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One of the big factors in me getting an RX450h some six months ago was using my previous Toyota Avensis 1.8 petrol on last year's holiday. It safely and comfortably got us around, but the torque-less engine didn't cope well with four passengers and lots of luggage on the mountains and hills of France, and all the time I was driving it I kept thinking how much nicer something like a big Lexus would be. I part-exchanged the Toyota after less than a year, losing a predictably unhealthy amount, so did the experience of using the RX on this year's French holiday prove this to be worthwhile?.... In short, yes! I ended up almost doubling the mileage I've done since getting it back in February, and the intensive use of it over the two weeks of my holiday showed it to be something I'd like to keep for a good while. What follows is a bit of a review of my experience. Started off with packing the car on the hottest day of the year, ready for the start of our journey the next day. Boot didn’t appear to be quite as large as Avensis, but still took two cases, 12v fridge box and bags of food, books etc with cover pulled across and rear seats slid slightly forwards. I never like the idea of driving a long way with clobber piled-up inside the rear window and limiting visibility. Despite all the extra weight it didn't appear to squat down at the rear as all my previous cars did (normal hatchbacks and estates like Primera, Accord and Avensis). Uneventful first leg down to Newhaven straight after finishing work on Friday. After experimenting with different routes and timings we’ve settled on the night-time crossing to Dieppe, getting a few hours of sleep on the ferry and getting to France for an early start the next morning. In previous years we’re broken the journey up with an overnight stop or two and relaxed driving on the rural D-roads, but this year we had a 520-odd mile trek down to our accommodation in one day. The RX coped very well with this, of course. The 81mph speed limit and generally emptier roads meant extended use of the cruise control which was an interesting experience as it's not something I can use in Norfolk/Suffolk. It's clear that most other drivers are doing the same, setting it very close to the 130kmh limit, and the minimal difference in speed makes for a much smoother, safer drive. Possibly not as economical overall, but amusing when the downhill stretches were steep enough to shut the engine down and go into full charge mode. The engine was surprisingly audible when climbing some of the hills, but in general the ability of the hybrid and CVT to let the engine run at a slow speed made for a very relaxed drive. Much of the time on slower roads the 12v fridge made more noise than anything else. The ability to quickly pick-up speed was much appreciated when joining the fast-running autoroutes, particularly with the tight radius ‘on’ curves and generally shorter sliproads meaning that getting back into the flow needs to be done in a decisive manner. It was also much more pleasant than the Avensis to have plenty of power when driving up the steeper hills. It took us around 14 hours to cover that long drive down on the first day, with a cross-country stretch of D-road driving to get between autoroutes and various stops for food, fuel and the odd catnap. All on board found it very comfortable, with my teenage children sleeping for much of the journey and my wife finding the more upright seating position much better than the Avensis. As well as comfort levels, factors such as good visibility and large mirrors made for a stress-free experience. Some sections of the autoroute on the way down were quite rainy, and the smooth asphalt surface generated a lot of spray, but the RX always felt secure and composed. No issue with my choice of Michelin CrossClimates recently fitted to the front, if finances permit I’d like to get the rears done before winter even though the Dunlops it currently has were new when I bought it. The CVT always being in the right ‘gear’ was appreciated on unfamiliar roads, in towns, when stuck in a queue on the autoroute etc, even more so than a conventional auto with its need to kickdown. As we have done before the map was used for position finding only in conjunction with a real, printed atlas (remember them?!). In this role it worked well, it was useful to be able to see upcoming bends and road layouts, and to find petrol stations, but not be a slave to the sat-nav. I don't think it could cope with my photo opportunity stops, detours and turnarounds.... The recently-introduced, slower 50mph speed limit on D-roads was a little frustrating on the long, straight roads in the north, but less of an issue in the hilly countryside of the Tarn et Garonne department where we stayed for our fortnight. Ride and handling was ideal and even on smaller roads the RX didn’t feel too unwieldy. I find the turning circle to be surprisingly tight, useful when getting around small villages and when turning round for a random photo opportunity. When I’m on holiday I usually take a few photos of old/interesting/unusual/rubbish cars (by few I mean several hundred). The extra bit of height and visibility was certainly useful to see things worth stopping for, and my family had a comfortable place to sit in a random gateway or street while I wandered off to get a photo or two. As I hadn’t used my RX on long trips like this before I was interested to see how it would fare on economy. Lowest I remember seeing was 28-29mpg on one tankful on the way down, but with cruise control on the relatively empty, flattish northern autoroutes I more usually got 31-33. When I’d filled-up off the autoroute and driven only on D-roads at 50-odd mph then I saw 40-41mpg after as much as 60 miles – I doubt the Avensis I took last year would have done as well as that, and it really tumbled when doing 80-odd on the autoroutes or when driving in the hills and mountains. Our journey home was pretty much a repeat of the way down, but with an overnight stop in Normandy at a great B&B to delay getting back home for as long as possible. We used the Eurotunnel to get back to the UK, as timings of the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry don’t work so well for us. Driving back home on the M20/M25/A12 was as awful as it seems to be every year, with lots of queues, roadworks and much lower standards of driving. Was there anything I didn’t like, or that annoyed me after this period of intensive use? First would be the lack of a simple button to turn the A/C on/off. Only other thing of significance is the keyless entry and start/stop. I’m happy to still use a remote button to unlock, there are very few occasions where it’s less convenient to do that than touch the door handle, and there are times when it didn’t ‘start’ (i.e. go into ready mode) despite me being as careful as I can be about pressing the brake pedal when I push the start button. I don't think there's a fault, it's just my lousy co-ordination. With it being initially silent I would then sometimes try and pull away, then realise that I had no drive or PAS. The twist of a key would be much more positive.... Lexus seems to be a much less common brand in France than the UK, but then that appears to be the case with most Japanese makes. I saw a UK-registered pre-facelift RX450 on the autoroute, a French F-Sport and an RX300. There was the occasional NX, CT, RC and IS, some of them belonging to Dutch and Belgian holidaymakers. Most surprising to see was a French-registered Mk1 LS400, which I just about managed to catch on the dashcam. Didn’t see any 4th gen RX at all, whether French or British. Is there a conclusion to this review? Just that the RX happily met my expectations and, as someone who enjoys cars and driving, it made the holiday even more pleasurable for me. It was roomy, comfortable, capable and relaxing, and economy was tolerable for the performance and capabilities it offered. I can’t see that a 4th gen model would do anything much better and at the end of my PCP I will think strongly about keeping this one, even if it’s as a second car to something more economical for day-to-day use.

