Questions Before Purchase Of Rx400H

FredD · July 24, 2010

I am about to change my petrol bmw 530 SE (2004 model) for a Lexus 400h. I do not know Lexus very well and would be extremely grateful if someone could help me with the following 3 questions:

1. Reading this forum, it does not seem that the fuel consumption on the Lexus is very good (it is not good either on the BMW 3 litres petrol engine). I am sure a number of people have done what I am about to do (ie swap a BMW for a Lexus) but if so is there a big difference in terms of fuel consumption ?

2. Using the Lexus search engine, I have shortlisted 2 models - a SE model (2008) and a Limited Edition model (2009). What are the difference between these two models ? Has the 2009 model changed compared to the 2008 version ?

3. On their website, some Lexus dealers indicate that they are happy to negotiate the price. What generally can be negotiated ? 1 to 5 % ?

Thank you very much for your help.

Fred

lurch · July 24, 2010

I am about to change my petrol bmw 530 SE (2004 model) for a Lexus 400h. I do not know Lexus very well and would be extremely grateful if someone could help me with the following 3 questions:

1. Reading this forum, it does not seem that the fuel consumption on the Lexus is very good (it is not good either on the BMW 3 litres petrol engine). I am sure a number of people have done what I am about to do (ie swap a BMW for a Lexus) but if so is there a big difference in terms of fuel consumption ?

2. Using the Lexus search engine, I have shortlisted 2 models - a SE model (2008) and a Limited Edition model (2009). What are the difference between these two models ? Has the 2009 model changed compared to the 2008 version ?

3. On their website, some Lexus dealers indicate that they are happy to negotiate the price. What generally can be negotiated ? 1 to 5 % ?

Thank you very much for your help.

Fred

Hi Fred, i have had 3 lexus's now and think they are outstanding, i bought my 2006 RX400H SE-L back in march, it was up for £25,995 with 27k on clock 1 owner, the price wasn't negotiable, but they always have a margin, i managed to get it for £22,500 full tank fuel, bumper protector, boot liner,touch up paint, free delivery to lowestoft suffolk as i bought it from lexus Hatfield, oh and free baseball cap for my boy so if you dont ask you dont get, always plenty more out there. I generally get 33/34 mpg out of mine and have seen 38 on a run so not bad for 3.3 petrol. Not sure on the differences between the two models you listed sorry, but hopefully some help to you.

All best

Phil

FredD · July 24, 2010

I am about to change my petrol bmw 530 SE (2004 model) for a Lexus 400h. I do not know Lexus very well and would be extremely grateful if someone could help me with the following 3 questions:

1. Reading this forum, it does not seem that the fuel consumption on the Lexus is very good (it is not good either on the BMW 3 litres petrol engine). I am sure a number of people have done what I am about to do (ie swap a BMW for a Lexus) but if so is there a big difference in terms of fuel consumption ?

2. Using the Lexus search engine, I have shortlisted 2 models - a SE model (2008) and a Limited Edition model (2009). What are the difference between these two models ? Has the 2009 model changed compared to the 2008 version ?

3. On their website, some Lexus dealers indicate that they are happy to negotiate the price. What generally can be negotiated ? 1 to 5 % ?

Thank you very much for your help.

Fred

Hi Fred, i have had 3 lexus's now and think they are outstanding, i bought my 2006 RX400H SE-L back in march, it was up for £25,995 with 27k on clock 1 owner, the price wasn't negotiable, but they always have a margin, i managed to get it for £22,500 full tank fuel, bumper protector, boot liner,touch up paint, free delivery to lowestoft suffolk as i bought it from lexus Hatfield, oh and free baseball cap for my boy so if you dont ask you dont get, always plenty more out there. I generally get 33/34 mpg out of mine and have seen 38 on a run so not bad for 3.3 petrol. Not sure on the differences between the two models you listed sorry, but hopefully some help to you.

All best

Phil

Thanks Phil - this is very helpful.

Fred

Linehill · July 26, 2010

I am about to change my petrol bmw 530 SE (2004 model) for a Lexus 400h. I do not know Lexus very well and would be extremely grateful if someone could help me with the following 3 questions:

1. Reading this forum, it does not seem that the fuel consumption on the Lexus is very good (it is not good either on the BMW 3 litres petrol engine). I am sure a number of people have done what I am about to do (ie swap a BMW for a Lexus) but if so is there a big difference in terms of fuel consumption ?

2. Using the Lexus search engine, I have shortlisted 2 models - a SE model (2008) and a Limited Edition model (2009). What are the difference between these two models ? Has the 2009 model changed compared to the 2008 version ?

3. On their website, some Lexus dealers indicate that they are happy to negotiate the price. What generally can be negotiated ? 1 to 5 % ?

Thank you very much for your help.

Fred

Hi Fred, i have had 3 lexus's now and think they are outstanding, i bought my 2006 RX400H SE-L back in march, it was up for £25,995 with 27k on clock 1 owner, the price wasn't negotiable, but they always have a margin, i managed to get it for £22,500 full tank fuel, bumper protector, boot liner,touch up paint, free delivery to lowestoft suffolk as i bought it from lexus Hatfield, oh and free baseball cap for my boy so if you dont ask you dont get, always plenty more out there. I generally get 33/34 mpg out of mine and have seen 38 on a run so not bad for 3.3 petrol. Not sure on the differences between the two models you listed sorry, but hopefully some help to you.

