Should You Buy a LEXUS RX400h? (Test Drive & Review)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 3 тра 2020
- If you're interested in getting into the used car industry, check out the website below for more information on my online course. It's only £27 per month with biweekly livestreams! There are nearly 100 videos covering a whole range of topics. Plus you can cancel at any time. Click below.
Visit www.highpeakautosacademy.com or click this link bit.ly/3rNtNhG
Today, I'm in a 2006 Lexus RX400h to see what they're like and how economical they are.
I'd be grateful if you could give the video a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe if you're new to the channel.
Check out my website: www.highpeakautosltd.co.uk
Check out the HIGH PEAK store: www.highpeakstore.co.uk
Check out the ReInverted Podcast: www.reinverted.com/podcast/ep...
Follow Me:
Instagram - / highpeakautos
Facebook - / highpeakautos
Twitter - / highpeakautos
Several people have kindly offered to donate some money towards production costs. If you would like to do the same see the Patreon or PayPal info below - thank you :)
Patreon: / highpeakautos
PayPal: highpeakautos@outlook.com
Equipment I Use To Make These Videos:
Main GoPro: amzn.to/2EAow5V
Main Camera: amzn.to/2VTKXc2
Microphone: amzn.to/2EAUwqu
Lav Mic: amzn.to/2EzvwA5
Laptop: amzn.to/2EywmNg
Secondary GoPro: amzn.to/2JEX76S
#lexus #lexusrx #lexusrx400h #hybrid #highpeakautos - Авто та транспорт
"Service the CVT to prolong its miserable life!" 😂🤣👍 Gold Dust! thanks, Matt
Adrian Flower Haha cheers
What's the cvt
@@priscilladonnelly301 it's continuously variable transmission. An unusual type of automatic gearbox that matt and I dislike 😃
@@priscilladonnelly301 la boite de vitesse a variation
@@adrianflower3230 that's not your typical belt driven cvt common among nissans, this is an e-cvt and consists of gears only (like a differential or transfer case) this will last the life of the car, only fluid changes needed for this type of transmission (or power split device is the correct name)
You are now my new favourite UA-camr. There are two reasons: you review cars anybody could afford. Second reason is how you present yourself and your videos: no shouting, no excessive loud music, no jump cut fast editing, it's all calm and informative. The occasional jokes make it better. So my comment to you is: don't change a thing! Cheers from Finland mate.
Thanks for watching. I appreciate it
I too like the little jokes. My favourite is from I can't remember which video exactly, but comparing luxobarges anyway.
"...or you could go for a Porsche Panamera - if your eyes don't work"
Still laughing as I recall it now
Olde English calm, with a side of sarcasm - perfect!
I agree
I have the same impression. Cool, English style, with a bit of typical sarcasm, but without exaggeration or acting, very informative. Pleasant to watch every time.
I have owned a RX400h, still do, for over ten years now. I have never had any issues. I’ve driven to Europe a few times in it, done pretty heavy mileage (nearly 200k miles on the clock) and I agree with the nice things you’ve said about it. However, you couldn’t have been farther from the truth when you stated that ‘it’s shit in snow’ because, my experience has been that it copes amazingly in snow. I have driven through some really bad conditions past other vehicles on the roadside which were unable to cope, this Lexus 400h has always performed superbly. The automatic 4x4 drive is quite impressive. Also, I have achieved just over 45mpg inner city mileage (A406 North London 8:30am), although I did drive like an angel to minimise fuel consumption and seldom drive like that.
Any car can be bad in snow with the wrong (summer) tyres. I'm sure one of these RXs would cope fine with good winter or all season tyres
My mother has this car. It has gone 270000km and never had any serious issues. Very reliable car
Leo Roos I can believe it
Hi does the battery work well?
Nice car
@@patrickvolvos4010 hi sorry for the late response, yes the battery works well, had it changed once
@AsKaNeL tAnKeR How much to replace the battery?
