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Comments
It would be safer and allow you to stow some additional luggage alongside.
We have a dog as well, albeit, a smaller one, and she travels in a kennel cab. She prefers riding in the front seat, but got used to the KC soon enough!
Funny how you described yourself as the "travelling staff." Your dog sounds much loved.
You did the right thing by getting the RX, much classier ride. We actually almost purchased an MDX last year, got down to the haggling and they wouldn't budge, so we walked. After some research, we are so glad we waited for the new RX!
Congratulations on getting so much stuff into the RX, under the cargo cover, no less. It may look way smaller than the Explorer, but it isn't. Also, we hardly ever used the key pad, you have the flat laser key that fits in your wallet, now.
Before you go out and get a car top carrier, here's a suggestion. Pack the golf and beach parapharnelia into the RX, just as if you were going away for a week, and see if everything fits. You may have to fold a seat or a section, but its preferable to having a top heavy load, screaming at you down the highway , to the in-laws.
Obviously moreso than the NHTSA.
For the NTSB an accident resulting from some apparent flaw ("apparent hazard") related to a certain model or airframe type, mechanical or even operational procedures, can result in the indictment of the entire series. Grounding the entire fleet until the situation is resolved.
Understandably the NHTSA looks at things a bit differently, I assume because only a few lives are at stake in each incident and therefore no resulting publicity or public outcry.
"Already known for its carlike drivability and all-around usefulness, the Highlander will soon add a fuel-sipping hybrid drivetrain to its impressive list of available features. Similar in design to the system used in the Prius sedan, the Highlander's Hybrid Synergy Drive powerplant was specifically designed to handle the added weight of an SUV. It combines Toyota's 3.3-liter V6 gas engine with an electric motor that boasts twice the power of the unit used in the Prius. Working together, the two engines produce a combined 270 horsepower, enough to push this Highlander to 60 miles per hour in less than 8 seconds according to Toyota. Not only that, it's also projected to get over 28 miles to the gallon in combined city and highway driving and have a range of over 600 miles."
Huh?
The RX330 with the gas only 3.3L V6 already does 0-60 in approx 8.0 to 8.5 seconds, depending on AWD or FWD. So adding 40 hp for a total of 270 gets you approx the same drag racing time?..must be a lot heavier vehicle and/or different gearing.
28mpg? 600 mile range?
We get an average of 19 mpg now with about 50/50 highway/street driving. And mileage range isn't too important since we always seem to find an available gas station, hot coffee, indoor plumbing, etc. YMMV.
Let's see...about the same speed, perhaps a bit faster which we won't use anyway...possible 45% or so better average mpg...over one year and 15k miles...that would be saving us 254 gallons at, say, $2.50/gal for regular in the next decade....or $635 savings per year....versus a higher purchase price likely to be in the area of $7-9k (total increase considering current RX330s are discounted by $3-4k, the RX400H will likely be $4-5k higher at MSRP; Prius are selling very well at MSRP or above...and that's likely to be the case for the RX400H).
Still a 12.6 year payback and that's not considering the carrying cost of $8k over that timespan.
And, at first blush, it ain't much faster than the gas RX.
Color me unimpressed...but it's early.
Ford putting a similar (Toyota-designed?) hybrid system in the 4-cyl Escape SUV makes more sense to me...it's underpowered so the extra torque and hp make sense and perhaps the mpg improvement in a small I4 will be more pronounced.
If you're going to be using the carrier alot, go with either the Thule or Yakima. I'm partial to Thule, but they're both good.
That being said, when I went to NC (from Philly) for Thanksgiving, we took the 330 and needed some more storage. Since I'm not going to be using the carrier alot, I couldn't warrant the price for the Thule. So I got an X-Cargo from Sears. Worked great. It's side opening and has locks. I thought I'd lose alot in MPG (it's not as low profile as the others), but I averaged 25-26 on the trip. I haven't taken that trip without the carrier though, so I don't know what I would have gotten.
Installing it is easy, but it's not as fast as the others. You basically clamp it on the existing crossbars with brackets (you have to buy seperately - don't ask me why). I put a piece of towel on the top and bottom of where the bracket and carrier make contact (to avoid rubbing and damage - probably not needed though).
I'm very happy with the product so far.
John
Any problem with it interfering with the moon roof?
So you didn't have to buy the extra railing system for support? Did the brackets have locks on them also?
Am I the only female on this site??? And here I was trying to convince my husband this was a "chick" car so he wouldn't try to take it and give me his Acura RL
BTW, I had a call from a dealer in Atlanta saying they were going to be adding a Tow Package to ALL RX's they are selling now. Like how they all have the 18" Alloy wheels and add extra bucks. I think it's a way to jack up the cost (can you say more profit).
