Tow Bar On Rh400H-Is It Worthy?

[leksa250]

Hello everybody !

I have been thinking about buying between two cars RX400h and VW Touareg 3.0tdi.I know nearly everything about VW Touareg 3.0 tdi ...VW has got very poor spec and personally I dont like it but I need car with tow bar for family purpose.. I just don't know how tow bar works on RX400h (electric-petrol)car? can it really manage towing?Any advice?Anyone driving RH400h and uses tow bar?How about economy?Can you still do around 30mpg ?What about towing trailers on motorway-fuel efficiency?Many thanks in advance for your help in this matter

jack

[Duncan Roberts]

Is it worthy of what?

The car is perfectly capable of towing - why ever should it not be? It ihas a3.3li capacity engine as well as the hybrid input.

Fuel consumption whilst towing surely depends upon the weight of the load plus that in the car, speed roads and all the other variables applicable. What is the difference between the consumption on your current car when towing and when not? It will be similar one would expect.

[leksa250]

Hi !

I am driving IS 250 SE-L at the moment and I love it, but I will have to replace my current car for a 4x4 .Next year we are buying a boat on trailer and we will be travelling to other countries ,so I was thinking whether I need to buy 3.0 tdi or get Lexus RX400h (not a lot of RX 400h for sale have tow bar fitted so I would have to fit tow bar myself.)I like Lexus very much and I would love to stay with this brand but I just don't know what would be the fuel consumption if you travelled 1600 miles towing a boat approx.700kg weight.Would it be ok or better go for 3.0tdi??

many thanks

[vadre]

I tow a 1400kg caravan with my 400h. The car is very secure and pulls very well with the van on the back so I don't hang about as I like to keep up with other traffic.

Fuel consumption drops to about 22mpg but I am sure you would see more with a load of 700kg and less wind resistance.

At low speeds the 400h will even tow on the batteries alone which never fails to produce a few admiring glances when driving around campsites.

If you are a Lexus man, don't go messing about with anything else.

[leksa250]

I am a lexus man defo!Thanks for your reply!Very good news!Brilliant!!I never thought you would get 22mpg by towing caravan!I love my Lexus is250 but need to change for a 4x4 and now I will defo go for RX400h!Just one more question:tow bar can be fitted to any RX 400h model isn't it??

many thanks

jack

[DanD]

The version should not make any difference as only the trim level differs. Engine, gearbox, suspension and wheels are all the same. The only thing I can think of is that you may need to check that, if the car has been fitted with parking sensors these can be turned off.

[leksa250]

Hi!thanks for reply!i was gonna look for car which has got parking sensors fitted so you are saying that could interfiere with connecting a tow bar??sorry i dont understand.also when you look on SE model does sat nav is an optional ?and if you have sat nav does it always come with mark levinsen sound system?manythanks jack

[DanD]

I do not think fitting the tow bar should be an issue. What I am saying is that whatever you will be towing might interfere with the parking sensors, in particular when going around corners, as this will bring trailer/caravan/whatever closer to the car and possibly within range of the sensors. Therefore you need to check that the sensors can be disabled.

With regards to the satnav, you will find that it was not standard fit on the SE, but that most were ordered with it. If you choose a car with satnav, it will automatically have a rear parking camera... which may negate the need for rear parking sensors.

I believe that the Mark Levinson audio was only fitted to the SE-L and the Executive Limited Edition, which was the going out version before the RX400h was replaced with the RX450h.

[leksa250]

Daniel thank you for detailed reply.Yeah you're right when taking corners it rear parking sensors it could be an issue but will check it out if these can be turned off..I asked about M.L. premium sound system because last night I was on internet looking for RH 400h and I have seen different versions like SE SR SE-L(they were the most expensive) and I tried to see difference and I noticed some SE models were with sat nav some were without..when I magnified pics of dashboard I could see there were Mark Levinson written on the radio..no worries will check it out as well.Daniel how about the hybrid system?I have heard you have to replace special type Battery every so often and apparently they are not cheap?when do you have to replace them and how much approx they cost?Any troubles with this hybrid system?Iam thinking about 4-5years old car ..many thanks in advance jack

[DanD]

jack, I recommend you do a search for Battery related threads. Possible issues are extensively documented, I am no expert. I don't remember reading about any major issue in relation to the hybrid system. The batteries are supposed to last the life of the car.

[leksa250]

Guys!

Anybody knows why when you look on car details some dealers write 208bhp others put 279b or similar)are there teo versions of RH400h with different power??thanks

[DanD]

I believe the 208bph refers to the petrol engine only, the 276bhp refer to petrol + hybrid output.

[vadre]

I have front and rear sensors fitted to my 400h, rear sensors only active when reversing so no real issue when towing.

Main Hybrid batteries should be trouble free for the life of the car as stated. Normal car Battery has proved troublesome for some who have left their cars parked up for a week or more. If this Battery is dead, the hybrid system cannot be energised so the engine cannot be started (engine starts from hybrid batteries)

Worth getting a new Battery fitted if the age of the current one is unknown, they are not especially expensive.

[leksa250]

Thanks Vadre appreciate your reply.

[HASSELBLAD]

Hello everybody !

I have been thinking about buying between two cars RX400h and VW Touareg 3.0tdi.I know nearly everything about VW Touareg 3.0 tdi ...VW has got very poor spec and personally I dont like it but I need car with tow bar for family purpose.. I just don't know how tow bar works on RX400h (electric-petrol)car? can it really manage towing?Any advice?Anyone driving RH400h and uses tow bar?How about economy?Can you still do around 30mpg ?What about towing trailers on motorway-fuel efficiency?Many thanks in advance for your help in this matter

Jack

Absolutely no problem with towing I have used my 400h for the last five years to tow an Ifor Williams agricultural trailer. Most I have towed is two tons.

Performance is magic and made my Range Rover and Diesel Discoveries look like real plodders!

Fuel consumption is all about acceleration and how well you cope with the hybrid technology. All that extra weight is a God send when braking or coming down hill....just learn how to pile that charge back into the Battery!

With a ton in tow, I could average 26mpg. Drive without thinking and down it goes!

I fitted a Witter bar (more accurately, the local Lexus dealership did) and it has been faultless---just as the car has!.

If you haven't bought yet, Lexus Derby has a really good Stafford Blue 400h that might suit you......it already has a bar on.

[Meakesmyster]

Im looking at the lexus rx 400h and the kia sorento but i would prefer the lexus. Would anyone highly recommend the lexus for towing. If so what makes it such a good tow car..i have read the odd report saying they dont recommend the rx 400h for towing.

Does the car need specialized towing kit on the car ie transmission and radiator etc

Mike

[HASSELBLAD]

Mike, be assured there is NO problem at all towing with the RX400h .

Anyone who tells you differently has never driven such a rig!

My Post above was absolutely true.

I now have an RX 450h and it continues the Lexus tradition of quality, refinement and utter reliability.

We have, thank God, just got rid of our Range Rover.......... three years of awful reliability and appalling mpg! Never again!