Desmond

A minor gripe I suppose. The layout for the phone/ipod/usb needs sorting. The last IS that I owned had 12 volt and usb sockets inside the armrest, a simple and super solution that kept everything out of the way and out of sight with no wires wandering about. I loath this hotch-potch of little compartments that will only take mini-subs and the phone is on view all the time with the charger lead. Not exactly classy is it?

The ride is harsh over rough roads especially on 17" wheels. I swapped mine for 16" with some Firestones and there was a significant improvement though the ride is not exactly luxurious. One other thing though, the seats are extremely good. I came to the CT after two IS's and find the CT seats far more comfortable.

I was reading a review of the new Prius the other day in which it mentioned it has occasional 4wd by means of a separate electric motor to the rear wheels. Wonder if that technology will find its way into the next CT200? Has anyone seen any gossip about when that model might be expected?

Thanks for the info Steve.

I thought about this last winter but didn't bother. Now the clocks have altered I am reminded again that the headlights are the weak point of a very good car. Perhaps I've been spoilt by having such good ones on my IS but I don't find the CT lights pick out the kerbs as well, certainly on the B roads round here it can be a little problematic without care. Maybe next time I should go for a Premier?

My old fashioned mind still tells me not to run a car to (almost) empty to avoid muck getting into the fuel system. Probably not as important with modern fuels and vehicles but old habits die hard!

The CT has now done a few miles and a winter, albeit not a bad winter, and I have to say how good it is. The car is comfy, dead easy to drive, holds the road nicely and has much better performance than I expected having moved from a 6 cylinder IS. Economy has been well over 50 all the way through the winter and currently sits at 54 overall with warmer weather still to come. Downsides? Maybe the boot is a bit on the small side but the flat floor makes loading a doddle and it's easy enough to remove the luggage cover or drop a seat. Other than that the little motor is a real pleasure.

I bought the Dunlop Blue Response on the basis that their noise rating was the lowest I could find locally. To be honest they are still not that quiet but the roadholding is good and fuel consumption seems marginally improved. They were nitrogen filled. Not sure how much difference this makes, if any.

I know tyres have been discussed before but I wondered if any members have bought 16" tyres recently or have any recommendations re noise, economy etc. Thanks

Would that still be the case if you turn off traction control?

Has anyone tried one of these? http://www.hids4u.co.uk/hidkits.php?car=36092

I tend to use cruise as much as possible even on A roads, partly because it is relaxing when there's not much traffic and partly because it is so much easier to brew the tea when you don't need to worry about gears and accelerators and boring stuff like that. :winky: Overall my average is still around 57 - 58 but I expect this to drop over the winter. Do you reckon cruise has any effect on fuel consumption?

Rainx works better than nothing on the rear window but it still isn't as good as a wiper. I am guessing that mud flaps increase the drag coefficient, hence their absence on CTs ( and a lot of other cars too). Yes, I thought about Rainx. Just wondered if anything else had come on the market lately. Mud flaps are an option but like you say they probably do alter the drag. It did occur to me that the rear spoiler may not be too helpful with the mud problem. When you look through the mirror in the wet the spray is definitely dragged into the space behind the car.

I thought about waiting for the NX when I got my new CT in September but only had to read the specs to see that it wouldn't go in my garage. Well, it would but I would have to enter and exit the car via the hatch or the sunroof. Had a look at the NX last week and it does look nice. However I'm more than happy with my CT Luxury and I don't have to be a contortionist either. :D

A short update. Still very pleased with the car. MPG has stayed at around 58 over the 1500 miles done so far on a mix of country, urban and A roads (no motorways in Norfolk!). The performance, handling, finish, comfort are excellent. The car is a pleasure to drive. The only snag I've found is the rear windscreen. It's been a while since I had a hatchback and I'd forgotten how filthy they can get. Haven't bothered with mudflaps for years either. Would any particular type help to keep the rear screen cleaner? Alternatively, anyone know of a spray on solution that stops the muck from sticking? That poor little tiny wiper has to work overtime in the wet!

