As a rule of thumb steering wheel wobble is front wheels and wobble in your seat is rear wheels.

1 minute ago, grantwils said:

My RX350 powered through drifts over the bonnet. We’re in Bishopton which was the 2nd worst in UK with 46cm in 24 hours. The only thing which was a bit disappointing was the lack of a diff lock made it poor at towing stuck vehicles. (Managed a Vito bus and a taxi but did nothing with a British Gas van which had bottomed out on a drift)
Vredestein Wintrac Xtreme S always help though. Plenty 4x4s (with diff locks) got stuck where this powered through.




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I wonder why it copes as well. In theory he Lexus should be awful but it just seems to work well

I’d have to look at tyres but I have Pirelli on front and Goodyear at rear. Both brands are all season tyres and seemed to cope well.

never thought to turn traction control off, thought that might be counter productive but I can see in some instances that could be a good option. 

First time we had poor enough snow conditions to see how well the Lexus would handle.

i was a little dubious as I’m well aware the Lexus Rx is not a true 4x4 in the same way a Land Rover is.

however, I was quite impressed how well the car drove.

put your foot down a little and it pretty much accelerated off with minimal wheelspin. You can feel the computers cutting power to wheels etc. And it really works well. I went around a few corners and if the car started to slide it seemed to improve by applying a bit of gas which kicked In all the wheels which immmediaty had the car i straightened back up. Braking was excellent to, brake hard and off course you will slide, after all its 2 tin of car on four wheeels. 

Driving this car with care it handles impeccably and not once did I feel nervous of getting stuck. I  took it up and down hills and around back roads barely used and it felt good in all circumstances.

im sure you wouldn’t want to put the RX of road through deep mud but in snow it was great.

well done RX

1 hour ago, rayaans said:

Breakers yard I would have though - or ebay

Yeah, was thinking that but my local ones don’t have anything. Any suggestions of good breakers for lexus

I’d prefer to keep it as original as I drive down a lot of dark country lanes and the dimming helps a little 

As title, can anyone recommend somewhere I can get a replacement glass of oe quality. They are very expensive from Lexus, I’m hoping there is a cheaper or secondhand option

9 hours ago, TimS320 said:

Thanks, we're looking forward to it. Like you, I'll be glad just to get the bike in the back without roof bars, but I am planning a tow bar and demountable rack.

The guys at Stockport are good and have been looking after this one for a few years, so there should be no surprises at all.

One thing I couldn't find, does it have a USB port anywhere for plugging a flash drive into?

Yes, should be one USB port and two cigarette lighter ports deep down in the centre console. Probably the only bit of the rx that's a bit awkward in that you need to open centre console lid and then pull inner box out to access them. 

48 minutes ago, rayaans said:

From Stockport?

Top blokes and car looks good too, doesn't look like it has 90k on and is a rare colour combo as well

Looks almost the exact same deal as me, part x in my is250 in blue for my rx450 in light blue metalic.

im sure your have many happy years of driving from it. 

I know when I bought mine I have gone through several phases of loving it to thinking the novelty had worn off.

now some 11months later I still enjoy the car though. There were times I felt it needed a bit more go but then I was comparing it to my gs450. Overall, I love the high driving position, it's easy to drive and gets up the steep hills easily. I can fit my road bike in the boot without removing wheels which is a bonus for me and can get luggage for a two weeks holiday in the boot without needing to drop ge back seats. All in all I have found it one of the most practicals cars I have owned and not found it's size to be a problem. 

Its hard to imagine many other vehicles that could be as good an all rounder as the RX has been.

on top of that, he RX has run faultless.

My next cat decision, possibly next year will be the toughest as I'm either going to go completely impractical and buy a GS-F or else a new shape RX450. 

Anyway, well done with your purchase and enjoy the ride.

