steve haley

One word of warning if you change the alloys tell the insurance co as it will be non standard This was cited by quite a few insurance companies a while back wrt winter tyres 500 is pushing it given you want tyres as well i suspect I was told by my dealer that due to problems lexis had extended the alloy wheel warranty but wasn't given more details than that

30 years 7 automatics and 1 manual. Never sold a car under 80k and never used a parking break on the autos except on ferries/auto rail and v steep hills (jic) Blew a gearbox seal racing a porche down the autobahn 15 yrs ago but that was the only gearbox problem I have ever had and I am pretty sure that was bad maintenance as opposed to not using the parking brake! Have always set it on ferries as I haven't liked the idea of it rocking on the box and the lexis rocks a bit more than most. Rgds Stephen

Have a nasty feeling it doesnt You need to search the US lexus forum - I am sure I have seen something on there that the systems are regionalised see http://www.lexusnavigation.com/faq.php no 16 - that states you cant rgds Stephen

Ebay if you dont want the latest.

1) Only via FM link 2) Different units have different capabilities - take a look at Vais & Dice BUT personally I find the manual mode available in both these easier than using the nav screen which can be kludgy - ie use the controls on the ipod. The fwd/rev controls on the wheel still work as well in this mode. 3) No and it will only sync with last used irritatingly. Even worse you cant change on the move - gah! 4) Yes - google for it in the US forum - involves pressing top left corner of screen or something like that? Otherwise 2009 on DVD is unlocked for changing destination but NOT phone/bluetooth.

There are 5 kits that I know of out there 1) Lexus 2) Dension 3) Vais 4) Grom 5) Dice Personally I think the Dice is the best as it it supports songs by album. Forget the lexus and Dennison which are playlist based and more expensive, Vais is probably 2nd and the grom is a cheap alternative with less Nav screen integration. Dead easy to fit yourself - search in the forum and you will find someone has posted a step by step guide (link below) 10 min job (2nd time around!!) allow 2hrs first time. Grom and Dice are sub £100. If you want video then Vais probably. Note none of these support audio over bluetooth to my knowledge. Fairly sure that the last 3 all support 3g on all mk2 RX radios but you may get slightly less functionality with older Nav units links: http://www.diceelectronics.com http://www.incaripod.com/ http://www.dal-tec.com/index.php http://www.carputer-shop.co.uk/usb-car-kits-c-7/usb-aux-ipod-mp3-adapter-toyota-lexus-p-47?zenid=4afe9e83dd1fcce1be3086c46b99e71c http://www.cheaptoyotaparts.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=44&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=71 http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-second-generation/227901-vaistech-sli-installation-instructions-w-pics-for-04-07-rx.html http://www.vaistech.com/dev/home.php http://www.gromaudio.com/

Personally would go with the dice - better integration than the grom, vais and dension http://www.dal-tec.com/index.php

dont think you do try https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/info/my-lexus/resources/submit-owners-manual-search.do

Simple answer read the manual -- High is plus 3cm Low is minus 1.5cm Lowers more for easy access so be careful not park over something high or you may ground the car.

Not sure what you are comparing to the 350SE The ICE (In car entertainment) came in two types - on earlier models the screens were embeded into the headrests. In later models 2008+? the screens are larger and stand clear of the headrests. Not sure how the earlier system works = I think it played DVDs from the front unit to the back screens. The newer system is much more sophisticated http://www.zercustoms.com/news/Lexus-RX-ICE-package.html The dvd player is integrated into each screen and there is a USB port on each that allows playing of avi and mp3 from memory sticks. My niece/nephew tell me it is great but havent used it personally - doesnt need any control/input from front which is a great benefit. The sound system came in two types normal and Mark Levinson The ML has a few more speakers and upgraded amp I think. - sounds great to me except for an annoying habit of muting for a sec when set to get traffic. The navigator is a a very capable satnav which is better than most except for the lack of 7 digit post code (it is only 5) which means you need the street and number. It also doubles as a controller for the radio/climate etc. ICE and ML were standard on the SEL and optional on other models hope this helps rgds Stephen

