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Hi all , after being told that I’d have to replace both front air struts because the top mounts had gone (m.o.t ) around £1500-£1700 it was great to find brian berridge , orchard engineering , life saver and a genuine nice guy , after separating top mounts from struts I sent them to Brian on the Wednesday morning and got them back rebushed at 1030 am Friday , what a legend this man is , I must say that I’m in Scotland and Brian is in Gloucester

Thanks for sharing your experiences driving your GS car. Mine is simply just awesome. I have been driving mine for over 6 months now and I am in love with it! I have been appreciating this car so much that I simply cannot wait to drive it again and again. After driven Mercedes cars and BMWs, Lexus is something else, way above the previous cars I have had. I love the way it drives in such comfort and luxurious way, so quiet at times when EV quicks in. The mileage consumption is very good for 3.5 V6 petrol engine, I get on average 29mpg driving in town (doing an average 20-30 mph) and on the motorway I can easily get 38mpg. The car is so composed and the suspension is soft enough to make the journey so enjoyable. They have done a remarkable job building this car. Driving on the motorway is so smooth and relaxing and yet the power is there when I need it. It really feels awesome. I feel like I am going to keep this car for years to come without a doubt. Now, I get to understand why Lexus drivers keep their cars for a long time. It feels really special to be part of this brand and the quality interior is by far the best I have seen from all previous cars I have had...

In general terms no, because you are assuming that the only type of driving to care about is fast driving on country lanes, closed roads or tracks. Why isn't the way a car handles the cut and thrust of a busy motorway important to those who care about driving? Why isn't the way the car handles pot-holed side roads and slow traffic queues important to those who care about driving? Those are the situations most people face day-to-day whether they care about driving or not. You don't have to be a sports car worshipping petrol-head to care about driving and some online car reviews focus on these other aspects more these days. I've never bought into the concept that you have to be a sports car fan to care about driving, because I'm not a fan of sports cars and I love driving. I really dislike the Top Gear style reviews and the way that a lot of the car magazines seem to think that the sports trim is the only trim of interest in a model range, to be honest I'm far more interested in whether the ones at the luxury end of the range can provide a good compromise between comfort and handling or not. That doesn't mean I don't care about driving. The problem with your statement is that it is dismissive and wrong.

People are bound to copy this idea.

Finally got to wash it.

Finally got around to giving her a good wash today after picking her up on Saturday. A good hand polish, and the paint has come up better than expected.

Hi all Well i have had the Mk 4 450h for four months now and it is growing on me every day when i first got it i was dissapointed with the headrest position but found out that the headrest adjusts with the top part of the seat so that was soon resolved. The car runs superb i dont think its got quite the poke that my ex 450 SE L had but it is more than adequate it will soon whisk you to 100 in no time. I like the way you can go to sport mode and changes the battery monitor to a rev counter and in sport mode simulates actual gear changes but i mostly keep it in the normal mode anyway. The fuel consumption is ok as well mind anyone who buys a 3.5 must know its going to use fuel i dont usually bother with the figures but my last 450 averaged about 35 ish but this one is returning 43 on a regular basis but i dont boot it ( well not often ). One thing that did disapoint initially was the cd player its only one slot it as USB and bluetooth and i have managed to put my libary on 2 USB sticks so that is now resolved it shows all files and folders as the old 450 had HDD 6 CD USB Bluetooth and when i think about it it was overkill really as if you put in a new CD it asked if you wanted to transfer to HDD. The initial startup of the display is a little slow but acceptable ( I bet the facelift addressed that) the sat nav seems slightly better but contary to others found it quite acceptable but dildnt get the Connect system to work through the internet but not bothered about that. I also found that the handling is slightly better i went round a bend few weeks ago (didnt know the road) was a little too fast but went round like it was on rails was pleased at that it as Dunlop sports on. The mouse thingy was a little fiddly first of but i am completetly used to it now but music options can be used with steering wheel any way. I found that the Heater Controls and lights are a bit small could have done with that panel being angled up a bit but not too much of a problem. The HDU is a nice touch and the Blind spot monitering and Cross traffic alert is brilliant So in conclusion anyone changing up from a Mk3 will not be disappointed Robert

Closing the loop. Fixed it. I wasn’t sure which part of the central console wasn’t working so bought a second hand unit from eBay at £450, there were less expensive units but the code didn’t match on the top screen element and didn’t want to risk it. I’m no expert but watched a video on YouTube on how to replace it and did it in a couple of hours. Ah - we’ve air conditioning and the audio system which is all we really wanted - integral sat nav is no where near as good as TomTom app. Thanks for the help all those who came back.

