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IMHO it's horses for courses. I have an IS 300h in Executive trim. I came from a BMW 330i. I had a full day test drive in the IS 300h so had chance to really compare and contrast and off the back of that bought a 2 year old IS 300h with 40k miles from a Lexus dealer the next day. I could have bought any marque (though had got bored of BMW having owned quite a few) and any trim levels but what I wanted was a reliable, sensibly quick, reasonably equipped car that could do longer journeys in comfort and that would represent me well with my work clients. My cars are not treated with kid gloves as they are also a tool that I need to get me around the country earning money. Over 4 years on and closing on 100k miles the IS 300h is running like new and is a pleasure to get into and drive every day. Like others have said we all have our own views on cars and what is right and wrong for each of us. Reading just car reviews I may have not bought the car but spending a day in one sold it to me.

Also had steering pump replaced, upper front control arms, lower front balljoint, rear suspension arm no.2 with poly bush on brake side, coolant temperature sensor, air filter, Mass air controller cleaned, throttle body cleaned, ECU capacitors replaced (thanks Steve), cushion on front strut bar getting done. Running quite sweetly!

Under bonnet cleanse and Gtechniq last week!

A good wash and wax. Coming up to 217,000!

I have answered the question in the quote of your submission but for the camera I will do so again The slides are drying out and the rubber grips the glass like a vice ,apply silicone spray to the grooves as the window travels up and down and the problem will disappear.

Drive and park your car so the light from your car lights up a wall and see if the light beam on low lights is flat. If that is the case you have OK lights for both left- and right-hand driving. If your light beam is higher on the left side (car is right hand drive?) the oncoming in Europe will be blinded and the lights are not legal.

I can report that bonus was ok 🙂 Yes that is right - I meant jump starting the hybrid is ok as long as done correctly, but it is safer to use battery tender rather than take risk (whatever small) jumpstarting it everyday. I agree that trying to jump start another car from hybrid is very bad idea, but in this case it is not even viable as it is the hybrid which has dead battery.

A looming and potentially controversial topic but one of particular interest to those, like me, with 'non-compliant' engines as E10 petrol becomes phased in this Summer. Both official and independent comment earnestly suggests that use of E10 fuel will damage non-compliant engines and yet there will no doubt be those who remain sceptical. However, given the reports of potential and significant damage it's not a risk that I'm preparing to take so I shall not be using E10 petrol which means that I shall be paying more for E5 fuel. My initial thinking is that although there will be many prospective buyers who will not be bothered about the need to use more expensive fuel there will be others who will shy away so overall it might be realistic to expect the demand for non-compliant vehicles to reduce which will presumably mean that the sell-on value will reduce also. And despite 'caveat emptor', I wonder if future used car advertisements start to show 'E10 compliant' alongside the now common 'ULEZ compliant'? Discuss ... PS ... If in doubt, here's the link to check your vehicle compliancy :- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/e10-petrol-explained

If done correctly jump starting shouldn't really damage anything, but charging the battery via battery tender would be better and safer option. I cannot say how much electricity that would use (I don't think it would be much if noticeable at all), but in either case it will be significantly less than accidentally damaging something when jump starting. Secondly, there is large choice of aftermarket batteries which are both cheaper and better than OE, so I would worry about waiting for stock to be available from dealership - just order compatible battery from any shop.

i have just done a search at eurocar parts in hampshire and they seem to have them in stock now i dont think its an AGm though but it will keep you going until your new lexus battery arrives the euro carparts lion 063 battery is £64.99 if it keeps you on the move then i think its worth the cost ,and once the AGM battery is fitted you'll have a spare battery in case you ever need to jump start your car or someone else's car remember you DONT jump start another car from a hybrid car it can cause damage to the hybrid car.

