Is this feature useful in warming up the car or does it just sit and not idle much?

 

Yes, it's useful to warm the engine, as long as you don't let it idle too long.
IMO, I don't believe in remote starts. It might warm up the engine, but the rest of the drivetrain, including the transmission, is still ice cold when you get in to drive it. Not too bad if you drive it somewhat gently, but some people think it's all warmed up and jump on the gas. Wrong!
My routine is to get in and start it, let it run for 30 seconds or so and drive away easily for a mile or so.

 

My 2017 450H get's remote started almost every morning in the winter. THE ICE run's about half of the 20 minutes the car in on for. While the seats and interior in general get warm, they don't get as hot as they do when you're driving down the road. The ICE never quite gets up to full temperature so the heater output is not at a maximum.

 

During California summers, I stop the car with the AC set to AUTO. Then later when it's time to go someplace, I start the car with the remote, the AC kicks in and hopefully cools the car interior a bit.

 

Do you use the app or does your vehicle have a remote starter (from the remote)?

 

If you can start with an app (i. e. you have an active Enform remote subscription), you can remote start using your keyfob. Press the lock button twice and hold for a few seconds on the third press and your RX will start. No separate remote starter needed for 4th generation RXs as long as you have an active Enform remote subscription.

 

 

Yes, 3rd generation RX needed a separate remote starter installed. I had a dealer Lexus OEM installed one on my 2014 but that one only worked with the keyfob. To be able to start with an app you needed to install RES+ (Remote Engine Start Plus) which worked similar to the Enform remote in the 4th generation. Lexus changed everything in the 4th generation so all the remote starter hardware comes standard as part of Enform services. So, all you need to have is an active Enform subscription. Lexus changed their Enform pricing packages a year or so ago. Now you can get each Enform subscription service separately. Enform remote is $8 a month or $80 for a year.

 

In order to have Enform Remote, you have to have Enform Service, right? Based upon what I've seen, Enform Service is free for 10 years if you have a 2018 or newer, but it looks like for my new to me 2016, it's only 1 year. So, it would seem I'd have to pay for Service and Remote, correct?

 

When I looked into this on my 2016 the service was now sold as 3 options and you could mix and match. They all include service connect. Just went to check and that seems to still be the case.

 

Update: I just ordered it and they said it was mandatory that I add the safety connect, so it's $160. I asked if I could opt out of that and she said no. The website makes it appear otherwise, but I wasn't going to win that argument.

That said, the app is so cool and I was able to get it working with Alexa (and my apple watch), so I'm not thrilled about paying an extra $160/year, but at least for the first year, it's pretty darned cool. What's kinda entertaining to me is that I don't even have the car yet (it's mine, but it's still at the dealer getting a few things taken care of before they deliver it to me).

 

Nice! I do actually see another page on the site as I clicked through to possibly sign up and it shows as you stated that both are needed... They need to fix their site with all this extra cash they are extracting from us!

 

hopefully that enjoyment continues once you start using the app.
i have hit and miss using the app, 1/3 times i use the remote start it times out or does not work, but in fairness i don't use it all that often.

 

Yes, I was speaking of using the app to remotely start the car. I tried "javapro's" method with the fob and that worked as well. Thanks for the tip!

 

Enform subscription has three different parts to it - Remote, Destination Assist, and Service and Safety Connect. Yes, you need to have Enform Remote subscription which is complimentary for only 1 year on all 4th gen RXs. What they changed for 2018 was to make Enform Service and Safety Connect free for 10 years but you still need to renew the other two after one year.