TeesLS460

I plucked a number out of the air for my 'estimate' but as I have also said before, I am not looking for anything more than is fair. I have no intention of exaggerating the impact that the accident has had on me (I work for the Police and despite the pain I have continued to go into work every day, and am surrounded by senior Police officers who can see how I am affected throughout the day). I had no previous idea of what would be a reasonable amount - I will leave that to the courts to decide. As regards disabled access, whilst it is true that buses and trains have vastly better disabled accessibility than before, the truth is that unless you have tried to get around in a wheelchair yourself, you cannot properly understand just how hard it is. For example, just to get to work, I cannot take the tube from the 2 nearest stations to my home as they are not wheelchair accessible - there are 4 flights of stairs from the ticket hall to the platform. Nor can I easily get to the nearest wheelchair accessible station without a lift from my family - it would take 3 buses just to get there and then I'd have another tube journey and bus journey to get to work. Add to that, my electric wheelchair is not designed to work reliably in the rain so I can only use it in good weather, and I'm not strong enough to self-propel a manual wheelchair for more than maybe 30 metres, even before the accident. So my options are to rely on friends and family to get me to a wheelchair accessible station and hope that the station at my destination is also wheelchair accessible (luckily my workplace destination is), or take a taxi. In the end it doesn't matter - I've spoken to solicitors and will see what happens next.

Thanks for your good luck wishes, Melanie. I do hope to get only what's fair - being my car repaired properly and compensation for my actual injuries. We'll see what the final figure comes to. I'm mostly concerned with my car being properly repaired. If you are having trouble affording your insurance, I can assure you it has nothing to do with me personally as prior to this incident, I have not had an injury caused by an accident, let alone one in which I was the innocent party. Oh, and it's not people like me who cause insurance prices to rise, it's the idiots who cause the accidents. I suspect you've been stung by high insurance costs after causing an accident or two? Or maybe you're running around without insurance? Either way, I have one piece of advice for you - GET A JOB.

Thanks for the advice, Adam. The figure of £22,000 was based on my estimate of around £16,000 to get hold of a decent equivalent of my car including any fault fixing, another £3000 for courtesy car costs and compensation for loss of car until this is sorted, and £3000 for my injuries, pain and suffering, along with a quick settlement premium. Of course, if the insurance company don't want to go down that route, then I would accept the other options of a properly repaired car with acceptable courtesy car, or an equivalent replacement vehicle bought and checked to ensure it was fault free. I would understand that the insurance company will probably want to get away as lightly as possible, but as I am not at fault, I will press the third party insurers to the maximum and am prepared to go to court if necessary. I will of course keep you all updated as to what happens.

Thanks for all the replies so far - any links to how to guide regarding getting a fair deal would be welcome, though I have done some google searching. I'm thinking along the lines of: 1. I want my car repaired properly at a Lexus authorised repair centre using genuine Lexus parts. 2. I want another LS460 SE-L as a courtesy car, but I would settle for a Mercedes S500, BMW 750i, Jaguar XJ or Audi A8 4.2 tdi so long as it has radar cruise control (a major reason why I bought my current car) 3. I want compensation for the time I am without a car (as I am a wheelchair user, I am effectively housebound without my car, and totally dependent on family and friends to get me out of the house) 4. I want compensation for my injuries and pain and suffering (I suffered neck and back pain which led to a trip by ambulance to hospital, and which is stll ongoing) 5. I want compensation to cover any increase in my future insurance premiums as a result of this non-fault accident being on my records for the next 5 years. In the event of my car being written off, 1. I want an another car of the same make and model, of roughly comparable age or newer, with the same mileage or less, and with the same option (heated steering wheel) 2. I want it to have a thorough examination by a Lexus technician to be sure it is free of faults (I spent a lot of money on my car to make sure it was fault free) and any faults found put right. 3. It must have new tyres and brakes discs and pads (I replaced mine only in February) 4. I still want the compensation for the loss of car until an acceptable courtesy car is provided. 5. I still want compensation for my injury and pain and suffering. 6. I still want compensation to cover any increase in my future insurance premiums as a result of this non-fault accident being on my records for the next 5 years. Alternatively I would settle for a certain figure which I think is fair and would cover everything allowing me to source an alternative vehicle and allow the whole thing to be put to rest. I'm thinking of around £22,000

I bought a new electric folding wheelchair a couple of weeks ago which fits even more easily into the boot of my LS460, after collapsing down like a pushchair. It was fantastic, at least until my car accident on Wednesday (separate thread about that). I had to import it from Malaysia, but it was worth every penny as it meant I could go back to work in my job at the Police... http://wheelchair88.com/product/pw-999ul/

My insurance company have traced the other vehicle and confirmed that it is insured. They have sent the photos along with my statement to the other insurance company, and I'm waiting for them to accept liability. I'm afraid that the damage to the car will mean that it's a write-off especially as there's the rear radar detector for whiplash detection, the camera, the side panels are all buckled, and one of the exhausts was deformed.