Had a 350SEL for 30mths/28k now - been the most reliable car I have ever had - only issues have been squeeks quickly fixed. I have an SEL for towing so I am opting for the extended warranty but the number of problems with these re air suspension has gone down in recent years. I love the suspension as I set it down on the motorway and the car become much more stable. Only issue with these cars is that the alloys can corrode badly but dealers generally replace even beyond warranty. 350 definitely worth it over the 300 - much quicker/responsive and better mpg but don't expect miracles here - 25-29mpg long haul at 70-80 is good and it will go down the min your are in town. No idea what 2nd hand prices are these days - I got mine for a steal when they were unloading their stock in feb/mar 2009 ready for the 450. Would talk with the dealer about a service plan - generally much cheaper and they will throw in the MOT. Interestingly I found big differences between the London dealers in the retail service costs but their service plans were all roughly the same. From memory mine for a small medium and large (40/50/70) was 1200 including MOTs. rgds Stephen

I find about a 10-15% increase in mpg over long distances on motorways ie 29ish with 98 and 25 with 96. Only makes sense really at sainsburys where I only pay 2-3p premium. RX350SEL

Lexus dont tell you but you can just buy just the rubber blades themselves at a considerable saving. Got some from lexuspartsdirect but sorry cant remember the total

when it costs so little (saved wear on normal) why not have the extra security. You are making the same mistake that everyone does that winter tyres=snow tyres which is far from the whole truth. Winter tyres perform better on dry tarmac sub 8 deg and are designed to shift water & slush far better than a summer tyre. The fact that they also grip way better on snow and ice is a plus. While the rx may feel better on snow than some cars be very careful as it weighs over 1.5b tonnes and while you may get going better than most cars on snow you will almost certainly stop slower due to newtons law. Also has the benefit that you dont scrag your alloys over time with all the salt

Generally not a good idea as you run the risk of damaging the tyres let alone the fact that within 3 years you could have bought a set of 2nd hand alloys with the changeover costs.

You will be lucky to find what you want in the UK - especially now with recent hype. but IMHO top 3 are Continentals Dunlops Vredestein Several tests around the net - just google winterreifen or winter tyres Adac.de always do one and autocar or autosport did one this year in English Couldn't get the first two last year so ended up with the Vreds that are very good. Drove through a blizzard on solid snow for over 300 miles last sunday and never once saw any traction lights in my 350. Now in the alps and the roads are packed snow and I have no problems at all. BUT vreds are supposed to wear worse than the others Big problem is getting some scratch alloys or steels to stick them on - if you use fancy non oem alloys then you will have to potentially tell the insurer . There were some Euro suppliers on european ebay sites (de/fr) that were doing packages (wheels + tyres) and would ship to the UK. Depends what you want - personally I use scrag alloys as after 3-4 winters on salted roads they are a real mess. There is a big hoohah going on at the moment re insurance companies being "difficult" but according to AIB & AA you should be fine provided you follow the manufactures recommendations as to tyre/wheel size http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/winter-tyres-in-the-uk.html I have been running winter tyres for 25 years and have never ever felt the need to talk to my insurers especially as in Switzerland and Germany you will be deemed at fault if you are the one without winter tyres.

Just driven in my 350 down to Switzerland through Germany in some of the worst weather I have ever seen in my life. Driving blizzards from Calais to cologne on sunday with the outside lane almost impassable and even the inner lane was white most of the time. Took nearly 7hrs to do the 250ml form Calais to Cologne. I reckon in places it was putting down 3-6in an hour of snow. The salting just couldnt keep up withe the snowfall and got really bad in places were the traffic was light. Didnt help that the lorries had been banned. Stopped in cologne for a day to see the xmass markets and their roads were rutted ice and snow. Didnt clear the snow until south of Stuttgart on Tuesday and the 3rd lane of the A3 was impassable all the way to Frankfurt Through all this the 350 never put a foot wrong - I suspect the nerves of the driver were the limiting factor and I didn't notice the traction control ever kicking in, any slipping/sliding or wheel spin. Fairly sure I wouldn't have made it without the snow tires as there was 3-8in of snow in the petrol stations!!! Interestingly the fuel consumption was pretty steady at 28.5 even when we finally got going at 100+ south of Stuttgart which isnt bad considering the snow tires are more inefficient albeit on premium unleaded. Switzerland is positively balmy at 5 degs:)

My 350 does exactly the same thing if I havent put enough antifreeze in the water. Always thought it was a buildup of ice from use.