We had one of these RX 400h. a) it NEVER ran silently. It was continuously topping up the battery, or putting it another way, the battery was giving the petrol engine a bit of extra help. Yes, it probably was more efficient than a simple V6 petrol. However, it never, ever ran silently like a Prius or Aurus hybrid taxi.
We changed it for a Range Rover Vogue 4.4 diesel. The RR was quicker and more economical.
b) On the other hand, the Lexus was impeccably reliable, and the Range Rover was a bucket of shite.
Christopher Whitehead good luck on reliability
petehreid1 You obviously didn’t “read more”! I concur exactly. The Range River was terrible. Got rid of it after many many failures. Would have been catastrophically expensive if it were not under warranty.
I assume you're a Brit. Even in the British market they're expensive to service?
Barath Vedant Yes, we live in NW England. 4 hours away by car from London, for you guys around the world. Range Rovers very expensive to service . So we sold ours before it’s warranty ran out.
wow a car wasnt silent, thats a big issue!
Hi bud... going off your review i bought one of these 400h from a dealer friend of mine.. 113k miles full history.. gave 2.5k for it...
Verdict.. thanks to your honest review on this model of car i can honestly say its the best two and a half grand ive ever spent..
Cheers mate ❤
For a very old car it looks surprisingly well-kept. Zero warning lights is also a nice change from German or Range Rovers that always seem to have something going wrong. It's very middle class, but not everyone is trying to be the Duke of Westminster. Some just need a daily that has soft suspension that transports their family safely and comfortable. This really is the perfect car, albeit it does not have the charm or luxury of a Range Rover
I have had a 2007 RX400h for the past 7 years. Purchased for £12K with 64,000 miles on it. Now in Nov 2021, it has 140,000 miles. Love the car, works well, plenty of grunt and comfortable. Recommend you get a SEL as it has a Mark Levinson sound system, which sounds great. Always serviced by Lexus and few things have gone wrong. Hybrid battery passes it battery health check, never been an issue. Saw a American UA-cam video on a 250,000 mile RX and still going strong on original Hybrid battery! Latest trip computer show last 3000 miles covered at an average of 30.6 MPG. Family of 5, all tall, 3 x 6+ footers and car accommodates easily. Love the flat floor in the rear. Cannot recommend enough. Only problem is - it still works, so no need for a newer car ;-)
Keep the reviews coming. Love the honesty and your knowledge.
I got a 2009 RX450h with 250000 km.
I drive 150k a day in it, and it's the best car I could ever dream of owning.
The battery is original, and I got money saved up for eventually replacing it, right now I can get 1.5 km out of it.
I manage to get 7 liters per 100km consistently, but that is because I do 90 kph in right lane all the time.
The gearbox is what Lexus called an eCVT and bears no resemblance to a belt driven CVT, so no worries about catastrophic failures similar to those encountered in Nissan and Audi units. The “CVT” only refers to the feel of the drive, in the same way as the Lexus IS300h or Prius; they use the same tech to blend the power between the petrol engine and electric motors.
Do you know if it still needs service? My local lexus dealer said it doesn't but I find it hard to believe.
@@dgurevich1 oil changes every 50k-100k km
According to all forums change oil and filters of gearbox at every 200k km will have mine done in 4k km fingers crossed!
Thank you for that!
One of the main reasons I subscribed to this channel back in the day is because you referred to the tape player as a 'Kit Kat holder', that was a funny video mate. Don't forget your roots! 😄
APEX Marbella Property Spain Haha yes I almost forgot about that 😂
12 years on and I still own my RX400h. She's a 2008 model (Made in Japan) with a nicer interior eg. Higher definition infotainment display, wood trimmed interior, DVD player, 6 disc stacker etc... Cost me nothing besides tyres and regular oil change and I have had zero issues so she is extremely reliable. Changed my brakes at 120K Kms and there is still heaps of meat left which shows the regen braking is doing a wonderful job. she's a keeper.
