ihpj

Perhaps I am being cynical but if they have a product that is anywhere nearly as good as their own marketing gumph makes out then surely the real money market for them will be countries where petrol is sold by the litter (not the gallon as in USA) and where fuel prices are very high (as in Europe and the UK). Surely that is the market they will want to access as a first to market with their concept, before others jump on the same technology. I do not, for one minute, believe their system is as good as they say, because if it was wouldn't Toyota have adopted it for their own cars as part of the Hybrid system?

I would suggest you take an SE-L for a test drive and then compare it with the 'non-air suspension' type. IIRC then people tend to prefer the 'standard coil springs' to be better than the fancy air suspension. If you havn't driven one before, defintiely take one out for a spin to see if you can get a feel for it.

I personally do not rate the Bridgestones, although my RX has them fitted (it had 4 x new tyres and new alloys when we bought it) but find them too harsh a tyre. Had a loaner RX400h which had Dunlops - they were much better IMHO. But when it comes to replacement time, I will go to Costco and go for the Michelins Diamiris (sp?) as I rate them over anything else available.

I've only had good experiences with them (thus far). Good people IMHO.

I priced a Service Plan up when we bought our RX. Worked out very competitive - the way I looked at it was that Labour Rates are always going to increase and these have a bearing on the overall cost of Service. With a pre-paid plan, you don't have to worry about price increases. What I did to comapre the price was simple. Lexus Hanley have the best Servicing Rates available. I then totted up the costs for the relvant services from them and compared it to the cost of the Service Plan. Pre-Paid price came in a little cheaper than their price, so I knew I was getting a good deal and went for it. When it came to deciding on whether I should go for the Dealer Specific or Lexus, I went with Lexus because that way I know I can take my car to ANY Lexus franchise for it to be serviced no matter where I am in the UK - rather than be stuck going to the nearest Dealer Group franchise that may (or may not) be close by.

I concur with that thought, great people who take the time to help folk out. Many thanks folks ;)

Some here might not agree with this but ... The 3 and IS are two different cars. The 3 is definitely more driver orientated with engines (and gear boxes) to match. It is an eager driver's car that will challenge you. The IS on the other hand is a very competant cruiser, with focus on quality and comfort. You get more for your money in the IS and arguably better Support too. Depends on what you're after and how much you want to enjoy the 'driving experience'.

I don't think you should be too far worried about Lexus build quality issues. There are indeed some examples where they just don't seem to have got it quite right (the ubiquitous 'Friday Afternoon Car') - but in the main, I think you will be pleasantly surprised...and if you do have to take it back, your Dealer experience should be nothing short of sterling. Don't over analyse or worry too much - sample a few, buy the one you're happy with.

For us it was about the money. Mrs ihpj wanted an SUV (and had been bugging me for quite some time) and we really couldn't afford an X5. The RX seemed to be a very good alternative so we plumped for that. No regrets. Been impressed with the Selling Dealership (Croydon) and local Dealership (Milton Keynes) throughout. Never a grumble :) But I still want a 535d Saloon ;)

I too was very impressed with the way Lexus handled my idle (and passing) query on the RX. I was quite literally bowled over with their very personable approach and wholly professional attitude. Knowledgeable staff, keen and enthusiastic. Said and did the 'right things' - which was refreshing coming from Audi and BMW (sales) people experience. Haven't really got a bad word to say about them all over (thats sales, service, parts ... ) - unfortunately I cannot say the same about BMW Sales: Arrogant, condescending and very much of a 'I don't think you can afford to buy, so I'm not going to waste my time with you' approach. Thats fine, I'll go elsewhere (and did to Lexus). Service on the other hand were absolutely superb, as were parts (who would be very willing to lend advice and assistance freely and without prompting). Very impressed with BMW Service and Parts. I think it does come down to the relationship you have and with the Dealership and the individuals there. But BMW Sales universally seem to be quite arrogant - pity really as they make great cars ;)