Edmunds is extrapolating their mileage estimate from a quote by Toyota that "Its combined city-highway fuel efficiency will be significantly better than the current EPA average for a compact sedan, which is 27.6 miles per gallon."
These specs are for the FWD model. One should expect close to 32MPG average from the standard equipped 2WD(FWD) Highlander Hybrid.
Toyota will also offer Highlanders with electric four wheel drive with intelligence (4WD-i). Highlanders with 4WD-i are equipped with front and rear electric motor/generators that will deliver smooth, balanced power to all four wheels, providing instantaneous acceleration and better economy.
I've heard no exact specs from Toyota on the 4WD-i models, but my sources indicate that 40MPG average and 0-60 in the mid 6 second range are attainable. Top it all off with the Electronically-Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT) and IMO, this 4WD-i vehicle will be the bomb.
Please also note that the Prius has a 76hp Gas engine and a 67hp electric motor system that generates an whopping 295 ft-lb of torque.
Don't be surprised if the Toyota Highlander (Or the coming hybrid RX) has 400+ ft-lb of torque...Hmmm...RX 400H...Whodathunkit?
If they deliver those kinds of specs, there will be a huge premium on those cars and a long waiting list to get them.
And yes, if you want the most secure set-up (which means it is not mounted to just the factory roof rack pieces) you still need the two extra crossbars and corner mounts to hold them in place and yes the corner mounts have a lock key system. Good luck.
The one we got is 18 cu.ft. Not sure who it's made by (don't think it's a Thule). It's gray on the top and black on the bottom. It's shorter, wider, and I think taller than the black ones. It's called a X-Cargo.
I didn't try the moonroof when I had it mounted, but it didn't look like it would interfere. I could see the front of the carrier through the moonroof, but most of the view was unobstructed. It's short enough that you can also still open the rear gate. You can adjust where it sits by moving the crossbars.
It mounts on the 330's rack (no extra railing). The mounts are screwed on (hand tightened bolts) from inside the carrier, so no lock is needed. There are two locks on the side of the carrier.
I’ve seen other females on this board, but the majority of the main posters seem to be male. The 330 is my wife’s car, but I drive it occasionally.
John
Obviously, this vehicle segment continues to grow but after observing the increasing and varied number of models, I wondered would it continue to grow enough to accommodate all the new and exciting luxury crossovers being introduced. Would there be winners and losers? So from time to time this year I have provided monthly sales figures as a benchmark for information. I have no ax to grind here and I will not attempt to analyze what particular figures mean because each car maker has different margins of profitability for their respective vehicles. However, I do believe the sales figures do reveal some interesting things about the direction of this vehicle segment. So provided for information only, here is the year-end tally:
SUV* Dec Sales 03 Sales
Cayenne 1701 12,920
SRX 1924 5049 (new)
Aviator 2919 29,517
FX 2929 27,537
M-Class 3599 30,018
XC90 4300 35,791
X5 4856 40,715
MDX 5788 57,281
RX330 10,594 92,366
*Couldn't find the Dec sales figures for the VW T-reg.
"The 400h hybrid powertrain combines a powerful electric motor with the highly efficient 3.3-liter V6 engine found in the RX 330 to significantly improve low to mid-speed acceleration and overall fuel efficiency. The system is a "full hybrid," meaning that the RX 400h is capable of operating in separate gas or electric modes, as well as a mode that combines power from both.
The RX 400h will develop a peak system output of approximately 270 horsepower and deliver combined fuel economy significantly better than the current average compact sedan rating of 27.6 miles-per-gallon. Zero-to-sixty acceleration will also improve over the current RX 330's sub-8 second time. The RX 400h with optional all-wheel-drive, which features a rear-drive electric motor, will accelerate quicker yet."
"The technical basics of the Escape HEV start with a 2.3-liter in-line four engine modified to run on what's known as the Atkinson cycle. This modified four-stroke design maximizes fuel economy, though at the cost of low-end torque. That's acceptable in this application because when you nail the accelerator at a light, or start a passing maneuver, the hybrid's electric motor kicks in. It puts out a peak 65 kilowatts, which translates into 87 horsepower. Think of it as an electric supercharger. Since development work is far from complete, final mileage numbers are still a few months away, but initial indications are that the front-wheel-drive Escape HEV will get between 35 and 40 mpg in the EPA's City cycle, 29 to 31 in the Highway cycle. That may seem inverted, but it reflects the fact that hybrids get their best mileage in the stop-start driving of urban roadways. The all-wheel-drive Escape HEV should deliver 31 to 34 mpg City, 26 to 28 Highway. For comparison, the 2004 Escape with a standard V-6 is rated 19/25 City/Highway with front-drive, and 18/23 with all-wheel drive. The HEV, incidentally, maintains the 1000-pound towing capacity of the base in-line four Escape. The Prius and Honda's two hybrids are not rated for towing."