One of the best honest reviewer ...I used to watch Matt Watson but now binge watching every video on your channel. I have exactly the same car, even the colour & Reg, and this has been the best car I've owned so far. Luxurious, smooth & reliable, have travelled all over Europe in it and enjoyed every bit of it. It's fully loaded and the only option missing is adaptive cruise control, which wasn't introduced in 2006 :).
Hits the nail on the head with this review, having-owned x5 and discovery , they both broke my heart and the bank !! This is so reliable and yet still economical -ish , comfortable and has power when pushed!
Have been thinking about buying this one but I’ve been eager to find out more about it. What a nice review, it was helpful, thanks!
Even tho it’s only been a week I waited for your upload, it seems forever due to boredom during the pandemic, hope I won’t have to wait another week for the next one lol. Thanks for taking your time out to make video for us 🙏🏽 it’s always a pleasure watching it.
I’ve been waiting all week for a new review! Keep them coming!
Rebecca Abushena Thanks for watching. I’ve filmed a few recently so there’ll be more to follow
Another great review mate, love the variety of these videos
I have this car and can verify everything you have mentioned in your video! I love driving it.
Great family car, super comfortable and just a brilliant motorway cruiser. You forgot to mention the radio system, which frankly still surprises me how amazing it sounds...and the bass is just on point! I am used to driving much faster cars but, oddly, I find driving the Lexus very calming...and yes, it has turned me into a "Sunday lunchtime" driver!!...not a bad thing really as it saves on fuel.
My only gripe is I have the same interior and have to ensure that it's constantly cleaned...we have two dogs, so this is a little challenging. I would certainly but the newer models when the time comes.
(Btw, the RX400h comes with Bluetooth, but sadly this only works with mobile phone calls and not music audio). My full-service cost is around £180 every year).
Thanks for making the video.
They’re very good cars. Thanks for watching
One of the coolest car review makers on the UA-cam, no dramas, no extra Hollywood-Bollywood emotions just godamn reasonable cars, the ones regular guys can buy! Keep it going mate!
I had one 08 plate and we where happy with it for over 10 years
No problem with it at all
We've change the belt and pump on 95000 miles and then it drove smooth as new
Good second hand car for less money i would say
I completely agree!
Thanks for that Matt, I had a 350h a few years ago and drove back from holiday in the Isle of Sky to Poole in Dorset 600+ miles in a day, and got out with no aches and pains! So always been a fan of the Lexus. Looking to replace my 270 cdi ML, and have a short list FFRR, Range Rover Sport like the dash layout of the Cayenne (ex pilot button freak!) maybe I’ll add the Lexi to my list!
At 6:02 : “ yeah.... I’m doin the speed limit there” 🤣🤣 LoL, didn’t want to admit he pushed it over 60mph!
This cars are a hidden gem. They were ahead of their time when they came out and still look modern today
I agree
Great review! I've been watching your channel for two weeks and have been looking to replace my car with an RX400h for about a month so that was a lucky coincidence! Thanks a lot for conforting me in my choice ;) Subscribed.
Good review, and honest, look forward to ur review of the current & previous generation rx450h.
Thanks for yet another very informative and pleasant review!
stig moltu-jacobsen nice pleasant and friendly
Would never have thought of one of those until your excellent video. Stay safe out there.
Good review Matt 👍🏼 I was considering one of these few months ago but spontaneously I ended up with an ‘09 Volvo XC60 D5 AWD instead 🤔Thanks for your on point insight👌🏼
Why do Japanese interiors look like 1980's stereos? It even has a tape player that says Anti theft protection on the flap - in 2006!
I just bought one, and I love it. Super comfortable, decent mileage and ultra reliable. My sister just gave hers away. It had 400k miles and ran great 👍
Been watching your videos all of lockdown, keep them coming!
Shakunt Tambe Thanks for watching. Take care
Morning Matt, up to your usual brilliant and informative standard I see 👌 Reg`s Steve.
Great that you reviewed the RX400h. I actually really like them. I know several people who have either the 400h or the 450h and they all sing its praises.
When the time comes to replace my Santa Fe then I'll get the RX450h rather than the RX400h.
