Lexus RX400h hybrid testimonials
On Lexus RX400h, my car, with 91 octane, 24.6 in city, using 87 octane 21.9 in city. Almost happy with Lexus, very pleased with Prius.W. K.
Palm Desert, CA
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I own the Lexus Hybrid & I am disappointed with the gas mileage. The EPA says 32 mpg Highway. & 28 city. I was told by the dealer that to expect about 30 highway. I average 24 MPG overall. If I just do highway I get about 21 MPG. The Boston Globe did a review on the Lexus & reached the same results. Now the dealer says that this is a vehicle for city driving. This auto is not worth the extra $10,000 over the 330. I am disappointed that Lexus still stands by the EPA estimate. Now Lexus is telling the dealers that the car will get better gas mileage after 15,000 miles. This is a rip-off to the consumers .
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2006 LEXUS RX400h-----about 25 mpg but less in the cold weather-- mostly stop and go suburban driving
RICK in ILLINOIS
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Are you the owner of a Lexus RX400h hybrid? Tell us about your experiences with the RX400h hybrid. What kind of gas mileage do you get in your hybrid Lexus and in what kind of driving?
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Labels: Hybrid Vehicles, Lexus hybrid, prius
posted by Dahcredyns at
2:38 PM
35 Comments:
I just bought a Lexis 400h, and I'm getting exactly what the official estimated mileage said I should get. The first day I drove to work (17 miles, including both stop and go and some highway driving), I got almost 34 mpg; now I am averaging about 31-32 for that trip. On a long (3 hour) trip -- all highway through very hilly country, we got about 27 mpg. I'm loving it.
We got our 400H in November of 05 and have just over 5000 miles... We've been averaging right around 24 city and highway. Not what we expected but better than the RX330. Was it worth 10K more? Probably not, seems like $10K in gas money would buy alot of miles. Overall, we are dissappointed with the mileage and Lexus' skirting the real truth about mileage.
We have owned the 400h for > 1 year and have been in the less than satisfied club on quoted gas mileage (~ 23MPG average). We believe that the mileage has been mis-represented by Lexus, are the emission numbers exaggerated also? We wrote a letter to their VP Bob Carter hoping for a response directly from someone in Lexus who cared about the customer experience, pawned off on someone who was quoting the "10 ways to improve mileage". All I can say is this is our last Lexus, they don't care about their customers, even those who paid a $10K premium.
mlp,
We also started out with higher mileage but it dropped quickly. Check back in at about 5K and let everyone know what your status is.
Recently bought Lexus 400h. For the first 3000 miles I got around 24 mpg combined city and highway driving. Now have 6K miles on the car and getting 20-21 mpg in town, probably due to colder weather. VERY disappointed since the gas version gets 19 mpg in town. It is advertised as a vehicle better for city driving, but when we asked the dealer about the bad gas mileage, we were told it is intended for trips at least 15-20 miles - not exactly most city driving. Previously had a Yukon XL that got exactly the mileage printed on the original sticker even after 85K miles. I would take my Yukon back tomorrow if I hadn't just wasted the extra money on this hybrid. Yes, the Lexus is comfortable, but so was my Yukon.
I have leased the 400H since April of 2005 (over two years). Whereas I am disappointed in the mileage (I get about 27 on the highway and about 24 in town, overall average 25.5) I keep hoping that Toyota will get smart and convert production of this car into a plugin hybrid! From my perspective, one of the main problems with the 400H is that Toyota gave too much consideration to power and too little to efficiency. I don't need to compete with a high performance sports car for 0-60 acceleration.
We started leasing a new 400h in February 2007. So far we've driven about 4000 miles. Oddly we are getting much much better gas milege on the highway (about 28mpg) than in the city (about 21mpg). I noticed the battery is often only about 1/2 charged and sometimes dips below to 2 or 3 bars. Could this be the reason for the counterintuitive fuel efficiency?? Anyone have any ideas? Please comment.
We purchased our cert. pre-owned 2006 400h about a month ago with over 15k miles on it. I had a gas guzzling suburban before that which was loaded and very nice. Yes, my new 400h has all the whistles and bells but I am VERY disappointed in the 23 mpg I am getting as apposed to the 30/35 I was quoted at the dealership and found when I did my research. I wish I had seen this website first. I love my new Hybrid but I would not have spent all the money if I had known. We still need a SUV's so the Hybrid Camry wasn't really an option but I'm starting to reconsider!!! Lexis should be ashamed for misleading their customers so bad on this one!!!! We are repeat customers with Lexis and are very disappointed that we were misled on this one!!!!
