I am really glad I haven't bought the RX330 yet. I will wait for the RX400. any word about the price of the RX400 compared to the RX330? When will it be available for purchase in the United States?

 

a lexus rep at the detroit autoshow said about $3000 over a comparibly equiped RX330. assume 12,000 miles per year, $1.50 per gallon, 16mpg city on the 330 and 34mpg city on the 400, you would save $600 per year or a 5 year payback - too long. i doubt the rep was correct about the $3000 and it will be lower. just look at the inexpensive price of the toyota prius which has the same technology. it also looks like they decontented the 330 (no wood) to bring the two vehicles closer together in price.

 

I'm suprised no one has mentioned that the "gap" is gone! I personally like it, but there we some that didn't. Well, here you go!

Here's a thread discussing it.

John

 

Is the Fed tax deduction for hybrid cars still available for 2004? Is it $2500?

 

I noticed that, too, but didn't think to point it out. I personally like better without the gap, too; but the gap on the 330 doesn't look terrible or anything. I also like the projector fogs on the 400H, too. As for the bumper looking too "Highlander-ish", I don't think it's a problem. To most people outside of the forum, the only exterior difference they would notice between the 330 and the 400H would be different wheels. I don't think anybody's going to confuse the RX with the Highlander.

 

Sure that the hybrid will cost about $3000 above the RX330, will save gas and provide more power. But does anyone know the life span of the battery module? With my past experience with Lexus vehicle batteries it usually last 2 to 3 years. I am sure the constant charging and discharging will put some wear on any battery. Sooner or later any battery module would loose effectiveness and would need to be replaced. Warranty would cover for 4 years but what happen if someone keeps it more than that. Wonder how much that is going to be? Just think about battery disposal cost.

Chu...

 

Chu, when I test drove a Prius recently they had an answer ready for that question. He said the batteries were warrantied for, I believe, 7 years and that they are built in modules costing about $150 each to replace to avoid having to replace the entire battery system. Presumably same system on the 400.

 

Here's the official Toyota warranty on the hybrid components including the batteries, generators, ...... etc on top of the vehicle's standard warranty:

ChuH, based on the above 8 yr/100K mile warranty, early failure on the special battery or any related hyrbid components shouldn't be a concern since everything is 100% covered and besides I doubt Toyota will put out something that's unreliable since their name rides on that.

I also answered my own question about the Fed tax deduction from the Toyota site. For 2004, it is $1500. Last year it was $2000.

As far as the "gap" not being there on the bottom of the grill for the RX400H, I love it without the gap since it looks a lot cleaner. There was really no reason to have that gap there to begin with on the RX330.

 

I personally believe that the hybrid RX is going to be one of the most significant cars in automotive history. A number of forum members are complaining that the improvement in mileage doesn't justify all the hoopla. Let's remember that mileage improvements in the SUV segment have been minimal at best over the past 5 years. Lexus is about to release a no-compromise luxury SUV that gets 50% better highway mileage and 72% better city mileage; it also outperforms the current RX. This is a revolutionary automobile. Other hybrids (Prius etc.) appeal to a very small market segment. The 400h will likely be on the shopping list of everyone looking for an SUV in this price range. The 400h is going to redefine the automobile as we know it. Just my 2 cents.

 

I would agree with this, as long as the power delivery is smooth when driving around town and the ride/handling doesn't take a hit due to the extra weight. On paper, the benefits seem revolutionary and hopefully there will not be any drawbacks in terms of the way it drives.

If there are no disadvantages and a supply problem develops due to overwhelming demand, you would expect all pricing to be strictly MSRP. This could widen the "real world" pricing differential between the 400h and RX330 especially if dealers aggressively discount the RX330 which will be in its second year. Most buyers will evaluate whether the extra premium paid upfront for the hybrid will ever be recouped due to its lower operating costs and expected higher resale value. However a certain (unknown) percentage will just want it to be "green" and will pay a good deal more regardless of how much extra it costs, in which case there could be long waiting lists and dealer manadatory "add ons" which will further widen the pricing premium. In any case it will be interesting to see what develops!

 

guys this is such a good thread, keep it up! ^o^ and thanx 2 all 4 the contributions!

 

yupppies, once again, toyota's ahead of the game.

3months ago when i started to drive throughout so cali to different training locations,
i started looking into prius. now there's a luxury hybrid, many people's prayers have been answered.
GS Doug, I abs. could not disagree with you.

 

gs 400h

 

j4ydubs, glad you brought up the "gap" issue. I had to look at the picture several times to even believe the disappearance of the "gap". Lexus, thank you, thank you and thank you for getting rid of that "gap". It looks much better. Of course my co-worker as well as my neighbor who just recently bought the 330 couple of months back are totally pissed with the dealer for not informing them of this upcoming "hybrid" and the "no gap" design. They didn't like that "gap" either.

 

Do you know whether the new RX400h will be on display at the Chicago Auto Show starting Feb 7? I called Lexus customer service and they have no clue. In fact the person at Lexus who answered the call didn't even know about the RX400h.