First_Lexus - bear in mind that the Soul is only available (with what little availability kia hyundai are giving) as an EV from here on out. If you want one in your "over a year" timeframe you need to order it now.

Hi some good pointers regarding brake checks ,this is a common problem with these cars ,If your MPG is from the computer ,I have found this to be practically 7% optimistic so it could be worse than you think .With my car which I have had for 4 years ,I average 28-29 around town ( I do not drive in cities normally and don't do many short runs) and 38-40 on long runs and holidays I let the auto do the changing and find cruise control makes a big difference on motorway trips.I would not think manual would make a great deal of difference unless you are the revs go over 2000 when accelerating from a stop The lazy v6 has plenty of torque Dave

Here's an interesting comparison on oil filters (not entirely on topic but still is worth a read) that shows the bits we can't normally see: https://www.spyderchat.com/threads/oil-filter-exposed.27947/ Goes to show that whilst some items can look the same it's not always the case. I'd usually stick to genuine Toyota oil filters unless I'm running an engine in. Can remember using Blueprint ones for a while until I found one with a bit of metal in it - who or whatever tapped the thread on it hadn't done it neatly!

That's a good thing for two reasons. It will be easier to prove the issue to them and as they made it worse they're now fully on the hook for fixing it.

I agree, although it's done now 265 will be the replacements. It looks like my TPMS refuses to acknowledge the new set up, on the actual tyre pressure screen the pressures are blank then if i drive I get the small tyre inflation symbol flash then stay on. Is there a procedure to 'tune in' the new units? Took this yesterday to give an idea of proportions both disc to wheel and wheel arch gap, still think lips/extensions will be the answer.

Hi guys just a quick update, we had the car repaired yesterday at Lexus. They informed us that the scratch on the grill is very minimal and he said just wait until it’s more scratched. I agreed with his idea and just changed the plinth and number plate. Furthermore we agreed on getting the air conditioning refresh completed at £15. So in total it was £181.

I'm with Herbie on this. The manufacturers don't actually make the filters. In fact in Europe, most Japanese manufacturers source filters from suppliers in Europe rather than supply all the way from Japan. It helps avoid long lead times for supply and keeps costs down. You're still getting an OEM-spec filter and it comes with the backup of the car's manufacturer. But you could probably buy the exact same filter in the aftermarket cheaper. For instance I know that Mahle in Germany supply filters to one Japanese manufacturer (not Lexus before you ask). I also agree that you should avoid the Chinese no-name filters you often see on eBay. No backup, no quality control, no thanks. My RX has a Bosch filter supplied by the local motor factor.

If I purchased new and wanted to protect my paintwork, I'd be looking at getting these guys doing the work: https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/uf/new-car-protection-service.aspx They know their stuff. And they're not cheap. Have you seen the price of gtechniq products? They've done a few Lexus; https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/car-care-blog/paintwork-correction/lexus-is-f-flagship-sports-saloon-revitalised-using-rupes-bigfoot/ https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/car-care-blog/new-car-protection/lexus-lc-500-v8/ https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/car-care-blog/gloss-enhancement/lexus-gs-f-comprehensively-protected-with-gtechniqs-composite-ceramic-coating/ Edit: reading them again, the GS-F owner is also the same LC 500 owner. I wonder if they lurk in these forums?

