ColinBarber

Personally I wouldn’t pay an extra for AWD on the UX250h but I wouldn’t avoid it either. It will improve traction in slippery conditions but in snow your money is better put towards all season or winter tyres.

If it’s an NX300h or NX200t then it’s a series I. If it’s an NX350h or NX450h+ then it is a series II (NG).

Maps updates typically have nav firmware within them if needed. Added functionality on the infotainment system has historically rarely happened with Toyota/Lexus. That may change with some of the newer platforms on 2022+ vehicles but don't expect anything for your UX.

If you login to My Lexus then in the eStore you will either have free access to map updates (if you still have a valid subscription) or you can purchase and download the latest one.

Yes, it will stop a relay attack against a key. If you don't want keyless entry then it is better to just disable the feature in the car, that way you don't have to remember to put the key fob into battery save mode every time - you just need to remember to hold your key against the start button to disengage the immobiliser before you start the engine. There are potentially new attacks against remote locking systems with rolling codes that don't rely on relaying the signal from a key - if this becomes a reality for Toyota/Lexus vehicles then disabling smart unlocking, battery saving functional or faraday pouches won't do anything.

Here’s a previous thread on the subject

In addition to driving smoothly there are two things that may help. Firstly, accelerate up to speed, say 30 mph, then come off the throttle so the EV light comes on and then lightly press the accelerator again to maintain your speed without forcing the petrol engine to start up again. This makes use of electrical running more than if you just kept your foot constantly down. Secondly, when braking glance at the energy meter and watch the meter go into the charge area - don’t let it get to the end and stop because at this point the mechanical brake start supplying additional braking effort - you want to brake gently where possible so all braking is done via electrical energy recovery.

Rob has had new plates fitted to his RX:

I don't believe there is a secondary cat on GPF equipped vehicles, certainly that's the case for the RC F - it is located in the same place, at the front of the exhaust. In the middle of the exhaust, they are just silencers. As for removing a cat - it's somewhat a grey area in it's legality because you may not change the vehicles certified emissions (which is difficult to tell and certainly an MOT doesn't test this) however this is government advise: The law Under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Regulations 61(7) and 61A(3)) and the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 42) it is an offence to use on a road a vehicle which has been modified in such a way that it no longer complies with the air pollutant emissions standards it was designed to meet. Legal implications A person using (or causing or permitting to be used) a vehicle on the public road, which does not comply with the emissions standards it was designed to meet, is committing an offence. All vehicle owners should be aware of the need to inform their insurers of modifications made to the vehicle, whatever form these might take, as changes to the vehicle potentially alter the risk being insured. It is not always obvious to vehicle owners that some modifications will make the vehicle illegal to use on the road, irrespective of whether the insurer is prepared to provide cover. For example, removing a catalytic converter or diesel particulate filter will almost certainly result in a vehicle’s emissions exceeding type approval limits and make the vehicle illegal to drive on the road. Engine re-mapping may also result in non-compliant emissions. It is the driver who is responsible for ensuring compliance.

It depends if you have auto dimming or not. If yes it only seems to be shared with the Lexus NX. If not then the following all use the same mirror:

There is a new plate for the RX. I wonder if it fits the ES too, or will they be expecting you to turn up in an RX.

Your mpg should improve as you get use to driving a hybrid. Also as the weather warms up the petrol engine will cut out more as it isn't needed to keep the cabin warm. The only thing worth checking is after a journey, place your hands near the wheels/brakes (don't actual touch them) to see if one feels hotter than the rest - that indicates a sticking calliper which will cause some drag and affect your economy. It is unlikely you will match your friend's Corolla - its drivetrain is derived from the Prius series IV whereas the CT is from the Prius series III. It's an evolution of the same engine and transmission but there are changes that contribute up to 15% improvement in economy.

Yes

The security update isn't available for approx. 6 weeks, if not longer.

There's some talk here: If you have a newer LC with a GPF then you can't really touch that so you need to look for catback exhausts.

Good to get recommendations as above, but there is no specific need for a EV or hybrid specialist - the back end prop shaft/diff/drive shafts/wheel hubs are no different in design than an IS250 or IS200t - all the hybrid elements are at the transmission up front.

They have the OEM part number as reference, they aren't the same though - more than one member here has stated they aren't coated as well as the OEM ones - not that it really matters. Autodoc also sell some low quality pattern parts so you need to be careful when selecting parts from them.

I'm not aware of anyone else reporting this issue here - whilst oil seals don't last forever it seems like you are unlucky here. It's common for oil to be sprayed around as it comes out of a diff onto the rotating shafts and get flung out. The oil is quite thick when cold so it's unlikely to just seep out when the vehicle is stationary. I doubt it was overfilled - you fill it at the side and it starts to overflow when you reach the level required so you would almost purposely want to overfill it actually achieve it. Even if it is, the oil is essentially sealed within the diff - it cannot get out through the filler which has an airtight seal. Symptom of an overfilled diff is wear of the gears because if excessive aeration of the oil, not oil leaking out. It might be worth giving the diff area a degrease and see how quickly the oil comes back - if it's only very minor then you possibly could live with it but you would have to keep an eye on the oil level and it will likely get worse over time. The seal itself would be inexpensive - your quoted cost will therefore be mainly labour and at £200ish per hour it would be expensive to get it done at Lexus - any mechanic could do this job.

It's not really the same as what VW offer in some of their vehicles though. No debate there, just Lexus don't offer it unfortunately.

You wouldn’t purchase a new battery on a vehicle of that age - a second hand one from a scrap vehicle would be around £1500 or you can get a faulty battery repaired. If you get a hybrid health check done just before the vehicle is 15 years old you get a warranty for another 12 months. Age isn’t really the concern though, it’s the number of cycles the battery has done - unfortunately there is no way to know that so mileage is the best thing to go by.

Sorry my mistake. I was only looking at Dec 23 figures from SMMT not the full year. The actual number of EVs sold was quite a lot more than 2022 but the whole market rose as lead-times of vehicles reduced.

Not sure those things are what define a premium vehicle but they are really questions for Toyota/Lexus - I'm not aware of any Toyota/Lexus with an adjustable height floor

certainly the immobiliser keys are stored within the engine ECU on the 3UZ-FE engine (I assume this is the engine you have). No, Toyota normally always have a combined engine and transmission ECU and that is the case in this instance on the 3UZ-FE 4.3 V8 engine.

Not always the same quality there though. For example the Brembo brake discs aren't coated as well on the non friction surfaces as OEM.

Yes, probably. It is certainly one of the systems trying to power up, such as the alarm, which draws too much current for the battery to support which cuts the power so you get this cycling. I would recommend you disconnect the battery from the vehicle until it is charged up and then connect it back to the vehicle - and be prepared for the alarm to go off if it was previously armed when the battery went flat. I had already replied to your other identical posting - which I've now removed as there is no need for duplicate posts.