japthree

3 questions on motorway driving (ADIs / driving experts / anyone who can drive please reply if you can help!): 1.is it better to join the motorway in the right-hand lane of a slip road so you can see the cars on the motorway quicker and they can see you? You have a better "view" or "zone of vision"? Any tips on safe joining btw? It's the thing I dislike the most about motorways! 2.Is it good practice that when you are in lane 1 (lane next to the hard shoulder) and passing or just before passing a motorway exit to change to lane 2 so that you won't have to change lanes if you were in lane 1 because a car might be / will be soon joining the motorway via a slip road? 3.When changing from lane 1 to lane 2 - is it important as well as checking for any cars in lane 2 (via your mirrors and blind spot) to check for any potential cars in lane 3 whom might be zooming from behind ready to change to lane 2 and CRASH! Similarly if you are in lane 3 and changing to lane 2 then you should check in lane 1 as well as the obvious lane 2? I personally tend to forget to check the other lane when changing lanes :-( I have DSA's Driving the Essential Skills and Roadcraft if you want to refer to particular pages / text. Quote me the page and I'll check it up. Cheers!

Early SE autos have a leather gearstick - do you auto drivers prefer this to the silver chrome ball gearstick like on the manuals and later autos? In reviews people have said that the ball can easily come off (I've never had this issue) but in cold weather the ball can become very cold - it's good I suppose autos can be left in D for most of the time!

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/prod...valve_caps.html Do you use these - do they work or do they get nicked?!? http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/prod...sure_guard.html Winner: Black plastic valve caps featured small, clear bubbles at their ends and, unlike rivals, weren’t preset, being suitable for tyres between 20psi and 42psi. With the tyre correctly inflated, the cap was fitted and the green outer segments appeared. As pressure was released, the central red wedge was exposed, and it started to show with a loss of 4psi. Good price helped it come out on top.

Anyone got any comments please - not much of a 'review' I know!

I take it most of you lurve your car BUT what would your top 3 or top 5 things you dislike about it - it can be anything - design, ergonomics, boot space, mpg, etc

I've read the Roadcraft book and got the Roadcraft DVD (which is a DVD-transfer of the Roadcraft video done few years back). It's very interesting and informative to watch the DVD and listen to the "commentary" and pick up new tips and skills. Anyway noticed in a friend's IAM Advanced Driving magazine adverts for more "Advanced Driving" DVDs such as: Ultimate Roadcraft - featuring Chris Gilbert the Police Driver in the original Roadcraft DVD/video http://www.driving4tomorrow.com and http://www.bespokedrivertraining.co.uk http://www.bespokedrivertraining.co.uk/DVD_index.htm Programme 1 - COMMENTARY DRIVING Programme 2 - ADVANCED ROADCRAFT Programme 3 - HIGH PERFORMANCE ROADCRAFT 3 DVDs... Have you watched any of these or know of other "How to improve your driving" DVDs/films please? Thanks.

LEGALLY, correct me if I'm wrong, you are supposed to clear off any ice / frost / snow off the 1.headlights 2.windows 3.registration plates and 4.wing mirrors. Maybe legally is too strong a word.... Also if the car is going to be frozen overnight, it's a good idea to NOT fold the mirrors so you don't damage the motor in the morning. Don't try to use the washer jets either and as the manual says it's a good idea to NOT apply the parking brake? If the parking sensors are frozen you will get false bleeps when reversing so de-ice them by using de-icer or warm water, etc... Anything else? No-one has commented about using a car cover - or is that a bit naff or attract too much attention in the street?

For eco-driving, the less weight you have, the better. Whether that means exercising (!); removing all useless stuff from the boot or never filling up to the max and running the tank dry if you dare! However then the engine gets clogged up with all the "bottom of the tank junk" so how do you trade-off, if you understand me correctly? Also driving in SNOW mode - why does this help the mpg? Is this for all makes / models of car or just the IS200?

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/ind...showtopic=55424 in case you don't read the IS200/300/SC forum it's about supposing you won a competition and had the choice of a top spec 2005 IS200 with all gadgets or a similar spec IS250 - which one and why? Any comments - you can post there if you want - actually it will be better if you keep it to one thread!

What do you think of his advice? I like his website http://www.moneysavingexpert.com and his show on five is okay! However when he says you should always be moving from one energy / insurance / etc supplier to another after you've done your "internet comparison" to get the cheapest / best deal, but ------- there's some hassle involved in that previous companies know your details so will be trying to get you back to them by phoning you, emailing you if you gave them an email address, SMS, post, etc. The more companies you register with, the more hassle you will get. Any tips to beat this? BTW, remember to use http://www.petrolprices.com for cheapest petrol in your local area!