Well, just got my CT Luxury. Bought it from Lexus Hull as they've always given me good service and would you believe it, there's no Lexus main dealer anywhere in Norfolk! The downside was having to drive 120 miles for the car. The upside was instant comparison with my IS250 Advance. The trip takes in a few miles of dual carriageway to the Humber Bridge and A & B roads through Lincolnshire, so it is a reasonable test. The cerulean blue on the IS is a lovely colour and I would have had the same on the CT but it's discontinued. My compromise is satin silver which looks great I must say and shouldn't show the muck too badly. The ride is at least as good on 17" wheels as the IS250's on 18" which can be quite unsettled on rough surfaces. The seats are definitely more comfortable and it is easy to find a good driving position. Losing the electric seat adjustment doesn't bother me as sole driver and in any case the electric adjustment can be a pain as it is easily touched and altered inadvertently. Handling is fine. Cornering is good. My ear 'oling days are behind me, so I don't think I will miss the IS rear wheel drift round the bends too much. Roadholding is very good, very little diving into corners for a fwd motor. Performance is what you make it. I didn't find any problem is getting past tractors in the CT and if it doesn't do 40 to 80 at the speed of light it is fast enough for me. As yet I haven't checked the fuel consumption fully. It was around 52 compared to about 36 from the IS which much preferred premium fuel as well. I just drove the same both ways, no special efforts at economy. I'm not especially green and hybrid was not my reason for buying the car though I am obviously happy with the road tax! I just wanted something a bit smaller and a bit more economical to run, with a hatch and a Lexus badge and the CT is the only one to fit the bill. Lots of goodies to play with. I opted for premium navigation which looks like fun. By the time the warranty runs out I should have read the manual. Like the IS the CT sat nav abjectly failed to choose the best route from Horncastle to Kings Lynn. Hope it does better elsewhere. The stereo sounds very nice, the equal of the IS, the only problem being that even a mini usb will not let me close the lid on the sockets. On the usb thread people have said that would work. May have to investigate that because the IS had sockets sensibly tucked inside the centre armrest console and I used an iPod. I wonder if it is possible to re-route or extend the usb in some way? I used a 16mb stick and it worked quickly and there were no problems in finding folders and tracks. So, after a day with my new motor I am chuffed to bits with it. It's smart, comfy and if it behaves as well as my previous Lexuses I shall be highly satisfied.

Interesting to read these comments. Does the fuel octane make any difference? My IS 250 did better on premium fuel but of course it is 5p a litre more.

Thank you Steve. Seems a bit daft to me but I should think the Toyota ones would be OK. Should have saved the spare set from my old Avensis!

Advice please. Just making the change to a CT with 17 inch wheels and have a set of winter tyres sorted to fit later in the year. Would I be better to get second hand alloys or some steel wheels to put these tyres on? Do the IS 17 inch wheels fit a CT?

Thanks Ron.

A sort of related question as I'm soon to get a CT with premium nav - there are 2 usb ports, anyone know if you can put music on usb sticks into both ports and switch between them?

We are re-locating shortly to Fakenham. Anyone know a good place for getting my IS250 serviced other than Lexus Norwich?

That's interesting Jamie, never thought of that. Any recommendations? It sounds the same as the compound for winter tyres.

My 220D and current 250 run on 18" wheels so I have never really tried an IS with 17" wheels. Just wondering whether they make an appreciable difference to ride comfort without too much sacrifice on handling. On a good A road or motorway 18" is fine but they seem a bit hard on the B roads especially to passengers. So any recommendations? Go for a pukka set of 17" from the dealer or find some on the net? Or is it just not worth the expense & effort?

I can see the logic in going to the Lexus dealer but I got caught with this insurance premium scam with a Toyota some years ago. Since then I have had three lots of damage done to my cars and repaired under the culprits' insurance without involving Lexus or my insurance company at all. It all depends on the quality of the repair and I've been lucky to find a local VW/Seat/Skoda paintshop that does a fantastic paint match job. Saves hassle of going 30 miles to Lexus and all the insurance problems. None of the other companies have been able to object to a main dealer paint shop estimate & invoice, even if not a Lexus one, and there's always a loan car too.