I am getting 16 MPG in town and 21 HWY since we bought this RX400H 2 years ago. It's supposed to do 31. We have been given the big run around; including test drive with technician gave no better result. still 16 MPG. They won't admit the cas is a lemon; I am being dismissed - untill I sue them. I started certified mail.
I have a 2006 with about 28,000 miles on it. I am also disappointed with the actual gas mileage. I average about 23-24 mpg city and suburbs, and about 25-26 mpg highway. The car is rarely operating with just the electric motors - primarily when I am at a full stop. The tires seem to make a difference. I changed from the factory Good Year tires (they wore out) at 17,000 mi to Michelin tires. The mileage was slightly better with the GY tires. Also, the mileage improves if you inflate the Michelin tires about 5 PSI higher than the rating in the door namepleate. I did this and so did the dealer at service intervals. Also, I got the virtually the sam MPGs using premium or regular gas. Does anyone else have any similar expericnces with tire brands or PSI?
I leased my 2006 400h in June 2005. Now have about 28k miles. We used premium fuel for the first 12k miles, then reluctantly decided to switch to regular gas. Saved about 20 cents per gallon. Mileage dropped by about 2 mpg. Now getting about 25-26 on highway only (speeds of 65 to 80 mph). About 21-24 in town with some freeway.
After 4 months getting 28-30 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving at altitude (6000 feet). Performance and quality are superb, mileage is consistent with dealership representation. Why not offer the driver the option of more low speed and low speed acceleration on battery and thus enhance fuel economy for those not looking for high (acceleration) performance? The driver could just flip a switch to choose or for the even more geeky luxury nuts among us go into the screen and choose a number of parameters to tune to individual preference? Switch from electric to gas at 5, 10 or 15 mph, permit cruise control to drift down 2, 5 or 10 mph on sustained uphill rather than disengaging.
We bought a 2006 Lexis 400h last month that had 12,000 miles on it. During a 7 hour trip on the interstate in Ga. and Fla.(no hills)we got 24-26 mpg. Around town we've been getting 25-27. Only premium fuel has been used. We had hoped for mileage promised by the dealership: 30-31 mpg city.
We started leasing our 2007 RX400H in August. We were getting about 28 mpg on the highway and I hit 33 mgp one one tank of gas in town. Then we took it to the mountains for a drive. On the way back down the mountain the battery reach 100% and I have never been able to get greater that 21 MPG since. I think something happened when the system sensed 100% since the engine seems to now run most of the time. The dealer gave me 10 tips for getting better mileage but one tip says to press lightly on the gas and you should be able to get to about 20 mph before the engine will start. I can't go past 5 mph before the engine will engage. I am extremely disappointed in the fuel efficiency.
We started leasing our 2007 RX400H in August. We were getting about 28 mpg on the highway and I hit 33 mgp one one tank of gas in town. Then we took it to the mountains for a drive. On the way back down the mountain the battery reach 100% and I have never been able to get greater that 21 MPG since. I think something happened when the system sensed 100% since the engine seems to now run most of the time. The dealer gave me 10 tips for getting better mileage but one tip says to press lightly on the gas and you should be able to get to about 20 mph before the engine will start. I can't go past 5 mph before the engine will engage. I am extremely disappointed in the fuel efficiency.
Live in Michigan. Took delivery of a 2008 400h last October from dealer in Mishawaka, IN. Excellent machine -- except for bouncy ride and cold draft in right side passenger seat. Mileage a long way from what was claimed in 2007 literature -- but just about exactly what 2008 literature and sticker claimed. Agree with others who say dealer attempted to hide lower mileage expectations during sale. Is it worth 10K$ more than gas-only model? Probably not -- but -- it is much cleaner -- and that counts for something.
I bought a used 2007 400h a little over a month ago. I replaced a 2001 RX300 which got 20-21mpg on the highway, 17-18 city. My first tank was regular gas and I got a little over 22mpg combined city/highway. The next 2 fill ups were with high test and the average mpg was 24.6. The last few fill ups I used Chevron high test and averaged 26.3mpg. The mpg is my own calculations using # of miles divided by # of gallons. I have found that the computer mpg is well over 1 mpg more, misleading as far as I am concerned. The mpg's may not be as advertised but are better than most cars in its class. Was the car worth the higher price? For me helping the environment is a price that has to be paid.