Well here is one article: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/tax-insurance-and-warranties/2010-12/winter-tyres I suspect that this is one of those cases that if there was a problem then the insurance company would back down sharpish if referred to the ombudsman given that it is the norm on the continent. Must admit in 25yrs of using winter tyres I have never once thought about asking my insurance company if it is ok. As far as I am concerned if it is covered in the owners manual then it is standard fit. Trawling through the net it would appear that there are several different camps with a mix of the following 1) If tyres are same size then ok 2) If wheels are oem then ok 3) We are going to charge you no matter what. Irritatingly Some companies appear to have given different answers to different people. AA members could always rely on the following quote on the AA's web site:- If you follow the standard European practice of keeping two sets of wheels, one fitted with winter tyres and one with summer tyres, then there will be no need to tell your insurer so long as the winter tyres are fitted to correct specification steel wheels or to alloy wheels of a similar specification to the car's original equipment. http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/winter-tyres-in-the-uk.html Curious that this has suddenly caught on, suppose it is the 2nd hard winter in a row. Still might mean that we finally get a good selection of winter tyres available here at a reasonable cost and dont get looked on as mad. Would be even nicer if local tyre companies started offering storage and annual changeover plans like they do abroad. I see that now if you are caught in Germany in winter conditions slush/snow then you will be fined eur 40 and if you end obstructing other traffic then eur80 so if travelling abroad this can always be used an an excuse. BTW if you fit 18" normal winter tyres then you have to be VERY careful with snow chains and make sure that they are very thin and you put them on tight as there is not much clearance behind the wheel. Socks or the easy fit 4 prong things are alternatives. If you own an SEL then disable the auto lowering otherwise you could well trap the chains against the shocks.

Simple answer is yes - almost all snow tyres are H or lower. Would buy Continental/Dunlop/Vreds in that order - I ended up with the Vreds as I couldnt source the others last year - very impressed by the improvement over a set 10 years older. Which Insurance company?

Many do in fact see the fitting of winter tyres (and rims) as a modification and levy a charge of varying proportions accordingly. Which, if you think about it, penalises policy holders for doing the right thing. Hmm wasnt aware of the autoexpress article and the implications But looks like not that many are being difficult and if you persist it looks like it can be dropped http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Winter-Tyre-Friendly-Insurance-Companies.htm http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/178463-winter-tyre-friendly-insurance-companies/ Mine are fitted on standard fit Lexus alloys and are identical size so not sure how they could possibly class it as a modification. Given I am going to Switzerland where anyone without winter tyres in an accident in iffiy conditions is automatically at fault then they should be ecstatic. Suspect that it just needs some clarification at higher levels. Provided you fit on normal RX300/400 alloys with standard size then I think it is much less probable that you will get hit. Im with aviva and several say that it was fine and not considered a mod so I shall leave it at that.

Would love to hear from someone who has had this as it sounds like a myth given that the reverse is true on the continent and they are allowed for in the manual. I dont think that they would be able to enforce it anymore than they could enforce you fitting Dunlops instead of Bridgestone. Providing the size agrees with the options in the manual it can be construed as standard fit...

Used them for years and could'nt agree more You appear to have been lucky as the 17" from the old RX mk1 certainly don't fit the mk2 non-hybrid (dont fit over the brake calipers) and not many mk2 went out with 17". I went looking for 17" rims and never found any and ended up making do with 18". A nuseince as you need thin chains to make the clearance on these for those extremely rare days in the alps and the 18" winter tyres are rarer than the 17" and more expensive although I only bothered with 4 and got a very good deal (110 fitted by my local garage). I use Vredestein as these were the best I could find in the UK retail chain last year but it gets better each year. The only all weather worth thinking about are the Nokian WR but they are not as good as dedicated winter tyres.

Never heard of an insurance company jumping the premiums through use of winter tyres. As details are given in the manual they are normally considered standard fit.

Seen them around occasionally on ebay. A single just failed to sell best bet is someone breaking an RX for parts