peccable

Have just had to change the front two 17" Dunlop SportMaxx at 30,000km (18,000 miles) due to tracking and insufficient pressure - almost bald at the outer edges. Had been running at 33psi all round. At the last service was advised to run at 40psi all round - thought this was v. high - so when replacing the tyres went with 35 front, 38 rear. Seems to do the job. Rear tyres wearing evenly, should last to 40,000km (24,000mi). Replaced the Dunlops with Bridgestone - €480 for the front two. Running v well on these so far - no increased noise. Estimate for the rear pair, when the time comes, €650 (!). P.

Averaging 28mpg after 12,000 - mostly urban - miles, and with aircon on permanently. Better than the 24mpg from my 2 litre Saab 93. P

Thought as much... Have since collected a roaring Corolla saloon. Wanted to see what they'd provide without prompting. No mention of any kind of Lexus from them. They are hardly trying to shake the Toyota link are they? Worth a few words with the manager later, methinks. Incidentally, is valeting a standard part of the service? All the best P

When leaving the car in for a scheduled service, is it reasonable to expect the replacement/courtesy car to be a Lexus – or at least similar? From the website: LEXUS CARE Our highly trained service technicians contribute their skills and dedication to ensure you experience the very highest levels of care. This extends to every aspect of our service, from making sure a replacement car is available when yours is being maintained… Might I expect a Yaris etc unless I specifically request otherwise? Cheers P

Hello there I made the change from Saab 93 last summer and can highly recommend the switch. Had looked hard at the new 93 Aero, but just did not stack up against the IS; primarily: # Rear wheel drive - fantastic in the corners - even better than the Saab ReAxs rear wheel steering. # Specification - the Saab trim levels here in Ireland are miserly, and even the Aero would need close to €3000 to match the SE spec # Power - needs a harder push from standing than the Saab, but quickly surpasses it. Miss the turbo though... # Consumption - currently getting 12l/100km (24mpg) - not hugely different to the 93 2.0t. # Looks - IS is a hands-down winner and a head-turner. # Exclusivity - Far too many 93s around Dublin now, with the introduction of the 1.8i model. The 2.5 attracts high insurance and tax here so relatively few around (even relative to the 220d) Rattles, creaks, soft paint are still an issue on the IS, which I never had with the Saab, but this hasn't detracted sufficiently to make me reconsider. Was disappointed with the Lexus customer service though - both dealer and workshop (for the rattles). Lexus prices - Toyota customer service. Saab customer experiences were first class and could not be faulted. In all, I think if you go Lexus, it will be a while before you look elsewhere. P.

Had the same issue with the beige carpet. Even a glance of shoe polish leaves a mark... Got the genuine IS250/220 rubber mats from local dealer - took two days. They have an array of the Lexus logo across the surface providing grip, as well as grooved lines under the pedal area.. Look and perform well - although they don't have holes for the fixing lugs on the driver's side. Not really an issue, given their weight and the friction grip. Tend to leave them in the boot until required. That said, usually leave the driver's mat in position, and carpet elsewhere. Cost €50 or thereabouts. Well worth it. P.

After 12000km of mostly urban driving, with very limited motorway usage, my IS250 manual is averaging 23mpg (12.5 l/100km). My 2 litre SAAB 93 was achieving closer to 28mpg. Having said that, the ACC is permanently on at 20C in the IS, but seat heating/ventilation rarely used. Costing approx €45 per week in fuel. P.

Did you get your free leather Lexus diary yet? Didn't get a diary from them. Do you have to send back the dealer experience response survey to get one? BTW - while collecting my car, I asked the dealer about the Lexus merchandise on display in the showroom, and how much of it he would be loading into my boot... ;) He rather sniffily replied along the lines that 'this is Lexus, sir. We don't do such things'. Actually, didn't even try to sell me any of it, now that I think of it. P

I signed up for the Privilege club for the sake of it. After registering your details, you will get a 'pack' sent out to you which includes a snazzy black membership card and a dealer questionnaire. Post took about three weeks. Apart from that, you get: # Option to attend Lexus Ireland golf days # Horse racing at Leopardstown over Christmas for the Lexus Chase # Discount at a few golf courses # Access to selected events/concerts etc but not apparently free of charge No merchandise etc - site just lists the current items available and refers you to the dealership - no prices etc So, unless you're hung up on the black card peeking out of your wallet - no tangible benefit really. P.

