rayaans

The point here is that even cars are that are currently 0.00 tax won't be under the new rules that are coming - follow the link on the OP and you'll see that a current low emission zero tax will if a new registration attract a first year charge and a continuing annual charge

Sent from my iPhone using Lexus OC

Well current cars will remain the same. You will continue paying what you do now. Its only for cars registered after April 2017 where the CT200h will suffer.

Nagging me...

So is there ALWAYS a bit of power to the rears, or could it be that on occasions there is none?

With the older RX yes, there was always 50% power to the rear wheels. This is not the case with the 3rd gen as it shuffles between FWD and AWD when detecting slip etc.

With the 4th gen, I heard that its going to be a maximum of 70% to the rear for the RX350, not sure if this may be the case for the RX200t as well to make it feel more RWD so that may be interesting

Well, mileage will probably be under 40k as itll be 4 years old. Condition right now is great, as new but have like 5 stone chips on the front and 1 kerbed wheel. Tyres should have about 5mm tread left front and back as I only changed them this year. Id expect price to be around £24-27k as mine has the Mark Levinson too :D

All sounds good, we are talking 2016 right ?

Yep ill let you know depending on new RX pricing lol

I have a DAS polisher, I have a few compounds too (not sure which, all my stuff is in Ireland but I am going home for a week soon and can do a good polish then)

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/polishing-machines/das-6-dual-action-polisher/das-6-dual-action-polisher/prod_519.html

what is the best polisher compound to use prior to a wax, like the Japanese stuff you mentioned? is that much better than carlack?

Id be using Sonax Perfect Finish on Japanese paint - it can handle hard paint too if combined with a dense pad. Lovely 1 step polish, saves so much time - can literally polish the whole car in 2 hours on a machine with it to a "perfect" finish

Hi Steve,

My experience may be relevant. I've had my SEL since March 2005 when it was new. Now it has over 97,000 miles on the clock. Apart from normal "servicing" I had to have new front calipers as one seized after driving through flood water. Nothing else has been changed. Not the battery and not even a bulb (yet!). Everything works as it did the day I bought it. My wife and I LOVE the car and will try and keep it going for as long as we can. No idea what to replace it with at all.

You're right that people don't come on here to say how pleased they are with something. I've been reading this forum for 11 years now and I know air suspension gets a lot of mentions but so does the battery on the RX 400h. It wasn't a risk for me to buy as the 1st RX I bought was coil sprung and the ride was horrible. I've had 10 years of sublime driving and when it packs up I'll get it fixed. The car is so worth it.

Alan

Just remembered there was a brake master cylinder recall but all vehicles had that work done under warranty.

I'm just reading this with interest as I've said the same thing many times, rarely do members comment on how good their air suspension is, and how reliable it's been. And I suppose in reality these forums exist primarily for trouble shooting. For that reason I don't think we should be put off buying a car with air, but maybe we should buy with the understanding that Lexus will always be an expensive car to repair....if it goes wrong.

Members rarely comment on how good reliability is anyway - its usually a given. People usually come to forums with problems or questions, not to compliment their car

If you're looking for an F-Sport in Arctic Pearl, I may be able to hook you up when I buy the new one around November time next year :P

That model will definitely be on my short list for my next car, depends on mileage/condition/price etc., but happy to get a shout when you are nearer to changing yours.

Well, mileage will probably be under 40k as itll be 4 years old. Condition right now is great, as new but have like 5 stone chips on the front and 1 kerbed wheel. Tyres should have about 5mm tread left front and back as I only changed them this year. Id expect price to be around £24-27k as mine has the Mark Levinson too :D

Love the shape and especially like the new alloys. Not sure about the bamboo steering wheel and centre console. Makes it look a bit Ikea.

Bamboo steering wheel is only on the Premier and Im sure there are other wood finishes to choose from. If I remember correctly, there is a walnut type finish which suits the black interior more. I personally think bamboo looks amazing in the flesh, it also feels great but its a better fit for the lighter interior than the darker ones

Well at the end of the day the roads in the UK are crap compared to the rest of Europe so if if actually gets used to build roads then it'd be worth it.

£500 isn't too bad when buying a £40k + car too

No series II RX had parking sensors as a factory fit standard spec. These were dealer fit options, available on any grade.

The SE-L by default, after late 2006 and before 2008, doesn't have the ICE package as standard but it was a option at time of purchase. On the Executive it was standard as it also was on the SE-L from 2008 onwards when the double DVD system was introduced.

Really? My RX had parking sensors. I bought the car new and didn't ask for them and it was an SE

Thanks everyone for your answers.

So what other product I shoul use to get wow effect and in which sequence? Sorry I'm completely green in the subject.

