Cruiter

Was raining cats & dogs today making me really irritable as I slugged out nearly 80 miles in moderate to heavy traffic and two to three stop lights nearly every mile. Because I was irritable, I wasn't light footed but wasn't abusive with the gas either, just not trying hard to get economy. At the end of the day, I was 30.1 mpg after fill up and I started the day with a fill up.

OK, better millage is one reason. A 2nd would be the really smooth and torque 'y acceleration with the extra horsepower from the electric motor. A third would be the extra trim and safety options as standard such as VDIM.
A fourth would be the respect from others at the pump indicating also their admiration for stepping up to something not only economical but but just plain state of the art and looking like 'smart sense' at the same time. 5th would be I think people are complacent again. I don't want gas to go back up but really, how many of you can honestly say it'll stay near it's present cost for the next sixth months? In 3 or 4 years when 80 % of sales are Hybrids, I'm pretty sure my difference will come back in resale if I take care of it.

I've seen more than one person that complained about the extra cost, buy another manufactures car instead and pay more for less mileage. They were remorseful two weeks after the sale.

DNC

30mpg is bad, but at the extra cost I can't justify the extra cost for 4mpg. Your fourth reason is lost on me. I don't usually develop relationships at the gas pump. I like to think those who know me respect me for reasons other than what I drive.
Our RX has all the options, except for HUD and VDIM. I would have wanted the VDIM, I think. I am interested in what you think of the VDIM system.

Cruiter

I don't quite know how to say what I think of VDIM if it hasn't had to work for me, or maybe it has and was so good I didn't even know it was working. Yesterday driving was more hazardous than normal with many flooded areas of two or three inches of water and people hydroplaning on the highway from driving too fast. I didn't feel that anywhere. Another person had trouble going up my fathers driveway that was wet with way too many pine needles piled up. I went straight up, no problem, no slipping.

It's great peace of mind in my back pocket.

DNC

I thought that may be the case that the VDIM system was undetectable, or maybe there was a light on the dash letting you know when the system came on. The first Mercedes I had with traction control did this.
Each RX we have owned was AWD and was outstanding when we encountered the kind of rain conditions you describe. I believe the extra weight of the Hybrid would also help in this case.