Heh. It’s what you do *after* you’ve accelerated to speed that makes the biggest difference. I love to stomp on the pedal when necessary.

Once you hit your target speed (or a tad above), take your foot off the pedal. When you reapply pressure to the throttle, use the lightest touch possible to maintain speed.

By keeping an eye on the current consumption MPG numbers on the LCD display, you will learn to modulate your right foot at all speeds.

At lower speeds, try to provoke the hybrid drive train into electric mode whenever possible. The goal is to glide when you can …

You win! After I changed my driving to mimic a real old man’s real slow acceleration and stopping, the MPG increased dramatically to over 27 MPG! Thanks for your advise!

If you disagree with the FACT that getting the BEST mileage from a hybrid requires a CHANGE in driving style, with all due respect, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

I spent a week test driving the RX400h in real world conditions, as I have with most of the other hybrids currently on the market. I had no problem hitting the official estimates.

It’s largely a question of driver training.

One other thing to keep in mind …

Generally speaking, hybrid systems require that the conventional engine be warmed up to facilitate the transition to electric power. This can significantly effect mileage when taking short trips in cooler climates.

I disagree with you. I found many other people complaining about their low mpg with their RX400h.

I guess Lexus hybrid system is still inmature as some vehicles do achieve high mpg as claimed. Advise to future buyers: always test its mpg sufficiently to see if the vehicle can achieve the claimed mpg before buying it!! My understanding is that there may be many lemons out there and Lexus will not be responsible for these low mpg lemons.

To get the best mileage from the LX400h, you’ll need to adapt your driving style to take advantage of the hybrid synergy drive system.

I’d reckon that you’re driving with a heavy foot.

Turn on the fancy LCD display. Keep an eye on when the system is using pure electric power and optimize your driving style to maximize glide time…with your foot off the throttle whenever possible.