What year 7 series? My father bought a 1996 E38 740iL 4.4 in 1999, and the LS400 was the car that made it into the final 2 (S was too big and too slow (needed an S500 to match the 4 litre cars from other manufacturers), XJ was far too small and cramped (belying its very dated roots) and the A8 was idiotically uncomfortable (extremely hard suspension, extremely hard seats and horrific roadnoise - suitable for a sports car, not a luxury saloon)). At the time, we got the 7 because of a number of things that swayed the choice that way. The budget that my father had in mind didn't quite stretch to getting us into an LS400 mk4, and the mk3 was a little off the pace of the BMW in a few ways - the BMW had a 5 speed transmission and the (then new) 4.4 V8 in the BMW was a decent engine. The LWB 7 series had more space in the back than either LS400, and electric reclining seats in the back which the LS couldn't match. His BMW had the comfort seats, which were better than what Lexus were offering at the time, and really nicely trimmed and finished, and the cabin plastics and wood were a little higher quality than the LS. Another factor that swayed it was that we knew the original owner of the 7 (but it was sold through the BMW dealer). The LS was quieter inside and had a smoother ride quality. The BMW was more powerful (than a mk3 LS), faster, more spacious and handled better. Over the years (he owned it from 1999 until his death in 2017) that car covered over 100k miles, at significant cost. On the mechanical side I think the LS is a far sturdier car - the BMW had problems with the cooling system (belt shredded, fan blades everywhere, coolant leaks), it had a persistant high-load misfire (and limp mode) for a long time that after they replaced a whole bunch of parts (one bank cat, plugs, coil packs, etc) was eventually diagnosed as a bad inlet manifold gasket. There were ball joints and all sorts. Even when the car was 20 years old he would not dream of taking it anywhere other than a BMW dealer, and a visit there rarely ever came to less than 4 figures. There were also persistent niggles - the parking brake release system was idiotic and fell to bits regularly. The orange inverted LCD displays were all losing pixels (the cables inside die). By the time I sold the car in 2017 corrosion was seriously taking its toll on body and suspension. In retrospect I do think the LS would have saved him thousands of pounds on maintenance costs (but many years before he had a British Leyland Jaguar XJ12, so after that there's no such thing as unreliable or expensive to run), and the BMW brought out the worst in his driving which might have been a little more relaxed in the Lexus I think both were great cars, with different strengths and weaknesses

Another recommendation for Uniroyal Rainsport 3 here. Just fitted 225/40/18 fronts and 255/35/18 rears 2 weeks ago and they do inspire confidence and strangely feels like there is a lot less roll when cornering. Great tyres for a great price - £417 fitted.

Took some better photos today, the first one was me trying to be 'arty' and failed playing with the light/shade. Also note the £12 e-bay rear diffuser.

Oh gosh... Many years ago I had a Citroen BX. It had the hand brake on the front wheels, and the early ones also had a problem that if you pulled the hand brake on whilst the car was rolling it would jack the front suspension up. Then you got out, went into your home and the car's suspension levelled itself and also somehow relased the hand brake too... I didn't know this, when I reversed onto my drive I smartly pulled the hand brake on, jumped out, went in and did the usual get home from work stuff. Kiss the dog, pat the wife on the head, you know.. First I heard was when my neighbour across the road came and asked me why I had left my car in the middle of the road... Always left it in gear after that.