Interesting. Ford goes with their own hybrid Gen 1 design (not using Toyota's) and starts with the I-4 base Escape to get V-6 power, torque, and better mpg.
Toy/Lex wants the power of a V-8 with a moderate mpg increase in the Highlander and RX. So they want to cut Infiniti FX sales which are already pretty meager vs. RX330?
Finally, GM says you're all nuts...we're going with a hybrid approach on heavy trucks that really need a boost in mpg.
And Daimler/Chrysler is busy building a new $100k sports car that a thousand people a year might buy. A Viper with decreased steroids.
Wonder where we'll be a few years from now. I know - probably still waiting for the hybrid savings to kick in!
I love new technology but it has to give me a reason to purchase - not just because it's different from last year's. A midsize SUV with 40 mpg around town and 30-35 mpg on the highway could do it, if the purchase price is not much more than $2-3k higher than a gas-only version.
I wasn't impressed with the FX-35/45 because in our particular case their superior 0-60 times & handling vs. the RX330 wasn't a consideration; their lack of usable interior space and the idiotic French marketing decision to force the hay wagon "Sports" Suspension on a buyer when they select the Nav option got me out of that showroom pronto. YMMV.
So let's see some SUV hybrids that are decent buys with features that are important to the average buyer. More torque? V-8 power? Sorry; don't need 'em and in the daily traffic around here, you'd just be burning brake pads.
http://autoshow.edmunds.com/news/autoshow/articles/100916/page054- - .html?tid=edmunds.e.autoshow..leftnav.55.*
http://www.wieck.com./public/*2PV_064477
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?s=ce815c8a83eaf3cf- - 02f65763797326e5&threadid=106556
RX330 10,594 92,366
you'll be suffering taurus-like depreciation, from oversupply.
If the vehicle is good/people want to buy it (two ifs, as I do not think anyone has been able to buy one and put it through its paces, yet:), then it will sell. And likely at or near MSRP the first year. Toyota has a very good reputation, and that may very well be enough for people to risk a Hybrid. That, and there have not been any major recks with the Prius.
Since the powertrains are so similar, I wonder how long the ES330 (perhaps even the Camry) will have to wait.
Toyota/Lexus/Scion will offer a hybrid option on all vehicles by 2010. How about a full-size hybrid pick-up truck with 700 ft-lb of load-pulling torque...that also averages 30mpg (2006 or 2007).
Whodathunkit?
Except for the numbers, that Ford Escape PR has the exact wording of the gen 1 Pruis hybrid system, atkinson cycle (Mazda's Miller Cycle without the supercharger) and all.
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
He said they are expecting delievery in the fall of 2004 of the bybrids, that the vehicle should be about $2000 more than the present model and a tax incentive of maybe a grand. He did say everything is tentative and not sure bets. Also, delaers are beginning to take orders for the cars and they will be in very limited quantities and should sell for full MSRP-no surprise here.
Has anyone else heard anything?
It remains to be seen if they will be available in "very limited quantities." For what purpose?
Usually when a new model comes out, they arrive on the dealer lots in small numbers, but future shipments get larger and larger.
I'm sure it was hard to get a plain RX330 at any discount the first days and weeks after they were released.
Steve, Host
On Dec. 31st was negotiating on a RX330.
MSRP $41,688 for $37,000.
Had to pay for the car in full on that day but the car was not coming in for a few weeks.They had trouble getting the color that I wanted.
Maybe the new model hybrid will be a very fast seller and have waiting lists like the Prius, but for now, it's puffery and speculation.
Does anyone know when the '05 models will be available? I'm not in a great hurry but it'd be nice the have a new car by early summer. Should I wait for the '05 rx330? Thanks in advance
and not too many people have complained about road noise. Far as I know, there is only one poster who seems to be truly unhappy. The majority of posters, myself included, are enjoying their vehicles. The hesitation is remedied for the most part, by the ECU update at the 1,000 mi. service. In my opinion, some of the hesitation was due to the computer adapting to my driving style.
Lexus is just about the only marque I would buy a first year model from. There are some good discounts out there on the '04 models. Of course, you can always wait for the hybrid 400h coming out in the fall. Best thing is to take a test drive and see for yourself.
Most people would at least sit in the vehicle before he purchased it. Myself, I always kick all 4 tires and check out how the horn sounds.