If I might put forward my own contribution ... don't think you can 'regret' buying either vehicle. Both are very good (in all aspects when considered individually) and competent (when compared against each other). There will always be areas of which appeal more to some than others - but thats what life is all about. if Lexus made cars that were equivalent in every aspect to BMW, wouldn't that be a bad thing? Wouldn't we just be driving 'the standard Euro Box' all the time but with a different badge? No, I think choice is a good thing and if you buy a car from either brans, you will be very satisfied. For me, and it has always come down to this, is the thrill of the drive. The feeling of being connected to the car and the road is where I derive my 'fun' when driving. The precision balance and poise of the car will determine (for me) if it is 'good' or 'bad'. When you have driven both, then you understand why BMWs moniker is 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' and why Lexus are still on their journey towards achieving perfection (In the Pursuit of Perfection or something) - the two statements are very different. BMWs is assertive and quite clear: they have set out to make the best handling car and they feel they have achieved it...while Lexus is still looking to achieve perfection, bu don't think they are quite there yet. Perhaps I am being pedantic by reading too much into the company moniker - but I genuinely believe that both cars will be a sound choice in their own right. It comes down to what appeals for you more?

Hi, Bi-Xenon has no connection with 'looking round corner' functionality. Xenons are either Xenon or Bi-Xenon - with the latter being better because both the main beam and high beam are Xenon, the output controlled by means of an internal shutter. General consensus is that any retrofit of Xenons is never as good as the factory fit ones due to the way you have to go about fitting them. Cheap(er) alternatives are to fit the Xenon filament bulb (with some minor headlamp unit modification and this is the part in which the eBay listing refers to issues around 'no errors' ) to allow for the retrofit, but as with many thins, you pay for what you get. Quite clearly I'm missing something here - your IS already has Xenons fitted, why would you want to fit these which appear to be the same thing? Also I would urge you to consider any issues relating to your warranty as any diddling with electrics and wires might invalidate it. Hope this helps.

As I look [forward] to hand back the key on my loaner RX400h, and after having completed a total of 1675 miles and averaged 30MPG, I do so with some relief. I cannot but help feel under whelmed by this car for which I had had held such high hopes. I say goodbye in th same way you do when a irksome relative invited themselves to to stay with you for a short period of time and you are pleased to see them go. Which is a shame really as I really, no I man genuinely really, wanted to not only like this car but wanted to buy one. As I look back over my three weeks, I really cannot say that I will miss it. It has not left me with any impression and nothing to remember it by. My previous comments about my issues wit the car stand and some other observations I make are as follows: 1. On cold mornings (when the temp. has been say 7 – 12 degrees C) the engine will all too frequently kick in at start up. The car simply will not run on battery power alone. I had deliberately not switched on any battery drain devices either. This behaviour was typical of the car. Surely in town driving and short journeys is here this car is supposed to excel? Well on a very short journey to school (0.5M) I found that the car was running on petrol engine alone, despite the readout showing the car had ample (nearly full) charge. Only when it was warmed up, would I run on battery. But the point is, at start up and cold starts, that is where most fuel is used – I would have expected it to run on batter power alone, but, unfortunately not. 2. Then there is the issue of the Hybrid system itself. You physically have to lift off the gas to get the batteries to kick in. At slow speeds I found that the car simply did not disengage the petrol engine and automatically switch to battery. Yet it would all too happily switch from battery to petrol. 3. The batteries do not seem able to cope with hauling the car up a gradient, unless you have some momentum. Meaning if you are parked on even a gentle incline and move off (up the gradient) from stationary, the petrol engine has to kick in. 4. Then there are issues over the usability features of the car: · SatNav does not allow postcode searches. How can Lexus have overlooked such a basic feature? It oddly allows for search by co-ordinates but WTF? If I knew where I was going then I wouldn’t need it. · The radio has no LW – How am I supposed to listen to Test Match Special? · The Hybrid display does not give basic readouts like instant consumption, journey consumption, miles left in tank etc. which is very basic functionality. · There is no ability to set user options like selective locking/unlocking, automatic door locking – again very basic functionality is missing? So I look forward to having the keys to my RX300SE (facelift) back in my pocket. My car might not do 30MPG – but it will get close to about 25MPG on he same drive and I know that it is sure-footed and competent. It might not have the fancy MM, but at least it will tell me the basic trip details and usefully miles left in tank. I like my RX300 and when I look to upgrade I will be looking at an RX350 SE, with MM + ICE as for the money, I feel, that beats the RX400h any day. I would seriously urge people to look beyond the Lexus hype and see that this vehicle, although technologically advanced and well put together backed up with excellent Lexus support etc. isn’t quite the full package. It still needs more work and I really cannot see a private individual benefiting from buying this vehicle. In closing, I would like to add that I am in no way anti-Lexus or have an axe to grind. Rather to the contrary - I love my RX and would, without hesitation, recommend it to friends and family. But I cannot help feel that the standard engines from other manufacturers (like BMW in their new X5) also falling into the lower tax bracket make a better case than the Hybrid. For me at least, this was not the best of both worlds. An expensive gadget that I will not miss.