The vehicle that hit me: And the driver of the vehicle:

So I was involved in an accident on my way to work on Wednesday morning. Stopped at traffic lights and someone in a minibus crashed into the back of my car :( I hurt my neck and back and called the Police and Ambulance, but the driver left the scene before they arrived - without exchanging details... However, I got good photos of his vehicle and him, which I've passed onto my insurance company. Here is the damage done to my poor LS460 :(

This might seem like a silly question, but is your A/C on or off? I found the same small vibration after having my LS460 serviced, and it was bugging me a lot. It turned out that I had turned off the A/C (had the windows open on the way back) and with the A/C off the idle speed was down to 500rpm which was just too low for comfort and caused the vibration. With the A/C on again, the idle lifted to 700rpm and the vibration was completely gone.

Due to a longstanding disability which has just gotten worse over time, I got a wheelchair today. It's a folding self-propelled one, and I was afraid it wouldn't fit into the boot of my LS460. So with my girlfriend's help, we folded it up, and... it didn't fit :( The rear air-con bulge was just too much in the way... I was getting disheartened and considering swapping my LS460 for an RX450 or similar just to get the chair in, and thinking of how much I would miss it. Then found that my chair had quick release big wheels too. With them removed, the chair fits! The wheels also fit in the boot once separated So the LS460 SE-L does take a folding wheelchair, certainly if it's this one... http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003G9LR8G/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you have a laptop already, you can get the MVCI cable and Toyota Techstream software for about the same price on eBay (less than £30) - that's what I did.

Whereabouts in Greater London are you? Anywhere near Ealing? If so, I'm happy to plug my Toyota Techstream in and see/clear the error codes for you.

I doubt there is any way to move the hybrid battery placement safely that isn't cheaper than just buying the newer GS 450h. If you're concerned about boot space, haven't yet been for a test drive, and are not too worried about fuel consumption, then take a look at the LS460 instead. Comfort and ride quality is in a different league, and the boot, while still small, is more usable day to day.

Thanks - but I'm waiting for the post 2010 facelift ones to be under £20K... Until then I'm perfectly happy with my LS460 :D

I highly recommend the free Waze app available on iPhones and I believe Android phones. I use it for my route guidance and it warns me of speed cameras and police up ahead with a voice prompt if it thinks I'm going a bit over the posted speed limit.

That sounds like normal turbo lag... Is the problem significantly worse than before?

Best of luck with the new car. The IS220D is not really considered to be Lexus' finest car, with lots more horror stories than petrol models of similar ages. Make sure you get a good warranty with it.

It looks beautiful - will you miss the LKA from the LS460, or will you attempt the hack that has been suggested on the forum to partially enable it on your LS600hL? I'd be tempted by a 2010 LS600 when they fall below £20K, especially with the 5 seat rear relaxation pack and full LKA enabled. Currently though they are still around £36K

Put me down for a maybe... Back from Mexico on the 6th and if I'm not too jetlagged I'll try to come down.

Premium unleaded in Australia (and the US) is 95 octane, the same as regular unleaded here in the UK.