I was In the same situation and although I prefer the facelift front grille I couldn't justify nearly £2000 extra just to get it. I drove most variants and frankly if there are differences they were so small I struggled to detect them. In the end I found a low mileage clean example from my local lexus dealership at a good price. It was pre-facelift but frankly I have no regrets and have found economy extremely good for the vehicle size. I think it's slightly better economy compared to my GS450h. Ultimately it comes down to how much you are prepared to pay. Decide on that figure then get the best one for the money you can find

carl

I traded my is250 for the rx450 and if anything I get better fuel aconomy from the rx despite its size. My main driving is around town and odd carriageway but I never see it drop below low thirties. The is250 used to sit around 28mpg for the same trip so I reckon a good 4 mpg improvement since driving the rx and given its weight and size I think that's excellent. Also like yourself I needed a big hatchback and the rx has been just great. I can get the racing bike in without taking a wheel off and from memory 2.4metre lengths will go in up to the centre console when needed. Also the rear floor is flat as the rx has no rear tunnel, no rear driveshaft as the rear wheels are electric driven. Makes for good loading space behind front seats.

carl

It is definitely an option that Lexus can turn on or off. No idea how long it takes but I suspect minutes. I had this feature turned on my RX and was nit charged for the service. My GS450 already had it enabled.

I have a set of rear brake pads, brand new that are surplus to requirements. all in original box. 

£10 collected if anyone interested.

cheers Carl

I like the grille, was this a standard trim on later models or something imported?

On 24/05/2017 at 10:36 AM, Big Rat said:

@Carl911 Test drive in one with a fellow isF member a couple of weeks ago which resulted in a purchase, a great car and I agree wholeheartedly with what you say.

Some pictures just in case others missed them.

Big Rat

Big Rat

 

That looks lovely, I do like the red leather to.

carl

I had a call from Lexus asking if I'd like to test drive the new GS-F. I had to think about it but decided it was worth a go.

What can I say, its one of those cars with a very large price tag which no matter how I look at it I just cant quite justify.

That said after a drive in it you start thinking of re-organising those finances so that you can.

I guess its just about the engine sound. Yes, the interior is quite nice, the seats very supportive and it has all the toys. It looks pretty nice from the outside with those large brakes and four exhaust pipes, but it is the engine note that you fall in love with.

Whilst driving at normal speeds such as around town it drives just like any other Lexus, its refined, the gearbox is smooth and its often hard to tell its changing gear at all which  considering it has an 8 speed auto is pretty impressive.

The ride keeps the car flat in the corners and is solid and control over most surfaces. I was surprised just how good the ride was for a car with this type of performance.

At low speeds driving normally you could almost forget that under the bonnet lurks a 469bhp 5litre motor as it drives quite sedate under light throttle. Some high power cars are just too responsive and you can never really relax in them but the GS seems to have managed to keep its Lexus  pedigree under tap.

Then you come to a dual carriageway and its time to switch to Sport mode.

You squash that throttle hard and the gates of hell open as that angry roar unleashes from the engine & exhaust. My faces was a huge smile. It does plant you hard in your seat, the power is quite brutal. It reminded me of powerful cars from the 90's in that it's just brute power which didn't feel like it was trying to be eco friendly.

The sound though, Oh I'd pay the money just for that. It is without doubt one of the nicest sounding cars I have driven under acceleration. 

Yes, there are quicker cars out there such as the M5's etc but they dont sound this good and lets be honest how often are you in a drag race with an M5.

Id take the GS with its roomy cabin for four and fantastic ride. You could drive this car as your daily just the same as you drive the normal IS or GS range, the only difference is this one will drink slightly more of the liquid stuff but my god its worth it.

Added to the bucket list....

Carl

On the positive side at least they found actual problems as so often you take he car in and the dealer can't duplicate the fault and can't fix it. 

I have had what I would describe as a rather un refined start up on my GS450. Occasionally I push the ignition button and the car jerks as if in gear. This does not happen every time, just now and again.

a similar effect sometimes occurs if the car is stationary in traffic and the hybrid Battery should deplete causing the engine to start.

ive always ignored it but have often wondered why it does this intermittently. 