More people should learn about electric vehicles as a solution. "Zero emissions" is something that's going to be required by law one day (you know it will). Making the decision to go electric is far cheaper anyway, like 10 cents on the dollar vs. gas. (source: zapworld.com)
My Lexus Rx 400h is a disappointment in several areas which I will list and then discuss. Anyone with questions is welcome to contact me including. Lexus does not show the same interest in their customer (feedback) as the did in the early or even late 90's. In fact they have never contacted me when asked to do so in the customer survey they sent to us after purchase. 1. mileage 2. bluetooth 3. interior.
• Interior color is (supossed to be) Black, however some panels are dark blue, others, brown/black. They do not match. The dash (passenger side) shows the X where the front airbag is hidden. This is not acceptable in a car that Lexus call a "Luxury" auto.
• Bluetooth is a world of headaches. Some of the many issues: Does not pair up seamlessly with phones Lexus recommended. When I am on the phone (bluetooth) and a call comes in I loose the first call and the second call. This does not happen with the phone itself-only when in the car using the bluetooth. The microphone is placed in a poor spot. The air conditioning (or heater) creates noises across the mic creating problems with voice quality (background noise). This placement also makes it difficult to use the voice recognition system to control the radio, heat, air, or phone handsfree. I can go on but what is the point. Lexus saved money (very little actually) at the cost of customer satisfaction and utility. By the way the dealers says "we didn't design the car we just sell them" . Is that what a customer wants to hear? I think not. We got talked into the technology which the dealer said was superior to anything the Germans or Americans have in their cars - NOT SO, my friends. A third party system is far superior however Lexus hasn't offered to pay the cost and designed their system so a third party system can not be integrated.
* Similar complaints on the Navigation. Third party units are far superior. Save your money and aggravation-have Nav and Bluetooth installed aftermarket- less expensive and better quality.
• gas mileage represented by dealer is a farce. The purpose of electric is and was to provide power around town, save gas, less noise, and less emissions (a selling point). Lexus designed the computer to switch from electric to gas at a very low speed. Again to save the battery which cost more for them to replace under warranty. Essentially, you cannot use electric around town unless you want to piss off every other driver on the road behind you. The electric motor gives way to the gas engine between 12 to 15 mph. then you are taxing parts which are inexpensive to warranty (gas engine parts are relatively inexpensive for the manufacturer). Frankly I see this as a bridge gap not a solution to dependency on mid eastern oil which will continue to increase in price and create pollution all over the world.
Overall the RX 400h is too expensive, doesn't live up to the promise of the manufacture or the dealer, and is not as luxurious as other models in the Lexus lineup. Stick with the Prius for gas savings. As for an SUV the Lexus Rx is not ready for prime time.
hrvster@gmail.com
My Lexus Rx 400h is a disappointment in several areas which I will list and then discuss. Anyone with questions is welcome to contact me including. Lexus does not show the same interest in their customer (feedback) as the did in the early or even late 90's. In fact they have never contacted me when asked to do so in the customer survey they sent to us after purchase. 1. mileage 2. bluetooth 3. interior.
• Interior color is (supossed to be) Black, however some panels are dark blue, others, brown/black. They do not match. The dash (passenger side) shows the X where the front airbag is hidden. This is not acceptable in a car that Lexus call a "Luxury" auto.
• Bluetooth is a world of headaches. Some of the many issues: Does not pair up seamlessly with phones Lexus recommended. When I am on the phone (bluetooth) and a call comes in I loose the first call and the second call. This does not happen with the phone itself-only when in the car using the bluetooth. The microphone is placed in a poor spot. The air conditioning (or heater) creates noises across the mic creating problems with voice quality (background noise). This placement also makes it difficult to use the voice recognition system to control the radio, heat, air, or phone handsfree. I can go on but what is the point. Lexus saved money (very little actually) at the cost of customer satisfaction and utility. By the way the dealers says "we didn't design the car we just sell them" . Is that what a customer wants to hear? I think not. We got talked into the technology which the dealer said was superior to anything the Germans or Americans have in their cars - NOT SO, my friends. A third party system is far superior however Lexus hasn't offered to pay the cost and designed their system so a third party system can not be integrated.
* Similar complaints on the Navigation. Third party units are far superior. Save your money and aggravation-have Nav and Bluetooth installed aftermarket- less expensive and better quality.
