silvervett

That kind of driving is something I have been doing for decades, it is plain old common sense and will save you on gas mileage regardless of what type a vehicle you own. I started playing this game shortly after I got my driver's license when gas was less than a dollar a gallon, the better you are at it the more gas you will save, I try to see how well I can time the traffic lights and how well I can time it so I don't have to stop. I just drove my R400H back to NY from TX, and when I am doing long distances my main concern is making time. I still anticipate stops and slow-ups but I keep the cruse control set to the maximum legal speed + a couple MPHs. Whatever few MPGs I may lose will far outweigh the cost of motels and the number of overnight stops. There are time when it is better to travel at a higher less efficient speed, but the reduced motel stops and cost of additional meals on the road will far out weigh the higher fuel consumption penalty of traveling at a higher speed.

ler0y

How do you like the cruise control? I haven't tried it yet. Do you find that the cruise control aids or detracts from fuel economy? I find that when I drive I always keep my eye on both the speed and the fuel economy reading, so that when I start slowing down I step on the accelerator enough for it to give me a speed boost, but not enough for the ICE to kick in. Does the cruise control do something similar or does it average out to similar performance?

MadloR

For the most part, if you are driving on the highway with minimal traffic and the roads are fairly even (no too many hills) then the cruise control rocks. I would not use the cruise control memory feature to regain my preset speed, if I needed to slow down (due to traffic). It is alot more efficient to attain the pre set speed manually then by letting the cruise control attain the preset speed from memmory. Cruise control does not think, hence if you are preset at 65mph, and you are at say 45mph, if you hit the cruise control to accel. back up to speed, the car will rocket forward in a hurry as opposed to manually pressing the accelerator to get you back up to speed smoothly and efficiently.

Cruise control feature and performance for the rx 400h is spot on.

Cheers,

MadloR

caymandive

iTrader: (2)

I got another loaner a RX400H that I absolutely love! They told me my car is ready and all the small noises have been fixed, but i'm holding off on going to pick up the car until after work today. I want a few more hours of driving in the RX first. The hybrid system in that puppy is amazing. For instance we have a 4 story parking garage at my work and I usually park on the 3 floor away from others. To my surprise the RX400H drove up all the levels on electric power only! This was right after I drove it from home to work (4 miles) and was able to keep it in electric only for at least 75% of the trip. (35mph speed limit) Not only is this thing really green, but it's quick too. It is definitely quicker than my gf's 1.8t Jetta and the CVT tranny is quite impressive as well. Nice job on this car Lexus!

TWQ83

Let me see if I can impart some information here ......... I own a Prius and have a GS450h as a demo at work. The term that the Prius has been using for years is "Gas and Glide" for the highway. IT ALSO works with the RX 400h ........... let's face it the RX400h is not built for cruising ....... it ( the hybrid system ) works best with the "in town Agenda " Take the kid to school, shopping, ball pratice and dance lessons...ect. City driving less then 40 mph and the RX400h will be your hero!!!! you sould see somewhere around the 30mpg range ........... Now for the rest of us that use it as a commuter vehicle and work........... how to get the most out of the MPG??? The V-6 in the RX400h is most "happy" between 55 and 63 mph!!!! This is when that V-6 with VVTi is working at it most efficent rate of fuel/power ......... Gas and Glide works this way............ Take your RX upto about 70 mph ( don't get arrested, and don't tell the cop I told you to do this or some other crazy reason!!!) I normally use the 2nd to the right lane on a 4 lane highway. When you reach 70 mph ....Remove your foot from the Accelerator Pedal. Apply just enough pressure to get a Yellow Arrow from your display .......... STOP and keep your foot there! Keep an eye on the Speedometer and watch your speed decrease to say 55 mph. Once you reach the 55mph mark ........... re-engage the V-6 ( slowly ) and increase the mph back up to 70 mph. REPEAT as necessary. You are now in Gas and Glide mode. Does it work ..... you bet. Depending on the topography somethimes you will get a minute worth of time on just electric, usally up-hill, sometimes you get miles,( There is a strech of I66 in Virginia that I can travel 21.7 miles on electric at 62mph the whole way!!!!!!!) usally on the flats and down hill.

One other thing, while we at it ........... the "V-6 kick-in" ........... this is dependent on the PRESSURE APPLIED to the accelerator Pedel!!! It doesn't matter if your going 3 mph or 103 mph...... the RX is going to hit the V-6 if it gets the "impression from you" that you need power .... little bit of power = Electric, BIG POWER needs gets the V-6 ....... or a combination of both!!! Lastly remember that the Battery Pack desires "Room Temperature" to perform at it's max.......... if you can afford the time, let her/him warm-up ........ you'll see an increase in Electric over ICE usage, and a few more MPGs........

Thanks for letting me rant...........

SteelBird

I have a question which might be a bit off topic; how many miles can a 400h go in electric only?

I have just got a 2006 RX-400h, this is my first hybrid car. The other day I had a heavy traffic that the car crawled like a snail, go and stop. Just a few miles and the battery went low, and the screen displayed low battery warning. I had to push the lever to P to force the ICE to charge the battery or keep it at D and slightly step on brake to cheat the engine we're going so that it would charge the battery. I'm not sure if this is the design of the 400h or I have a depleted battery?

iMSQ

Hybrid is not an Electric car. There is no fully electric range for this car. If you got the battery in red-zone - just drive it as a non-hybrid car. The only thing you shouldn't do is to place the gear in N.

SteelBird

By searching the web, I learned that there are 3 types of hybrid, 1) Full hybrid which the ICE and hybrid motor(s) work independently. 2) Parallel hybrid which the hybrid motor lies between ICE and transfer case. The hybrid motor works as an auxiliary power to the ICE. 3) Series hybrid where the ICE acts as a generator to supply power to the electric motor(s). I think the last type is also called "extended range EV". The Prius is a parallel hybrid while RX400h is a full hybrid which allow vehicle to run in pure electric mode though drivers cannot intervene it. If my vehicle was a Prius, I wouldn't had asked that question. However, my RX400h show error message "Check VSC System/Check Hybrid System" last evening, and because it is still under the one-month warranty, I took it back to the dealer and have it checked. The mechanic said that bank-1 hybrid battery is at fault and promise to change it. I will take the vehicle back tomorrow and see what it would look like. (just a note, a used battery costs $30 to replace)

iMSQ

RX400h is 12+ years old car so forget about 3 types of hybrids. RX400h is just a luxury "SUV Prius".

SteelBird

I have nothing to say if the RX400h is just a SUV Prius! Further, according to the user's manual, I did a calculation and got result that RX400h's battery capacity is only 2KWh.
I got my car from service this afternoon. With 4 pcs of battery changed, I drove the first 4 miles and read the MPG from the car's computer, it said 27.5 MPG. This result is average, right?