@paulrnxKeep an eye on the deals of the various leasing sites - EVs are good lease bargains at the moment. Our Renault Zoe ZE50 GT Line was only £240 per month which I didn't think was bad for a £33k car (no deposit). There was a cracking deal on a Hyundai IONIQ Electric for only £200 per month with no deposit recently. LeaseLoco, Leasing.com and Gateway2Lease are some sites I look at regularly. The leasing section of WhatCar is also pretty good at times. Leasing isn't for everyone and it took me a while to come around to the idea. However, the last couple of cars my wife had (Toyota Aygo) were worth exactly the same as the balloon payment at the end of each PCP deal. This meant that financially there were pretty much the same as leasing. We moved to EV with the Zoe last October and haven't looked back. It is now our main car as I recently sold my NX. I've not been to a petrol station in 6 months. Charging is either free at my local supermarket (7kW charger at Tesco or 50kW charger at Asda) or at home on Octopus Energy Go-Faster which is only 5.5p per kWh between 8.30pm and 1.30am. This means a full charge of the 50kWh battery is only £2.75 and good for 180-240 miles (depending on the weather). (Note: the Octopus Energy link is my referral link which gets both me and the user £50.00 each when you sign up) The UXe looks like a fab car but I feel it is priced too high at the moment. I also worry about the Lexus decision to use CHaDEmo as the rapid charge connection rather than CCS which is much more common. The only other mainstream car that uses CHaDEmo is the Nissan Leaf (I think!), which while very common at the moment, I believe the next EV from Nissan will move to CCS. While rapid chargers at the moment have both types of connections, I wonder if this will continue in the future as more cars come along with just CCS.

Most people in Spain John, I find welcoming and they speak English. I stayed in a small Chateaux near Pau in 2018 and the residents spoke no English when we arrived. After buying some of their wine and paying their Bill their English was bordering on impeccable !

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/bmw-driver-causes-10-car-pile-up-after-unexpectedly-using-indicator-20210319206306

Harsh. But true. 😊

Thanks Steve .Now how on Earth did I know you`d say that ? Welcome indeed. ENJOY, but please, please don`t spread the good news to Audi, BMW or Merc drivers as they will not be able to effect the necessary personality transformation !!

Silicon spray down the window guides with glass all the way down should be on the annual maintainence list of all cherished car owners. I do it same time as the sunroof guides, silicon spray and wipe and check sunroof drains . then just to check ,run windows and sunroof fully open and then close them individually , holding the switch after window has closed for a few seconds longer to reset its ‘brain’ for auto close.

I've never driven a car with air suspension but I have been a passenger in a few and to be absolutely honest, I don't know what the fuss is all about as I find very little difference between that and normal suspension. I too, have back problems (serious enough to see me retired early on medical grounds) and found the standard suspension on our 2005 RX300 SE NAV very comfortable. Having said that, if your budget could stretch to a series 3 RX450h then that's a whole new level of comfort again. The higher seating position of the RX makes it much easier for me to get in and out and I find I really struggle in a saloon car these days, which would completely rule out the IS for me personally.

Hello all. My name's Frank. I own a garage queen BMW 3 series . I have a thing for older cars with lower mileage 🦄. Just found this forum via google search as I'm looking to become a Lexus IS250 owner. Hoping to learn a lot from here.

Steering weight is impacted by the tyres a lot, even tyre pressure can make a big difference, so when changing from 17s to 18s and presumably different tyres that certainly could impact how steering feels. That is literally how almost all the new cars are bought, as such manufacturers don't really try to make cars too reliable... Manufacturers care about people who buy new cars, but people who buy new cars don't care about reliability past first 3-5 years. The people who care about reliability usually don't buy new cars often and likewise manufacturers don't care much about them or the reliability. I always remember joke (it may actually be fact, but I just don't feel like fact checking today, so let's just call it joke) about how French design cars... and how one of very first requirement is to make cars easily recyclable. Just one reason not to buy French car I guess - if they start from considering how to recycle the car, then in my opinion they don't have their values right. I understand that cars cannot last forever, but again I feel they should be designed to last as long as reasonably possible.

The isolator switch is on the right-hand side rim of the glovebox. Open the box and it exposes the switch, but it's on the rim, not inside the glove box.

Now there’s a drive down memory lane. That was my first car too - and what halfwit ever thought vacuum wipers were a good idea. Going uphill or trying to accelerate in the rain - and the wipers would slow down and stop! Eventually I fitted an electric motor to take over the task. But if I recall correctly (and I may not) the vacuum takeoff came in useful when I fitted a vacuum-operated brake servo. It also had a four-barrel Carter carb and I’d had the head skimmed. For a while it also had a sack of coal in the boot to improve the snow-covered hill climbing performance.

As Delboy would say, "you know it makes sense". Come on, dive in to the world of reliability and refinement. The IS250 is a beautiful car. The engine is a peach. You won't regret buying one. They go on and on like a Duracell bunny.

It might take him some considerable time Mark, as he`s probably trying to work out his likely bonus for y/e 2020.🤣

Took the GS for little trot around the Wirral. Meols, Hoylake, West Kirby, Heswall, Willaston and home. Very quiet out there today. Just as quiet as Sunday mornings used to be 54 years ago.😊 when I was learning to drive in my Dad`s Ford Popular 100E, I think it was. 3 speed box on the floor and vacuum wipers too.