• gas mileage represented by dealer is a farce. The purpose of electric is and was to provide power around town, save gas, less noise, and less emissions (a selling point). Lexus designed the computer to switch from electric to gas at a very low speed. Again to save the battery which cost more for them to replace under warranty. Essentially, you cannot use electric around town unless you want to piss off every other driver on the road behind you. The electric motor gives way to the gas engine between 12 to 15 mph. then you are taxing parts which are inexpensive to warranty (gas engine parts are relatively inexpensive for the manufacturer). Frankly I see this as a bridge gap not a solution to dependency on mid eastern oil which will continue to increase in price and create pollution all over the world.
Overall the RX 400h is too expensive, doesn't live up to the promise of the manufacture or the dealer, and is not as luxurious as other models in the Lexus lineup. Stick with the Prius for gas savings. As for an SUV the Lexus Rx is not ready for prime time.
I'm not sure what to believe anymore. I purchased my Rx400h and at first was extremely impressed. Once i learned how to drive my new toy like a geriatric grandma i found i would get between 26.5 - 27.5 mpg highway and roughly 29mpg in the city. I'm not one to whine about a few mpgs here or there so this seemed like a fair deal to me. However, low and behold, now i live in San Diego. Does the gas suck here or something? My alleged, efficient city driving luxury hybrid just doesn't get it done. I'm averaging 23 - 24 (25 at best)mpg per full tank. Most of that is city driving and apparently San Diego's perfect 70 degree weather falls under the optimal driving conditions category. Go figure? Here's the true hilarity, before i moved here i lived in Colorado. The aforementioned MPG reading were coming from a car brutally climbing thousands of feet-sometimes in negative temps!! I'm not sure if CA's gas sucks because of some effort to decrease emissions, or that they love pinching our pockets with their quarterly revenue margins, but i'm no longer impressed...
We have owned Lexus RX400h since 2005. Our gas mileage has been between 21-22MPG. This is using 87 Octane Gas.
We are very disappointed. We paid $5,000 extra and bought this hybrid with the expectation of around 30MPG.
I drive through the mountains as well as Highway miles every day.
I purchased my first Lexus 1 1/2 years ago. A 2007 400h fully loaded with every bell and whistle available. It's comfortable, roomy, quiet, love the Mark Levinson stereo, etc... I too was told that the mileage would be far better than it has proven to be. I have about 24,000 miles and seem to be stuck at 24.6 miles per gallon. It's far better than the Mercedes I had, but I was lead to believe I would get more like 30-32 on the highway and 35-38 in the city. I do tons of city driving so this car seemed to mqke the most sense. So, while I am loving my car, I am very disappointed with mileage. I have even spoken with non hybrid Lexus SUV owners and unless they are fibbing to me, some of them appear to be getting better mileage than I am getting. It's frustrating and embarrassing both. I feel like a dope with I tell people about my mileage. The one saving grace is that I purchased my car through a broker who was able to save me about $4000 over what the local dealership was willing to do. I gave them a chance, but they would not budge on price. So, I am thankful that I did not pay full price and was at least able to save a little. As long as I don't think too much about the mileage, I have to say I LOVE my car.
I purchased my first Lexus 1 1/2 years ago. A 2007 400h fully loaded with every bell and whistle available. It's comfortable, roomy, quiet, love the Mark Levinson stereo, etc... I too was told that the mileage would be far better than it has proven to be. I have about 24,000 miles and seem to be stuck at 24.6 miles per gallon. It's far better than the Mercedes I had, but I was lead to believe I would get more like 30-32 on the highway and 35-38 in the city. I do tons of city driving so this car seemed to mqke the most sense. So, while I am loving my car, I am very disappointed with mileage. I have even spoken with non hybrid Lexus SUV owners and unless they are fibbing to me, some of them appear to be getting better mileage than I am getting. It's frustrating and embarrassing both. I feel like a dope with I tell people about my mileage. The one saving grace is that I purchased my car through a broker who was able to save me about $4000 over what the local dealership was willing to do. I gave them a chance, but they would not budge on price. So, I am thankful that I did not pay full price and was at least able to save a little. As long as I don't think too much about the mileage, I have to say I LOVE my car.