We have been with the Admiral Group of companies for Car Insurance for well over 5 years. Greatly competitive quotes and TBH very good service. In that time I've made two (non-fault) claims and both times dealt with very well by the Claims Dept. - easy to get in touch with and communicate with. I know its swings and roundabouts - but I can only report back good experiences. Unfortunately they weren't competitive this year.

I'm sorry that I cannot help you with that answer - but you might be better off calling Lexus Customer Services to see if they could clarify. Have the chassis number to hand as well as the registration. Remember, if the vehicle is 'not as described' then you can walk away without hassel. They wont like it, but there isn't didly the Dealership can do to stop you. You have the law on your side. As an example, I placed a deposit (£1,000) on a used BMW 330d on the understanding that it had bi-xenons. Salesman verbally assured me that it had this spec. and on that basis I left the deposit. I am never trusting of Salesmans, so I called BMW to double check the options...guess what? Car had xenons only. I simply called the Dealership and informed them that the car was not as descrbied, that I considered them to be in breach of contract and I no longer had any interest the car. I therefore expected them to return my deposit, in full and without issue. Within three days I had a letter explaining that the cheque would be with me for the full amount in ten days. I got my deposit back, no issue. It really is that simple. If you're not happy and you have a valid reason (car spec. is different to what you were lead to believe) you are in the right and no matter what the Dealership say, they can't do anything to force you to buy.

Crickey! I too have been noticin some corrosion to the roof rails on our car (underside as people have said) but thought nothing of it as I couldn't do anything, that is until I read this thread! Thank you guys for posting your experiences as I felt embarrassed in asking Lexus see if they could replace them under warranty. TBH they are just starting to go - thought maybe I was just unlucky, but I'll get onto Lexus MK this morning and ask them to have a look at my [flaking] roof bars and see if they cannot replace them under warranty... THANK YOU! :)

Good post X5JDX - thought I was the only one starting to think twice about the RX400h and question its validity in the market today.

Don't worry mate, I was stumped when we got our loan car too. Its right under the drivers seat, accessible from the passenger compartment. You have to flip down a protective lid-plate marked 'Lexus' - is held in place with magnets so don't be afraid to give it a bit of a pull. Just be aware that both headsets are able to receive signal as one of the sensors on our car is faulty, so the boys have to share the headphones. Apparently the headphone issue is a well known problem @ Lexus.

Interesting thread. I would have expected better MPG than the 32MPG you are getting given that this is a 2.5L 4 cylinder engine. I am surprised to note that our E46 330i (saloon) would return circa 30MPG with cruise set @ 80MPH - and thats a 6 cylinder engine. I'm not sure how many BHP and torque these IS' throw out but given that they are a 4 cylinder engine, I would have expected better. I wonder tough if they come in a lower RFL band to offset things with the 330i?