Well. I have a year 2000 Jaguar S type 4.0 V8. On a "run" using fairly clear roads (A3, M25, A1) to Peterborough I can get anything up to 28mpg at usual motorway speeds. But it's usually around the 25mpg mark. I don't hammer it, a big lazy 4 litre V8 you don't need to. I like the sound it makes...But when I do I can glance at the onboard mpg indicator and watch it drop to circa 12mpg. There's a price to pay if you want to use it. I don't expect anything else. Wide rubber, very grippy. I used my wife's Ford Fiesta 1.4 auto to go to work one day last week, pre MOT because she doesn't use it much, it did just over 38mpg. I also have a 2004 3.0 V6 Jaguar XJ6. It has the Jaguar version of the Ford Duratec V6 3 litre that makes 240bhp. Same journey, much lighter car being aluminium bodied, it will give me 34mpg if I can coax it into 6th gear which means it will be breaking the speed limit slightly.If not it's 29-30 mpg. But it does have wide and grippy tyres on it. And I have a 2001 model Mini 1 1600 which struggles to do anywhere near 40mpg, because frankly I drive it like I stole it. That's what they are for. In the right conditions. And now I have my 2000 model Lexus RX300 that is fitted with more or less commercial truck tyres that were cheap but have a good wet weather rating. That's what they feel like, very stiff sidewalls and I'm getting circa 28mpg off her and I'm happy at that because like I said, it's a big, heavy, not very aerodynamic lump. And I really want to try a Hybrid not because of the fuel economy, but because I have never driven one. Do I take the risk of simply buying an older one to see how I get on with it? Or waste peoples time test driving ones for sale... Not that kind of chap if I'm honest. You see I didn't know the engine only ran if the battery asked for it. I didn't know that you cannot just start the engine and drive off. There's a lot I don't know. I have driven a Leaf and a Volt(?) and they were a little strange if I'm honest. When I use my 2015 Honda VFR FE to go to work at Watford, I get an average of 58mpg. Like I try and get across, it's horses for courses. I pulled up behind a really nice RX400h at the turn off onto the M25 yesterday on my way home, it had private plates and I was about to ask the driver about it when the lights changed... That's what I need to do, look out for an owner whilst I'm at work (I'm building a new Aldi at Century Park in Watford) who has pulled up in the car park and see if they don't mind if I ask a few questions. I sort of believe that Lexus owners will be as proud of their cars as the average older Jaguar owner. And most bikers if I'm honest. My daughter has a 2018 model Renault Twingo .9 litre turbo thing. Even with stop start she cannot get anywhere near the manufacturer figure for fuel economy, she gets high 40's. The above is why I don't expect to buy a large engined luxury barge and get good mileage. Manufacturers figures are done in a lab, not on a road. Don't know why they bother with them if I'm blunt. Not a useful guide at all.

Hi all, thought I'd add some pictures on for you all as requested. I added a few extras: New rubber boot mat, brand new Lexus roof bars and Heko wind deflectors. All of these added makes a big difference to the car as it stands. Disappointing thing is i might have to sell it because the Mrs can't get used to it 😫.

Crazily at the moment I'm getting around 34mpg. My wifes Fiat 500 is only doing 40mpg....

Looks a bit like a video game here but it is real 🙂

You shouldn’t have to pay and as Malc says 3rd party claim, just the mechanics of how you do it, and I am sure somebody on here will explain how. Good luck,

