amolkarnik

I can put you in touch with a guy I know in Leytonstone. I used to get my previous cars fixed from him. He is very honest, charges reasonably and very competent. I am not sure he has worked on Lexus before as he specialises in german motors, but its worth a go. PM me if you want more info.

LOC is one of the best clubs going though I admit that I am joining the club much later than I ought to have. The Gold Members area has information of the discounts available and even if you dont find a discount that you can use, its only £25 to support this club.

I signed up yesterday.

Reading have quoted me 125 incl VAT and offered a 10% Gold discount Oxford have quoted 165 incl VAT and no Gold discount (?) Bromley have yet to come back with a price. Are any of the dealers in the London area any good?

Hi All. I am back here after a very long break. My IS200 is coming up to its first year (6500 miles) and the 10k service is due in a few weeks. My wheels have also started to corrode and I think a refurb/change is also in order. Lexus Bromley is my closest dealer (they've been quite good so far), but I could take the car to Reading or Oxford who seem to be very highly regarded by you guys (if they can promise to service and return it in a day). Do you guys recommend the trip out to Reading/Oxford?

Anyone up for a micro meet in SE London? I might be flogging a dead donkey here, but how about blackheath?

I used to have a Miele washing machine. 11 years and NO problems later, swapped it for a Bosch washer dryer which is good too. Inside information is that Bosch, Siemens and AEG washing machines and washer dryers are built in the same factory so buy the cheapest one. Likewise for Miele, AEG and Bosh dishwashers.

I have lived in Canada for a bit and will try and throw some light on this. The Canadian market works just like the American one. Just like here, buying almost new saves you money over buying new. Japanese luxury cars (Lexus, Acura, Infiniti) are in high demand and have fairly high resale values. Leasing cars is a very good option and you can exit a lease or transfer it with little penalty. Lease terms tend to be simpler than here. However, Jap luxury cars are in demand, lease rates arent as lucrative for Jap luxury cars as they are for jap or american cars. European cars are the cream of the pile and very expensive to lease with little chance of finding a bargain. For the best leasing deals, look at American cars. However my experince is from 98-99 and things may have changed since.

31/married 6yrs NCB protected Directline £150 excess £650-ish PA parked on driveway in SE London

I got call last night from Lexus GB enquiring about the service I have received from Lexus relating to some warranty work I have got done about 2 motnhs back. There were some questions specific to the purchase experience, some others to the service experience and a chance to make general comments. I have pointed out persistent problems with rattling sunroof's and seats, blistering alloys and poor paint quality. Has anyone else received these calls before? Has anything been done about the concerns raised by you?

I seem to get the same noise. But while turning both right and left. I think I may have traced it down to the steering assist/hydraulic pump thing. Its a whirring/rubbing kind of sound.

Amol, 31 married to Kavita 28, without kids. We both from India and live in Surrey Quays, London. I am a Systems Designer / Database Analyst with IT Finance & Control for a Swiss Bank. Wife is a clinical researcher/academic. Owned a new black IS200 SE for the last 4 months. No mods.

i have started parking badly across 2 bays or in a way that will not allow anyone else to park close to me. Else park next to other nice shiny BMW's/Mercs etc.. hopefully they will be just as paranoid about getting dings etc. And i carry a nice sharp nail with me and *** forbid i see a ding and paint from the next car. I will scratch his/her paint. I know it sounds nasty, but sometimes you just have to give people a costly lesson before they learn.

is it me or does everyone think that lorry drivers are generally courteous. its the white van types that are the real t*ats.

anyone from the lake district area on this forum? i will be there next week (mon-fri).

use a VDU cleaner. you can buy one at pcworld for a couple of quid. its a extremely mild alcohol/detergent cleaner. spray on and wipe down with a tissue. i use it at home on my TFT screen, my palmtop etc. no damage done in 2 years.

Happy Birthday Mate.

I bought Armorall dash cleaner wipes this weekend. Its quite good and leaves a nice shiny surface. Apply the liquid from the wipes by running it evenly across the dash first and then wipe down and polish lightly with a soft cloth. Else you might get a streaky apprerance. They warn against using on clear surfaces (clock glass/CD display) so stay clear of them. Leaves a beautiful finish and takes no more than 5 minutes.

Is this problem and its real solution common knowledge among the dealer community? Miught be worth spreading this knowledge and putting all sufferers out fo their misery.

Update on the problem - Took the car in last week. They replaced the cartridge and returned the car valeted. Noise gone. 5 miles later it reappeared and now its noisier. Stopped the car to check it out carefully and turns out that the blind doesnt open all the way now. Opens about 75% without problem and then needs a nudge to get it all the way through. Its probably snagging on something now. after about 10 openings and closings, the fabric lining on it is coming off. The sunroof also opens 75% way on hitting the slide button and stops. Needs another push of the button to open it completely. In my memory thats not how its worked before. In effect, it looks like the garage guys didnt test the mechanisn completely. As a result I am left with a torn blind cover, a sunroof that doesnt open correctly, and a louder rattle. I have booked the car in again early next month. I will insist on a blind replacement. This is simply not the quality you expect from a Lexus. Any suggestions?

I get 27-28mpg (@10 kpl) with a mix of 90% city 10% motorway driving. I have achieved 35-36 mpg (12-13 kpl) on the motorway. I am usually a steady driver.

Virgin actually uses the T-Mobile network. I am on T-Mobile and found them to be as good as any.

http://beta.xko.cz/danny/EUROPE-ITALY.swf

Update---- Lexus Bromley have identified the noise as something to do with a cartridge in the sunroof mechanism and have ordered a new one. I have to take the car back in 2 weeks to sort it out. There is probably a fix to this problem after all.

yes 16 is me (Amol) and 17 Kavita (wifey) with the black IS200. Sorry I didnt introduce myself to everyone and sorry for not stopping for lunch. We have to get to Sheffield and drive back to London before 6. I will hopefully see more of you guys. Thanks Steve for organising.