It doesn't lower your taxable income but does lower your tax liability. I believe the hyrbid is a deduction(writeoff) and not a tax credit.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_hybrid.shtml

 

http://www.thecarconnection.com/inde...&sid=173&n=156

The launch of the Lexus RX400h hybrid-electric vehicle has been pushed back to sometime in early 2005, a company spokesman confirmed to TheCarConnection.com, leaving the automaker scrambling to deal with thousands of potential customers, many of whom have left cash deposits for the HEV ute. The original "launch target" for the RX400h was autumn 2004, most likely around November, TCC had previously reported. Exactly how much the introduction of the high-performance hybrid now will be delayed is unclear, and likely won't be finalized until the last series of pre-production prototypes rolls off the assembly line in September. Unlike parent company Toyota's Prius, the 400h will use a hybrid powertrain tuned to boost both mileage and performance. While engineers are using every opportunity to tweak the final design, the delay reflects several factors. One is limited hardware availability, according to various company sources, which make it difficult to ramp up the production of new hybrids without cutting back on others. As it is, the automaker has had to repeatedly boost production capacity for the Prius, the latest expansion announced just last Friday.


All told, if hardware availability improves, Toyota Motor Co. Chairman Fujio Cho believes his company can sell 300,000 hybrids next year, including Prius, the RX400h, and an HEV version of the Toyota Highlander set to debut several months after the Lexus hybrid. Company officials in the U.S. are pressing to get a larger share of RX400h production capacity, "but so is every other market," said spokesman Bill Ussery. Lexus dealers in the U.S. have already taken 8000 cash deposits on the RX400h, and the company has counted 27,000 "handraisers," considered likely to buy. For those currently leasing either and RX300 or RX330, who'd hoped to trade in on the 400h, Lexus will extend their contracts up to six months without penalty due to the launch delay.

 

I just can't wait to drive the hybrid GS350 GT when it comes out in 2006!!!!

AWD and performance!!!! This will scare the Germans the way the LS400 did back in 1990.

AMG and M series cars, watch out!!!!!

 

I was wondering when the RX400h Comes out, will it have LEXUS LINK? I heard that Lexus Link is going to be discontinued or somthing because it operates on Analog is that true? Well is Lexus Link going to be available? if not, is there anything planned that is similar to Lexus link on the RX400H?

-Thanx

 

The 400 h will get 40/30 mpg city/highway. Lexus as already pulled the plug on lexus link. Yes it recieves an anolog signal from cell phone towers. The FCC is making every cell phone company switch to a digital signal by 2008. In return makes lexus link outdated. So for now they have started the techs to pull out that feature for free to the customer.

 

The RX330 is rated 24 mpg highway, so I suppose the RX400h could do better than that. Let's just wait for the EPA official numbers.

Lexus positioned the RX400h as the performance hybrid. This is to fill the void that the RX does not have a V8 to compete against V8s of the M-Class, X5, etc. At only $3-4K over the RX330, it is still a bargain, with better gas mileage to boot. X5 and M-Class V8s only get about 15 mpg average.

 

I would like to know where you got that data? The official release from Lexus, which I have a copy of the brochure, says 36mpg city/31mpg hwy.

There numbers were estimated of course, but so are all the others.

RickC

 

On the last ride and drive we went to for the 400h..... The release date was for September 2004. For sure we will have some pissed off customers. The new release is Febuary 2005. Pushed back for reasons not disclosed to the techs.

 

I have heard the release date is April and it will be released as a 2006 model. My salesperson called me Saturday asking how I wanted mine configured and when I told him basically configured as my 330 is except I want breakwater blue this time, he said the breakwater blue was one of the colors that have been discontinued. He also said that Forest Black has been discontinued. Not sure if any are going to be added to take it's place. I did not go thru with the configuration of mine yet as I want to switch from black I think so going to wait a little to see if 2005 shows new colors.

RickC

 

.......it's better that Toyota is taking it's time to launch the RX400h. Better to delay the launch and get all the "bugs" worked out, rather than rush it to the market and let consumers be their TEST MULES!! (I for one, know that I would be majorly p*ssed off if I spent so much money only to be their "guniea pig")

As it is, a lot of consumers are concerned about the reliability of this new technology. So it's all the more important for Toyota not to screw up and rush this vehicle to production, cause this has the potential of leaving a good or bad taste of hybrids with customers!!

 

I agree 100%.

To be honest, I am a little perturbed with the transmission on the RX330 anyway. I don't like that hesitation/slip you get when gassing it again after coming to a rolling stop.

If there are any Lexus employees here, take note.

I have seriously thought of trading the RX330 for an X5 because I can't stand that slip/jerk action every time I round a street corner.


RickC

 

I don't like the way the transmission is tuned in the RX either. When I service my GX they give me an RX to use and I did notice that as well.

Hopefully the RX400's tranny won't behave even be close to the 330.

 

went to the Chicago Taste of Luxury Event today. Saw the 400h, looks exactly like the pics at the beginning of the thread. That weird bumper just doesn't look good to me. anyways, they were vague about the release date.

 

It doesn't have an automatic tranny so will be nothing like the 330.

 

What doesn't have an automatic tranny?