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Comments
I am very curious. What does this difference indicate?
I have a 2010 Camry XLE with a similar Nav unit (touchscreen) and the voice command feature responds within 2 seconds.
I saw where someone else thought that the tire pressure should be set at 38 psi and when they set it there as opposed to 32 psi, the mileage improved significantly. Of course 38 psi will make the car run rougher.
...have reduced BRAKING capability.
Future models will likely use DFI which could improve FE significantly but like the rest of the automotive industry we'll probably get more HP/torque instead. I'd vote for going back to the RX300, 3.0L, engine but with DFI.
I look forward to your responses!
Wes
That made my choice *very* easy.
--
Bob in the Mile High City
When I walked into the Lexus showroom, I was immediately greeted, shown to an RX350 and a salesman was tracked down and sent over to me.
And insofar as I am aware Toyota has still not arrived at a satisfactory, SAFE, fix for the transaxle's 2-3 second downshift delay/hesitation.
I always go out of my way, often entering via the service or parts entrance, to avoid being approached by a salesperson. I'll find one when I need one.
The best fix I can do was to adjust the Nav volume to the maximum and to move the Nav Sound to the Driver Side speaker instead of the center speaker.
Anyone got a 2010 RX with card key?
Thanks.
It seems to me that a FWD or F/awd such as the Venza, Highlander, Sienna, and Lexus RX series would be highly inappropriate for most Canadian drivers.
The poor safety record of FWD in adverse wintertime roadbed conditions is bad enough but then throw in the unwarranted additional confidence, over-confidence, level of F/awd drivers and you're asking for real trouble.
Kuddoes to Toyota for adopting a more appropriate F/awd system, virtually an exacting copy of the Ford and Mazda F/awd system, and now the Porsche 911 R/awd system.
But.
The only time the rear driveline is to be engaged usefully is under initial acceleration from a dead stop. This is to alleviate, pre-emptively alleviate, the potential for engine torque at low speeds resulting in front wheelspin/slip. Loss of directional control leading to an accident.
Otherwise the engine torque will be primarily routed, 95%, to only the front wheels and TC, Traction Control will rule.
If front wheelslip/spin should then inadvertently result then TC braking will be INSTANTLY used to regain traction at the front as quickly as is possible while at the same time the engine gets dethrottled and the rear drive clutch fully engaged.
Get that..??
Dead in the water, right..??
Unless you can disable TC...
But then with TC disabled will the system still automatically couple in the rear drive or will the owner need to provide a manual switch with which to engage the rear drive clutch...?
The Mazda CX-7 uses water cooling of the PTO such that the rear drive can be engaged, sometimes fully engaged, somewhat continuously. Ford, on the other hand, chose to revise the firmware to reduce the functionality of rear drive coupling in order to alleviate driveline component overheating (once it was discovered to be happening), primarily the rear drive clutch and the PTO.
Given the history of Toyota and Lexus F/awd systems, all mostly non-functional, designed only for marketing purposes, I would put my money on the Venza not having enough F/aw functionality to suffice unless you live well SOUTH of the snow zone.
Do you know the octane of the Costco gas?
In the past, I always thought using a higher grade of gas would not change mph.
What type of driving do you do and how many miles per gallon are you now averaging.
How do you like the vehicle in comparison to your 2007 model?
Thank you.
I am noticing that my rx450h is not showing the past record values correctly for fuel efficiency history. For "Today", It always shows a fixed ~25MPG, regardless of when I reset and even after several days, it does not show any readings for past days other than "Today" (Which is also incorrect)
Anyone else noticing this?
I saw where someone else drove from North Carolina to Florida @70-75 mph and got 25 mpg. My only trip to Florida from Birmingham (260 miles) resulted in 24 as the best.
That being said, clarified, in order to replicate the Mountaineer's 4WD-high capability you would need to add a manual switch to the 2010 RX350 with which you could LOCK the rear driveline to the front when conditions allow or warrant. Prior to 2010 there was NOTHING to be done to the RX350 (totally OPEN center diff'l) to replicate the mountaineer's 4WD-high capability.
There is an assumption that while the beach sand was reasonably highly tractive on the "average", especially with the deflated tires, there were occasions of POTENTIAL loss of traction where not at least two wheels (three with rear LSD) being driven simultaneously. Engine torque being "delivered" over a wider tire traction area.
The second assumption would be that the beach drive never involved enough speed to do damage to the driveline during the highly tractive periods.
"... Believe we understand the AWD lock capability..."
With the RX350 prior to 2010 there was no "pre-emptive" AWD lock capability. Absent a modification, the manual switch, even the 2010 RX350 does not have a "pre-emptive" AWD lock capability. Much like the earlier versions of the RX using TRAC as a reactive process AFTER, only once loss of traction was detected, the 2010 RX350 will only engage/lock the rear driveline to the front AFTER loss of traction is detected. And then only for the next 15-20 seconds unless/until the loss of traction is repeated.
Due to widespread owner public outcry Toyota and Lexus were forced into providing a modification so the owners could manually disable TC/TRAC. IMMHO it will only be a matter of time until owner outcry will again rise due to the lack of true 4WD capability in the new Venza and 2010 RX350.
