On Monday, just before we left for the Georgetown Family Weekend, the Lexus wouldn't start. I struggled getting it into the dealer. Although the problem was fairly minor, I have a sense that it is a harbinger of things to come...
Showing posts with label Lexus RX400h. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lexus RX400h. Show all posts
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Lexus RX400h Day 3,772
On Friday, the Lexus turned over 230,000 miles. Without a doubt, it has been the most reliable vehicle that I ever owned. Nevertheless, after more than ten and a half years, it is getting worn. Although it still looks pretty good from a distance, it is looking rough around the edges up close.
On Monday, just before we left for the Georgetown Family Weekend, the Lexus wouldn't start. I struggled getting it into the dealer. Although the problem was fairly minor, I have a sense that it is a harbinger of things to come...
On Monday, just before we left for the Georgetown Family Weekend, the Lexus wouldn't start. I struggled getting it into the dealer. Although the problem was fairly minor, I have a sense that it is a harbinger of things to come...
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Lexus RX400h Day 3,652
I bought the Lexus ten years ago today. Over the ten years, I have averaged 22,560 miles per year. The is down from an average of 23,550 miles last year.
Although it is getting more than a little beat-up, it has been an extremely reliable vehicle. It is going to be interesting to see how much longer I drive it. I got almost 9 1/2 years and 223,000 miles on the Explorer. I am still thinking that I won't replace it until June of 2019... I am currently focused on a Volvo XC60 plug hybrid as a replacement.
Although it is getting more than a little beat-up, it has been an extremely reliable vehicle. It is going to be interesting to see how much longer I drive it. I got almost 9 1/2 years and 223,000 miles on the Explorer. I am still thinking that I won't replace it until June of 2019... I am currently focused on a Volvo XC60 plug hybrid as a replacement.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Lexus RX400h Day 3,287
I bought the Lexus nine years ago today. Over the nine years, I have averaged a little less than 23,550 miles per year.
Although it is getting a little worn, it has been a very reliable vehicle [knock on wood...]. It is going to be interesting to see how much longer I drive it. I got almost 9 1/2 years and 223,000 miles on the Explorer. My current thinking is that I won't replace it until June of 2019... Although the choices are currently fairly limited, I would like to get another hybrid SUV.
Although it is getting a little worn, it has been a very reliable vehicle [knock on wood...]. It is going to be interesting to see how much longer I drive it. I got almost 9 1/2 years and 223,000 miles on the Explorer. My current thinking is that I won't replace it until June of 2019... Although the choices are currently fairly limited, I would like to get another hybrid SUV.
Thursday, September 01, 2016
Monday, October 26, 2009
Lexus RX400h Day 485
I took the Lexus RX400h in for the 30,000 mile service today. I am on a pace to drive 46,500 miles in the first two years. I am averaging 25.2 mpg since I brought the car, up slightly from 25.0 mpg at 20,000 miles. The EPA rating is 24 on the highway and 26 in the city.
Except for the fact that I wish that the cargo area was deeper and the fuel efficiency gauge was more accurate, I continue to be very pleased with the vehicle. Knock on wood, I have not had any problems.
Except for the fact that I wish that the cargo area was deeper and the fuel efficiency gauge was more accurate, I continue to be very pleased with the vehicle. Knock on wood, I have not had any problems.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Lexus RX400h Day 313
I took the Lexus RX400h in for the 20,000 mile service today. I am on a pace to drive 23,328 miles in the first year. I am averaging 25.0 mpg since I brought the car, up slightly from 24.8 mpg after 10 months and 24.9 at 6 months, but down slightly from 25.1 after 3 months. The EPA rating is 24 on the highway and 26 in the city.
After listening to a NPR podcast about trials that were being held in Seattle with people driving hybrids and hearing the coaching that they were giving the drivers, I am getting better mileage and have pulled up my average miles per gallon. I actually got over 27 mpg on two tanks in April.
After listening to a NPR podcast about trials that were being held in Seattle with people driving hybrids and hearing the coaching that they were giving the drivers, I am getting better mileage and have pulled up my average miles per gallon. I actually got over 27 mpg on two tanks in April.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Lexus RX400h Day 240
I took the Lexus RX400h in for the 15,000 mile service this morning. I am on a pace to drive 23,000 miles in the first year. I am averaging 24.8 mpg since I brought the car, down slightly from 25.1 after 3 months and 24.9 at 6 months. The EPA rating is 24 on the highway and 26 in the city.
It is an all wheel drive vehicle. When we tubing with the boy scouts, I was impressed with how sure footed it was in the icy parking lot.
One other note. After 15,000 miles, the brakes are worn only about 10%. Above 10 miles per hour, the RX400h uses the electric motors to brake.
It is an all wheel drive vehicle. When we tubing with the boy scouts, I was impressed with how sure footed it was in the icy parking lot.