Not done anything to the car today but planning to - I ordered an AvalonKing Armor Shield protection for a paint, so kind of decided to check if all that hype about ceramic protection is really good!

Sold..... Buyer happy with asking price and also very happy with car. He has had a bargain i think. Box of bits has gone also so cant offer them here. Onwards and upwards as they say !!!

That' s a very fair point, millions were sold and were not recalled because of this, so maybe I'm over stressing about it.

In defence of Linas... ! I got the impression that he was responding to the first post about multiple jump starts. He then goes on to talk about electricity consumption which is also in the first post. Unfortunately, his reply comes after the next post which advises against using a hybrid to jump start a conventional car. So it looks as though he's saying there's no problem with this. Maybe I'm wrong and he'll come back and say he was responding to the second post! As for the multiple jump starts - correct me if I'm wrong - but you were just about to say that 12 volts is 12 volts and the car doesn't know where it's coming from. So it's fine. As for the hybrid battery, I believe it's completely isolated until the car is in Ready mode.

And at the correct pressures !

I have to take issue with that Linas. The only thing that can really be done incorrectly is to reverse the polarity, but as long as you pay attention to what you're doing, that should never really be a problem. The main issue here is if the recipient car tries to draw more current than the hybrid's DC/DC converter can supply. An alternator on a conventional car can provide far more current, some of them up to 300A. If that sort of demand was put on a hybrid DC/DC converter it could possibly all end up in very expensive tears. Of course, you may get away with it but is it worth the risk? Personally, I think not.

Neither agreeing nor disagreeing - you make some valid points but from your perspective and needs which is fine - just wanted to point out that I made different decisions based on what I needed at that time (which may also be similar to others debating as to what marque or trim to buy). I don't think that any decision is a wrong decision as each to his or her own. Every decision is a compromise is one way or another. It's just good when people find a car that suits their unique circumstances.

Not very clear then whenever you agree or disagree with me, because that is basically what I have said just in different words. I said it is comfortable and reliable car to cruise around the country - seems like we agree. I as well said it is not sports car, nor very sporty - I can't see you making argument against it - so seems we agree again. Executive trim is factually one of the lowest trims available - not much to say there, it just is. When buying new I understand pros and cons of trims are directly related to money and BIK, but when buying used it does not cost much more just to get better trim, even if it is compromise of having 10k more miles. As such when buying used I would always try to get best trim available within my budget - rather than realising later I am missing 50% of best features car has to offer (especially in Lexus where retrofitting is most often not possible). Again, I cannot see you arguing any different here.

So that's the weekend sorted now what about "afters"? 😋😋😋

Only thing I find funny about France is that very long ago I went into the railway station in Paris and asked the lady sitting there something in all of the 4 languages flags on the counter was telling would be understood there. She answered me in French. Spain is also monolinguistic most places. In Holland they speak English, French, German and of course Flemish in southern part of the country.

I did know Philip....life is devalued without a sense of humour and Morecambe and Wise repeats ! I`ve driven to Spain and back twice a year for the last 15 years, but never in the Lexus. The Merc is a Diesel Auto Estate giving well in excess of 50 mpg over each journey and has a cavernous load area. Traffic is hardly ever a problem especially if using the by-passes around Bordeaux and Madrid. I always compute the economics and it is always difficult to justify, but I always manage the "equation of justification" 1 I am without my wife for 4 days 2. I meet up and stay with old and new friends and enjoy the Social Intercourse. 3 I enjoy good food, good wine and good cheeses 4. I am on holiday and can do what I like whenever I like with whoever I like 5. I see wonderful scenery in France and Spain. 6. I enjoy beautiful and quiet roads. 7. I carry domestic goods which cannot accompany me on a Plane 8. My car is not sitting at home doing nothing (although the Lexus is ) 9. I do not have to hire a car while I am there. 10. I can return with more Rioja than can be fitted into an overhead Lioja (Locker) If I can stay in Spain for at least 6 weeks the the cost of fuel and accommodation and subsistence can all be met by not having to hire a car. Anyway how does one put a value on items 1-10 inclusive ? One can always revalue the factors to make the equation work Philip. Try it and see.

Yes Roy, it has changed my driving style.😃 I don't seem to rush around everywhere now I just sit back & relax, it helps having the speed limit alert set to curb my speeding, I also anticipate traffic lights & junctions a lot more now.👍 Coming from a manual gearbox I really like the eCTV, it just seems so seamless & my wife loves the fact it is so quiet in the car compared to our last 2 diesels. Really pleased I made the move to Lexus.

