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So, it's been exactly a week since I purchased my 2014 IS300h on 37k miles and with the F-Sport trim. I know people on here like to hear about the experience of Lexus 'newbies' so thought I would share my thoughts for those interested: What I like/love: - The refinement - It's so quiet and civilized in the cabin that now the slightest rattle (from my children's baby seats) catches my attention (and also mildly irritates me) :-D Even when you floor it and the engine revs, with windows closed its not that bad. A drastic change from the previous louder than normal 2005 diesel. I also like that it feels solid which was something my previous car lacked. - The convenience and tech - love the double edged sword of comfort entry (convenience v security - though I have bought a faraday box). Really enjoy the seat memorization and their comfort as well as the smell of the full leather (dark rose). Enjoy using the rear camera (and wonder how anyone can do without it as visibility isn't great through back window). - Styling - still loving the F-Sport styling and the look of the dash when it's dark and it all lights up (though I don't like it quite so much in the day). - Fuel economy - so far getting mid 40s which is good I think. It's similar mpg to the much smaller, much less refined BMW 120d I had prior. My wife drives it as well and I notice every time I come back to it after she has had it the battery seems lower than when I have it (perhaps she's not braking early enough for the regeneration or just using it more pottering about at low speeds). What I've noticed: - Acceleration doesn't feel as brisk as my previous BMW 120d. Accepted, it was a much lighter car and has a turbo but on paper they weren't too far off and this one has +40 BHP (at 220bhp overall) and a lot of people say the IS300h is quite fast in sport mode. What I notice though is that it doesn't feel fast or you don't get that push into seat acceleration, but then when I look at the speedo I'm doing 70mph so maybe it's a perception thing? I do notice a definite lag though between putting your foot down and the acceleration. Another thing to mention is I haven't found this 'kick down switch' people talk about on autos in this. Kind of like a notch for extra power at the bottom of the pedal. Floored it today to see and felt no such thing. Am I doing something wrong? Oh and finally on this topic something weird I've noticed. In sport mode if you release your foot from the accelerator pedal (to coast) , weirdly it seems like the car almost instantly slows down a little and loses a bit of momentum - much quicker than if you were in normal mode. It's really weird, I tested it a few times this morning. Has anyone else noticed this? - Sound from Dolby system - unfortunately for me, the car I found with most of the things I wanted and at a reasonable price point doesn't have the Mark L sound system. I find the Dolby one a bit lacking in bass and when I turn it up sometimes there is quite a bit of resonance and I feel like I may damage the speaker. Funny thing is when I play certain music it sounds a bit better so not sure if its because I'm streaming from Spotify when its bad and better when the song is downloaded? Wondering if I can fit a small active sub or if I shouldn't dare with all the hybrid electronics? - Navigation has an ugly light brown background on the map during the day but looks nice at night when it changes to the 'night color scheme' which is much less in your face. Is there a way to change the background color in the day mode anyone? Even my wife doesn't like it and she is quite easy going on such things. I on the other hand...:-D - Cup holders in weird position - just makes it uncomfortable for front passenger but someone provided me with potential solution of a cup holder bin (its for an Auris, but may fit). - Music currently being played via Bluetooth doesn't update on the screen when next song comes on (but some helpful people on here tried to help me with this). One said when you plug it into the USB and use it in that mode its up to date, you get slightly better sound quality and screen art - which is true. But its a bit of a faff plugging the phone in each time - which they also acknowledged. Well those are my thoughts after week 1. Would love to hear what you think! Cheers Ken

You would hope so, but probably worth asking the question before the test drive. It sounds as if the RX will be quite different to your current car (it certainly was for me when I bought mine earlier this year) and it can be difficult to take everything in on the test drive. Hopefully the salesperson will shut up and let you get on with it. Ask if they'll let you take a route that replicates the roads you'll be using it on? I see that they have a slightly newer example with 82k, perhaps you could be cheeky and ask for a drive in that too? Would be an interesting comparison before you definitely go for the silver one. Also see if they have a 30-day exchange policy, I got mine from Tunbridge Wells and they did - I had to use it in my case due to issues with the first one I bought. If you find things after purchase that you don't like then that is the ultimate way of getting it sorted.

I stumbled across this and found it very interesting.

This is a matter for the garages insurance not yours. The car was under their care and control. They are Bailees in civil law. You gave care and control of your vehicle to them and they have caused it to be damaged. If the vehicle has been involved in a non stop accident on a road it is up to them to report it to the police in accordance with the Road Traffic Act.

Stuart is probably correct Alexander , bumper support could be upside down which is why the holes dont line up ,either that or there is something not right with the bumper . Your right not to be impressed it is obviously wrong so why would they leave it like that . Excuse the safety slippers and shadow .

I don't believe that's relevant to RX hybrids though? Because there's no transfer box, centre diff or the like, there's a just a separate motor for the back end.

I did Wayne! If you've replaced the touch panel on the screen before then this mod isnt much more difficult...it just takes time to iron out the kinks once setup. You also have to be incredibly careful not to damage the dash (it's surprisingly fragile surrounding the screen and the vents. Luckily my test car was the 250 when the touch screen became non responsive, but that being said I have a great way to repair a damaged dash almost seamlessly ...I'll add a post on that too!

