Hi GreenAndBlue:

___Very well written analysis …

___From my understanding, Lexus is equipping the RXh w/ everything sans the Levinson audio and 1 or 2 other luxury amenities I do not remember right now. RES I believe was on of the two unknown’s? I will check some of the Edmunds RXh forums later on to get the real deal. Anyway, I believe the premium works out to be ~ $4,000 over the exact equipped RX330 minus HSD. Lexus is making far more on the loaded RX and RXh then the stripped ones of course so there is a subsidy heading directly into the Toyota coffers.

___What I am hoping for and I have not seen this one way or the other is the Camry XLE 4 banger w/ all the safety HW (SAB’s, CAB’s, ABS, BA, TCS, and VSC) as well as heated leather, powered sunroof, and the XLE amenities. The Corolla’s 1.8L ICE would be a bit on the smallish side after Atkinsonization imho so the Camry’s current 2.4 Atkinsonized and HSD’ed should be able to do the 0 - 60 dance in the 8.5 - 9 second range. Maybe 45/40 City/Hwy estimates although I am really throwing out a hopeful WAG here. Toyota’s NAVI is the last thing I would purchase given its inferiority compared to Honda’s NAVI. I personally use Mapopolis and a Sirf IIe chipset equipped i-Trek GPS receiver with my PDA’s in all of our vehicles although the wife has a hard time figuring out the various menus so the Honda NAVI will be in her next one. Back on topic … If Toyota can somehow bring about the $2K HSD premium and equip the 4’s w/ it by the 06 release, I would be surprised to see it go out at much more then my guesstimates previously posted. If Toyota actually figures a way to do this that is? And if they did, ****! The Accord as well as the upcoming Ford Fusion, current 500, Malibu, G6, Sebring, and Altima sales just to name a few would fall off their respective cliffs given the cost of fuel today.

___Currently, I am attempting to remove the MDX from the fleet and keep debating the TL w/ NAVI vs. the EX V6 w/ NAVI. That $6,500 in my pocket sure looks good although the amenities of the TL make it a worthwhile comparison. I love the 04/05 TL’s look but having a practical mindset, the TCO is well in favor of the Honda. The wife will not have anything to do with the i-VTEC I4 and it is too bad given the ability to pick up the PZEV from the East Coast for a steal (EX-L w/ NAVI for ~ $23,250) with an even lower TCO, much lower emissions and longer emissions warranty, as well as even better FE. I do have to live with her decision however If the AH would have included the EX series powered Sunroof, I think there wouldn’t be a question as to which one I would be trying to procure right now.

___And another OT note. I just got off my last night shift this morning. You want to get together this weekend? Besides the high moly count in your Blackstone lab oil analysis, I didn’t see the 0 and 100 degrees C Kinematic Viscosity number(s)? I wish I knew what Honda is really using in terms of the viscosity of the break in oil. Great report by the way.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net