1. In Halfords I've seen special "pre-night de-icer" - does it work? Basically you put the stuff before you go to bed (assuming your car is NOT already frozen) and in the morning it should be the odd one out in the street! Or does ice still form but just slides off easily without scraping? 2. Boiling water should NEVER be used (I always hear) to melt the ice as it can crack the glass; however after applying de-icer the ice melts to a slush like substance and wiping just smears the glass. I've found pouring luke-warm/hot water is fine and washes the glass clean? 3. If I buy a car cover and pop that on - will it help? Where do you put the frozen car cover in the morning - in the boot the ice will melt and the boot will then be wet! In a big black bin bag? Of course to get zero hassle just park the car in the garage overnight - if you have one! Any other tips? Do people really use their credit cards to scrape ice if they have no scraper?

If you won a competition and had the choice of a top spec IS200 (with all the gadgets in 2005 before production ceased to make way for the IS250) or a similar spec of IS250 (as all the gadgets in an IS250 would make the comparison unfair due to more technology available!) - which one would you choose? Basically, for you, do you prefer the IS200 over the IS250 and in what ways? I think the IS200 is looking dated, now, after 9 years on the roads but somehow the IS250 doesn't instantly grab me for some unknown reason......

A broker assists in getting the best deal right? Can't you just use the many comparison websites for car insurance and do the work yourself - much easier than phoning 10 insurance companies? Pros and cons please?

Noticed on sat-nav devices (e.g. TomTom) the speed reading is always LOWER than the speedo - is this intentional or an error? e.g. I can be doing 70mph on the motorway but the sat-nav reports 64mph?

Haven't checked this but is this sticker on all Toyota / Lexus cars if they are made in Japan? Looks a bit cheesy to me - is it to confirm it's made in Japan rather than in Europe / UK / USA?

When I get a quote or renew my insurance what give as the precise security features fitted to the IS200? Anything else which could reduce my premium which is IS200 specific? Also if one is involved in an accident but pays the person you hit (direct in cash) without going via a claim/insurance company is it still required to inform the insurance company you have had an accident? They aren't going to know anyway?

On saloon cars e.g. a IS200 (which don't have a rear wiper) I always find that when the car is parked for some time and it's raining the water droplets stick to the rear windscreen and you can't see out... so before I start the engine I use a squeegee to physically remove the rain! - is there a way round this - use rain-x for example. Using the rear demister only removes misting on the inside? P.S. why don't saloon cars have rear wipers - looks a bit naff?

Early 2005 before the new IS 250 was to come out, Lexus were throwing in everything, all the gadgets and toys for a very low price and I think it was on the SE model in particular. Can someone please give me (i.e. copy and paste) the spec please? I want to see what I'm missing. It really was very good value for money! Thanks.

I'm pretty sure years ago these were more in fashion but these days you never see them on cars - why not? ....You know the plastic reflective strips you slide onto the door edge to avoid damaging the adjacent parked car if you accidently bang it! I just checked on www.halfords.co.uk and they DO still exist - I'd forgotten about them! Any ideas?

Do you still get in your IS and stare at it (especially when lit up in orange) and say "Wow- that's cool!" or you never thought it was that good anyway? Also, the IS is the only car ever to have such a speedo?

This is not recommended when a passenger is in the rear centre seat but otherwise removing the head rest (1) gives a better view of the rear screen and behind and (2) also you can tell when the red brake light (High mounted stop light) is on by the reflection in the window when you apply the foot brake - you need a certain amount of pressure for the light to come on? This is not tied to the IS but many cars ....

Suppose you were to sit in an IS - would you be able to tell instantly (by driving it) that it had been to Wheels In Motion or not? Is the improvement that recognisable? Or suppose a Lexus Dealer nearly got the tracking/geometry right you wouldn't know for sure?

forget which one but it's in the current issue! Can't we have a thread here just for latest reviews in UK car mags for the IS-F?

Realised after getting a tyre changed at Lexus that one of the wheel nuts was not replaced - and there's some rust there - probably an old car. Anyway the tyre won't suddenly fall off on the motorway? And is it important to get the nut back - it will probably be lying around in a spares box in the service/part dept! Can't I use one in the Locking wheel nuts box you get (which are for the spare wheel or what please?)? BTW on showroom cars are the tyre dust caps removed so people don't steal them or is there a more scientific reason?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg_(media) Easter eggs not chocolate ones....