<anyone else have no end of grief with this quick-reply window or is just me?>
We replaced the Previa with an RX400 hybrid and while not enthused about the mileage it obtains, (11L/100KM consistently), it does have a good deal of punch when you mash the go-pedal within the city. I tend to drive it like I'm 16 and it belongs to my mother and despite that heavy-foot, it continues to deliver a consistent 11L/100km. I was curious about when the engine was running vs. not, so bought one of those $20 Bluetooth OBD scanners and the well-known Torque app. I set up the screen with just a giant tach to watch and it gives me no end of amusement to watch the needle go flat as you cruise around under 50-55 km/h. I'm an over-grown child.
What makes me nuts however, is the inter-connected, microprocessor controlled state of everything. The very nice Mark Levinson head unit quit working one day, so Lexus pulled it out and sent it off for repairs. That left us with no NAV (not that we need it) but more annoyingly, no climate controls. Luckily it was replaced by a rental car during the worst heat of the summer when it experienced a space/time convergence with the light pole at the end of my driveway in the hands of not me. Anyway, once we got it back, paid the enormous bill for the stereo repair (no thanks, I'll save the $70 and put the 4 screws in myself), everything needed to be re-set, including the power windows which would no longer operate properly without being run through a series of reset actions. Still, it's a very nice car to drive and it's hybridness likely allows me to drive it like a hormonal teenager while still getting acceptable mileage.