DanD

Yes. Any AWD vehicle should have all 4 tyres the same. In the same manner that a front wheel drive car should have the same two front tyres, or a rear wheel drive vehicle should have the same two rear tyres.

If you were in the South I would recommend that you contact Micheldever Tyres. I cannot recommend them enough and I have being to them for the past 15 years. They have just quoted me £178.22 for the Bridgestone tyres, and would recommend either them or the Dunlop for the RX, i.e. the ones originally fitted by Lexus. This price includes valves, balancing and fitting. The ones I have, Champiros, are not as good from a quality perspective, but on the other hand are much cheaper at £135.

Seems expensive. I have Champiro tyres on my car. Not my choice: there were fitted by the previous owner. They seem to be a good compromise though, and much cheaper at around £115 each. Have you done a search on tyres... quite a few threads already exist I believe.

Bobby... did you make it to Swindon? Was it worth the trip?

Are you saying that a locksmith would be able to supply a flip / switchblade key and do the conversion himself?

Without wanting to teach you to suck eggs, have you checked whether AF (Alternate Frequency) is switched on? The AF button is on the left hand side of the unit, and AF should show in the display.

Hey Bobby... not sure whether you are still interested but I have just seen that a white RX400h has come up for sale at Lexus in Swindon: http://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/used-rx/400h/3.3-se/swindon/602678070-1607041.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_ It's a Dec'08 with ivory leather, multi media, 20,200 miles for £20,995. No pics though... so I hope it's not a mistake on the website.

We all know that the traditional key for the RX300/350/400h looks rather old fashionned. Has anyone tried a conversion to a more modern "flip" key. I have found this on eBay, but can't help being a little sceptical: http://www.ebay.co.u...2a1f3eb3a2#shId Also... I guess I would need the new key to be cut. Is this something a locksmith would be happy to do? Any thoughts?

I lived in Germany for 10 years, and always used winter tyres and highly recommend them. However, note that they work better in the cold (obviously!) and will wear quicker in temperatures over 5-7 degrees. Like most of the locals, I invested in a second set of (non alloy) wheels. It made wheel changing easier in the sense that I could swap them over myself, and also prolonged the life of the original alloys as they were not exposed to salt etc. Obviously, this is a more drastic solution that will to some extent spoil the looks of your car. It did not shock over there because most people do it, but it's a different story in the UK. Going back to your original question, I cannot recommend one over the other, but would suggest that you contact an independent tyre supplier, and in particular Micheldever Tyres in Hampshire. They are a huge and reliable concern and they stock just about any tyre (including racing, motorbike and tractor tyres!). They know everything there is to know about tyres and always are full of good advice. Try them on 01962 774437. I seem to recall them being recommended by Honest John in the Telegraph some while back...

Have you considered having the wheels refurbished? - it would work out a lot cheaper and you would be hard pushed to notice the difference from having new wheels. I believe that taking this option, you can also change the colour of the wheels for a darker shade, which can look very smart. I am no technician but I think you will need to investigate the impact of fitting larger wheels. I seem to recall that it you fit larger wheels, you need to also fit lower profile tyres so as to keep the overall diameter of the wheels the same as the original. If you do not do so, it impacts fuel consumption and your odometer will no longer be accurate. In turn, this will impact service frequency and no doubt the wear and tear of other components (brakes?). I leave it to the experts to contradict me... ;-)

I know Jon. I always deal with a chap called Dan in sales, and Jamie in the service department. I recommend both of them for their professionalism and friendliness. They have restored my faith in car dealers!

Corroded (blubbling) alloys is a known and well documented problem on all RX's. If you do a search, you will find plenty of postings.

FredD... Lexus Hedge End is my local dealer. I always have been impressed by their customer service. Nothing is ever too much trouble and they go out of their way to meet your need. Very friendly, very helpful and professional without ever being condescending. I cannot recommend them enough. I would name individuals, but don't know if that's allowed!

Thanks for this Nigel. I'd be interested to know whether they are still OK after a few months of winter weather. Keep us posted!

Looks more discreet that I was expecting... I take it that drilling is involved?

yes that's true. One option worth considering is a service plan to spread the cost. The dealer works out what services will be required over x years, then spread the cost over said period with a fixed monthly payment. Makes it easier to budget, is inflation proof, interest free (I think), and should work out that you get a 10% to 15% discount because it means that you will be comitted to having your car serviced at the dealership. Of course it also means that in the mean time, the money is earning interest in Lexus' bank account rather than yours... yet again this my be cancelled out by the potential savings...

I agree with teejaybee: I bought from a dealer for the peace of mind and will continue to get services done at the dealer's. You will find in other entries that getting your car serviced at a dealers is not a lot more expensive, and at any rate it will help when you sell on. I'd recommend a late '58 plate or 09 and to go for the Executive Limited Edition: this was the exit model before the RX450h went on sale, and it has all the extras except for the rear seat DVD player.

Doh! Misread the 2 IN EACH DOOR UNIT. Apologies and thank you.

Yours and my count add up to 9. There are supposed to be 11... where are the other 2?... anyone knows?

Hi there, can someone tell me where all 11 speakers are located in models with the Mark Levinson audio system? I can only find 9!

Obviously this is a personal choice, but I would suggest that you approach a Lexus dealer. You may have to spend a little more (although I am sure you will be able to negotiate some discount), or indeed may have to settle for a model with slightly higher mileage or one that is a bit older, but I think it is worth the peace of mind of the comprehensive 1 year warranty, recovery package, service plan and general customer service. I dithered for a long while and at the end went for a personal lease/PCP and found that could afford a more recent model that I thought I could. My local dealer could not have been more helpful and I am glad to say that their service continues to be of excellent quality months after the deal was completed.

To my knowledge, the air suspension was never available on the 400h, only on the 300 and 350.

Hi... in 3 months of ownership, I have averaged 29mpg (UK), doing a 50-50 mix of urban and motorway (75-80mph). I can't say that I have been particularly careful, although I have learnt to give the engine short bursts in order to make the most of the electric power. I also use the cruise control as much as possible. Otherwise, the radio (or CD) and aircon are always on and there is always at least one device charging in one of the sockets. I am surprised that some of you have only achieved low 20s... but equally astounded that others have reached low 30s... just how slow have you been driving?

FYI, Bought a 3yo 400h back in May from a dealer. When I pointed out the corrosion on the wheels, they said they would contact Lexus UK and see if they would replace the wheels. Lexus UK threw out the claim, but the dealer volunteered to have the wheels refurbished at their cost.

Jevansio, I'd recommend that you look for a Executive Limited Edition, which was the going out limited edition before the 450h came out. It has everything in it, including the Mark Levinson audio, satnav, adaptive xenon lights, sunroof and power tailgate and only misses out on the rear seat entertainment package.