Ideally to get the shine you need a cutting polish. My go to for Lexus and pretty much every vehicle now is Sonax Perfect Finish by machine. It finishes down perfectly and leaves no machine scratches on soft paint.

However, not everyone has a machine so the best polish by hand is Gtechniq P1 with a German applicator pad (just Google them). This method is very time consuming, so if you don't want to do that, you're better off using something like Autoglym Super Resin Polish which fills the microscratches and removes a very small amount of them to enhance the shine. Autosmart Mirror Image can also be used and it has more cutting ability with less filling.

You can then top this off with a glaze to make the car pop. It's basically a quick bling and you can actually use it instead of a polish if you cba polishing. Id recommend prima amigo and Meguiars #7. Be aware though that Meguiars #7 is oily so only a wax will sit on top of it. Prima amigo on the other hand is acrylic based so both waxes and sealants go well on top.

Using a glaze will adversely affect paint bonding of the wax so durability will be reduced marginally, perhaps a month or so, less.

If you want to spend no more than 30 mins, use prima amigo and Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer. This usually lasts about 2 months

Okay, thanks for rapid feedback. Will let you know if i get a reasonable workaround. Cheers.

No worries. There's no reason why it can't be done, just that Lexus don't do it so it may need aftermarket wiring to the screen

Im pretty sure the exec had no parking sensors but did have a reversing camera.

The SE-L has both

Wax is the last thing you put on. The ultimate finish is due to all the other bits you do beforehand.

Correct - which is why you could technically put any wax on and it would make no difference to the finish whatsoever.

So - choose a wax based on durability, price and beading and not "looks" lol. Unless you want a show wax which'd last about 1 month or so as theyre loaded with gloss enhancers

Nope, cant be done by dealer mate.

Soft99 Fusso - Beats everything else hands down - nothing has a patch on it atm and Autoglym HD is really just overpriced when you compare it to Fusso

Boosts gloss levels really well but the main talking point is beading. Nothing comes close to the beading from Fusso unless you're spending £100 on kamikaze products.

Best thing - Its Japanese so comes in a funky Japanese written container and lasts 6 months+

Review here : http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=328751

For a summer wax ie maximum bling, not much durability, Soft99 Authentic makes the flakes pop! However, you can still get the same effect by using Soft99 Fusso on top of an acrylic glaze such as Prima Amigo. Dont use on an oily glaze such as Meguiars 7 as it wont bond properly as its not technically a wax but a sealant.

5 year old high performance cars will hold value well after 4 years or so. There is a lot you can take from that!!

lexus need electric only vehicles or will loose sales in the lower end of their market. Shame as they seem to be on the up atm.

Thats not going to happen. Lexus dont want electric cars - I assume theyre going to move to hydrogen instead. Besides, they're mass market is the USA and Canada. They could easily just pull out of the UK and start up in India and they'd get more sales.

So in 2017, you will be able to buy the most polluting car you can find for under £40k, pay a one off 1st year rate of £2k, and then the same £140 flat rate as somebody driving a car producing 1gm per km CO2. The mans a fool.

You cant really find a really polluting car under £40k apart from the new Ford Mustang 5.0V8 anyway but Im guessing thats going to change now.

Also, cars have to be pass Euro emissions test regardless, so itd be pretty difficult to get a highly polluting car as time goes on. In this regard, the blokes quite clever really, he knows CO2 will fall as new cars come out as they have to pass Euro 6 and then Euro 7 which has a knock on effect of lower CO2.

Taxation is really for the use of roads, in which case hes got it almost spot on apart from the £40k bit. Id have bands based on size of car instead of value ie small - £50 for 5 years, medium - £150 for 5 years and Large - £300 for 5 years. That way itd increase revenue and hit everybody instead of "the bloke who has enough money"

Did you just read the budget headlines? Road Tax for 'most cars' will be £140 from 1/4/17?

Well, take a closer look at the details.

Emissions of the cheapest current IS250 are 199gm/km - the road tax for new ones first registered from 1/4/17 will be £1200 for first year if they don't do something really radical. (And £140 after that)

Ouch!

Good news for us second-hand buyers though!

The IS250 is being discontinued this September btw, making way for a new IS200T so no need to worry if you want another IS registered after 2017

I'd say buying an NX300H after 1st April 2017 or any hybrid for that matter will not be worth it. Tax is only based on CO2 for one year and then itll be £140 a year or £450 for first 5 years if car is more than £40k

I have a feeling a lot of cars are going to be priced at £39,995.... :P

Depends on what they mean by "list price". If they take the whole price after options like P11d then its hard to price a car at £39995.