I took ownership of a 2008 RX400h that has done 200k+ kms very recently. It has been working reliably and I couldnt've asked for more, and couldn't fault it thus far. Your interior certainly look pristine and I think you're very lucky to be able to find such unit that has been well taken care of. I don't hear a single rattling noise in your video either, which is nice👍 . The only strange thing is that I was told to service mine every 10k km, but you mentioned every 10k miles.
Rear brakes can be a problem on these. The electric regeneration does most of the rear wheel braking, so the rear mechanical brakes don't get a lot of use. This means they can get seized and need a rebuild, which can be expensive. If you have one, make sure you are heavy on the brakes now and again so the rear actually engage and it keeps them moving, and being used, rather than letting them fester for 90k miles without having them checked or serviced. Buying used, check the rear discs for rust to see if they are working or not. UK Lexus servicing can be expensive and some people don't have it done correctly.
@Akira S Yes, it has a front electric motor, but a smaller 66bhp, 130Nm torque electric motor directly drives the rear diff, giving four-wheel-drive capability when required. There is no front-to-rear prop-shaft, so the petrol engine never drives the rear wheels. The front brakes do the majority of the braking, so there is only infrequent load on the rear, hence they only rarely require any mechanical braking. We don't have the Highlander here in the UK, so I couldn't comment on that.
As the other guys said, regen works on font too. Mine had original rear brakes at 90K! The calipers were mostly seized because of the lack of service that would normally happen when changing pads and disks etc.
Every month or so - find room in a supermarket car park or whatnot and reverse fast hitting the brakes hard a few times - that will get the rear calipers moving and clean the rear discs up a bit.
I had the same issue in my P2. Cost me 500 to replace the stucked rear brakes.
When you put the car in neutral it’s only hydraulic brakes. So put the brakes on good in neutral now and then and you’ll be fine.
I bought a 2006 rx after this video and everything you said is absolutely spot on!
I bought my rx350 3 years ago and it's been brilliant.
Heavy on tyres and brakes though.
All the range are decent and have good features.
Excellent review. My 350 gets 24mpg on a run and 18mpg round town. It's also £570 to tax. I'll buy another at some point but will be hybrid.
I recommend getting a decent brand of tyres (Goodyear) rather than the rubbish indie garages will try to flog you. You'll see much less wear!
a few cool "hidden" features to discover too - the centre console slides back (for if you have a micro fridge or inverter sitting up front at the bottom 12v outlet, the extra smuggler compartments at the rear, the passenger seat can recline to virtually entirely flat to take a longer load to save mucking around with strapping to the roof bars, or to make a comfy enough bed for a 6'+ bloke on a cheap fishing/camping getaway or transport a person with a leg in a cast and still be seatbelt secured in the back seat, there are free ways to DIY upgrade the maps database (but now, with phones as good as they are, I don't even bother anymore). And if you can find one with the Mark Levinson sound upgrade it's so nice even by modern standards (except the era had no BT for audio, just for calls.)
Excellent review 👍 answered everything I always wanted to know, please do the 450h next please 🙏
Shiraz M Thanks! I’ll do an RX450h next time I get hold of one
Looking forward to that video i have subscribed now
@@HighPeakAutos oubli
RELEVANT information for a buyer. Thank you.
Thank you mate for the good info, we'll be looking at a dapper silver one this weekend
interesting review, cheers. My wife runs a petrol rx300 and to be fair there have been zero issues with it in 18 months. It doesn't go far or get hammered but occasionally it is asked to fly north for a 9 hour non-stop blast to see her family and it never misses a beat. It's comfortable too. It isn't a speed demon but it wasn't bought for that reason anyway..........all in all a good all-rounder.
ML H They are a great car you’ll never have a problem with it, I run a is300h with the same running gear as your car,
I get stuck watching your car reviews... I must say and you delivery just makes that odd 12 or 23 mins go a lot smoother. You do a great job mate! keep it up!
