I currently drive a 2000 RX300, and I'm so ready for an upgrade... I'm seriously looking at the 2007 400h, but the visibility out the rear is a concern. My RX300 already has a blindspot that I have to be careful of when I change lanes, but I have a feeling the blindspot is much worse in the newer body styles.

What are your opinions abou this? Has anyone found this to be a problem?

 

Mary,
I share your concern as well. I can't see as much out of the RX330-400H rear window compared to the RX300. I wonder if the Toyota Highlander Hybird might have better visibility out the back.

 

My brother has the Highlander, and it is better. But I'm not crazy about the Highlander's looks. It has a lot of power, though! He loves it.

 

The Highlander definitely has better visibility out the back compared to the 400h, and better storage in the cargo area due to the more boxy construction. But the 400h has more safety features, it's more comfortable and the styling is more striking. Still, I'm actually surprised how fast I run out of room in the back of the Lexus, particularly if I'm trying to fit it all under the pullout privacy cover.

daloosh

 

No visibility concerns with my wife or myself. The RXh looks better, drives better, and has alot more features, plus the Lexus dealership service is MUCH better than at a Toyota dealership (such as free loaners and pick up/drop off option and other niceties). My father-in-law has a nonhybrid Highlander, and there is more space in his SUV, but I feel much more comfortable in our RXh.

 

We don't have a problem with the RX, but my wife's van has limo tint everywhere but the windshield to get the AC to function down here in the Texas tropics. At night the van was almost impossible to see out of, between the tint and the poor visibility in the rear quarters. I had the same problem with the heavy tint on Chevy Suburbans, but I found a fix.

I stuck a couple of small aftermarket convex mirrors on her exterior mirrors (low and close to the body) where they don't interfere with the main areas of the OEM mirror. This makes a HUGE difference. You may not be able to identify what's back there or judge distance very well, but you will notice a presence in your blind spot that will warn you to take a second look.

I don't have a problem either way, but my wife, after multiple neck and back surgeries has a limited range of motion, keeping her from swiveling her head around to check her blind spots. These mirrors help tremendously.

 

Those small mirrors helped us out alot on our Denali as well.

 

With the NAV system in the RX400h, you get a wide-angle rear view camera. No problem at all!

 

That camera is a tremendous help, but only in parking. Runnning down the highway at 70 and wanting to change lanes, activating the camera requires I put the car into reverse - which probably would be difficult to explain to the service writer when my RX is towed into the shop with oily bits and pieces hanging from the underside.