Certainly very similar to how we feel about our 15 plate 450h Premier. Handling is superb compared to our previous Volvo V70 - the GS has much better weight distribution, much less roll, grips WAY harder. The drivetrain is much more securely mounted in the car (in the volvo you could feel the engine flop about on its mounts) which gives a much more predictable feel, and when you really pitch it into a corner and the adaptive dampers do their thing... well, it's the most capable roadholding car that I've ever had (or driven, come to that). Drivetrain is superbly refined, able to cruise @ 1500rpm at any speed. Acceleration doesn't FEEL super fast, and doesn't have the peak punch that our V70 did (twin-turbo 5-cylinder diesel, 470Nm torque), but the EV-like linearity of the acceleration means that it actually gathers speed with so little fuss and effort by comparison, and in a much smoother manner. This fools you into believing it's slower than it actually is. Fuel consumption is as per my fuelly sig at the bottom of this post. I'm very pleased with that, as our V70 only returned 38mpg (225bhp, diesel). The 450h is 50% more powerful and petrol so to get basically the same economy is remarkable and welcome. The CD thing doesn't bother me - our V70 was the same, and we never once used it. Our honda had a 6-disc changer which we did use, but in a world of USB I don't miss that faff at all! The infotainment UI isn't very good. I'm not complaining about the mouse-thing - I actually think that works very well. It provides useful haptic feedback (we have it set to max strength) and once you understand that it has an absolute relationship to the position on the screen (rather than a relative relationship like an actual computer mouse) then it's a very good bridge between hand and screen. The problem is that the actual UI of how things are accessed is really awkward, taking many more presses and actions than it should. For example, when playing some music off the USB stick and deciding that I want to listen to a different artist I must take the following steps: Select right-hand screen, select music panel, send music panel to left-hand screen, select browse, select artist, select letter group (or scroll list), select artist, select album. If partway through that process I come to a road junction or whatever that requires my full attention then if I do not return to it quickly enough it will time out and I must start again. Another example is that it is not possible to cancel the navigation when it is giving you instructions - we have been a couple of times to a shop where the postcode doesn't quite align, so pulling into the car park the sat nav is constantly re-routing and trying to direct. Every time it does this it blocks you out of the menu to cancel the route navigation. And why are postcodes (the PRIMARY method of destination entry in the UK) on the second page of the nav screen? We once tried voice commands to cancel navigation with totally hilarious (and depressing) results - completely useless. Now, in fairness most car infotainment UIs are awful - our volvo was limited and tedious (for example, choosing an artist from USB required scrolling through a list - could not jump the list using the physical number/letter group keys, and every time you went to the list it started from A). My Leaf is extraordinarily annoying (Doesn't give a list of Artists, but instead the complete list of Albums, sorted in Artist order.... Then don't get me started on its interpretation of finding charging points (Start a journey with a full charge, ~90 miles range. Put in destination 150 miles away. Warns you that you won't make it on your current charge, and offers to find a charge point for you - guides you to nearest charge point which you will arrive at with 95% battery remaining and still won't make your destination)). In other words.... the Lexus system has its annoyances and idiosyncrasies (and idiocies), but so do most others. Another issue is the spray of buttons and some settings buried in menus. I spent 10 minutes looking through the menus one time because the mirrors weren't folding in when locked. Gave up, and 5 minutes later noticed that the "auto" button on the door mirror control panel did not have the little green tell-tale LED lit. Similarly the auto-wipers are only indicated by a little green tell-tale on the wiper stalk, that is obscured behind the steering wheel (our volvo had a similar tell-tale, but it also put an icon up in the instrument panel - and the wipers defaulted to off every time you started the car (sensible because it meant it wouldn't try wiping while you were deicing the car, clearly an important consideration for volvo)). How many buttons and telltales are there in the car marked "auto" (one on the mirror panel on the door, one on the wiper stalk, one on the headlamp stalk, two in the HVAC controls, one on each seat heater control, one on the rear climate panel, one on the rear view mirror....) The build quality is excellent, although the paint isn't particularly good (we have a couple of patches of crazing, and it's soft, picking up scratches easily). The most remarkable aspect of build quality to me is the way that when you shut the doors the noise of the outside world is so comprehensively drowned out - my Leaf has very thin glass and lets a lot of noise in, whereas the GS does not. Noticeably quieter than our V70. Seats are generally very good.... but I have a funny shaped back and I just can't quite get the lumbar to work for me, even the 2-step lumbar in the Premier. The problem that I have is that even the higher lumbar control isn't quite high enough up the seat for me (and I'm only 5'7). It's a shame that despite super-many-way-adjustable seats, the Premier does not have a proper 2d lumbar (ie in/out, up/down) but rather 2 separate 1d controls (lower in/out, upper in/out) - the lower is so low as to be useless for anyone, and the upper one is not high enough for me but may suit others. I love the adjustable bolsters and thigh support, but the memory functions are weird. It's extremely annoying not being able to recall the memory position whilst the car is moving or even stationary but in gear, and the passenger memory does not recall the thigh support position. On the plus side, the ventilation and heating are great, and I love being in the front passenger seat, set the thigh support out, recline a bit.... way too comfortable. Visibility is excellent! The A-pillars are designed exactly right in terms of size and angle. The V70 wasn't great in this regard, but the Leaf is truly appalling (you can literally lose a van in the A-pillar blind spot). There's a few little things you don't notice at first about how lexus designed the vehicle to improve this - the windscreen bonding overlap is moved as far outboard as possible, so the windscreen covers the front of the A-pillar, and with minimal masking applied on the screen, so there's not 1/2 inch of visible (from the inside) black masking at the edge like other cars. Then the A-pillar trim is angled to not project into that space, and the door overlap is also slightly carefully designed. You can see a similar overlap on the rear screen on the C-pillar, that the rear screen is wider and overlaps further onto the C pillar than other cars, making the view from inside wider. Really lovely piece of design work. BSM is good, ACC is ok - not as good as a VW hire car I had recently though (66 plate touran. It was the only good thing about that car). The ACC tends to pick up vehicles in adjacent lanes on curves as obstacles (which the VW was much better at), and the ACC is only a guide (the VW, I quickly discovered, allowed you to use it as a virtual bumper - once it was locked onto the car in front you could floor the throttle and it wouldn't move, which was a nice way of driving - felt like there was something the car was pushing against). AHB is totally useless - it works for a minute or two, then gets confused, doesn't dip for oncoming cars and then goes into a sulk and never turns high beam on ever again. I've not really played with LKA. LED headlamps (I know, a VERY rare option in the UK) are excellent, but confusing. Excellent in that they provide extremely wide, bright coverage, although in common with many high-power flat-beam systems they don't project as far down the road (in order to avoid dazzle) as a good halogen dip-beam setup (but that is very dim by comparison). The optic design isn't great, with extremely strong chromatic aberration at the cut-off (blue-red-yellow). The confusing element comes from them turning with the steering (which the xenons on our V70 did also). They turn much faster than the volvo and that works fine - I just don't understand why bother? The LED lights project light SO widely (pavements on both sides of the road well illuminated, pool of light extends out almost perpendicular to the motion of the car) that what's the point of turning them? You don't see any better over that way because it was already lit over that way. I understood the purpose with much narrower projected Xenon and Halogen lights, but it's just a totally unnecessary complication on the LED lights. So, I know it sounds like I'm focused on the negatives... I'm not - I just don't indulge in blind fanboyism with any car. I love the car and it's easily the best car we've ever owned (but I might not be saying that anymore once my Leaf is replaced with the Tesla). It's brilliant for what we do with it, and if you live your life on the motorway I can't think of a car I'd rather have. It feels special to be in and to drive.