Thanks! I appreciate that
Excellent summary.
subbed because you gave me the info that I wanted when I wanted it...and didn't waste a second of my time with irrelevant chatter. You also have a great radio style voice.
Opening the sunroof cover would help the lighting! Excellent video as ever.
I used to have a really wonderful, reliable, dependable, black 2011 Lexus RX450h in Central London. Truly a fine car. Only 1 problem I could see though: the engine Start/Stop button was placed next to the radio’s On/Off button and looked similar. When waiting at a traffic light and I wanted to turn the radio off, I would sometimes hit the engine off button by mistake! I was honked from behind many times while I put the gear into Park and pressed the engine Start button again.
Honest review mate! Nice one 👍🏻
difficult to get my head around buying a v6 3 litre plus but driving in a prius manner. Great vid as usual.
Great video Matt, I did chuckle at one of shots of the info screen...........13 degrees C, Brrrrrr!!! Not even that cold at night time.
Hi Matt glad to see another brilliant video I’ve always like the rx400h it’s not a bad car and being a Lexus it should hold up well too hope your well best wishes ian,ps how’s the L405
A very enjoyable review again Matt.
Stay safe
Mike
Cheers Mike, same to you
Informative review. Thanks.
My dad had the 350, what a car. Long story, saw the car 2500 miles away on the net, started the deal, my dad asked me to fly up, I did and drove it down, the car on the long road is awesome. He drove it for 4 years and cried when he sold it. As a tow car also great with a camper.
Love your reviews mate, but stay safe.
Jumper game on point once again
I think that dash design is one of the best ideas Toyota has had so far. The buttons look nice and classy, with dark lettering against aluminum/silver finish. This is much better than black buttons with white lettering on them.
Excellent video. Thank you. My 2007 RX 400h runs wonderfully after 110,000 miles and regular servicing.
Great to hear!
Thank you! Very Informative.
Thanks for your review.
These go for dirt cheap and I’ve been so tempted to just have it as a reliable, cheap and spacious cruiser but I’m not an ageing florist :/
they are so cheap because starting on 2006- they have recalled this cars for failing inverters (this could stall and cause accidents) replacement for the hybrid battery pack is also costly (it has more cells than a camry hybrid or prius) Replacement for failing inverters is not cheap either.
This video has a subs option which is fantastic for a guy like me ,do not understanding very well English ,specially with slight dialect...thanks for the option and hope you'll do more of these videos in the future 🙏
Dude, you got to the meat right away. Thanks for that!
Thanks please mate , great information .
Brilliant real world review. Thanks! Considering a 400h but comparing it to a newer 2015 2.0 VW Passat estate. Can't imagine you have a review of one of these in the works? (odd comparison I know!)
Low mpg and high tax was all i needed to hear.
Thanks 👍
Subscribed. Easily my favourite reviewer for cars.
Wow, thanks
Simply the best Auto channel on UA-cam
The truth told with out all the BS
Hugh Jazz Thanks!
Watched your review last night, bought one today 2008 model, brilliant car!
Nice one!
I have driven one of them trough Europe I just loved how quite you can drive trough the cities and towns, even tho it has a big engine on the Autobahn it was hard to drive it over 180kmh so actually this makes the most sense for school runs, no dpf quite and sub what does a busy mum need more lol
Another good vlog matt have you sold many cars since this lockdown
One of the best car reviews
Have always thought these big hybrids were a decent buy. Neighbour had a non hybrid V6 one of these which drank petrol at a horrible rate, plus it had air suspension and burst one corner bag, which cost a fortune to replace. I believe the hybrid has steel suspension, so more reliable and better fuel consumption! Plus they seem good value for money now. Another great review of something most of us can probably afford to buy a used example of 👍.
They are popular in my home country Kenya with women, imports used from Japan mostly called harrier
Like all Lexus they are all well built, not keen on the shiny interior gubbins, not a bad big bus for going camping etc, just keep service up to date , another honest review.
You must be psychic.i live in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham are talking about bringing in a ULEZ for which my diesel wouldn't be exempt. I was looking at these on auto trader last night as an alternative to leasing a new car. Thanks for the video.
