Anyone actually owned a RX400h ???

[poormansporsche]

I am quite drawn to them as a replacement to my ageing euro 5 diesel manual SUV daily.

The seem quite favourable with near 30 mpg, V6 petrol with the electric motors giving a bit extra when needed.

But do you get caught up with the economy of it all ? I like to just get in and drive without thinking and to get anywhere near 30 mpg you have to drive a certain way. Do you get caught up looking at the extra gauges ?? !!

Any ownership experiences would be appreciated ?

I'm looking to spend around 6 grand so likely to be 12 years old and with around 100k

A random potential buy (the hideous screens would be dumped !)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202002107148351?advertising-location=at_cars&transmission=Automatic&maximum-mileage=125000&price-to=7000&postcode=DA37HS&model=RX%20400H&sort=distance&page=1&radius=100&make=LEXUS&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New

Cheers

Pmp

 

[Petrol Pete]

The one in the ad has a Tape player !! Buy it !!

 

[KennyN]

Been considering them (450h) , along with others, as a replacement for my Forester. Wasn`t sold on the CVT gearbox but it seems to be quite reliable providing it has been serviced properly , a bit marmite in the looks department but starting to grow on me - a bit, high mileage doesn`t seem to bother them as there are loads for sale with 150k + that still look good , plus they are pretty well equipped.

High Peak Autos have just done a video road test on one :

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K

 

[Ceramicolive]

Not had an RX but did run a 2012 GS450h for about a year. it had just under 100,000 miles on it, drove and looked like a new car, lovely place to sit with a quality interior, I just hated the gearbox with a passion which is why I sold it in the end, most of the time to be fair it was unobtrusive but if you wanted to join the motorway or make progress it made such a hideous continuous racket! It was good on fuel for a 3.5 V6 I averaged around 40mpg which I was very impressed with given the size of the car and engine.

I think if it had had a conventional gearbox i'd still have it, best thing would be to go and drive one and see if you can live with the CVT which in my opinion ruined an otherwise brilliant car.

 

[daveenty]

Had the RX450h for over 18 months now. Big comfortable car, typical Lexus really in that it's a bit on the bland side and doesn't really involve the driver too much, just gets on with things in it's own way. The transmission, as intimated here, takes some getting used to but ultimately you tend to drive accordingly, with a lot more planning than a conventional box.

I like the car but don't use it all the time, I think that would be a bit soul destroying due to it's lack of character.

As for the fuel consumption then yes, I do tend to look at it often though can alter the display at any time. When it's on the economy thing I do tend to get a bit obsessed with it, hence changing the display often.

 

[poormansporsche]

I'm not bothered about the actual monetary consumption (I had a 330ci E46 which drank fuel like anything) a tenner extra a week will not break me ! So long as I can get 300 miles on a tank I'm happy (a weeks motoring for me). Just don't want to get obsessed with the "potential". The trip computer and mileometer on my current car has konked out and it's just sooo liberating !

I really can't imagine the CVT is going to be much worse than my early 7g that I managed to live with for 2 years (and hated !)

 

[John]

The Lexus CVT is not the usual belt-driven CVT just in case anyone thinks it is.

It's actually a very clever setup that balances changing of drive from battery to petrol and vice versa (but never at the same time as it is not possible).

It's also very reliable.

However, it does share the same "huge revs until the speed catches up" scenario you get on belt-driven CVTs.

 

[Will]

Watch out for catalytic converter theft.

Apparently on the RX they don’t even need to jack them up

 

[Cyclone1]

I’m on my second RX300 (not an RX400h I know so can’t comment on the hybrid engine) and I love it. I bought this one as a winter stop gap so I didn’t have to drive the CLS. Mine is nearly 16 years old, but same shape as a 2008.

Watch outs are suspension rust and component failure (check MOT history), water leaking into the rear of the car, can be due to clogged drain points near the sunroof, or the rear light seal covers warping with age allowing water to pass. They also suffer from front dash rattle and speedo binnacle creaking, can be annoying but can be fixed with insulation material. If it’s the L model then these have the air suspension that can fail around 10-15 years and is expensive to replace compared to the value of the car, therefore some owners fit the standard springs and dampers which are almost as good, but much cheaper. For this reason alone I went for an SE and not the SEL as I was spending between £2k-£3k and didn’t want to risk the original suspension failing, but did check SEL’s to see if it had already been done.

That aside they are very decent and capable wafters. Even my kids love it (admittedly they were horrified when they first saw it, but now love it). Everything works on it and mine flew through it’s MOT in March, only advisory were low tread on the rear tyres which I knew about.

As and when needed I’ll have another as the current one is up for sale this week.

 

[poormansporsche]

Cheers. Well aware of the cat theft and where I live , yokel pikey town it's a case of when not if so hopefully a workaround solution is available

Unlike the 300/350 the hybrid does not come with the air suspension so one less thing to worry about. Apparently the blocked sunroof drains is the biggest killer of the battery packs not age degradation strangely !!!!

 

[Senator]

I've never owned one but did some reading on the RX400h a couple of years ago. My conclusion from that research was it will only operate in fully electric mode at low speeds (below 20mph or something like that), so if your commute is all stop/start you might see a benefit in economy, but on the open road your engine will always be running so not much different to any 3 litre petrol. The battery motor supplements the power to give better performance, so it's better to think of it like a regular petrol SUV that's getting a free performance boost, rather than an economical SUV.

 

[John]

I think it is 27mph - or it was on the couple of year old GS450h and GS300h models I drove previously.

 

[poormansporsche]

I believe it's 20 mph on the 400 and was upped quite a bit for the 450 hence the substantially higher laboratory mpg figures for the 450

 

[poormansporsche]

Well looked at the one in my previous post and it was a pile of £hite. Rusty scratches, dents everywhere, interior and steering wheel shagged, lost some miles I'd say, so still on the look out !