I know what you are saying about the residuals. That whereas any ordinary SUVs have a watershed date in terms of RFL after a particular date, the RX400h maintains this clear advantage over the competition because no matter what age of vehicle you still pay the lower RFL for it despite it being an SUV - it might also continue to enjoy Congestion Charge exemption in London. I do not however see this vehicle being overly economical to drive in other than stop-start-heavily congested traffic (as in London) - but even then, after 10 minutes of nose-to-tail driving, with your A/C and radio and DVD on you will very quickly deplete the Hybrid system and then default to running the petrol engine. So where is the economy? Where is the range? I fully accept that as a business user if you have tax liabilities to think about and you absolutely must have an SUV, then the RX400h makes a case for itself. But even then, if you look at the (poor) handling and absolute flaws with the Hybrid system, the car starts to loose its veneer. This is a heavy vehicle with stodgy handling (especially in comparison to its petrol only equivalent) because it this is a FWD vehicle only. Under hard acceleration there is far too much power going to the front only wheels (you have the engine and front electric motor powering those wheels) with lesser energy (when you can get it) going to the rear, thus resulting in noticeable uneven power delivery. If you can afford one of these vehicle (circa £40k) then I'm sure £400 RFL isn't going to kill you - and thats why despite this car having these advantages over tis rivals, it isn't as good a prospect as the petrol (or diesel) only equivalents IMHO. The residuals o these vehicles will hit hard once the Public realise that this is a stop-gap and especially moreso when (and it is only a matter of time) before Lexus crack the hi-output battery. These first generation Hybrids will be worthless. The concept is nice, Lexus proves you can advance technology but the risk to gamble with £40k is far too much money better spent buying a diesel X5 which will always hold its value better (as example). I really, truly wanted to like this vehicle and aspired towards owning one. But my experience has really made me question the Hybrid RX...

I have posted my thoughts about the RX400h on this forum - allbeit from my real world experience. I don't think there could have been any bigger fan of the RX Hybrid than myself, having had such a positive experience with my RX. It had been a car that we would purchase as the antural successor and upgrade to the petrol version. However I now find myself disillusioned and questioning it as a product. Not wanting to hijack the thread (or re-post my thoughts) I think the Hybrid RX has very limited scope and actual utility. The point you make about the Tax aspect is quite poignant and correct...and perhaps it makes a business sense to those liable for Company Car Tax liabilities (and the like). But from a Private Individual POV I don't think this Hybrid is at all what it is cracked up to be - especially with the boundries of technology being pushed by Lexus (and the other brands) that if they do crack the issue of longer lasting batteries (or atleast the current issue of the battery drain on vehicles standing for sometime) then the case for a Hybrid becomes more pertinent but also makes these cars redundant overnight. I think if people look at the actual functionality of these cars, then the real world case cannot be made. I think the petrol version is a far better vehicle than the Hybrid and a case in point is the handling: the RX400h is only FWD while the petrol equivalent is AWD all of the time. I don't think its a case of another string to the bow of the RX400h - but perhaps another nail in its coffin as the illusion of the Hybrid is shattered. I can't comment on the other Hybrids - just the RX as thats one I have been able to put through its paces these last few weeks - but I don't think the technology is as good as they make out. I don't think the RX400h is just a fad, it is a point of technological marvel that proves there are alternatives to just the petrol (and diesel) engine. I don't think that it is quite market ready as they make out and worth my money. When it comes to upgrade our RX300, it'll be the 350 or even a diesel SUV - like the X5.

The towing capabilities of the RX are one of the hidden characteristics of these cars. From all accounts they seem very competant towing vehicles.

FWIW I think too think you paid way too much for the car. To put it into perspective, we bought our 2003/03 RX300 SE with 36k on the clock (1 owner, FLSH) from Lexus Croydon just this February for £17.5k - OK so yours is 53 (over our 03) - but still thats a whopping chunk you paid for it... I don't think people fully realise how heavily these vehicle depreciate - they are not in vougue these days, but tahts to be expected. Shame really as these are very good vehicles, excellent in every point and the price we paid for ours certainly makes sense for us. Depreciation is going to be a kicker on these cars - just accept it as a running cost, nothing you can do...

As long as you're happy and the figures stack up for you then don't worry about it. If you do less miles than the norm then in a couple of years time the miles will average out and I wouldn't worry. Enjoy the car as by all accounts thats the one to go for :) Remember to post pictures ;)

TBH thats the first 'red' IS I have seen and although I have found this car looking very staid in all colours, however this does look quite yummy. Reminds me of Japan Red / Imola Red on the old BMW E46 'Sports' models.