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I always liked this generation of RX’s. Would buying a really old RX400h be a wise investment for a daily driver? I see them pop up at a good price sometimes but that hybrid battery is really old now.
I always liked this generation of RX’s. Would buying a really old RX400h be a wise investment for a daily driver? I see them pop up at a good price sometimes but that hybrid battery is really old now.
Thats right. Hybrid batteries don’t last much longer than 15 years, and has little to do with mileage. So as long as the buyer factor in a battery recondition or replacement they are still solid cars.
Depends on the climate if the vehicle spent most of its life in cooler areas I wouldn't worry, in hot climates not so sure. I know someone with the Highlander version it recently passed 250,000 miles nothing has been done but maintenance plus some stuff replaced like struts. CEL came on recently with a bunch of codes gas cap was being put on loose because the cap had become hard to "click" replaced with OEM part codes never came back.
It's great right up until your $3000 inverter fails, or your $1500 brake actuator fails, or various other systems that you can basically only get directly from Toyota if you want a replacement part that actually works properly.
The gen after this fixed the inverter leak issue but all cars with the electro hydraulic brake system will have a problem at some point.
No benefit vs the RX330/350 especially used because it only takes one of those systems failing to have you out about half the cost of what you pay for the car if not the full cost of the car. Why chance it when you can just get the normal version and avoid the risk?
It's great right up until your $3000 inverter fails, or your $1500 brake actuator fails, or various other systems that you can basically only get directly from Toyota if you want a replacement part that actually works properly.
The gen after this fixed the inverter leak issue but all cars with the electro hydraulic brake system will have a problem at some point.
No benefit vs the RX330/350 especially used because it only takes one of those systems failing to have you out about half the cost of what you pay for the car if not the full cost of the car. Why chance it when you can just get the normal version and avoid the risk?
That depends. First, its gas mileage is obviously much better at a time when gas prices have skyrocketed and might keep doing so. That means money savings that may be even higher than you'd normally project.
Second, with the cost of all cars being silly now, the cost of one-time repair bills — even very large ones — suddenly starts to look more palatable in a car that otherwise projects to have a long, dependable life.
Beyond that, I'm not saying that RX hybrids have eternal life or never fail as you say. But as a Prius owner, I've followed the forums there and heard an endless parade of hysterical exaggerations about how failure-prone the Toyota hybrid system is. The inverter, the battery, on and on. Yet NYC cabbies are beating the crap out of them for 300,000 miles or more, and our 2010 is worth more now than 4 years and 40,000 miles ago when we bought it. In that time it's needed a set of brakes (its first ever), two 12v batteries, wiper blades, tires, and four light bulbs. If its hybrid battery coughed up the Yellow Triangle of Death tomorrow, I'd replace the battery and keep the car in a heartbeat.
That depends. First, its gas mileage is obviously much better at a time when gas prices have skyrocketed and might keep doing so. That means money savings that may be even higher than you'd normally project.
Second, with the cost of all cars being silly now, the cost of one-time repair bills — even very large ones — suddenly starts to look more palatable in a car that otherwise projects to have a long, dependable life.
Beyond that, I'm not saying that RX hybrids have eternal life or never fail as you say. But as a Prius owner, I've followed the forums there and heard an endless parade of hysterical exaggerations about how failure-prone the Toyota hybrid system is. The inverter, the battery, on and on. Yet NYC cabbies are beating the crap out of them for 300,000 miles or more, and our 2010 is worth more now than 4 years and 40,000 miles ago when we bought it. In that time it's needed a set of brakes (its first ever), two 12v batteries, wiper blades, tires, and four light bulbs. If its hybrid battery coughed up the Yellow Triangle of Death tomorrow, I'd replace the battery and keep the car in a heartbeat.
Is gas mileage that much better on the highway though?
I had one for about 5 years and served me well. Extremely reliable and fuel efficient in NYC for a SUV. The engine does not sound good but it go quite some power with the 3.3L v6 + the battery. However, the tech and interior is quite dated.
04-21-22, 11:49 AM
Lexus RX 400h Is a Proper Bargain For Used Vehicle Shoppers