Also I've found out my local Toyota indi actually carries part built decat pipes for the hybrids so if the cat gets pinched they can have you back on the road the same day with no emls Apparently there is a 3 month waiting list at lexus for genuine cats it's such a widespread problem. If I do get one will get the decat as a preemptive measure, I have a friendly mot man

 

[Will]

I think I’d do the same, but it would annoy me that people may still have a go. Would be at the back of my mind every time you park up.

I think I posted a link on another thread here for these RX models recently, I’m sure Lexus UK have discounted the cost of cats down to pretty much cost price?

 

[Blackhammer]

I am quite drawn to them as a replacement to my ageing euro 5 diesel manual SUV daily.

The seem quite favourable with near 30 mpg, V6 petrol with the electric motors giving a bit extra when needed.

But do you get caught up with the economy of it all ? I like to just get in and drive without thinking and to get anywhere near 30 mpg you have to drive a certain way. Do you get caught up looking at the extra gauges ?? !!

Any ownership experiences would be appreciated ?

I'm looking to spend around 6 grand so likely to be 12 years old and with around 100k

A random potential buy (the hideous screens would be dumped !)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202002107148351?advertising-location=at_cars&transmission=Automatic&maximum-mileage=125000&price-to=7000&postcode=DA37HS&model=RX%20400H&sort=distance&page=1&radius=100&make=LEXUS&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New

Cheers

Pmp

I own a RX450h (not 400) and initially you do find yourself looking at the screen trying to get the car to run on the batteries as much as possible with the eco mode switched on, this lasted about a week....

You can get up to 35 mpg urban without trying, which for a big heavy bus is decent. For comparison on a similar journey my RX300 would do about 18mpg, never ever got more than 280 miles to a 72 litre tank. My 209 320 cab was returning about 20mpg urban. I have tried to upload a pic of typical mpg not sure if I have done it right, was a 60 mile journey, roughly 20% urban, 80% motorway to give you an idea, although alot depends on driving style.

On the motorway the electric motors will assist the engine, you can't notice when the car is running or battery or engine or both, unless you look at the screen or the display between the speedo, however it's a tall wide vehicle so economy is good for the power but it's no Prius, but certainly better than the 3.0 petrol RX I owned

Lexus give you a 15 year warranty on batteries, just service at main dealer once a year, or pay dealer £60 a year, and they warranty battery for 10k miles/1year which ever comes first, so you will still be able to a 400h with a warranty on batteries.

The CVT is an acquired taste, it only really revs in the 'power' section of the gauge. Unless you drive like Lewis Hamilton the engine is near silent in the background

Get an SEL, you can't air suspension on a 400h so no worries there. You will have camera, nav, electric everything, Mark Levinson hi fi. There is a Cambelt on the 400, due every 90k or 10 years, 450 is a chain. I'm on my 5th Lexus so naturally biased, but they are wonderful mile munches with stella reliability

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I bought my house from a surgeon who ran an '09 400h, who still runs it to this day. My next door neighbour used to run an RX300, which she really regrets selling to buy a BMW X1 which she loathes.

I've looked at the RX400h and RX450h as a family / bike car several times but ruled them out as being too dull compared to an E500. Don't like the external appearance, the driving style, high position, and the plastic trim.

But, that said, like all Lexii they are good for 200,000 miles and their owners love them.

I just feel they're designed for the US market, rather than Europe. Big, endless roads needing a device to "get you there," without any involvement. I have a similar attitude to the LS series.

All that said, as an inexpensive, high mileage, five door family runabout, they win on most counts. I do a couple of European tours each year (2,500 miles a pop) and I know that this would be a car that would take such use completely in its stride.

 

[John]

On the motorway the electric motors will assist the engine, you can't notice when the car is running or battery or engine or both, unless you look at the screen or the display between the speedo, however it's a tall wide vehicle so economy is good for the power but it's no Prius, but certainly better than the 3.0 petrol RX I owned

Do you know if that is across the board or just on the RX?

Mr Lexusman told me they didn't work inconjunction.

I've looked at the RX400h and RX450h as a family / bike car several times but ruled them out as being too dull compared to an E500. Don't like the external appearance, the driving style, high position, and the plastic trim.

I just feel they're designed for the US market, rather than Europe. Big, endless roads needing a device to "get you there," without any involvement. I have a similar attitude to the LS series.

I tried an NX a couple of years ago and came to the same conclusion. They are just not exciting cars but just do the job. Unfortunately I would have had to have seen my way past all the negatives to buy one but I'm not ready for that just yet (maybe in 10/15/20 years?).

I also tried an LS (2012/62 version) and it felt at least a generation or two behind a well-spec'd 2010 S500L.

Utterly unimpressed sadly!

 

[Blackhammer]

Do you know if that is across the board or just on the RX?

Mr Lexusman told me they didn't work inconjunction.



I tried an NX a couple of years ago and came to the same conclusion. They are just not exciting cars but just do the job. Unfortunately I would have had to have seen my way past all the negatives to buy one but I'm not ready for that just yet (maybe in 10/15/20 years?).

I also tried an LS (2012/62 version) and it felt at least a generation or two behind a well-spec'd 2010 S500L.

Utterly unimpressed sadly!

I have only owned 1 hybrid Lexus the others were just petrol, so am unaware if the others work the same or are different.

I have attached a pic though which shows both the engine and electric motors providing power, which is typical on a motorway.

Very rarely does the car run on just the engine in my experience. In town the car will pull away using electric motors then the engine will then kick in seamlessly, on the motorway the it's the other way round the electric motors assist the engine.