Most women look nice in white Alan, so please tell us the colour of his Tesla.

I've never been one for preserving an unmodified car and am definitely a fan of the more extreme mods. With that in mind, the below is being installed this week. Airlift 3P with twin compressors and a 4 gallon tank. Watch this space for updates or for those using Instagram you can find more regular updates at isf_dan I'll post a few more pics once it's all installed.

Picked up the deep blue Takumi this afternoon from Lexus Teesside. Presentation was very good and it came with nice surprises. Yes, I went for G3 ceramic which they applied to the wheels as well as the bodywork. The G3 case and goodies inside is very nice. Got another interesting box which was jammed packed full of first aid kit, fire extinguisher, flare 😈, high viz vests, ponchos, etc. Never seen this before but it’s very nice. Plus a nice wicker basket full of yummy goodies. Also found that the car does have a windscreen wiper de-icer. The button is located in the HVAC concierge page.👍

I would send a strong worded email regarding the poor service and lack of communication on there part .saying your wife is really upset and the only way you can see yourself not cancelling the order .Is by Paying for an expensive spa day for you and your wife and a box off champagne .🤡

That sounds rather poor service, hope it all gets sorted OK for you. You'd think selling cars and dealing with the paperwork that goes with it would a fairly normal process for Lexus UK and the dealer.......

The warranty comes with full AA cover, even full European cover, so they will get it to the dealers if it can't be driven. Service plans are dealer-group specific but the warranty can be claimed on nationwide, Land's End to John O'Groats and all points in between. The two-for-one price has been running for a long time and seems to be 'the norm' but I suppose that could change at any time, so if Ben has the money at this moment it would make sense to pay for it now and it will commence cover as the first year warranty ends. The problem is, as I've mentioned in other posts, the requirement to have servicing done at the dealers too. The warranty itself is great value but then you have to also add in the costs of servicing - and when you're used to low mates rates like I've been for years, that is a major shock.

Glad you are back on track Arthur. Good luck.

No you tell the garage in writing that you are holding them responsible for the damage and give them the opportunity to repair it (via their insurers if necessary).Make sure that you find out who owns the garage and if it is a sole trader or Limited Company. If they decline to get the car repaired then politely tell them that you will get a quote for repair and issue a summons in the small claims court to cover the cost of the repairs . I think your insurance company won't want to know unless you have legal cover as the car was in the care and control of a third party not covered under your policy.

hi yes i had it on a ramp thursday the bushes have no play in them .i would call it a BANGING as opposed to knocking the odd thing is you cannot move the back end when you press down on the rear quarter it SOLID , is that correct. cheers

Might be worth seeing if they will do a deal as part of the purchase for an extended warranty period?

Are you certain that the cause is the damper? Have you checked the damper is solidly mounted top and bottom? It could just be a worn bush. Are the rear anti roll bar bushes and drop links all okay? The multi-link rear suspension has many parts that could cause knocking.

Found this on another site .http://carspecmn.com/toyota-and-lexus-v6-cold-start-engine-rattle-2gr3gr4gr/ not sure if it relates to the engine used in the Rx450

Thanks

That's one of the great advantages of the Hybrid, no risk of 'winding up' the transmission. I know of someone with a Porsche Macan which has had 3 transfer cases under warranty and will need replacing again shortly .

Yesterday I got the old Bank 1 pre-cat lambda sensor swapped over. It took the mechanic about 20 minutes and a few curses about how awkward it was. There was even more cursing when I cleared the codes using my fiver chinesium OBD2 reader and my phone. No more check VSC and hopefully the economy will improve a bit.

Don’t bother with the interior protection. Use a decent leather cleaner (Chemical Guys or Gliptone) and then a leather cream. My car with cream leather interior had a leather protector when it was new. After I bought it I found the product on Ebay(detailers sell surplus product there) and after cleaning gave it another coat. Enjoy 😊

Just finished Willies biog and its a great read.

Looooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnngg!

Got my front discs skimmed today, put it back on the car with new pads, so far I have been doing smooth and slow braking just that the brakes bed in better. Apparently one of the disc was slightly warped but both got machined. Well, even now I can say that my Lexus was never braking better and smoother as it does now, in fact it was my only gripe for this car - brakes but I was blaming it to be a hybrid! I think one disc was always slightly warped but with my harsh braking trying to clean pads/discs I made it worth, anyway, I do not have a proper answer to that, I have no idea why would disc being thick almost as new got warped, defo not under my owner. I had warped discs on my old car (Passat) but discs were thin and required changing, this ones are 29mm (new ones 30mm) so not badly worn! I just hope this issue won't happen again in near future. Got the front pads from Lexus Glasgow for £72 and as a present a 2 teddy bears for my daughters! 🙂 Thanks to Mark from Parts dep.

Nice looking car inside and out. Have you checked service record? What warranty are you being given on the car? Assuming this is for one year, it would seem to me that £995 for an additional 2 year warranty on a car with near 100K miles would be better value than the same figure for a 2 year extension on a 2015 car with sub 40K miles I have been offered.