I own a Lexus 400h with over 20,000 miles. The car registers about 25.5 mpg. It is disappointing that I have paid a premium for a hybrid and do not get better mileage. My car seems to kick on the gas engine very soon after turning it on. It would seem that there is a better way to do this. There are plug in conversions out there for the Prius but not sure about the 400h. The high end Lexus hybrid is a joke in mpg. Due to the new way ratings have to be made, it gets less mpg than the prior year model. Not worth the money (30k+)
I don't have an RX400h, but do have an RX330 (2004) and here are some numbers for comparison: suburban type driving with a little city thrown in : 17.5 mpg. Mighway with cruise tuned in at 65 mph and a small amount of true city thrown in (maybe 3-5%): 27 mpg.
That is not bad at all for such a tall lump. Sounds to me like the hybrid buys you 5-7 mpg city improvement and nothing in the way of highway improvement.
You are so right. The extra money for a hybrid 400h buys you very little in the way of gas mileage (city driving). Nothing close to the saleman's pitch. If you have the money to throw away and need badly to make a statement, the 400h is for you. Lexus quickly ran from customer complaints but stopped the dealers from even suggesting window sticker of 33 city and 28 hwy was realistic. Lexus of Cerritos said "the electric motor is designed for most city driving and thats why you will get around 30 mpg". 20 mpg is a far cry from 30mpg. The truth is Lexus designed the gas engine to kick in at a very low speed to save them from replacing batteries. You can't possibly get near the salesmans (lies) figure. Same with the "automatic parking feature on the Lexus sedan. You need more than 10 feet in front and 10 in back to use this feature. If you have that much room (40 ft.)to park (tell me what city you live in) you don't need the (optional) feature to park for you.
We bought a 2006 Lexus hybrid in December of 2005. Since then we've had to have the tires changed 4 times and now at 50,000, the tires are completely bald. The air conditioning died today for no reason (and it is 106 degrees outside) and the customer service department is useless. Mileage is horrible as well. I cannot wait to get rid of it!
The complaints with premature tire wear on Lexis 400h are way too significant for the dealers to simply advise their customers that it is their fault due to the way that they drive. I have seen numerous complaints on several websites like the one from hanssie. In my case the dealer agreed to pay for two of the "required" new tires at 15,000 miles. Now the replacement Michelins are wearing quickly at 35,000 miles and all of the rotations plus optional alignments have been done as required at the proper intervals.
I am able to break 40mpg in the 400h without breaking a sweat. That is doing the speed limit (or faster) and using the highway. If you have the slightest idea of how to drive a car for fuel economy, then getting low to mid 30 figures should be no problem at all.
dear anonymous,
I would hide as well if my Lexus got 40mpg. Since it is an anomaly, Lexus may come take it away in the still of the night. As owners have said on this site and so many others, 40mpg is not available. It is the result of creative thinking or a personal interest to counter the complaints from so many owners who are disappointed in their mileage. Many of us were simply lied to by the salesman (what a surprise). Your comment that others don't know how to drive for economy is a cheap shot at other owners (if in fact you are an owner). Your post provides nothing of value to owners or potential buyers. Not even Lexus (engineers or advertising) have dared to suggest 40mpg. How about putting your money where your mouth is. I've got $1000 that says you can't average 40 mpg on one tank of gas, in city driving or combined highway and city in my 400h. Here's where the rubber meets the road. hrvster@gmail.com
and if the bet is taken, please make sure to update us on the results. in fact if you can film it, i'll publish the video.
I got my RX400H a year ago and was initially disappointed - low 20's. Then I switched to high octane gas and I began keeping my nav screen on the engine display so I always know what my realtime MPG is. On top of that, I do not use my AC, no matter how hot it is. I avg 30 mpg - 34 hgwy and 27 city. Very happy as it is double what I was getting with my BMW X5.
I have both a Lexus 400h and a Prius. I bought these for fuel efficiency and the clean air aspects. I resent Lexus' claim that their Hybrid owners just want performance. LEXUS should offer 400h owners the option of having a bit less performance and more fuel efficiency and I bet more than 80% would take the fuel efficiency. Lexus, please listen to your customers and provide a software update to allow owners the choice.
To Anonymous:
Yes, I believe you can get 40 MPG in a Lexus 400h if you are doing one or more of the following:
- Driving ONLY Downhill.
- Driving under 15 MPH so the gas engine does not start up.
- Driving with a 100 MPH Tail wind.
- Driving with your Car on the back of a Flat Bed Truck.
- Driving you Car on the Auto Train.
Enjoy your fantasy!
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