Very pleased for you Vlad. As the Great Man said "all is well that ends well".

my recent experience as a passenger in a low miles 17 plate one was it's like an old bag'o'bones compared to the Ls400 and the back seat entry requirements are for someone with zero leg issues as it's just too high to escalate oneself up the ramparts Malc

Thanks for your review, I will be looking to go from en 3 to Gen 4 in the next year and I can now do it without any worries.

Well today didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped. Got the car into Bristol by 10.00 am but was given a courtesy car as it would take so long to do the work! I had hoped to be there and actually watch the work being done. There were no unusual or suspicious forms to sign which was a relief and they were very kind and pleasant to me. Around 4.00 pm I got a call saying they'd got the wrong exhaust parts and so couldn't complete the job. I've been back in and collected her do we can go to Leatherhead in our own car. Bit of a waste of our day but at least going in the right direction. The only good thing to have come out of all this is that I've now driven yet another Lexus that pulled away smoothly and sweetly and there were no exhaust noises to be concerned about. This was the NX300 and whoever buys that one will be getting a good car. Alan

Something like this?

Might be a bit over priced 😂

Search out Rocket Bunny https://blog.lexus.co.uk/rocket-bunny-lexus-rc-f-makes-its-world-show-debut/

How do A.Flux handle renewals then? I must admit gone is the courtesy of 28day renewal prics and it’s pushed to less than 14days to try give you less time to shop around. I moved away from A.Flux a few years back because they always had a magic wand that reduces the premium every time I got a cheaper quote. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for posting this. I am in the process of procuring our next year's worth of insurance on the Lexus and Adrian Flux were actually strongly in the running (read: cheapest). However, today they tried high-pressure sales ("We can't hold this price for you, it's only guaranteed until the end of this call") which deterred me somewhat. Then I read this thread. @DAN@ADRIAN FLUX You can take this to whomever - you're losing business because of this kind of behaviour as we will now definitely not be using you.