Excellent, I've never seen that before. I wonder if that will still be said about Lexus made today!

Looks fantastic, the best I ever got with a new car was a bunch of flowers!🌷

Looks great, I'm sure you'll love it. Just remember to keep up with the Hybrid Health Check every year so that the traction battery will be covered up to 15 years old.

Hi I saw this car today and secured it with a deposit. Will go for a test drive at the weekend before committing to it. I'm trading in my old 18 year Toyota Rav 4 which they value at £500 so the total price I will pay is £13400. I am not considering paying for an extra 2 years warranty at £995. Any thoughts? https://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/en/used-lexus/Lexus/Rx-Estate-Special-Editions/450h-35-Advance-5dr-CVT-Auto-Pan-roof-mqb48uq

Lovely. Well done. Look after it and it will look after you Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It's irrelevant. The correct way to check is to get the engine to normal running temperature and sit the car on level ground with the gear selector in P, then move the selector through all positions, allowing time for the change to complete, and the same back up to P again, then read the level. That's the only measurement that matters so don't worry about what it's like when cold. Oh, and make sure you're reading the correct side of the dipstick. As daft as it sounds, I seem to recall that my RX300 showed different levels on each side of the dipstick, presumably due to how it sits in the fluid.

I completely agree. I've had a Lexus warranty on my car for three years now (first year came with the car) and have just renewed it again. It's worth remembering that the warranty is underwritten by Lexus and there's none of the third-party wriggling! I had a new radiator, oil cooler, brake caliper and air-con pipe fitted recently, all of which came to far more than the cost of the warranty. Re. the included breakdown cover, I had a problem with the 12v battery recently and called out the AA who arrived within 40 minutes. The AA man told me they give priority to Lexus calls. If you have a car over 5 years-old and are a Gold Member, Essential Servicing isn't much more than third parties and it includes the Hybrid Health Check and warranty. I shall sell my car privately in a year's time as it will still have 12-months manufacturer's warranty - which is quite a good selling point! 😉

Keep an eye out for offers from Michelin which crop up around this time of year. Got £100 back on preloaded debit card this time last year on a set of 4.Would have been £50 for a pair

Excellent, and I seem to remember some years ago you had similar luck with a door? I'm glad it's not terminal. 👍

Got another bonnet today and its in the correct colour jade green. Jackpot. Need to keep my eyes open for a front bumper and I think we can put her all back together again.

Boot install almost complete, shocks going in today, lines going in tomorrow 😎

Ah, the Lexus Paradox strikes again People are attracted to the brand because of the reputation of reliability and then get a warranty just in case it's not reliable. It used to make me laugh and to an extent it still does. However, I became one of these people myself when we got our current car and that was for a couple of reasons. 1. These cars are just so complex and parts so expensive (even a single headlight is over £800 and is a sealed unit so individual bulbs (LEDs) can't be replaced). 2. This is the newest and most expensive car we've ever had, so it just seemed to make sense to do it for a little while at least. The warranty cost is actually very reasonable - it's the requirement to have servicing done at the dealers that's the killer. I'm used to paying mates rates for servicing!

Not too shabby.

This really annoys me , if anything it should be the other way round 🤬

There's no real need to get hung up about service history, or at least not about having a full Lexus history. I used to do all my own servicing and most jobs on the car when I was physically able to, but I couldn't put a stamp in the book. What I could, and did do, was to keep all the receipts for parts and mark the mileage on the receipt so that it tallied with MOT history etc. Also, Lexus servicing is not cheap so when a car gets to a certain age (maybe 9 or 10 years old) there's absolutely no point in spending extortionate amounts at a main dealers. As I've said in many postings, it may be a Lexus but it's still just 'a car' and any reputable, trusted, garage will be able to service it. There may also be people who have a close family member in the trade. For instance, if you have a brother who's a good mechanic and he says, "You buy the parts and I'll do the service in exchange for you looking after the kids this Saturday night", you're not going to turn him down in order to spend a few hundred quid at Lexus are you? And finally there's people like me who buy a car and run it for years and years until it dies, so resale value and stamps in the book mean nothing.

When I grow up I want to drop 60k on a Lexus Good man John. And Mesa Red is lovely. Don't forget a picture or two when you get it.

Can’t remember figures but had gap insurance, smart insurance (paintwork), Supaguard and tyre/alloy insurance plus over £800 options to original £62375 inc metallic paint and came to £63000. They gave £2000, which included £250 of options, off the original total. Also got Lexus £2000 deposit plus another £1000 as previous customer and 1.9% loan. All in all then about £60k before my NX trade in Used the paintwork insurance on NX after couple of scapes from cars parked next to me so worth having again I thought. Need Supaguard for grandkids. Couldn’t get free service as on NX but got 10% discount. Probably extravagant but now retired and only my third new car after a Honda CR-V and the NX and spending the kids inheritance. Need some luxury after 40 years of previous second hand and unreliable Fords, British Leyland and Volkswagen.