Another fine video>>>>>>>>cheers 👍
Very good video , very interesting thank you.
Good review. I bought one of these after my lovely e38 BMW exploded.
I agree about it turning you into an old man as I'm constantly watching the MPG and trying to get the battery to drive the car.
it's not going to win any prizes in the looks department but I thoroughly enjoyed driving it and it's a very good all round vehicle
They're good dependable vehicles but a tad dull
Another great review
Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Great review, thanks! Just bought one and your review helped a bunch. Hoping it will serve well for the Canadian winter. So far very pleased, it accelerates very quickly with the gas engine and electric motor. Hoping to keep it for a while for driving day-to-day. Would much prefer a timing chain for maintenance and a non-CVT automatic transmission to enjoy it more like you said. Still a great vehicle!
Good choice. I actually prefer these over the later 450h RX
It's not a belt cut as far as I know
A delight to watch 😉😁
Armed with my bag for life, LOL mate the way u make fun of each driver types of various cars is GOLD
Thanks!
I walk past one of these everyday. I wouldn't say they're the best looking car on the road, but from the badge on the front, you know exactly what you're getting. I'd have one of these over the ML or equivalent BMW.
Well said. I also think this RX has aged well compared to the same gen Beemer or Merc.
Agreed. The others do look rather dated - that's if you see any, as I'm sure most are of them rotting away in scrap yards.
You do know what you are getting, a Toyota for the price of a Mercedes.
Mpg is pretty good my brother used to get 30 mpg local and about 40mpg in the gs450h which is a rwd saloon. Well worth it for the price
Great video! Informative, fun, and pleasant to watch! Subscribed immediately. This engine can be easily fitted with LPG, which can give you 5 to 7 euro cost for 60 miles run, depending on your driving style, and current LPG prices (in Bulgaria LPG is vastly spread)
Welcome aboard! Thanks for watching
I bought this for my dad recently and he likes it. He had an MDX which he always felt it was massive!
We dont get the MDX in Europe
Apologies. Meant to say the boot felt like it was made from tin. Love the vids. Keep em coming squire.
The thing with owning a Lexus is you've got somehow factor in that thing where you know it's just going to work
owen hughes I know what you mean. It’s a feeling of relief
Another great review Matt and you're looking as handsome as always! 😍
Any chance of a review of the NX300h? 🤔
Niall Burke Cheers! Next time I get one I will
Finally, a youtuber who is honest about cars
Good to see you back , strange having a tape deck in 06,but not the end of the world. Stay safe .
I don't know about the one Matt drove but mine has a 6 disc CD player aswell & Bluetooth for connecting your phone.
The RX in this body style was launched in 2003 with the hybrid coming out in 2005/2006. All models had the cassette player, am/fm radio and in dash 6 disc CD player. The range topping SE-L has extra speakers as part of the Mark Levinson sound package. The sound is still fantastic. Those cars with this feature a speaker on top of the dash centre and Mark Levinson script on the centre console. Fantastic cars, I have a petrol 2004 RX300 and am loathe to change it for anything other than an RX 400h or an RX 450h. I get 25 to 29 mpg from the non-hybrid 3.0 litre V6. The best everyday car I’ve owned and tows trailers and caravan and boats with aplomb!
Nice vid as always but you didn't mention or demonstrate the front chair converting to a nice lounger bed to properly stretch out at a service station power nap scenario.
Honest review Matt! I see at the end you resisted to do an Alan Partridge expression 😂 stay safe 😊
twfy861 It’s a Japanese Mercedes
I do love this car. I like the reliability of Toyotas. 28 MPG isn't bad for a big old SUV. Great review as ever, Matt.
Do you own one ?
Having lived in the area's you drive around in your vids, I have to say you took an interesting route to "The supermarket"!
You've got to support the more rural stores
Awesome, thanks again for another helpful review :) Thinking of trading in my rx350 for 400h
Great video!!!!
Thanks!!