Hi and welcome to the club Jeegnesh. Let's see some photos of your new motor when you can! 1. I've never needed a towbar but from what I've read in this forum, I think it's a dealer-only supply and fit but I may be wrong so hopefully someone else will be able to clarify. 2. Yes, they can quickly go flat because they aren't very big and don't have a huge capacity. It's perfectly alright to accept a jump start from someone but don't ever use your hybrid to give a jump start. Some people use solar panels as a trickle charger if the car is parked outside for a while. I may even invest in one myself one day but for now, I always carry around a small jump start battery pack. It may be useful for you to have a read of a topic I started a while ago, about just this very thing: 3. Tyres. I have Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 2 all round on mine and they're absolutely excellent in every way. Other people will recommend the Michelin Cross Climates. Technically, point for point and item for item, they are equally as good as each other but you may be able to get a better deal on the Michelins price-wise. For me it's Goodyear, Michelin, and a third choice would be Avon ZX7. 4. They aren't designed to be an electric car. If you try to run on batteries only, you'll only manage a couple of miles and then they'd be flat. Even if you manually select EV mode and do a standing start when, say, moving off from traffic lights, you'll only have to breathe on the accelerator pedal and you'll get a message that "EV mode is cancelled due to excessive acceleration" and you'll be thinking 'but I haven't even reached 5mph yet!' The trick is to accelerate briskly up to speed and then just ever so lightly lift your foot off a bit so that you're just maintaining that momentum - that's when you can get the electric motors driving the car at 30 or 40mph. Anticipate stops so that you can do long, slow, braking which will help to keep the traction battery charged up because when you press the brake pedal the motors turn in the opposite direction to become generators. As you come to a stop at traffic lights or junctions you're probably used to putting the handbrake on and the car in Neutral, but don't do that anymore. Leave the car in 'D' and keep your foot on the brake. The hybrid system gets a signal from the brake pedal and won't charge the battery if the car is in Neutral. If you park up somewhere for any length of time but you like to listen to the radio, always keep the car in the READY state, which is the equivalent of having the ignition on. This is because the 12V battery is only small and hasn't got much capacity and, believe it or not, just having the radio on for 30 minutes without being in READY (the equivalent of having the key in the ACC position instead of IGN) can flatten the battery to such a degree that the car won't start. However, as long as the car is in READY, the petrol engine will fire up as and when necessary to keep the 12V battery charged. And finally, the most important bit - enjoy!

Sat on New 20’’ alloys, looks meaner 👍🏻

We will probably do 6 to 7k miles a year. I like to look after and keep cars: I usually scrub their undersides and cavity wax and underbody wax my cars. So I look for the best I can including looking underneath. Our Alfa 159 was 7 years old and I spent days rustproofing and polishing it: I would hope that this will be a long term purchase as the newer model is too big for my wife. So 6 years plus at least. I had arranged to test drove the silver Advance in Glasgow, though it had just sold, so I ended up with the older grey Lux: it was the right colour but not well enough looked after for me - so marks and minor damage to body and interior. They had a nice white Lux with a low mileage, but my wife has put her foot down - no white cars. I may fly to London and hire a car to look at a few if nothing comes up in the next month.

In many respects I do feel that Lexus do tend to be rip-off merchants. I did write to Lexus UK and suggested that they might consider providing just UK map updates, rather than the whole lot. They said that they would put it the powers that be but nothing has ever come of it. I'm sure that they would sell a lot of UK only updates if they made it an available option. When I wrote to them I provided images of what updates were available for the SatNav systems of other companies, along with the details of their more realistic prices but, as I say, as of now they have not taken the hint. I am tempted to buy from an auction site but at the moment I am still a little wary. One of my wife's friends uses her phone and links the map output to her in-car screen and it works a treat. I think that when I change my car again i won't bother with having the SatNav option, there are so many other, cheaper options available, especially where Lexus are concerned. Time and again on this site you see members complaining about the absolutely ridiculous prices that Lexus ask for spare parts. I would even consider changing brands because of this. My wife tells me that whatever happens I'll always be a Lexus man. I'm not totally convinced anymore!!

Have the same problem with my one , i took it down to Lexus and need to replace the compressor, whole job to Lexus comes up to £890. I wish a well day to those who are out of warranty lol like me