All best

Phil

Thanks Phil - this is very helpful.

Fred

Linehill · July 26, 2010

I agree with Fred. The 400h is a remarkable car. Fuel consumption really does depend on your right foot! I average 34-38 mpg overall on mixed road driving. One tip I can give you is when you do not need any power, take your foot completely off the accelerator pedal and basically let the car freewheel. If you set the information button to actual mpg you will see 99.9 when the car is not using any fuel or is running on the electric motors. If you drive with a very heavy right foot you see a pretty poor mpg!

JBPRX400h · July 27, 2010

I am about to change my petrol bmw 530 SE (2004 model) for a Lexus 400h. I do not know Lexus very well and would be extremely grateful if someone could help me with the following 3 questions:

1. Reading this forum, it does not seem that the fuel consumption on the Lexus is very good (it is not good either on the BMW 3 litres petrol engine). I am sure a number of people have done what I am about to do (ie swap a BMW for a Lexus) but if so is there a big difference in terms of fuel consumption ?

2. Using the Lexus search engine, I have shortlisted 2 models - a SE model (2008) and a Limited Edition model (2009). What are the difference between these two models ? Has the 2009 model changed compared to the 2008 version ?

3. On their website, some Lexus dealers indicate that they are happy to negotiate the price. What generally can be negotiated ? 1 to 5 % ?

Thank you very much for your help.

Fred

JBPRX400h · July 27, 2010

I am about to change my petrol bmw 530 SE (2004 model) for a Lexus 400h. I do not know Lexus very well and would be extremely grateful if someone could help me with the following 3 questions:

1. Reading this forum, it does not seem that the fuel consumption on the Lexus is very good (it is not good either on the BMW 3 litres petrol engine). I am sure a number of people have done what I am about to do (ie swap a BMW for a Lexus) but if so is there a big difference in terms of fuel consumption ?

2. Using the Lexus search engine, I have shortlisted 2 models - a SE model (2008) and a Limited Edition model (2009). What are the difference between these two models ? Has the 2009 model changed compared to the 2008 version ?

3. On their website, some Lexus dealers indicate that they are happy to negotiate the price. What generally can be negotiated ? 1 to 5 % ?

Thank you very much for your help.

Fred

Hi Fred

When we first got our '05 400h in 2007 we drove down to Assisi in Central Italy a round trip of 3000 miles. This was a mix of motorways, main roads, town driving and local running about for a week whilst we were there. The journey included a spell on the German autobahns at 100+ mph (max 120mph just to see what the car was like - very impressed!), down through Switzerland and over the St Gotthard Pass (so plenty of up and down in the mountans - again very impressed!), Italian autostrada where the average speed of the traffic seems to be about 90mph! and, as I said, a week of local tootling around followed by the reverse journey home. The average fuel consumption for the holiday was 31.5MPG. (This was with the outside temperature mainly in the upper 20s)

In the winter we drove over to Felixstowe and back from Milton Keynes in the falling snow and freezing temperatures - a round trip of 240 miles with an average fuel consumption of 27.4MPG.

Just popping up to the shops and back in the winter with a cold engine gives about 15-20MPG.

Best average consumption to date was a drive from Norwich to Milton Keynes 2 weeks ago (outside temperature about 10 - 15 degrees) using ordinary country roads where possible and a very light foot giving a figure of 35.1MPG!

To sum up - it all depends on the type of journey, the length of your journey, the outside temperature (and whether or not you have the cabin heater on or off), and most importantly your style of driving!

Overall we have been very impressed with the fuel consumption, especially as there is no compromise with the performance of a vehicle of this size and comfort.

Hope this helps

JBP

JBPRX400h · July 27, 2010

Hi Fred

Update to my post of earlier today.

I have just returned from a trip of Milton Keynes to Maidstone to Milton Keynes in my recently aquired '08 400h, this being the first long trip in this car since I traded in the '05 earlier this month.

The journey was typical M1 (roadworks, accident with 15 minute hold-up then clear running), M25 (typical variable speeding up and slowing down, M11, A406, A13, Blackwall tunnel, A2, M25, M20 then return via same route in evening rush hour.

I was just driving normally as the traffic would allow and not consciously trying for good MPGs. However, overall trip reading on board computer returned 37.7MPG. Well pleased!!!

JBP

FredD · August 2, 2010

Hi Fred

Update to my post of earlier today.

I have just returned from a trip of Milton Keynes to Maidstone to Milton Keynes in my recently aquired '08 400h, this being the first long trip in this car since I traded in the '05 earlier this month.

The journey was typical M1 (roadworks, accident with 15 minute hold-up then clear running), M25 (typical variable speeding up and slowing down, M11, A406, A13, Blackwall tunnel, A2, M25, M20 then return via same route in evening rush hour.

I was just driving normally as the traffic would allow and not consciously trying for good MPGs. However, overall trip reading on board computer returned 37.7MPG. Well pleased!!!

JBP

FredD · August 2, 2010

Thanks JBP - this is indeed a very good fuel consumption considering the size of the car and the engine. Regarding my second question, I found out that the Limited Edition is slightly less equipped than the SE model although the difference of equipment is not significant.