Wass

I think that your only option is compromise. If you have to have 17" wheels because you like them , then you are stuck with a harsh ride. If you really must have a softer ride, then fit 15"s.There is however another alternative which is to sell the car and buy something else with low profile tyres and softer ride quality. Whichever way you turn, you have a compromise on your hands. As somebody mentioned earlier in the thread, fitting softer dampers originally intended for the strengthened chassis may also compromise.

There's a school of thought which goes along the path of there being a defined amount of work to be done and an expected time to do it in. Cheaper prices mean either the person carrying out the work is paid less, the premises overheads are lower, or some of the work isn't getting done.IE pay less, get less. I prefer to pay the minimum amount it takes to get a stamp in the service book and continue with completing the service work myself to to make sure that everything gets done ; since I am all too aware of the things which happen when bosses and share holders start making noises about "efficiency savings" (only doing half the job) and "streamlining" ( getting rid of some of the lower paid workers) whilst "maintaining standards" ( providing showroom comfy customer sofas and free coffees and biscuits ) and "putting the customer first" ( since it is the customers who the company must concentrate on fleecing) "improving quality assurance and governance" ( getting easily replaceable people to tick and sign boxes to say they have completed works--- even if they haven't been given the time and resources to do so). "Pay less , get less" is a good rule of thumb but one which has to be combined with common sense and savvy.

I think that one of the things which I would like to see an improvement on the current CT 200 is the drag coefficient.. Considering that , like the prius , the CT200 was designed to be a high efficiency hybrid, and nothing else, its drag coefficient is almost as bad as a conventional engined body shell. The hybrid engine will burn less fuel than a conventional engine and therefore needs less engine cooling ( which is a major contributor to drag), The CT is also fitted with wide wheels which is another contributor to drag. Narrow tyres, improved under floor aerodynamics, more aerodynamic wing mirrors coupled with a bodyshell which isnt so tied to the Auris way of thinking might go a long way. The new mercedes A class has a market leading drag coefficient and yet it still looks the business. Lexus needs to up its game quite a bit if it chooses to promote its green credentials.

Dealers like to "run out" of the toyota/lexus recommended 0/20 grade and use an alternate recommended ( and cheaper ) grade instead which is very noticeable on fuel consumption but gives the dealer a larger profit margin whilst they can still claim that they are using "manufacturers recommended oil." If you are doing the job yourself, Use 0/20 grade, it is what the engine was designed to use. As regards manufacturer, I have never used anything except Toyota oil which I bought in a sealed container from ebay. I couldn't comment as to the suitability of any other brand of oil because I didnt try any and am not knowledgeable enough in the ways and characteristics of oil to be able to know whether this manufacturer or that manufacturer is indeed as good as they claim to be. There's wisdom in the phrase "there is only one BEST"

Beware the shark sales rep who tells you that they all do that except for the latest models which Lexus have managed to fix!

Even more funny, thanks...I like the bold print by the way, it makes what you're typing seem more important doesn't it? Insurers like people who don't follow the manufacturers instructions, they can and have used it to weasel their way out of all sorts of tight spots.

Funny thread! Like Ronseal in a way only you do what it says on the tin ratherthan it doing what it says on the tin. Tin being where the sticker is found! Nice one guys!:)

Your query requesting hard data for MPG relating to wheels and tyres made me smile. Its just the same sort of question I had asked prior to owning a hybrid. By far and away the biggest influence on fuel consumption is the nut behind the wheel! Drive it like its stolen and it really doesnt matter what wheels and tyres you opt for or what the weather might be doing or whether you are on motorway or jammed up urban 20mph roads. Drive it at speeds and in conditions which suit its design for maximum efficiency and you will most likely be subject to a bit of road rage from other road users including pedestrians and cyclists and possibly might attract the attention of the forces of law and order too. ( using brakes in any way other than lightly has the potential to waste fuel---using them lightly puts power back into the battery). Manufacturers figures are in fact achievable. The conditions to achieve manufacturers figures very rarely occur on the roads but its something along the lines of travelling at between 30 and 40 miles an hour on roads which you know and can predict where to accelerate and brake whilst slip streaming a heavy lorry (which is restricted to a 40mph speed limit on single carriageway A roads) in warm weather with a light tailwind. I would recommend the 16" versions because thats what my CT had. I do suspect that the 15" version is better ride quality, narrower profile and therefore smaller footprint/ more economical.