A few more close ups. The resulting look is very similar to the new Civic Type R which I know gets very divided opinions. I'm in the "I love it" camp. Looks badass in the flesh.

Have a look at this one

Quite a story, and a cautionary note for everyone too. Glad it was all sorted for you in the end. Just to clear the old colour debate up, red cars are the fastest, black RCF's can fly, white ones are...😉

Little bit of spit n polish and she comes up well 👍🏻😂😂

Was just browsing for my dream car (in the years to come) and came across this video. Apparently Lexus stands for Luxury Export US - something I didn't know

A few of my latest mods, suspension upgrade coming on the 2nd September. More pics to follow then. The compression on this website kills the picture quality though 😢

The left bank when sat behind the driving wheel.

Hi Bank 1 is the passenger side on a rhd vehicle

If you check his page you'll see a couple of isf's he's done including mine.

Welcome to Europe's Leading Lexus Club! Please Enjoy!

There's a guy in Nuneaton who I've used who is very good. https://instagram.com/l.a_detailing?igshid=rgvf6dkepuwn

They are indeed, which is why I would never buy anything like this from Lexus

I ( along with others) reccomend the Bosch S4 026 (068), largest battery that will physically fit in tray ( keeping plastic jacket and temp sensor in place) with correct terminal orientation. Right now is gonna cost £88.54 at ECP. Check this lengthy informative thread here, https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/107731-best-12v-battery-for-is250/#comment paul m.

Excellent write up and review of your European road trip. I find it hard to believe tho that you state the boot is much smaller than that of your Avensis estate? I had a RX but had to let it go but I did use it for the annual holiday. 3 adults a tall 13yr old and the princess's baby seat. Tons of luggage for us all yet the boot swallowed it all. I'm in an excellent mondeo now to which the boot is bigger than the RX and avensis by the way yet the same luggage was a bit of a squeeze to get in. On my RX the rear did squat a bit with the weight but my mondeo hardly squatted. Yes I miss the RX but that's how it is. lol yes one does have to stretch a bit when one gets out yet not in the RX. Mine was the F Sport and I drove it so. It handled surprisingly well. Enjoy your car and many happy miles driving to you. Oh forget the rear parcel shelf thing. Pile your luggage high. You have a mirror on each of your front doors and don't need the middle mirror. OK I'm a truck driver and don't have a middle mirror. Below hopefully is a photo of my RX fully loaded

Exactly. My understanding is to never drive all the time in eco mode as it is not intended for constant use. I wonder if giving it a blast cleared the cat out. The smell is like rotten eggs?

