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First_Lexus

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  1. Initially I’d wipe it with a damp cloth and let it dry just to establish that the mark is on the dash material and not ‘within’ a previous surface product finish. If it is ‘in’ the dashboard plastic (which seems most likely but you may be lucky!) I’d say pretty much any matt finish plastic / rubber product. My personal favourite is Poorboys rubber and plastic but there are loads that do much the same job. Good luck!
  2. I always find it interesting how different drivers find the same car. Even coming from an RX, I found the less powerful CX-30 absolutely fine when test driving today. Power seemed good to me, not gutless at all. A bigger concern was the move back to a torque converter gearbox which I found quite jerky after years with the smooth eCVT. I was quite impressed with the Mazda all round, but financially I can’t really make it make sense. If I’m downsizing I expect to pay significantly less, but that isn’t the case with any of the options. I think I’m moving to a position of keeping the RX for another year, as the deal I got back in 2021 was so good even the higher insurance doesn’t offset the cost to change to an inferior vehicle. With the promise of a technical solution to CANBUS in April, I think it’s right to hold on for now. And after all, I do love the RX…
  3. Lots of interesting views on this thread, it does show how different drivers have different priorities and opinions. I looked at the new CH-R, Yaris Cross, and LBX yesterday and back to back (to back!). There was also a UX in the Lexus showroom. For me, the LBX feels like a higher quality car than the UX. That’s mostly about perception, and it is a newer model, but for me the interior is ‘proper Lexus’ whereas the UX has never been quite there in my opinion. Seeing them both side by side yesterday reinforced that for me. The Yaris Cross felt good. I like the higher seating position, and it’s a practical thing for the size. The downside was it felt a bit ‘tinny’ and there were harder plastics in areas such as the door tops where the others are softer. The LBX was at the other end of the spectrum and I was impressed. The boot was larger than I’d have imagined, and the rear space, although tight, allows feet to go under the front seats quite easily. Rear space isn’t important for me tbh, but it was interesting that it felt quite spacious, albeit not as much as the Yaris where the greater glass area made it feel brighter inside. The CH-R felt like a high quality product, and is bigger than both. I wasn’t a massive fan of the dashboard layout - it seemed to be form over function when compared with the other two - but as with all things you get used to things you use every day. Next step is to drive all three and see if, actually how readily, I can live with the downsize from an RX. Price is also a consideration. Broadly, based on discussions with the dealers and for comparable (top ish) specs and with indicated discounts factored in, it would be about £29k for the Yaris (AWD), £34k for the CH-R (FWD) and almost £40k for the LBX. I still feel like the LBX is overpriced in comparison despite clearly being a lovely thing. The question will be whether I think it’s worth it vs other priorities. I’m also looking at and driving a Mazda CX-30 on Tuesday for a further option.
  4. I’ve had the same message from Swindon, and I agree - based on the service I’ve had from them over almost ten years it should be good.
  5. ^^ I didn’t realise they’d already done that. In which case, based on the ‘mood music’ coming from both main parties on how to fund future ‘carbon neutral’ policies, the electricity surcharge will be on top of EV VED! I mean, why would we be surprised…after all, Labour have said they’re stepping back from their £28BN ‘green’ investment plan based on the current financial situation, but that they’re not abandoning the idea. Clearly they won’t admit to doing it through taxation, but I do think an additional surcharge will be the way they go (and Conservatives too TBF).
  6. Looks like the legislation is England only. Believe it actually came into effect in 2022, but in reality most builders have been adding EV chargers for longer than that in order to meet sustainability targets. My current new build has one (2020) and my previous one did as well (2014). When I was looking at houses in 2020/21 all the new builds had them fitted.
  7. ^^ I think it’s likely that EVs will remain ‘zero cost’ in terms of VED, but that home electricity will incur (a further) surcharge for those properties with a home charger installed. With all new build properties required to have a charged installed from new for the last 4-5 years (and some prior to that) if you’re paying the surcharge then you may as well get an EV…but who really knows at this point?! Other than that I fully agree with your post and am in a similar situation. The initial cost, added to range anxiety and fears over depreciation mean I’m happy to wait for now.
  8. It’s fair to say that the value of my RX has collapsed in the last year based on offers I’m getting, with one dealer (not Lexus) refusing to even provide a trade-in figure for it “…as they can’t underwrite the car…” in terms of selling it on i.e. nobody wants to buy it. Hardly surprising I guess… Suggestion is to bin it to WBAC or similar, but I’ll see what the other dealers offer. The only consolation is that this isn’t something that could have been predicted two and a half years ago when I bought the RX - life happens!