Park parks are a trial. As others recommend, perk away from others, park away from child seats, park away from cuddly toys, park away from 4x4s. I found that parking in an empty space attracts others to park in the same area. rather like people shooting pidgeons post decoys. Child seat drivers aren't bad drivers but they are more likely to be distracted. Many ( but not all) 4x4 drivers like oversize cars because they feel more safe however don't have any idea as to where their strong box ends and someone elses car begins. Good 4x4 drivers are easily spotted by a lot of mud splash whilst there being no evidence of dents, clean 4x4s are potentially more dangerous. Clean 4x4 with child seats and cuddly toys are a real worry. Dash cams with flashing LEDs are a very good idea. With a bit of luck, nit wit car scratcher will see the light flashing and know to take more care since there is a slight risk of the being held to account. Car scratchers are essentially cowards or self righteous. A car scratcher is rarely to blame. It is normally the fault of the person whose car was scratched. As somebody already pointed out, driving a beaten up rust bucket will almost guarantee that the car will leave the car park as unmolested as it arrived at the car park. There are chances for the tactical parker. One chance is to actually to join the throng of the cuddly toys and child seats by parking in a familly spot. I see this a lot. All you need is to fit a child seat. It isn't necessary to have a child actually with you. For all i know, the child seat may have been sourced for a few quid at the local car boot sale. I see people pulling a similar trick with disabled stickers too. Young couple with a manual gearboxed, spotless and new looking Mazda MX5 and a disability booklet which may have belonged to one of their parents or maybe grand parents for whom they were doing a spot of shopping. Going shopping in a lorry/commercial vehicle, 3 tonnes or greater also seems to be a good option. Sadly, the landrover defender has come to the end of its production cycle since these were truly the greatest shopping vehicle of all time. I suspect that the defender replacement will be a lot more cutesy and fragile belonging more in the realms of the high street than the ploughed field or woodland.

Early CT200H models seemed to vary quite a lot. Its almost like Lexus were experimenting with what gizmos to fit on which models. I know because I waslooking at 2011 models in 2012. The SE-I was the lowest spec but some of these came with 16" wheels whilst others came with 17" wheels, Some SE-I models came with pearlescent paint others came with straight gloss finish. The SEL models were similarly confused but with the SEL, they all had leather seats but some had cruise control and Sat Nav, some didnt. The early premiers were less confusing, the early Premiers just had everything which Lexus could find ( except a space saver- none of them came with a space saver unless you bought a car outside UK). My advice if you are looking for an early CT is to go and look at whatever you feel you can afford and decide whether its got the toys you need. The drive train/ body combination is good for well over 100,000 miles so buying 60 or 70K models isn't so much of an issue.

I live in Cambs and work in Cambridge. Most cyclists seem to be plugged into their own ipod world and cant hear conventional engined cars let alone a hybrid. Using the hooter for the function which it is meant for ie "i am here" is often met with cyclist abuse in Cambridge. ( highway code rule 112-Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. You MUST NOT use your horn. while stationary on the road; when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am. except when another road user poses a danger.) Cyclists mostly would pass the cycling proficiency test I remember my teachers running at school 50 years ago but most of them chose to ignore the codes and rules. Owning a CT doesn't endanger cyclists any more than owning any other machine. Horses seem to be the only thing which cyclists will respect.... I guess this is because they know that horses will dish out rough justice with no forethought, malice or argument. frighten a horse by travelling too close to it and the horse will kick whatever it feels threatened by. Those of you who have been FUBARed by a horse kick will know what I mean. Instead of driving a CT through Cambridge or riding a push bike, do like the police do when there's a throng which need a firm hand ... ride a horse! Original poster, did you find a 250 yet?

Somebody said "go kart" handling. Can't have driven a kart. CT is way too soft to be compared to anything quite as sporty as a kart. CT sport might be sporty in CT terms ,however, in real terms a modern 1.4 will see it right off in all but economy.(economy- which is its prime function).

You're right Colin,however in light of the car being broken into/stolen, who would have any inkling as to who did what?

IS250 SEL or badge engineered luxury auris hybrid? Hmm. Keep looking for a 250 if a 250 type Lexus is what you are looking for. The CT200 doesn't compare to any other Lexus model:they aren't a development of the CT200 neither is the CT200 a development of any other Lexus.