Tire set is to reset the tyre pressure warning system after it comes on. You press and hold for 5 secs smart is to turn off the keyless entry and start function - hope this helps

Hmm I may fit a tow bar and get a caravan to I can go cruising on hot sunny weekend on winding country roads to join the middle age men in Lycra hogging the roads 😈

Thanks Herbs. It looks very neat and compact and the video is excellent at explaining the features etc.

It is not funny at all. You SUV drivers are an inconsiderate lot bu blocking out our view of oncoming traffic. You should read your Highway Code again Alan.

Thanks good information about switch makes sense, will redo mine.

Many thanks Nigel, I enjoyed reading that. I drive to and from Andalucia twice each year in my 240,000 mile plus Merc Estate, so in reading that, I was sat comfortably in the next seat to you ?

Thanks all. I was really looking forward to getting the RX out to France and letting it stretch its legs, something it's not doing with me back home. If any of you are thinking about doing something similar I would thoroughly recommend it, whether it's a day-long blast to a final destination for a couple of weeks like we did this year, or a more gentle cruise around the countryside, stopping somewhere different each night. To make it a full-on driving holiday would be a little selfish, having consideration to the rest of my family, so I try to make the journey as much a part of the holiday as I can. Having something capable and enjoyable to drive adds a lot to the experience and RX was just what I wanted it to be in that regard. It's a shame how disappointing I found the petrol Avensis that I took to France last year. I'd taken our previous diesel one there four years on the trot and it was fine, and I had no issue with previous trips in the Accord and Primera. Going back to pre-children days in the '90s and early '00s I used all sorts of stuff like Datsun Sunny, Violet and Skyline and Triumph Acclaim for European road trips, going as far afield as Norway via Holland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden and down to the South of France over the years. The 12v fridge is a useful addition. I wouldn't say the one we got is brilliant, and it does take up a bit of space, but packing it with pre-chilled drinks and maybe an ice block or two does help keep things cool on a long journey. It's good to have a degree of self-sufficiency, whether it's to avoid high prices at motorway/autoroute services, in case of queues or delays, or to take advantage of the plentiful rest and picnic areas they have in France. I would quite happily have turned around done the same trip again the day after returning home.....

I agree to some extent but when I'm parking in places like London where space is limited, squeezing into that extra two inches can make all the difference. And I find with my factory fit front sensors, which don't go off when I pass every blade of grass, that I get warning if the car in front starts to roll back.👍

Thanks very much for taking the time to write up your experiences. Seems like the RX was a helpful addition to what sounds like a fantastic holiday. I must admit your talk of the 12v fridge has given me ideas for road trips with my own family wagon, a Volvo XC90. Thanks again!

thanks for taking the time to post this I think it's always interesting to hear owners experiences in real world driving in contrast to professional reviewers.

Jeff, you need to distinguish between micro fibre drying towels and micro fibre cloths. Two cloths for different roles. Micro fibre drying towels tend to be large and thick to mop up water and do exactly that. Too big to use as a buffing cloth really so micro fibre cloths step in and are thinner and smaller for ease of handling. Cloths are great for polishing off polishes and waxes. So, type in Clean Your Car Huddersfield into Google and you will come across the very best company for everything for detailing and cleaning cars and I mean everything. An online company who operate a very speedy mail order delivery service by tracked courier. I buy 99% of my stuff from these people. You will find so much stuff your head will spin as to what to choose. One last thing buy edgeless micro fibre cloths for polishing and buffing. No stitched edge avoids what detailers call marring when the hard stitched edge of a normal cloth can leave a mark on the surface, not a scratch or damage but like a smudge mark. Folding in the stitched edge avoids it but edgeless avoids any marring at all. I have a Makro account and buy one product only from them, a pack of 36 good quality micro fibre cloths for £20 or so. These work well and can be machine washed. I consider myself to be a good amateur car detailer but go on to YouTube and type in Car detailing and be blown away by some of the professional detailers who earn a living at it and everything I have described above can be seen being done.

For the front sensors you need to be able to switch them off. The rear sensors are activated when reverse is engaged but the fronts will be live all the time, that means they will bleep at everything around them, including people walking in front, stopping behind another vehicle, even passing parked cars, that can drive you nuts so you need to be able to turn them off. The switches are readily available, you can find them easily on eBay and they have the park assist image on them.

