New Lexus Owner

craig2024 · January 23

Good morning,

Expecting delivery of my new ES 300 this thursday on a lease deal. Came on here to see what's occurring and I'm already depressed at my purchasing choice. From what I read, I'll be lucky not to have car nicked anytime soon. Or is it that a user forum would indeed primarily have only bad news and horror stories. I'm already missing my Merc GLC 250d and regretting my leased Lexus. Any positives folks to get me off the ledge 🙂

GMB · January 23

55 minutes ago, craig2024 said:

Any positives folks to get me off the ledge

All I can think of is to make sure your insurance or gap insurance will pay in full. Then when it has gone you don't need to worry about it any more. Pick up a nice 8 yr old RCF and spend the rest on a good holiday maybe?

craig2024 · January 23

Good point. I'll check that. I'm no car junkie but from reviews I read and test drive it appears a lovely well built, comfortable and eye catching motor. Is it just the ease of nicking that's the downside ?

wharfhouse · January 23

1 hour ago, craig2024 said:

Good morning,

Expecting delivery of my new ES 300 this thursday on a lease deal. Came on here to see what's occurring and I'm already depressed at my purchasing choice. From what I read, I'll be lucky not to have car nicked anytime soon. Or is it that a user forum would indeed primarily have only bad news and horror stories. I'm already missing my Merc GLC 250d and regretting my leased Lexus. Any positives folks to get me off the ledge 🙂

I assume you chose the car because it's what you wanted and so meets your needs better than the Merc or you would have stayed with the Merc? There are some issues with Canbus thefts of some Lexus models / years but of course it's not only Lexus that are being targeted - other marques are suffering from significant rises in thefts too, but you will get all the gory details on Lexus thefts here with it being a Lexus forum and an active one, and helpful one. I do agree that Lexus should do more to help owners but that said outside the big cities the theft issues are much lower (I see you live in Renfrewshire). IMHO all you can do with any car is take sensible precautions and not lose sleep over it, especially if it's a car to be used daily and not a pride-and-joy weekend car. The "professional" car thieves that are stealing to order will be able to take virtually any car if they want it regardless of what you try and do to stop them (see posts about steering wheel locks defeated by angle grinders and cutting the steering wheel). What they are stealing today will change and tomorrow it will be something else by a new unknown means that people may have bought thinking it was a "safe" buy. You said it's a leased car and although I haven't had a car on a personal lease AFAIK the lease company will have to handle most of the fall out should the car be stolen. As in a lot of things in life, assume the worst will happen and be pleasantly surprised when it doesn't...!

craig2024 · January 23

To be honest, replacing with a Merc would have been my first choice as I have had no problems with the last two I leased plus look very impressive. Leasing cost has rocketed for them and availability to lease is very difficult at the moment.

I've always had a soft spot for Lexus and took a look and test drive and it ticked all the boxes. I live in nice bit of Glasgow which has no more or less criminality than other nice areas. Family member recently had Range Rover lifted nearby so these things happen, or don't. And as I put, looking on a forum is like typing a symptom into google expecting the all clear medically. Never gonna be good news. Thanks for replying, appreciated !

wharfhouse · January 23

40 minutes ago, craig2024 said:

To be honest, replacing with a Merc would have been my first choice as I have had no problems with the last two I leased plus look very impressive. Leasing cost has rocketed for them and availability to lease is very difficult at the moment.

I've always had a soft spot for Lexus and took a look and test drive and it ticked all the boxes. I live in nice bit of Glasgow which has no more or less criminality than other nice areas. Family member recently had Range Rover lifted nearby so these things happen, or don't. And as I put, looking on a forum is like typing a symptom into google expecting the all clear medically. Never gonna be good news. Thanks for replying, appreciated !

I hope that when you get the ES it lives up to your expectations - it's certainly a good car for covering long mileages comfortably and quietly. Although if you are leasing, long-term reliability won't be top of your list, you should encounter very few problems while you have the car that would take it off the road.