  9. ^^ Don’t worry, the contenders are (almost) all Japanese. Suzuki Vitara the value option, Mazda CX-30 the mid-ranking, and the new MINI Countryman the ‘premium’ choice. The MINI looks especially good, and fully loaded comes in c£5k less than the LBX. However, my preference is nearly new i.e. up to three years old, so likely it’ll be the Suzuki or Mazda tbh unless the MINI deal is exceptional. I had considered the new CH-R and the Yaris Cross, but again they’re quite new and overpriced against the competition I’m looking at in my opinion. I’ve even looked at the Ssangyong Korando which is astonishing value and feels quite ok really, but depreciation/resale would be a concern. We will see what will do the job I need for the best price. Driving fewer than 5k miles a year now pretty much anything with a higher seating position / entry point is probably fine tbh!
  10. I’ve got a series of test drives booked for later in March, and I’ve decided to bail out while my RX still has some value. I want to downsize anyway, but this issue has brought my decision forward. My RX is my third Lexus, and I’ve loved the cars and the dealers. However, none of the cars I’m testing is a Lexus - I cancelled the test drive in the LBX because I feel it’s just too expensive compared to the alternatives and, to be totally honest, all of this malarkey has made me think twice. I fully accept that other manufacturers have, have had, and will have similar issues. I also accept that Lexus may come up with a software solution for the Mk4 RX which helps or solves the problem. That said, I’m of the opinion that a smaller and less desirable car, and one without this specific CANBUS vulnerability is the right thing to do in the circumstances before my insurance renewal in May. Personally I think the damage to the Lexus brand among previously loyal owners is, and will continue to be, significant. Shame.
  11. Not specific to Lexus, but I heard on the radio a couple of weeks ago that for some ‘desirable’ cars they believe thieves are placing magnetic ‘tracking tags’ on the backs of wheels etc. so they could pick their spot to steal the vehicle.
  12. I’ve had a private number plate for 25+ years and have never heard anything like this from any dealer! Usually they simply have the whole thing sorted by the time I collect any new vehicle seemingly without any involvement from me!
  13. TBH I need to downsize now. My mileage has plummeted working at home, whenever I visit the office I use the train (paid for on expenses but fuel isn’t, go figure!) and with no pets or children an RX is very hard to justify now. When I was up and down on the motorway it was brilliant, but now my use is only around town and I actually struggle to drive longer distances. It has been a privilege to own it though, and if the LBX was £10k cheaper…well, it isn’t so that’s academic!
  14. I have a test drive in one of those at the end of March. Takumi grade nearly new £15k less than a new LBX!
  15. Indeed we do…well, I have in the past…but with retirement fast approaching, my mobility not what it was, and the desire to buy a property abroad for Winter warmth at some stage in the next few years I’ve realised that the car on my driveway is not actually so important! I’m very lucky to have owned the RX (and the NX before it) but that time in my life has passed. Time to move on, downsize, and spend money on things that are more important…for my situation and aspirations, anyway.
  16. Yes, I’ve seen the reviews. I’ve no doubt it’s a very good car, but it’s overpriced for what I now need and want to spend. Put it this way. I can buy a pre-registered top of the range 4WD Vitara for £20k. The LBX - and not even the AWD - is almost £40k. For fewer than 5,000 miles a year I’m more prepared to pay that difference, regardless of how ‘good’ or not the car is.
  17. Back to the original subject, I cancelled my LBX test drive that was due for today. I’m afraid I consider it far too expensive for what it is and, given my mileage is now less than 5,000 miles annually, I’ve decided to either; - go for the new MINI Countryman as a ‘premium’ option as it’s very impressive and usefully cheaper than the LBX; - look at a ‘value’ option such as the Yaris Cross or Suzuki Vitara (which is very good value, especially pre-registered), or; - buy a 2-3 year old car for cash, something like a Honda Jazz. Afraid I won’t be sticking with Lexus, despite having loved my two NX and now my RX. As I approach retirement I’ve decided there are better things on which to spend my money than a fancy car that hardly ever gets used!
  18. I agree. I see Rachel Reeves accepted a £10k payment from a climate change denying organisation just a few days prior to Labour ditching their £28bn ‘Green New Deal.’ The various statements called the timing ‘unfortunate’ but didn’t really apologise… Whether you agreed with their politics or not, politicians used to have values they believed in. They didn’t seem to just go into Parliament to get rich. It did, imho, change with Blair. Whitelaw, Howe, Healey from the 70s and 80s, and plenty before that going right back to Lloyd George (a rascal but not corrupt) and Halifax, Churchill, Eden, MacMillan et al. They believed in their ideals and believed in service. I can’t think of one current politician on any side about whom I can say the same. Shame.