There has to be a tolerance to allow for load and speed. Although a very different application, consider a bus that may have no passengers or be full with passengers standing (eeeer, sorry 'customers' in modern parlance). There is no way of constantly adjusting inflation to load so pressures will not be nearer optimised as we have in cars where we can increase pressure where we are to carry a heavy load or drive constantly at 70mph (if you can find a stretch without a 50mph speed restriction!). Then you might lower pressures where a combination of snow and hills means more traction is required on occasion. Normally, I tend to set my pressures to the middle of the manufacturers tolerances and make small adjustments if I find the crown or shoulders are wearing disproportionately.

It's a Viofo A119S and it's great. It looks like the price has gone up slightly since I got mine (£103.73 instead of £98.57) but this kit has everything you'll need apart from maybe a piggy-back fuse connector. Alternatively, there's a dual front and rear cam set made by Aukey with very similar cameras. The Youtube video below shows a review of the Aukey set and the guy likes it so much that this is what he uses in his own car - and he's reviewed about 50 dash cams as well as other tech, so I trust him to know what he's on about. I guarantee you won't be disappointed with either the Viofo or the Aukey.

The online service checker never works. Use the phone app which is now called Lexus Link. That is fairly new replacing My Lexus App. Initially it was missing service history but is now there

I use Meguiars drying towel. Very large and super thick. Lay on panel, pat pat and lift off. Perfect results and dry panel. No need to rub or wipe the panel. £20 and washes great.👍

It’s a long time coming, but I promised a number of members that I would summarise life after Lexus. I don’t pretend to be a capable driver, a track god or even someone of any real automotive knowledge. There are plenty on here that put me to shame! I have however owned an IS-F, RC-F and now a C63. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in GS-Fs. I’ve also had time in both versions of the LC-500. Mercedes wise, I’ve driven a fair few miles in a C63s, an AMG GT and a current E63s. So, I think I’m in a good place to render an honest comparison between Lexus and Mercedes. What follows is my experience as a Lexus / AMG owner. Just one person’s view - just my view. IS-F – wonderfully stealthy I loved my IS-F. My heart still skips a beat whenever I see one on the road. Maybe this happens because they are so rare or just because I will always feel an attachment to the Lexus brand. The engineering, the build quality and the customer service are all qualities that impress and leave a lasting mark. Of course, you know there’s a BUT coming. The BUT came in the form of the anonymity of the IS-F. The very thing that appeals to so many – the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Call me vain, call me a show off, but I started to get a little annoyed at the lack of recognition the IS-F got in the real world. Only dedicated petrol heads knew what it was, and I got a little tired of having conversations such as “Yes, I have a Lexus IS-F. It’s the equivalent to a BMW M3, Mercedes C63.”. I wanted the car to be recognised for just how good it was. An even bigger problem was the temptation to show M3 and C63 drivers just how good my IS-F was. Obviously I resisted…. The seed was sewn, and my head was turned by an RC-F. IS-F to RC-F I found my RC-F on Autotrader. A 15 plate Carbon edition in white. The day of trade in, the IS-F performed beautifully – flawlessly, and it really was hard handing over the keys. I felt like I was betraying a friend, but it had to be done. I always find the process of purchasing a new car stressful - the paperwork, the money exchange and that nagging thought in the back of the head “Have I done the right thing?”. One the part-x was done, I headed South from Stoke, down the busy M6. I had a headache, the sun was very bright and I had no sunglasses. Not a great start. That nagging thought in the back of my head was really evident. My first couple of hours in the RC-F weren’t great. I started thinking that I’d spent £40k on a car that was arguably no better than the IS-F. More striking, definitely, but still arguably no better. I’d stopped at the services (somewhere on the M6) in the hope I could buy some sunglasses. On my return to the car park, a guy (who turned out to be a Boxster owner) was walking around the RC-F. He was very complimentary about the car. This attention was to be repeated over and over in the 10,000 miles of RC-F ownership. People stop, stare, photograph, video and adore the look of the car. By the time I got off the motorway and on to some fast A and B roads, I started to bond with the RC-F. Over the next year, my RC-F proved to be utterly reliable and adequately fast! Goodbye to the Lexus F fold Two things annoyed me about the RC-F (and IS-F) 1. The RC-F’s sheer confidence. I found that to get enjoyment out of the car, I had to wring its neck. If you’ve driven the Mountain Road on the IOM, you’ll know it’s derestricted. To enjoy it and any other road in the RC-F, I found I really had to obtain speeds that were way too high. 2. Noise. The intake noise inside the cabin sounded amazing. Outside it sounded pretty good on the boil. However, when pottering around, things were a little sterile. The exhaust note was disappointing. A QS exhaust helped, but that came with downsides. So, those were my two reasons for leaving the F fold. Where next? The next car would have to entertain at lower speeds and make a great noise. The options – the M3, but they sound ******* (and fake). Alfa thing – reliability. F-Type – I’m too tall. LC-500, has all the issues that the RC-F does. That left me with the C63, and I ended up buying a C63 Coupe. Day one with the C63 Don’t listen to what people tell you about Mercedes reliability and build quality. Do what I did – just go buy one and experience it in the flesh. Mine got me home from the dealer only to be recovered straight back there. What a nightmare – but I did get several weeks in an E63s loaner. A quick note to all F drivers – no matter what car you have, don’t battle it out with an E63s – they are in a different league – biblical performance! My C63 got returned to me after a couple of weeks but immediately some trim fell off it. This time I got a £125,000 AMG GT loaner. Another rapid car – not as fast as the E63s, but still in a different league to F cars. C63 v RC-F There’s no winner. It’s a personal preference, but I’ll list the pros – cons Lexus wins on 1. Build quality – HANDS down – different league 2. Reliability….. .most of the time. My IS-F did need a new steering rack - £5k) 3. Warranty – cheap and usually comprehensive 4. Induction noise. Epic. The C63 engine itself (minus exhaust) is quite boring. 5. Rareness 6. Handling – always predictable. I’d still be more confident in an RC-F (especially in the wet). Haven driven TVD and Flintstone LSD versions, I wouldn’t bother with the TVD (contrary to many previous debates). Personally, I found the TVD a little counter intuitive at the limit. 7. Standard kit (at least in Carbon edition). Things like radar cruise as standard 8. Nobody will nick a Lexus C63 wins on 1. Overall looks. Yes, the RC-F is eye catching and from the rear 3/4 a real stunner. But I just find the nose on the RC-F (and IS-F) awkward in profile. The C63 has less awkward angles. Incidentally the GS-F has the best F nose. 2. Noise. AMG have performed miracles with the exhaust system. It’s an epic, guttural noise. The popping and banging is also awesome. What’s more – if you don’t like it, turn it off. I've yet to encounter the perfect aftermarket F exhaust. 3. Fun at low speed. You don’t have to go fast to have fun. This is partly down to the epic sound track and……. 4. Torque. With 8 gears, the F cars can often leave you in no man’s land. In the AMG you have this stuff called torque – low down the rev range. 5. Recognition. People know what AMGs are and even if they don’t they appreciate the noise 6. Road placement. The 63 'feels' more compact than the RC-F. The RC-F has that big swooping bonnet. On the road, the RC-F actually feels bigger than its sister the GS-F! Do I miss the RC-F No. Will I ever own a Lexus again….. I hope so. The AMG’s current garage buddy is a Lexus GS-F. I walk past it every day. I still admire everything about it. Lexus F cars – I’ll always have a soft spot for them. Thanks for reading.