Yes, so much for encouraging environmentally friendly cars. Any fool could have told them that the income from VED would fall dramatically as cars became more CO2 efficient. What they plan to do isn't going to encourage people to buy low emission vehicles anymore, and I expect there will be a lot more attractive propositions grouped together in the 95% of cars that will be rated at £140 a year. When thy get clobbered with fines from the EU for not reaching emissions targets, they will just pass it on to us by way of increases in our energy bills. That will take care of the fines, and there will be a consequential reduction in emissions because millions won't be able to afford to heat their homes.

As with fuel economy, CO2 figures are tested under lab conditions anyway. Im guessing my RX is probably releasing 400g/km on the motorway anyway lol

The good thing is, with the new VED, buying a used RC-F (5 years old to be specific) would mean tax of only £140!!

Lexus are going to have a huge hit on sales with this unless they reduce prices or something.

Indeed. Still not as bad for people looking to purchase a high performance vehicle such as the RC F or GS F, they will have an extra £2,000 added to the purchase price!

£2010 actually, RC-F has 252g/km so misses out on highest band but then have to pay £310 extra! Theyll pay £450 for the next 4 years too. Currently, owners have to pay £860 in the first year and £500 thereafter

The good thing with the new VED bands is that you can buy a 5 year old RC-F and only pay £140 tax lol.

Nice! You won't be disappointed. It's a much improved car compared to the 350.

Price should be set between £5850 - £6275, obviously towards the lower end if you want a quick sale but bear in mind that you want to give your elf room for negotiations.

I'd say buying an NX300H after 1st April 2017 or any hybrid for that matter will not be worth it. Tax is only based on CO2 for one year and then itll be £140 a year or £450 for first 5 years if car is more than £40k

I had clear wrap on my black RX300 - took it off after 2 years as I got fed up with it. The main issues I noticed:

1) Its expensive for what you actually get - a respray a year is cheaper if only using for 2 years

2) Although the paint doesnt come off, it pits, leaving a golf ball effect on the car. On my RX300 it wasnt too bad as the bumper is quite high, still noticeable though! Id imagine its worse on the IS-F considering the bumper is lower

3) Scratches are ALWAYS put in when the clear wrap is installed - you can sometimes see these in sunlight under the wrap! That particularly ****** me off as I couldnt polish them out!

4) Did have a slight tinge of yellow to it making the car appear darker at the front - not a cool look at all. This was supposed to be the 3M industry standard.

5) You can see the clear coat sitting on top of the paint if you're close enough

Yes, we've mostly decided it's not that good, even taking the usual discrepancy with the manufacturers official figures into account.

Hmm coming back to that - after my service, the service tech put my tyre pressures down to 32. Im getting 26mpg now in my RX lol. Plan is to fill back up to 37psi on Friday!

No noticeable difference in ride at all, handling seems adversely affected by low pressures however. The RX just doesnt like corners at 32psi. 37psi and it can handle them pretty well taking its heft into account.

Might be worth pumping all pressures to 37psi to see what happens?

Both of my F Sport front wheels have now been refurbished by an independent detailer employed by Lexus Plymouth. The Sales Manager at the dealership assured me that the colour match would be ok even if all 4 wheels had to be re-painted.

The result after 1 day with the dealership is both front wheels looking like new and a perfect match with the back wheels. I enquired if all 4 wheels needed to be re-painted and was told that the rears had been cleaned only.

Unfortunately the pictures that I have are too big to upload???

You sure they been refurbed? Some Lexus dealers just change the wheels out and save the other ones until they get 4, repaint and then stick them on another car all the same colour

Alec, I've had the pre-delivery paintwork and interior treatment done twice, once paid for, once thrown into the deal. The £500 cost is simply not worth it. As you say,you can do it yourself quite easily for a fraction of the price, buying the items on-line (Supaguard for the paintwork, and Scotchguard products for leather and carpets). Frankly, I trust car dealers about as far as I can throw them, and I know these treatments are a big money maker for them. I'm not saying they are all dishonest, but I bet some take your money and don't do a thing. I have the Premium Sat Nav in our NX which I believe is a £2000 option. It also gives you the uprated stereo, and the awful touch pad. If you don't use sat nav much, and are not bothered about an uprated stereo (the basic is just fine anyway), then go for the standard Lexus Navigation. It looks nice, works well, and will be a lot neater than a Tom Tom. It also adds value to the car when it's time to sell, which a Tom Tom and a treatment won't. See if the dealer will throw in sat nav at reduced cost as part of the deal.

Worth remembering though that any option you do add to the car will diminish in value over time.

IE if selling a car optioned with £2k sat nav and £1k panoramic roof, itll only be worth £1-1.5k more than the same car without them 6 months down the line