2008 Lexus RX 400h Consumer Reviews

Great Vehicle

Written by: RX400 on 06/17/2008

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

This vehicle is one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. Perfect size for active sports oriented people who need an SUV but drive alone with occasional passengers. Gas savings is a plus but the real perk is the V8 power with 4 cylinder mileage. Lots of personal storage space and excellent ergonomics. Nav and stereo system are great. This car will retrain you on how to drive properly. I came from a BMW 550 sedan and GX 470 and didn't realize how wasteful I was on the pedal. Highly recommend this vehicle. Great for long distance travel with small family. Best commuter car I have owned. Engine stops from 0-30 mph so no wasting gas but AC keeps running cold as ice.

Favorite Features

Electronics, touch screen nav, personal storage, comfort, quietness, power on demand, great mileage,actual utility in a sports utility vehicle. Love the fact you can use AC without engine since it runs on electrical circuit so no wasting gas during stops.

Suggested Improvements

Restore function of all nav and bluetooth functions on the nav unit. Little better handling on the twisties maybe use wider tires for better handling. Overall not bad though in the curves but could be better.

9 out 9 people found this review helpful

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RX 400h Review - Great Car

Written by: jimr on 06/08/2008

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV AWD (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

Very happy with this car after 2500 miles. Fast, responsive, luxurious interior, great build quality, very comfortable. Great mileage if you learn to drive it properly. So far getting 29.5 mpg in town, 27 mpg on highway/freeways. I pulled my 2500 lb boat for 700 miles on the freeway with no problem and still got 20 mpg. Seamless transition between gas and electric. Plenty of fun gadgets.

Favorite Features

Power. Great mileage. Comfortable seats. Luxurious interior. Nice warranty.

Suggested Improvements

Armrests are useless and not adjustable. No other problems. Avoid Goodyear tires - I specifically asked for Michelins.

8 out 9 people found this review helpful

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Best Car Buying Decision for us

Written by: Robert on 04/28/2008

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV AWD (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

We drive this car on bumper to bumper traffic daily about 30 miles round trip. We are averaging about 28 MPG on it. It has been a real pleasure to drive. We currently have 5000 miles on it and use it almost exclusively anytime we need to go anywhere. Has good pep and the gearless transmission is very smooth. Lexus provided the first 2 maintenance free. I looked at the book however nothing needs maintenance other than the traditional engine. The batteries are warranted for 9 years.

Favorite Features

The performance between 30-70+ MPH is awesome. Love the fact that the car runs on battery anytime you are under 40 MPH and not gunning the engine. A real gas saver. Love the navigation system and AC unit. Very luxurious.

Suggested Improvements

XM standard on this please. Get rid of the tape player. Lexus is dead on with everything else but I thought this was odd. Had it installed aftermarket and works fine with navigation

43 out 44 people found this review helpful

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Lexus RX 400h Excellence

Written by: TJG on 03/16/2008

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV AWD (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

While the RX 400h comes standard with Goodyear RSA tires, it is best to negotiate for Michelin Energy MXV4 S8, b/c of ride improvement, superior wear, better gas mileage by 5% or more. Michelin Energy on the RX make a big positive difference in ride quality and quietness. Don't bother with the Mark Levinson stereo; but do opt for the built-in GPS with Bluetooth and rear view camera. Acceleration at all speeds is impressive; w/a light foot, gas mileage can be 29 mpg+ in city and on a good day 27 mpg+ on the highway w/cruise control active. Expect 25 mpg+ avg. Very nice set of wheels.

Favorite Features

Wood trim mixed with the brushed metal finish on the inside lends to a classy interior. Ride quality in 2008 has improved over the 2006 RX 400h. Blue interior courtesy lights add a neat touch.

Suggested Improvements

Sound insulation could be improved especially around the doors - while road noise is not overly intrusive, the RX 400h is not as quiet as an Avalon, e.g. Buttons for heated seats could be bigger. Slight rattles from plastic-on-plastic can still exist, but seem to have improved from 2006.

52 out 52 people found this review helpful

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Lexus RX 400h 2008

Written by: Syed Warsi on 02/26/2008

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

On the road it is a master. Complete grip on the road. Very quiet except for small tire noise. Variable transmission system does not gives a smooth takeoff from stop.

Favorite Features

Bluetooth, GPS system, 6 CD changer, automatic rear door open/close.

Suggested Improvements

If they can reduce tire noise then it will be fully noiseless SUV.

16 out 18 people found this review helpful

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Going Green

Written by: VA on 02/15/2008

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV AWD (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

We enjoy driving our new RX 400h. However, we have not experienced the gas mileage we expected. We are averaging 22 mpg in the city and 26.5 on the highway. This is backward for a hybrid. This is after putting 2300 miles on the vehicle. We hope this gets addressed better by the service folks than we did by the sales folks.

Favorite Features

The sound system and bluetec connection is terrific. Also, the adjustable backseat comfort for our passengers.

Suggested Improvements

Add Lexus Link and the ability for passengers to use the nav system while riding. It is very annoying to have to ask the driver to pull over while inputting a destination address of selecting a phone number.

25 out 27 people found this review helpful

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Hopeful

Written by: VA Beach on 02/11/2008

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV AWD (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

We purchased this vehicle in October, 2008. We love driving it. We are very disappointed with the gas mileage so far. There is something wrong with the regeneration. We are getting better gas mileage on the highway than in the city. We are hopeful that this will be addressed when we take it in. We were waiting until we had about 2500 miles on the vehicle.

Favorite Features

There are many nice features including excellent bluetooth sound quality. Backup camera is very accurate.

Suggested Improvements

Add Lexus Link and the abililty for a passenger to use the navigation/phone while riding along.

14 out 16 people found this review helpful

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Surprisingly Great

Written by: Surprise fan on 01/08/2008

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV AWD (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

Didn't expect to like it as I really wanted an LX or GX but my wife fell in love with it. And now I have too. The hybrid is very peppy with the electric assist. Absolutely elegant inside and well built. Larger than expected inside with lots of nice touches - adjustable console and rear seats that slide.

Favorite Features

Elegant inside. Dual seat adjustments work great. We have a steep driveway and it made it down in "B" with no problem - better than my 4WD Pathfinder.

Suggested Improvements

Soft in cornering and would love a louder warning if backing up with hatch open. Also audible warning if getting close to an empty tank as they warn you not to run out of gas with a hybrid.

31 out 32 people found this review helpful

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Good Hybrid SUV

Written by: New Hybrid Fan on 12/21/2007

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

I love mine so far. Got before Thanksgiving and drove through the mountains. My husband was heavy on the gas pedal the whole time and still averaged just under 26mpg which is great since most cars and SUVS get 15-20mpg. On my daily business driving, I average 27-28 mpg and have gotten as high as 30 mpg. I'm careful to not be heavy on the pedal or breaks and coast as much as I can. This doesn't mean I have to stay at the speed limit, you can still average 70 mph.

Favorite Features

Very comfortable and beautfiul interior. Fun to drive and sporty looking. Has plenty of power.

Suggested Improvements

I agree with previous review that use of nav while driving would be great as well as iPod doc and improved hands free telephone.

18 out 18 people found this review helpful

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Moving into the future

Written by: ad on 11/25/2007

Vehicle

2008 Lexus RX 400h 4dr SUV AWD (3.3L 6cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

Fun to drive, elegant, don't forget to brake, or at least put it in "b" if you want to get some help stopping.

Favorite Features

Interior.

Suggested Improvements

Nav system that can be used while driving, espcially if someone is in the seat next to you. Back up beeping like with my ES 350.

20 out 26 people found this review helpful

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