thomas1

agreed, but its the labor, I try to find the best quality. I remember years ago I put 4 alternators in my sons truck...That sucked big time. (Kragens)

code58

Thomas, I see you've gone to the "dark side" or the "light side", depending on where one stands. Referring to the RX400H. It will be interesting to see what your experience is with it. I'm not even familiar with exactly what the "Hybrid" is in the T/L line of "non-Prius" vehicles. The guy doing the paperwork on my wife's '11 Camry asked if I had thought about a hybrid. I said no, with 8 years of absolutely not a single problem with the '02, and fantastic mileage, I wasn't going to push my luck!

thomas1

Yea, hybrid is interesting Roger, trying to keep my brain going by learning new technology, Took the dash apart last night and installed a Nav bypass and ipod harness...So far so good. I am going to change the timing belt within the next 10k miles, too bad you dont help...Same basic engine as your Daughter in laws...Note same timing belt, idler bearings, but different tensioner...Have the parts which I was saving for the old RX300, guess I am ready to go...Loving the car though, it is kind of stealthy...Also a rocket ship compared to the RX300, if you push the pedal, it screams like a v8...man those electric motors and cvt transmission are incredible...Love the Transmission fluid change, just like a differential, drain and fill....

code58

Yea, we had quite a few of the Honda Civic Hybrids when I worked in Transportation for the County because "Govt." at pretty much any level is mandated by "Govt." above them to use, or buy or whatever is necessary, anything that comes down the pike that is supposed to be good for the environment. We had Crown Vic propane vehicles, had to use recycled coolant, Hybrid vehicles, what ever "Govt." above you determined you had to do to let you know who was the "Real" boss! The Civics were CVT and that was interesting, to say the least. The thing that was hard to get used to was turning the key and the (gasoline) engine was running, with NO sound of a starter. Another interesting thing they had to use were the Ford Ranger PU when Ford built some of those. They couldn't be purchased, but they had to take a couple or three of them at $500. a month (mandated) and because they were full electric (not hybrid) if they used 'em for a run a little too far, they were what you would call "dragging their feet" by the time they got back. They were really complex also when you got to looking at all the systems they had to have to replace the heater, power steering, and a bunch of other things that we just depend on the good old internal combustion engine to operate, which was no longer there. Some things should just be left on the cutting room floor.