Colm If you've taken delivery from a certain Lexus dealer on the southside of Dublin, I can only sympathise. Was dealt with so poorly there, I went to the trouble of ordering and collecting mine from Galway. Even going back to enquire about accesories was an unpleasant experience. Will not set foot in there again. I would go through them for a shortcut if they left out the owners manual etc. Should have gone through all of that with you during handover in the infamous Lexus launch room! As for the footwell lights, you've probably noticed they also increase brightness when the handbrake is on. Classy. Also, the slowing down of the wipers when you are stopped with brakes applied is a nice touch (although I seem to recall the Laguna has this as well). Good luch with the car. p

Hello there, and my compliments on the site. The information in these forums was a big factor in my defecting from Sweden’s finest aircraft builder to the Lexus family. Enjoying the car more by the mile, but have had a few issues during the first 4000, like a number of other posters here; so by way of information: LEXUS RESCUE/ASSISTANCE I hit a pothole in a relatively remote part of the country on the Saturday night of a bank holiday weekend. Tyre wall burst immediately and the rim was gouged. Could not loosen the nuts even slightly using the brace provided in the toolkit, as the handle is far too short to get enough torque. Had no option but to call Lexus roadside assistance and to their huge credit they had a truck with me within 15mins. Got the space-saver on and trundled home at 80km/h. As it was a bank holiday weekend, could not get a new tyre anywhere – even the 24hr mobile operators were unavailable or didn’t have the right size tyre (was not bothered with manufacturer at this stage). As I was due to drive across the country on the Sunday, I was now rightly stuck. Despite calls back to Lexus, they could not locate a tyre supplier. As a result, I had to use the missus’ car for two days as mine was effectively off the road. More an indictment of the puncture repair industry here (windscreen replacement yards were open!), but I was left cursing the lack of a fullsize spare. BTW: €190 (stg£120) for the replacement Dunlop Sportmax 225/45 R17 DEALER EXPERIENCE The creaking seats, pillar rattles, and soft handbrake issues have been dealt with on the site, but suffice to say returning to the dealer was not a good experience. They feigned ignorance of any issues re noise (are they that uninterested that they don’t even visit websites like this?), but did refit the driver’s seat. No problem since. Rattles in the pillars remain – they said they couldn’t hear anything when they drove the car (in pounding rain, btw) – but I’ve learned to live with it by now. Handbrake was tightened – but starting to feel soft again, another 1000 miles on. The mechanic did let slip that a number of owners have been back for this, and there was talk of a full recall… no word since. As a colleague suggested – you’ve paid for a Lexus, but you’re getting Toyota service. SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS Mileage relatively constant at 22mpg around town, with ACC on. Stereo excellent, though random track function is slightly quirky, and radio reception quality is variable (compared to previous car anyway). Boot and filler cap release buttons should be illuminated Cream leather holds up remarkably well, though rubber mats are a must for the wetter days – bought the Lexus set of 4 for €55 (stg£35) and keep them in the boot. Leather on gearknob is cracking on side nearest driver (under ball of the palm). Does not seem to be worsening though. Airbag warning light and clock are aesthetically poor and let the overall look down slightly Rear view mirror would have been better mounted from the roof Have learned to love the door mirrors. Salesman gave me the spiel at the time that the designer wanted to emulate the supercar look (of the Enzo etc) with its feature mirrors, so sized them up accordingly. To achieve the low drag coefficient, they had to be pushed out from the car, so the usual fixing point at the junction of window and door was not strong enough, hence their positioning in the door body proper… Seat ventilation is a real talking point, but of limited effectiveness so far (may need to be hotter than your average Irish summer to feel the benefit…). Why is the control panel with the dials set in on a slope though? It looks as though it has sunk on one side?! Disappointed that the window and door control panel is exactly the same as the Corolla vans we have in our company. Took a slagging for that, I tell you. Steel dust caps seem to be magnetic for kids. Have gone through three sets at €15 a time. No more. Black plastic fantastic from now on. The plastic cowl above the pedals is flimsy and could do with additional fixing clips. I’ve caught my feet on it several times, and would love to be able to fix it slightly higher. There are surprisingly few new IS250/220 on the roads and streets of Dublin, which is a plus. Possible flood when the 07 plate kicks-in in January though… Overall, hugely happy with the car, and glad to have made the jump. Great work on the site as well. Keep up the good work. P