Carl

I dare say whether it's a 400 or 450 it might take a while to find a good one. Even when I was looking for mine I looked at some only 3 or 4 years old which were in a terrible state for the age and with low mileage . Problem is, SUV's more often or not get a lot of abuse, wear and tear often from kids, pets and trips to the tip. It's that kind of vehicle I guess. I managed to find one that had been cared for like a car so i was lucky but it took quite a few to find. I did test drive the 400 and although my test drive was short I found it less refined and as had already been mentionened, the engine to hybrid transition was noticeably improved on the 450.  People often mention the 400 being slightly quicker and on paper this is true, however it was certainly not apparent to me and in real world driving. The 450 just feels all round more refined and I don't mean that to sound like the 400 is not, it's just progression I guess and like wise the latest shape 450 has taken that refinement even further. I have driven one for 24 hours and it's most definitely the quietest RX to date.

Furl economy can vary a lot on hybrids as it is very sensitive to driving style. I drive mine without ever considering economy. If the fuel gets low I fill it back up and dont concern myself about it. I just enjoy the drive, after all if I'm that concerned about economy I'd be driving a Nissan Leaf or something much more practical.

My driving is mostly around town with odd dashes down the motorway and last time I looked it was sat around 32mpg. On the motorway traveling around 75mph that will often end up around 37mpg. 

Im sure if I could be bothered to try I'd see significant improvement but either way to get these figures from a 2 ton car with a 3.5lt V6 is nothing short of fantastic.

carl

There you go, just in case there was ever any doubt..

I can concur this works on my 59 plate RX.

tried it this morning on a level bit of road. Once stoped, give the break peddle a hard push to the floor and you hear a bleep and the traction light flashes. As mentioned, you have 2 seconds to move your foot from the brake peddle to gas whilst it auto brakes for you.

carl

How steep an incline are we talking? I find mine seems to hold fine on most hills but maybe I've not been on one steep enough to require this additional break force. I'm eager to try it next time I'm out now. Lol

carl

2 hours ago, tonyricha said:

here you go boys and girls. Not purchased from a Lexus dealer, I am still a bit sore after the last episode from them!

Looks very nice and love the colour.

2 minutes ago, tonyricha said:

Will be when I work out how to! My only concern is the new gal has a lexus themed number plate so might somebody on here say " beware that is my old car which I traded in because ...."

I really would not be too concerned. Firstly it's a lexus and it's going to be reliable and even if by some small chance you have some insignificant problem, lexus are going to fix it on warranty.

I wouldn't give it a second thought buying any lexus from the main dealer. Providing you are happy with your purchase then you already have a winner. Just enjoy as you already seem to be doing.

carl 

2 hours ago, DanD said:

It is unfortunate that you were unable to record / capture the offender's registration, or that road cameras did not pick up the incident. It is always worth reporting such incidents on the basis that if that guy did this to you, it is likely that he has done it to someone else also.

I agreed that you did the right thing by not responding to his threats: doing so would only have made the matter worse, and there is indeed the possibility that he was under the influence of something... he may also have decided to follow you.

Something similar happen to me once (the guy got out of his car and was banging on my window). The only thing I could think of doing at the time was to very obviously dial 999 and ask the for the police to remain on the line until the guy disappeared. The poilice told me then that they would search their database for similar incidents involving the driver and get in touch with him if they thought it appropriate.

It turned out the micro sd card in my dash cam was faulty hence it had stopped recording. Replaced the card and it's fine now. Just very unfortunate as all that would have gone to the police and he would have been at very least cautioned and notes on record. This time he got away with it. That said I'm still keeping an eye out for him as if I see him again I will still be passing on he registration as they can still follow it up as I reported it on the day.

hopefully it never happens again.