The problem then becomes "will Toyota and Lexus be willing to trust the owners to only switch the system into 4WD in appropriate conditions..?".
History indicates NOT.
The Lexus RX series, along with the Toyota Highlander & Sienna, always was, is, and remains primarily a FWD or F/awd system. A F/awd system that is just plain PATENTLY dangerous when the roadbed, surface, traction is questionable.
The problem with EVERY F/awd system in the market today is that at their "base" they are truly only "PART-TIME" 4WD systems, much like your Mountaineer. The difference is, GREAT difference, is that with the Mountaineer "you" are the determining factor as to the appropriate use, PRE-EMPTIVELY, of locked mode.
Recognize that the long term reliability of a 4WD system such as the Mountaineer is determined by YOUR judious use of locked mode. Use it inappropriately on a regular basis and you will soon find yourself argueing with the dealer service manager over driveline warranty issues.
With these modern day F/awd systems those dealer service manager arguements are eliminated. You do not have the ability to put the driveline under undue stress.
My 2005 RX didn't have this problem.
Wes
Yes. The volume of the device you are playing remains the same when the NAV "speaks". If you like loud music, then you'll have a hard time hearing the NAV instructions. (Of course, you can always do a U-turn and then turn the device off and when the NAV repeats the instruction you'll hear it). JOKE!
As it stated before, my 2005 didn't have this problem.
Wes
Yes, at least partially.
Most of the time the Venza and new 2010 RX350 (and the Ford Escape, Escape hybrid, Mercury Mariner, Mariner hybrid, Mazda Tribute, CX-7) F/awd systems only drive the front wheels.
The exceptions are:
1. As you accelerate in a straight line from a stop or from a very low speed the coupling to the rear might be as high as 100%, 50/50 F/R. On a highly tractive surface this will undoubtedly result in some minor level of driveline windup and/or tire scrubbing. But "this" is being done as a preventative measure, pre-emptive engagement of engine drive torque to the rear to reduce the potential for loss of traction were the torque ONLY applied to the front wheels. FWD vehicles, especially hybrids (low speed torque in ABUNDANCE, have too great a propensity for loss of control should the roadbed "happen" to be slippery.
The vehicle systems, VSC/Trac/VDIM have no method for detecting road conditions in advance so the rear drive is coupled in only on the chance of encountering a slippery roadbed.
2. Non-straight-line acceleration from a low speed or from a stop.
Due to the rather SEVERE level of driveline windup and/or tire scrubbing that might result it is highly unusual for an "AWD" system to have both front and rear drivelines engaged in an accelerating low speed turn, "tight" turn, as these new F/awd systems often will. 20% seems to be the common number.
Compromises, be damned if you do and be damned if you don't.
As everyone should know, driving only the front wheels in this circumstance will result in TONS of torque stear while also raising the potential for plowing, understearing, dramatically. But then with a "strong" engine, or a hybrid, the danger from loss of control due to front loss of traction when ONLY the front wheels are driven rises rather dramatically.
So, the compromise, introduce a slight level of driveline windup and/or tire scrubbing in order to reduce torque stear and the inherent HAZARDS of FWD with a HIGH torque capability.
3. "This one" really should have been listed first but on the other hand it is also the one most undesirable. When in FWD "only" mode and upon detection of wheelspin/slip due to the use of too much engine drive torque for traction conditions TC will react (REACT...!!) INSTANTY by fully dethrottling the engine, applying braking to the slipping wheel(s), and in the F/awd case increasing the drive torque coupling to the rear driveline.
"3" is the traditional F/awd mode, the ONLY mode, remaining in use, for the moment, on the HL and Sienna. This is also the mode that has led to the massive public outcry that finally resulted in the availability of a PB whereby TC could be disabled.
Absent the ability to disable TC these vehicles simply left you "dead in the water" when trying to "escape" from an all wheel slippage surface condition.
The MIXED bag.
Many of the earlier implementations of this new F/awd system gave the driver the ability to engage the rear drive system at speeds up to ~25MPH. Especially useful off-road when speeds are traditionally quite low an/or in KNOWN slippery road conditions.
Apparently many drivers didn't follow instructions and the PTO would overheat and go TU accordingly. Some marques reacted by eliminating the driver's ability to engage the system manually. Others (Ford) eliminated the switch AND used firmware revisions to derate, reduce the overall functionality of the F/awd system. Mazda, at least for the 244HP F/awd CX-7, added water cooling to the PTO such that it was unlikely to fail if used continously, off-road, or even inappropreately.
The RX350 has the PB switch so the rear driveline can be manually engaged until/unless the speed is above 25MPH. The Venza does not. Apparently Lexus drivers can be tested to use the F/awd mode judiciously, while the Venza drivers cannot. It will be interesting to see, watch, just how long it will take Lexus to either add the PTO cooling or eliminate the switch.
It is also interesting to note that the newest Porsche 911 series uses this same electromagnetic clutch design to implement the C4's R/awd system. proportional, linear, control of the level of front drive torque supplied.