keywest

I have a Mark 1 RX300 and a local garage fitted a Towsure fixed towbar. This did not require any cutting of anything. It is however a fixed an totally visible towball and cannot be detached. As I new I would soon get bored of detaching a detachable towball and would then leave it on permanently this didn't bother me. A word of warning however regarding the electrics. Despite many efforts the garage I used have never been able to sort out the twin socket electrics. The main socket (the black one) works fine but the auxiliary socket (usually a grey colour) doesnt work well in that if I connect it the reversing lights are on permanently and the power for the caravan fridge doesn't work. I have checked what they have done and they look to have connected everything correctly and swopping the two wires over doesnt produce the right solution. So now I never connect the auxiliary but that hasnt been a problem either. The main downside is the lack of a cool beer from the fridge on arrival on site! I had mine done in 2001 and Towsure didn't do prewired plug-in wiring kit. These may be available now. Since I had mine done I have been told that 'modern' cars like the RX have complex wiring and amateur interference can b*gg*r things up seriously. I haven't suffered any problems with the RX but maybe I was lucky. As a towing vehicle I find the RX superb If anyone has any suggestions regarding the wiring I would be interested to hear them.

Sometimes I have probs, other times not. Always put it down to the individual pump as it has been this way with ALL other cars. Very frustrating when it cuts out frequently. Try another petrol station!

Sometimes I have probs, other times not. Always put it down to the individual pump as it has been this way with ALL other cars. Very frustrating when it cuts out frequently. Try another petrol station!

So where would you get 59%? Apologies for ignorance but I have always run my previous cars so they were only worth a few thousand max so never had to consider a 'high' value px. I like the idea of the hybrid but suspect it will be outside my league.

I tow a 1 tonne caravan with my RX and only knock the overdrive off on a long drag up a hill when it will tend to change up and down like a yo-yo. When I am towing my small trailer the most important thing to remember is that I am towing it! It makes so little difference to performance that it is easy to forget!

I tend not to use them. As others have said they can come on when you are in the shade (and I go under a railway daily and they always come on in the 2 seconds it takes to get thru!) Also when they come on they change the sat nav screen to the 'night time' view which is difficult to see until it is nearly totally dark.

Find it hard to believe that I've not posted here previously - probabaly an age thing! Name is Clive and I am 50 next month. Born and schooled near Mansfield and qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor via Portsmouth Polytechnic. Lived near Leicester for 3 years. Now live in Thirsk in North Yorkshire (Town of the Vet James Herriott) Married to Jean who is a homepath Currently working as Acting Head of Building Design and Mangement for the County Council. My main hobby is golf (11 handicap) and enjoy real beer which is good with the Black Sheep and Hambleton breweries close by. Also enjoy caravanning hence the RX. Been a proud RX owner for 3 years from new. Cant afford a new one yet but the RX400h sounds very appealing. the RX is certainly the best car I have ever had Apart from a towbar no other modifications.

I'm with you Emma. I too have an Xreg RX (just 3 years old last month) and would like to update the DVD but not at that price. Apparantly its illegal to get someone with the latest DVD and copy it. I dont know if it would work either (I dont have access to DVD players/recorders anyway). I would be interested to know if you find a solution or cheaper source. Mind you to date I havent needed an updated DVD. Its only new housing and trading estates and the Motorway south of Manchester to the airport that have really caused me any hassle and then it was minimal. It just seems strange to drive through green fields with the system constantly trying to re-route you!

I had my RX MOTed at RMB Teesside the 'new' Lexus dealer. No problems at all and very efficient service. It was MOTed on site as I had a couple of coffees whilst I waited. As Colin Barber has said it was a standard charge (£40.75) which I understand is not discountable.

I was wondering how many miles you had got out of the originals? I have had to replace the two fronts on my Mk1 due to a puncture and poor tracking but the back ones are only down to 3mm after 39k miles.

Fit

Coffee

car

Happy

I have been told the 40k service on my RX will be £460 (less LOC discount) which is similar to L3XAV. the previous 3 services at 10k intervals were in the £150-£180 range so this all so simlar for the IS. I will proabaly need new brake pads so it will cost even more! I understand they change the air filter, transmission fluid and some other fluid (power steering?). Oh yes and the charcoal filter! Sounded a lot to me but they have always been good and the car has never let me down so I will give it the required TLC

weasel

The folk who made my personal plates put some double sided tape on the back for me (I had to ask mind you). Then just be careful

Madeira

ps - Yes, my alloys did have 'corrosion' on them but seemed less than some IS's I have seen. My dealer did however replace them at no cahrge with 4 days of 3yr warranty left! - Excellent dealer (Lexus Teesside)

See my post about the cost of a 40k service in the same forum. This highlights my costs for the 10k, 20k and 30k services. Otherwise the only costs to date have been two new tyres (one puncture, the other due to poor tracking after the first tyre!) and a wiper blade. Went thru first MOT no trouble. 40k service is a lot more expensive and likely to need brake pads at £xxcessive (unknown yet) At 3 years old thought about new DVD for Sat Nav but at more than £300 bought a cheap map instead. If you buy from a dealer try insisting on a new dvd. Fault free so far and a still enjoyable to drive. Still feels like a new car to me. I would have thought that after an IS200 you will find it a very different driving experience but as long as you accept the additional space, height and weight will have an effect you shoukld still enjoy it. The view from on high is good but its not so high you have to climb in (like a Discovery and the like). I would thoroughly recommend an RX

puncture

The 40k service is due on my RX in the next few months. When the car was MOTd last week I asked about the cost of the next service at 40k miles and was quoted £465 although I normally get a LOC discount (although dont appear to be in the scheme) so it will reduce to only (!) £420. I was surprised as the previous services at 10k, 20k and 30k cost £137, £166 and £151 respectively. In the past they have always been competitive (eg cheapest quote out of 3 for 30k service). Is there a huge amount of extra work in the 40k service? Am I just being a tight b**tard?

Yikes!!!! A few more trips to the cheap map shop me thinks! Thank goodness I dont visit too many places that change their roads around too much. I suppose we Sat Nav owners are a captive audience and Lexus know it. Customer Care?

Knitting!

My 2001 DVD needs updating but Dealer Costs seem extortionatly high (I have heard that £200 is not considered out the way). A £4.99 AA road atlas from the cheap book store is the short term solution but having got Sat Nav seems a shame not to keep it up to date. Mine is a private car so no business expenses to pick this up. Has it been considered as a group buy or are there alternative routes to obtaining one?