  19. Quite right! The money ‘invested’ in HS2 for very little tangible benefit would have been far better spent elsewhere. Personally I’d spend it on improving the wider railway network, but your point stands. We seem to be paying an ever increasing amount of tax for an ever decreasing level of public services. Meanwhile, I see the erstwhile Mayor of London is spending £6m on a ‘branding’ exercise for some of the London overground lines. It’s a great example of something absolutely not needed and not voted for. Just vanity. That money could and should be better used. TBF he isn’t alone. Politicians of every party now seem to be obsessed with getting rich and/or leaving a ‘legacy.’ Whatever happened to genuine public service?
  20. Terribly sad news, he was a fantastic broadcaster and almost the soundtrack to my life. At school in the mid-eighties his afternoon Radio 1 show was always on in our various Upper School/Prefects/Boarders common rooms. Wherever you went you heard his show, it was essential listening for most of us. Then at University I continued to listen to him on Radio 1, later following him to Radio 2 as I got older. Quite a shock to hear this news. RIP.
  21. It is interesting to reflect that the introduction of elected ‘Police and Crime Commissioners’ was intended to be the start of greater local accountability and policing priorities in line with those of the communities they represent. A few years on, and they seem to be largely ineffective. Hardly anybody actually bothers to vote for them, and nice words don’t seem to be backed up by action. Anyway, I’m going to try writing to mine (link to all of them enclosed). ‘Strong local policing’ is one of his five priorities, and I’ll be interested to see; a) if he replies; b) whether the reply addresses my question/concerns or if it is simply a standard response, and; c) if he does address my question directly what the response is (i.e. does he want Officers to attend car thefts, thefts from property etc.) https://www.apccs.police.uk/find-your-pcc/matthew-barber/ I know it’s a bit of a trope, but ‘perception is reality’ and there does seem to be fairly widespread disaffection, with current policing focussing on the ‘wrong’ things. Hunting people down for their opinions expressed on Twitter, or catching car thieves?
  22. I have a test drive booked at the end of the month. The car looks impressive, and the reviews are excellent, but the initial PCP numbers I’ve been given aren’t encouraging…I’d end up paying over £100 more per month than on my current RX deal! I know that’s because the world has changed since 2021 when I bought mine, both in terms of interest rates and trade in values. I also know that I got a huge discount for the RX at purchase, and there don’t seem to be any discounts on the LBX at the moment, nor are there any finance offers. Why would there be to be fair, as it’s a brand new model. What has depressed me is the staggering drop in value for my RX over the past six months, one can only assume because of theft/insurance issues affecting desirability. Anyway, I’ll go and look at the LBX as it may be a future contender. For now I can’t see why I’d downsize and pay more, which offsets increased insurance on the RX. One other thing. I’ve looked at a couple of other brands - one premium, one not - and both dealers offered significantly more for my RX than Lexus have! That’s disappointing, but may be resolved with a bit of a haggle. One option is the new MINI Countryman which I’ll drive in March. Looking in the showroom, it’s more practical than the LBX, helpfully cheaper for a like for like spec (£4k approx), and has an impressive and high quality interior. At the other end of the scale I’ve been impressed by the Skoda Kamiq, which is £10k cheaper than the Lexus for the top model, and as I’m now doing fewer than 5k miles a year may well be a good ‘value’ alternative.
  23. I heard on BBC Radio news earlier that the boss of JLR has been defending the security of Range Rovers following reports of ‘soaring’ insurance costs. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/jaguar-land-rover-stolen-insurance-cost-b2489922.html
  24. Truly the ‘greatest generation.’ I simply can’t imagine what they went through and the sacrifices they made.
  25. I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but he was everybody’s favourite Uncle. A bit mad, just really good fun with the children (as I was). I was fascinated by the war - think comics like ‘Battle’ which I read every week - but he’d NEVER speak about what he’d seen or done, and I really tried (as did various other Nephews and relatives). He’d always deflect attention by saying his injuries (a couple of lost fingers and a few scars) were due to battles with dragons, or lions or tigers and even sabre toothed tigers and dinosaurs. After he died we saw his medals and found out about his service. A quiet and genial man, and very good humoured. God only knows how, given what we found out afterwards. One foolish bully found out to his cost.
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