One other note. After 15,000 miles, the brakes are worn only about 10%. Above 10 miles per hour, the RX400h uses the electric motors to brake.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Lexus RX400h Day 168
Jack and I took the Lexus RX400h in for the 10,000 mile service on Saturday morning. I am on a pace to drive 22,500 miles in the first year. I am averaging 24.9 mpg since I brought the car, down slightly from 25.1 after 3 months. The EPA rating is 24 on the highway and 26 in the city. My calculations show that I have saved roughly $750 in gas over driving the Explorer with an average gas price of $3.41 over the last six months. With gas prices now less than half of this average, the savings will obviously be a lot smaller for the foreseeable future.
I continue to be very satisfied with the vehicle. I was particularly pleased that the we were able to fit a seven foot flocked Christmas Tree inside.
I continue to be very satisfied with the vehicle. I was particularly pleased that the we were able to fit a seven foot flocked Christmas Tree inside.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Lexus RX400h Day 93
I took the Lexus RX400h in for the 5,000 mile warranty service today. In the first three months, I have driven 5,500 miles. I am on a pace to drive 21,500 miles in the first year. I continue to average 25.1 miles per gallon compared to an EPA rating of 24 on the highway and 26 in the city. My calculations show that I have saved roughly $480 in gas over driving the Explorer.
I am very pleased with the hybrid, except for three things. First, I find the lack of range indicator odd; I found the gauge showing how many miles to empty in the Explorer convenient. Second, the Lexus has two gauges that give you the current miles per gallon for the tank. I realized three or four tanks ago that the indicator was reading consistently high. For example, on the last tank the indicator said that I was getting 26.8 mpg, but when I filled it up it worked out to 25.5 mpg. I can understand if indicator was high one time and low the next, but it is consistently 1.0 to 1.5 higher than the actual miles per gallon. This is a minor annoyance. Third, I would really prefer to sit a higher! I like to see over traffic in the commute.
I am very pleased with the hybrid, except for three things. First, I find the lack of range indicator odd; I found the gauge showing how many miles to empty in the Explorer convenient. Second, the Lexus has two gauges that give you the current miles per gallon for the tank. I realized three or four tanks ago that the indicator was reading consistently high. For example, on the last tank the indicator said that I was getting 26.8 mpg, but when I filled it up it worked out to 25.5 mpg. I can understand if indicator was high one time and low the next, but it is consistently 1.0 to 1.5 higher than the actual miles per gallon. This is a minor annoyance. Third, I would really prefer to sit a higher! I like to see over traffic in the commute.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Lexus RX400h Day 68
I use the web site www.mymilemarker.com to track all of my fuel purchases. This site allows me to use twitter to log my mileage, gallons purchased and cost per gallon with a SMS message every time I fill up.
The 2008 Lexus RX400h hybrid is rated at 24 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg in the city. Over the last two months plus I have driven 4,016 miles and averaged 25.1 miles per gallon. The mileage per tank has generally ranged from a low of 24.5 to a high of 26.8 miles per gallon. I had one tank below 24.5 mpg (20.3 mpg); this was on the way up to Chester with the bikes on roof rack. In two months, I calculate that I have saved more than $360 in fuel costs than if I was driving the Explorer.
I continue to be very pleased with the vehicle. In particular, the bluetooth and iPod integration work extremely well. Although the feel of the electric motors to brake the car takes some getting use to (Sharon complained about it the one day she drove it), I am happy with the way it drives. The one omission that I find odd is the lack of a range indicator; I am used to have an indicator that tells you how much farther you can go on the current tank of gas.
The 2008 Lexus RX400h hybrid is rated at 24 mpg on the highway and 26 mpg in the city. Over the last two months plus I have driven 4,016 miles and averaged 25.1 miles per gallon. The mileage per tank has generally ranged from a low of 24.5 to a high of 26.8 miles per gallon. I had one tank below 24.5 mpg (20.3 mpg); this was on the way up to Chester with the bikes on roof rack. In two months, I calculate that I have saved more than $360 in fuel costs than if I was driving the Explorer.
I continue to be very pleased with the vehicle. In particular, the bluetooth and iPod integration work extremely well. Although the feel of the electric motors to brake the car takes some getting use to (Sharon complained about it the one day she drove it), I am happy with the way it drives. The one omission that I find odd is the lack of a range indicator; I am used to have an indicator that tells you how much farther you can go on the current tank of gas.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Lexus RX400h Day 21
I got 25.6 miles per gallon on the third tank of gas in the Lexus RX400h (374 miles on 14.60 gallons). This included quite a bit of freeway driving on the trip to Healdsburg and back. I am averaging 25.7 miles per gallon since I bought the vehicle.
In the first three tanks of gas, I have saved about $106 compared to our old Explorer. In a 100,000 miles of driving that would translate into $10,600 at current gas prices.
In the first three tanks of gas, I have saved about $106 compared to our old Explorer. In a 100,000 miles of driving that would translate into $10,600 at current gas prices.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Lexus RX400h Day 18
I got 26.0 miles per gallon on the second tank of gas in the Lexus RX400h (352 miles on 13.54 gallons). The vehicle is rated at 24 mpg on the highway and 26 in the city. In the first two tanks of gas, I have saved about $70 compared to our old Explorer.