Umm children in a Lexus are you mad

Poor practise of the eBay seller to cover part of the part number. You might be better of replacing the whole plastic fob surround. Available on eBay cheaply enough, and some with the nice Lexus logo.

Yes, I remember the moody photo's of your RCF, professional quality I seem to recall. I also remember a touch of garage envy as well Just thinking how our old TVR's stack up in "wins on list" For my Chimaera 1. Build quality – ummm next question 2. Reliability….. .not bad on reflection, only came home on a tow truck once. 3. Warranty – Errr Nope. 4. Induction noise. Well it burbled nicely, very nicely in fact. 5. Rareness- Somewhere between an ISF and an RCF depending on the colour (of either) But very recognisable. 6. Handling – treat with care. Only lost it coming off a roundabout once. Nobody about, nobody noticed, got away with it as if it didn't happen. 7. Standard kit - From a Ford parts bin or made by a man in a shed but a secret door open button under the door mirror. Years ahead of its time surely. 8. Made in Britain. Ah, refer back to item 1 Loved it then as much as I love my ISF now though.

Just got 19" chrome wheels . Need to get the car little bit lower. I have that ASC-680 waiting. Is it easy to put in car?

Finally some updated pictures now I have the exhaust fitted 😄

In the two months I’ve owned mine - this is the first other F car I’ve stumbled across. Parked in the furthest corner of a large car park near St Albans clearly hoping nobody would park next to them.

Thanks for the info. I like the black windows, that's one reason I made an offer in auction. Here is some interior photos and that sticker showing cam belt change. What are these? There's four of them in the winshield. Looks like that the emblems in my Celsior are painted

Here's my old one!