This is my review of the 2007 Lexus LS460 SE-L. I should mention at the start that I am slightly biased having owned not one, but two of these magnificent cars. As you can tell from the last sentence, I do like the car but I hope to be honest about its flaws as well as its wonders. My review is of the SE-L model with all of its toys and conveniences. First, a bit about my car history so you can understand my references for comparison. I've owned and driven (family owned) the following different cars: 1986 Ford Escort 1.6L, 1986 Metro 1.0, 1991 VW Polo 1.0, 1994 Renault Laguna 1.8, 1995 Mercedes C200, 1992 Toyota Supra 3.0 NA, 1991 Toyota Supra 3.0 Turbo, 1998 Mercedes A140, 2004 Renault Megane Coupe Cabriolet 2.0 Petrol, 2004 Renault Scenic 1.9dci, 2006 Renault Megane Coupe Cabrolet 1.9dci, 2007 Lexus LS460 SE-L, 2008 Lexus RX400h, 2006 Renault Laguna 2.0dci, 2007 Toyota Prius 1.5, 2007 Lexus LS460 SE-L So you can see that I've driven quite a few different cars, front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, 4 wheel drive, petrol, diesel, hybrid, non-power assisted steering, power-assisted steering. I'm also a handy kart racer and can handle myself driving sideways or being smooth for ultimate lap times (I beat the original Stig's time at the Team-Sport Tower Bridge circuit) On to the Lexus LS460 SE-L: Exterior Appearance: Firstly this car is big. Very big. It looks like a family car that has been on steroids, growing another 10%. The shape is smooth and handsome to my eyes. The large chrome grille with prominent Lexus L looks very impressive as you walk towards the car. Only the headlights look a little bit bulbous - somewhere the LS600 looks better with its row of LED lamps. The Boot This is the biggest failing in the LS460 SE-L. With the rear airconditioner as standard, boot space is restricted to 385 litres, down from the 505 litres of the basic car. There is an awkward shaped lump making it awkward to place multiple large suitcases. I would think twice before taking this car to the airport packing luggage. Paintwork Lexus paintwork is very smooth and shiny when new, but it is extremely soft and easy to scratch. Do not go near it with a pressure washer. Performance Official figures show the LS460 can go from 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds and 0-100mph in 15.3. Even my 7 year old model with 130,000 miles on the clock feels every bit as fast from a standing start if you floor it, and it builds speed from even motorway cruising speeds at a faintly scary rate. I would say though that when the gearbox is left in D, the car tends to shift to as high a gear as possible getting to 8th gear from as little as 40mph, keeping the tacho in the 1500 rpm range. If you ask the car to accelerate fast from there, there is a hesitation as the car seems to make 2 separate downshifts before it gets into the right gear. This can be avoided if you know in advance that you're going for it, by switching the gearbox to S and manually selecting S3 or S4, forcing the car to downshift. This also has a benefit when driving at low speed as engine braking is more pronounced when the car is in the right gear low speed twists and turns. It does nothing for fuel economy though. Throttle response In the standard mode, throttle response is a little bit strange - there appears to be a dead area of initial travel where the car definitely responds but in a very sluggish way - it's enough to make you not want to drive quickly. Switching the ECT mode to Power sharpens this up dramatically but tends to make the car feel a little bit jumpy. Economy Driving around just in town at low speeds on short journeys in S3 mode, I get around 13mpg! Leaving the gearbox in D and driving on long motorway journeys at an indicated 75mph, I get 32mpg. If you baby the car you can get low 20s in town. Seat comfort This is my real bugbear with the LS460. The seats have so much adjustment, that it can be very hard to find a position that doesn't leave you with backache after a long journey. The seats are lovely and soft but don't always support you the way you expect. I've noticed that the lumbar adjustment seems to reset itself to the 'off' position if you adjust the backrest position and so you need to carefully reset this to support your back again, before memorising the seat position. 3 of the 5 seats have seat memory. The driver's seat and the outer 2 rear seats. The front passenger can electrically adjust their seat but there is no memory function (why not?) Interior Space... lots of space. If the boot is ridiculously small, it's because all of the space has been provided for the comfort of the passengers. Nevertheless, this is not a car to transport 5 people. The rear middle seat is not really a proper seat, and it's only good for short journeys. However for 4 people, the car is sublime. Goodness knows how much more room there is in the long wheelbase LS600hL The front and rear seats can be reclined, heated or cooled, and there are electrically adjustable sunshades for both the rear window and rear side windows. Other luxury cars tend to have manual side rear sunshades. Ride quality In standard mode, the ride quality is very very good - smooth as silk but with reasonably good control. For our poor quality UK roads, you can switch from standard to comfort to smooth out the ride even more, but this can feel a bit floaty, like an American car. If you want sharper, more direct handling you can switch to Sport mode (this also quickens up the steering rack) but in my experience, this makes the ride much more knobbly - not as bad as a GS450h, but I don't like it and it doesn't suit the LS at all. If I use Sport mode, I tend to switch back to normal as soon as possible. Technology This is a mixed bag - the touch screen display is almost identical to all other Lexus models, and even the Toyota Prius. The quality of the switchgear (plastics in the buttons) feels much better than in the RX400h and leagues better than an IS220d loan car I had (which felt low-rent by comparison). LS buyers coming from a Toyota might feel a bit shortchanged by the all too similar interface, but it works very well indeed. The LS460 SE-L has a couple of standout features that are rare on UK cars. The radar-cruise control works really well allowing you to set your desired maximum speed, and automatically slowing down when a car in front slows down. Don't think about trying to set it and drive into a queue of stopped traffic though. It won't save you from that! Once the radar cruise has locked onto a car in front, it will maintain a gap (selectable via a button on the steering wheel from 3 choices) braking automatically when necessary. Below 24 mph though it will cancel itself and you need to take control. My favourite feature though is the Lane Keep Assist. Using stereo cameras and near infrared projectors in the headlamps, this allows the car to keep you in a lane by night or day, so long as it can see the lane markings and if you are in radar cruise mode. You can even take your hands off the wheel for a few seconds to see it working. It's not foolproof though and is only designed to assist you, dramatically reducing driver fatigue on a long journey. Soft closing doors and boot I love the fact that you don't need to slam the doors shut - just close them till the latch touches and electric motors will close them the rest of the way. This also works for the boot so you don't need to slam it. More to follow in another post...