only problems ive seen are rear shocks squeaking over small bumps(early production). Front and rear bumper poor fit ( early production). 12v battery failure after sitting for 2 weeks and will never charge. Bank 2 catalytic converter and o2 sensors ( regular 87 fuel typical) everything else good being this one is made in japan.

 

was that for a RX450H ?

 

A little over a year old and just under 17K miles. No problems with my RX450h. Averaging 28.6 mpg. Summer months we get about 30 mpg, winter is closer to 26 mpg. Does great in snow. Has awesome acceleration. (How fast is it?)

Would do it again in a heart beat.

Bye Now!
Eric

 

How does everyone feel about the gearless CVT transmission? Is it difficult to get used to it?

 

Who needs gears?


Push the pedal and it goes, does what I need. 40,000 miles no problems.
<knocking feverishly on wood>

 

And yours looks brand new, David Don't hurt your knuckles there, no need to

I love how smooth the drive is on the 450h. It's so seamless. Press the pedal and float away or blast off like a rocket. It works every time

 

I was worried about the CVT. I did some research on it and found they have been problematic for other makes of automobile, specifically the Nissan. (Our second choice was the Nissan Murrano.) I think this is why the warranty covers the transmission longer than most vehicles, to help customers past the historical problems.

I love the CVT. (Continuously Variable Transmission) It is just like my snowmobile.

You mash the pedal down, the car immediately goes into the power band and stays there until you get arrested. (So I have heard...) That's a lot of continuous torque coupled with 2 30HP electric engines. (RX 450h)

I especially like it when using cruise control. No shifting, just a steady, gradual increase in RPM until you crest the hill, then it slowly backs off. My Sequoia will jump from 2500 RPM to 4000 in an eyeblink just to prevent a 2 MPH drop with the front and rear AC pumps going.

My CVT doesn't make any unusual noise.

 

Another question about the CVT: how does the manual mode feel?

 

I use manual mode going down the hills. It has a noticeable effect on slowing the RX down. It's also cool to upshift to see 6th gear

Since I'm braking in conjunction with downshifting, the power gauge goes into battery. I've fully charged it that way.

 

What I found when I was researching what vehicle to buy is that those with Hybrids, would never go back. Those who have not driven them seem to be less open minded. The tipping point for me in the decision to get a 2012 450h and jumping on the Hybrid bandwagon was the taxi drivers.

Here is Winnipeg almost every taxi for the past 10 years is a Prius. It is odd to see anything else. I talked to many of them and they all swear by the car. I figured if someone who sits in their car all day and drives it for a living would buy nothing else, then that was a strong signal that the technology is strong and reliable.

 

2010 450h awd owner checking in. Took delivery in Nov 2010, Aug build date, have about 24k on the 'meter. For the 20k service, had to have the rear shocks replaced - under warranty. Unintended consequence from this was uneven wear on the rear tires, which will translate to replacing 2 tires sooner than anticipated.

Last week the CEL came on, since the engine was running fine, I was going to ignore it for awhile, but ended up taking it in. Turns out that the catalytic converter is bad, needs to be replaced. I only run premium (91 octane), so couldn't understand why the CC went bad. Service Advisor thinks its due to Costco gas, and advised me to avoid using Costco gas in the future. Not sure I buy this, so does anyone else have a similar experience using Costco gas in their 350/450h ?

 

My dealer suggests NOT using Costco/Vons gas in my Lexus; he says it is the bottom of the barrel.....even Valero and some other NOT Toptiergas.com has SOME additives that protect your engine!!

 

I am convinced my resting heart rate is lower every time I’m in my 450h. Might be the combination of butter soft leather seats, ultimate refinement and amazing reliability. Drive it often enough and it’ll make turn you into the Dalai Lama, which is what this forum consists of! Haha