I continue to be very pleased with the vehicle. The built-in bluetooth connectivity to the phone works extremely well. I have stopped using my Jawbone headset in the car and just use the built-in microphone and speakers. The microphone is located above the rearview mirror. With the new California law, this is convenient. Although I am fond of my Garmin Nuvi 660, the built-in GPS works very well. I will have a chance to use it on a short trip this weekend.
The one odd thing is the lack of a range indicator. I am used to driving a vehicle that estimates how many miles are left until the tank is empty. Although the RX400h has a lot of features, this indicator seems to be lacking.
I continue to be very pleased with the vehicle. The built-in bluetooth connectivity to the phone works extremely well. I have stopped using my Jawbone headset in the car and just use the built-in microphone and speakers. The microphone is located above the rearview mirror. With the new California law, this is convenient. Although I am fond of my Garmin Nuvi 660, the built-in GPS works very well. I will have a chance to use it on a short trip this weekend.
The one odd thing is the lack of a range indicator. I am used to driving a vehicle that estimates how many miles are left until the tank is empty. Although the RX400h has a lot of features, this indicator seems to be lacking.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Lexus RX400h Day 7
At the end of the first week, I am very pleased with our Lexus RX400H hybrid. As I told Sharon, if it had not been for her, I would probably have gone for the Highlander Hybrid (just because it was bigger!).
The vehicle is rated at 24 mpg on the highway and 26 in the city. I got 25.5 miles per gallon on the first tank (349 miles and 13.67 gallons). For comparison, between December 16, 2007 and June 26, 2008, I drove the Explorer 10,251 miles and got 16.33 miles per gallon. At $4.469 a gallon, I saved $34.81 on gas in the first week.
The vehicle is rated at 24 mpg on the highway and 26 in the city. I got 25.5 miles per gallon on the first tank (349 miles and 13.67 gallons). For comparison, between December 16, 2007 and June 26, 2008, I drove the Explorer 10,251 miles and got 16.33 miles per gallon. At $4.469 a gallon, I saved $34.81 on gas in the first week.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Lexus RX400h
Over the last couple of months, we have started shopping for a new car to replace the Explorer. At this point, the Explorer has more than 223,000 miles. Sharon purchased it in January of 1999; we have owned it almost 9 1/2 years.
We have been focusing on two different vehicles as a replacement: the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus RX400h Hybrid. The plan for the day was to go and test drive the two vehicles back to back.
We went to Lexus of Sacramento and drove the Lexus first. They had three RX400hs in stock: two blacks one and a nice Bamboo Pearl one. When we initially drove the Lexus in early April, I was impressed with how nimble it felt. After driving it again, both Sharon and I were very pleased with how well it drove. It feels very responsive and has a nice solid ride. Sharon has been pushing the idea of the Lexus since we started this process, while I was frankly leaning towards the larger Highlanders.
From there, we went to Maita Toyota. I had been scouting the Highlander Hybrids during the week. There were essentially three in stock in Sacramento: two silver and one green. I had walked around and sat in the green one at Maita on Friday.
From the first five minutes of testing driving the Highlander, I knew that I was not going to buy it. Although I liked the larger size and some of the options, it drove horribly. Both Sharon and I were grimacing as we drove it and looking at each other out of the corner of our eyes. It felt very heavy and literally wallowed through turns. This is consistent with my experience when we drove one at Elk Grove Toyota in late March. The Highlander is more than 800 pounds heavier than the Lexus with the same power train.
Heading back to the Lexus dealer, we purchased the RX400h. I am very pleased with the end result. I will post some pictures in the near future...
We have been focusing on two different vehicles as a replacement: the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus RX400h Hybrid. The plan for the day was to go and test drive the two vehicles back to back.
We went to Lexus of Sacramento and drove the Lexus first. They had three RX400hs in stock: two blacks one and a nice Bamboo Pearl one. When we initially drove the Lexus in early April, I was impressed with how nimble it felt. After driving it again, both Sharon and I were very pleased with how well it drove. It feels very responsive and has a nice solid ride. Sharon has been pushing the idea of the Lexus since we started this process, while I was frankly leaning towards the larger Highlanders.
From there, we went to Maita Toyota. I had been scouting the Highlander Hybrids during the week. There were essentially three in stock in Sacramento: two silver and one green. I had walked around and sat in the green one at Maita on Friday.
From the first five minutes of testing driving the Highlander, I knew that I was not going to buy it. Although I liked the larger size and some of the options, it drove horribly. Both Sharon and I were grimacing as we drove it and looking at each other out of the corner of our eyes. It felt very heavy and literally wallowed through turns. This is consistent with my experience when we drove one at Elk Grove Toyota in late March. The Highlander is more than 800 pounds heavier than the Lexus with the same power train.
Heading back to the Lexus dealer, we purchased the RX400h. I am very pleased with the end result. I will post some pictures in the near future...
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