No problem John. I had no intention of confusing anvone. I am just always suspicious of anything French and so merely retain them in the glovebox. I was once stopped by the French Constabulary just after leaving Spain--perhaps 200 metres--and they inspected my papers and the Estate which was packed to the gunnels with wine, olive oil and oranges. I told them not to open the doors, but they ignored me and whoops all of the oranges rolled out into the following traffic !! They did al least recover them for me. I muttered something to myself about Agincourt and drove away promptly North and on to UK.

Quality tyres help a lot with ride quality.

It was your mentioning of the alcotester that confused me; I have been stopped by French police but was never asked about anything related to alcohol. Not that it matters to me; I do not know that alkohol is good for anything else than cleaning. Could be good as octane booster?

I do remember when I bought my first LS400 that the previous owner said he replaced a couple of window switches because they were slow. If the silicone doesn't work it may be worth a try as they are cheap and easy to replace.

I agree John, Numpsies? Predictive text is such a pain 😉 but I think the writer also meant to say remainers were suffering from narcolepsies defined as: a disorder characterised but sudden and uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep, sometimes accompanied by paralysis of thought and hallucinations 🍺

Here’s what the little blighter looks like when doing it’s stuff!

It was law for a year or two but then the requirement was dropped, so no need to carry them anymore.

I managed to save 1K on my pre reg IS300 just by negotiating on the phone, good luck.

This week we had a few good days: sunny and high temps I replaced the outer door deals on my 430 - they had started to disintegrate slightly - straight forward job. Replaced the number plate lights with led bulbs - subtle upgrade and spent some cleaning the interior and treating the seats to some leather feed.

Well, here it is! Since I upgraded from a 200 to a 300, I had both cars outside the house for a while. So, I decided to make a video explaining the differences between these two. I'm hoping this is the end of all IS200 vs IS300 threads! 😄 I tried to be as accurate as I possibly could, so please excuse any minor errors. Short answer... the IS300 is best. Enjoy: Feel free to SUBSCRIBE! I'll be building this IS300 to transform it into a 600whp MONSTER! Having never built an engine before or manual swapped anything etc. I hope that everyone will be able to track my project and learn from my mistakes should they choose the same path. 🙂

It’s all about attitude to risk isn’t it. A classic risk and reward decision. The risk is shelling out £400 per year that you never see a benefit from. The reward is having one or more repairs done at no cost other than the cost of the warranty of course. Another factor is the likelihood of a fault developing which needs a repair. I believe this is low given my experience of the marque to date. Then finally there is the hybrid system. This to me adds another level of complexity and risk. Yes they are reliable but any fault in this area is likely to be very expensive. Not that easy a decision. I’ll need to decide what to do in July. I do think that £795 for two years cover is relatively good value. I do keep coming back to the thought that It’s counter intuitive to drive a Lexus because they are super reliable and then buy a warranty just in case something breaks. The warranty won’t cover general wear and tear anyway.

Absolutely not. The only thing you need to use the main dealer for is anything that only they can do, ie, hybrid stuff. The rest of the car is just like any other car on the road - engine, brakes, radiator and cooling system etc., etc., can all be dealt with by a good garage (preferably recommended by others) anywhere. I'm not having a pop at you but I have to say that it really annoys me when people just dismiss out of hand, anywhere other than the main dealers. 'Motor mechanic' is a recognised trade and people have to serve an apprenticeship and qualify to do the job. They put a lot of time, effort and money into learning their skills and they build up a reputation, only to be snubbed and ignored by some people who mistakenly think that only the main dealers will do a good job. Plus, there's no point in spending over the odds (which you would be) just to get a Lexus stamp in the book. Other garages can legitimately stamp the book too.

That's what I did. PDP on my NX ended in Oct. If the UXe had been worth waiting for I'd have got a little run around for a few months. I was really disappointed that Lexus couldn't manage better. Bought a Telsa Model 3 Long Range instead. Longer range that the UXe, faster charging (up to 5x the kw), CCS charging instead of the Lexus "betamax" choice of Chamedo, super charger network, faster acceleration (0-60 4.2s), bigger boot, over-the-air updates so it improves gradually over time. It makes my NX look like an antique. Would never go back to an ICE car.

Yes, it can be switched off. You can also stop the movement by pressing the relevant switch again to stop it going too high. (Btw, the power tailgate is only available on the higher trims, and in some cases as an option rather than standard.)