt to change disks - it should slide on a runner On the up side - it's not a BMW!!! If anyone at Lexus wants to offer me a job as ergonomics consultant, I'm bored with computer programming... :)

Greetings all. Just became the proud owner of a 2006 RX400h SE-L. Still enjoying the novelty of silence at the traffic lights, compared to the chug of my old 530d. Not quite enjoying so much the loud rattle from nearside rear suspension, but that will get fixed soon no doubt. Looking forward to experiencing the legendary Lexus reliability. I hope it's not just a myth. Finally located the mobile DVD player - the manual doesn't tell you to dive under the driver's seat Pity it can't be hooked into the sound system. Or can it....?

Hi wilsonpeter I've just bought an RX-400h SE-L - my first Lexus - and managed to embarrass myself by subtly accusing the dealer of having forgotten to deliver the mobile DVD player with it! Even my 7 year old boy couldn't find it. I nearly ruined my back trying to get a disk in though. Now we have to figure out how to get the headphones to work without keeping our hands over our ears!