Original poster: CT200 just isn't made to perform the same function as your existing VW. The idea of the type of hybrid which the CT200 is an example of is improved economy. Some hybrids such as the porsche or mclaren are built to a different set of parameters. CT200 and performance don't really go together. VW Audi are producing "nice" 1.4 litre petrol engined non hybrid hatchback packages which will knock the spots off a CT200. If your heart is set on a Lexus and you prefer speed performance rather than economy performance, look at something other than a CT. This may get difficult, given your other halves expressed preference for something "nice". I suspect that other manufacturers will follow the aforementioned VW Audi trend of fitting little "hot snot" engines into "nice" little body shells. Parking a CT is more difficult than a lot of similarly sized cars due to less vision whilst reversing. This particular aspect can also have a great effect on other halves too.

http://www.lexusbreakers.co.uk http://www.partshark.co.uk https://www.car-transplants.co.uk I would start with these breakers. By and large the breakers are there to make money and they know the value of the parts they sell on. Basically, they price their parts low enough for it to be worthwhile for repairers to buy from the breaker rather than sourcing parts new from the manufacturer. Allowing all this to lay in the hands of your insurance company will leave you open to potential hikes in premia for the next 5 years. So whilst the insurers would pay out, they will also make it their business to recover as much of their costs as possible from whatever source( yourself)it is possible to recover costs from. Paying protected no claims simply pays for all the claims you have never had but might have in the future whilst statistically more than covering the insurers losses... Again no real help to you, the innocent party, is it? Sympathies as regards the damage. This country seems to be part populated with people who are blameless in all instances. If you actually had the opportunity to chat with the driver whose vehicle caused this damage, you would probably discover that the fault would be all yours and that you should consider yourself lucky that they don't put a claim in to your insurers to the effect that your car skidded out of control into theirs or was parked in a precarious and irresponsible position etc. They would in all likelihood dismiss their illegal lack of reporting an incident as having no time or in fear of of their own personal security. Both our cars now carry crash cams due to similar incidents such as yours.... supermarket car parks, 4x4 reversing into our CT and claiming that our CT ran into the back of the 4x4. What you do need to be mindful of is the capacity of the hybrid 12volt battery to sustain a full time crash cam... we carry a booster battery just in case. Crash cam footage showing a registration plate really drops people in the mire. Perhaps surprisingly,( but not really) since having a visible crash cam mounted permanently in both of our cars has resulted in fewer incidents of unreported "accidental" damage to our cars. Its also a good idea to park in view of any fixed security cameras if you can; when you start to look, it is surprising just how many security cameras there are out there.

Getting back to the original question as to whether it is worth getting the car serviced by a Lexus dealership. Paying extra for good service is always a good idea as opposed to paying very little for a terrible service. As regards main dealer v's independent, the balance always has to tip towards the main dealer because of the availability of experience, specialist knowledge and training. The truth is though that some main dealers can easily be put to shame by enthusiastic independents. Some main dealers have been shown to be decidedly ropey whilst some have been shown to be absolutely brilliant. I don't live anywhere near Lancashire as the original poster does, I live in Cambridgeshire. I go to Hertfordshire for all things Lexus rather than stay in Cambridgeshire because I didn't like the things I heard and saw about/ at my local official Lexus outlet.

Surface rust wasn't on mine.. must be an optional extra :)

toyota 0/20

Get onto your hands and knees and check the intermediate shaft as I described earlier in this thread. Then you will know as much as everyone else.

The bolt in my car was unstamped. But there a bolt like that on U.Js both ends of the shaft. Check both ends.

Lexus Hatfield fitted cruise control to my CT some years ago, however, I believe that the business has changed hands since.

I dont remember. Easy to find out, take the bolt out and measure it. put it back in, tighten it, then buy a high tensile replacement. I think it was M8 but I can't recall the length.

The old trick used by rally crews was to use more narrow tyres in slippery conditions in order to get the tyres to "dig in" a bit but Colin is dead right.... the insurers might want their pound of flesh for deviation from the norm. However, fitting 205/55x16 tyres isnt deviating from the norm. My 2011 had 16" wheels from the day it rolled out of the show room.

I have to disagree with you Colin, I expect any Lexus dealership to know what can and what can't be done with a Lexus model which has been on the market for 6 years more or less unchanged. After all, we are told that full service histories by factory approved/ appointed experts are almost a must, dealerships know best, propaganda etc. The fact that some dealers clearly don't know all about their 6 year old products is one more reason why dealers have to earn my trust, I don't take it as read that they actually know anything despite the stories about factory approved specialist training. Having training and actually understanding it is along the same lines as leading a horse to water but you cant make it drink.