Connoisseur

22 hours ago, Barry14UK said:

 It seems to me that those that knock BMW either have not owned one or don't know how to properly maintain them. 

 

  

Not looking for an argument simply comparing and contrasting my own ownership experiences. Own now and have owned previously BMW cars, and apart from an old skool E30 325i have not bothered with servicing myself as prefer spending time driving the Lexus. If only everything on the road was as reliable as a Lexus.......🙂

My 2006 RX350 went into Lexus Cambridge yesterday for its annual (essential care) service and MOT. At 13 years old and 100400 miles I suppose some problems were to be expected - and so there were:

* new rear wiper

* brake fluid topped up a tiny touch with advice to replace in next few months

* some surface rust on inside face of front discs

MOT passed with flying colours

That's the trouble with owning a Lexus; imho they are truly reliable and built like tanks. In my times of owning an SC430, a GS450H SE-L and now a RX350, the annual service and MOT has always been the main event. 

That's the trouble with owning a Lexus,  not enough time to catch up on these forums as too busy driving the Lexus not, as per BMW etc, complaining about the latest thing to go wrong!

Same time, same place next year😎 Hope all is well with everybody

Cheers all!

3 hours ago, Herbie said:

Maybe Lexus are developing an EV but taking it slowly to make it better for when it's released?

We all know that it's better for the environment and that we do need to (eventually) drop fossil fuels, but true electric transport is still many, many years away yet.

My wife and I drove from Preston, Lancashire, to Czech Republic and Poland for our holidays last year. First leg of the journey was Preston to Ostend, Belgium; second leg was Ostend to Rudesheim, Germany and third night was spent in Karlovy Vary, Czech, where we started our holidays proper.

Three nights and something like 1,000 miles where petrol stops, when needed, took about five minutes. Unless and until EVs can match the range and refill times of petrol cars they'll not take off in great numbers.

And that's not to mention the charging infrastructure. The electrical demand has seen the lights very close to going out at points over the last few years as old generating plant comes to end of life and drops off the grid with no new power stations being built to take their place.

We live in a cul-de-sac of 18 houses and if we all went EV, United Utilities would have to lay new cables to feed the street to cope with the extra demand. And what about those who live in high-rise flats? How do they charge their EVs?

Overnight electricity (Economy 7 or whatever) is only cheap because there's no great demand. Once more people start charging their EVs overnight the price will rocket.

Maybe Lexus are just playing the long game and will put out a 'proper' EV when these challenges are overcome.

Fair points well made 👍  though many of those challenges do not exist in the form often portrayed. Just today 150kwh chargers were launched by BP which will recharge the latest EVs in ten minutes. The National Grid has already confirmed that car charging does not now, and will not present insurmountable infrastructure issues. On street charging via bollards and lampposts is now a commercial reality and spreading fast, and the range offered by EVs is increasing exponentially as research investment increases the same. Cars on sale today from mainstream manufacturers offer 300 + mile ranges, much more than the average male bladder can cope with! Most cars used daily complete trips of less than 100 miles!

Hopefully your cul de sac of 18 houses won’t suffer much, if at all - all EV’s can, and often do, charge to full overnight on a 13amp plug.

But yes, this is a massive cultural and practical change, requiring behavioural shifts from nations just as the horse, canals and trams were all made redundant by other revolutions. Long trips to Europe (2000 miles+) are common place now, and will only increase.

I do hope Lexus are playing the long game, but all the evidence available says not. The UX will be EV’d in the future is all we know, along with the fact that the Lexus CE continues to speak out in public against the ev. Recently the CE of BMW was forced to apologise to shareholders for losing the lead on ev development and production. Yesterday BMW announced a JV with Jaguar on electric drivetrain production. 

Lexus isn’t quite at the King Canute stage, though I fear that the rising tide on the beach may be starting to tickle their toes 😉

2 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Ah OK . Thanks m8y. I've seen one of those Alpine units fitted to a GS450h I looked at. I'll put that in my to do list on my near future purchase. 

I fitted mine first to my then 2009 GS450h so any help or questions  just ask 

+1 on disappointed with Lexus on not bringing out ev models, or if they are then the pace must be glacial.....Have just put a deposit down for a Polestar 2 ev due next year, done with regret but cannot wait anymore for Lexus to move on ev cars. By this time next year the vast majority of manufacturers will be offering ev models (Audi/BMW/Jaguar/Honda/Vauxhall/MG/Kia/Hyundai/Mercedes etc etc.) Lexus are imho being left behind and I can’t see how they will easily catch up. 

Lexus appear to have a cultural objection to ev cars,  backed up by the Lexus boss criticising evs and explaining how hybrid is still the way forward. But hybrid relies on carbon fuels which are not now seen as part of the long term future. OK Lexus did bin Diesels and they deserve kudos for that and making hybrids mainstream high end; a move that has carried them through for years, but things change, and the rate of change to ev is now high for high end makers.

I hope that they change their mind, but if not my dream of retiring early with a brand new RX ev is not going to happen. The Polestar 2 looks to be a fine car.......

eBay, or more likely a scrappy, though you might have to buy the entire unit with it!!

it is worth asking a Lexus Dealer for a price....you might be surprised. Have you got the part number?

lastly, can you get an auto electrician to fix the harness? Worth asking as Lexus harness are usually well made....

7 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Connoisseur what made you choose the Alpine over the Pure version?

The Alpine comes with a v clear fitting and aerial guide book, and full details whichever  transmission option is chosen, and is just a great piece of well made kit. I’ve used the same kit and set up 5 years in two different Lexus (GS and RX) with great reception, and easy to take out and transfer to the next car. Also the original Alpine is imho better than the later Pure iterations, and is still available new via eBay. What more could a DAB fan want? 🙂

hth

8 hours ago, shivadread said:

Hi Sorry to latch onto this thread but looking at the Vais website it looks like something I want for my 2007 RX350.  My question is that I'm in the UK so if I went for the SL3Sat-L w/ Tuner Kit does that mean I can get Digital radio channels like BBC Radio 6.

Also does anyone have this set up and if so how does it compare with the Grom units

The Vais SL3 sat is the USA Sirius satellite radio set up, so not UK spec and afaik will not work in the UK (on the Vais webpage the explanation makes clear that the set up is USA Sirius specific requiring Sirius coding to get the system up and running). Also the ICE set up in your UK 07 RX350 is v different from the USA car, so to summarise afaik the answer to your question is no.

I put digital radio into my RX350 via an Alpine EZI DAB. Quality kit! 

hth

ps, installation of the Vais stuff is easy, so no need to pay for it to be done if you are handy with a spanner and screwdriver. Sort out what you want and then let us know. Plenty of tutorials around, and sound advice from members on here. Could you post up a picture of your nav/radio set up so we have the specifics of your car?

Congratulations on your RX.....great car. A couple of links below to the Vaistech product which will do Bluetooth, iPod and much more (including dealing with that pesky sat nav safety message which pops up on your screen every time). The SLQ3 is plug and play with your car so all original features are retained. Not cheapest but imho  very much the best - they do ship to the UK and have a really helpful helpline. Alternative is to search for Grom products.

hth

Michael

https://www.vaistech.com/download/11402/

https://www.vaistech.com/download/11349/

I doubt Lexus UK are daft enough to publish such obvious Car Play included images without full knowledge. They, and Dealers must have been getting sooo much grief about the lack of apple and Android compatibility so surely they wouldn’t wind up customers even more......

Mind you, given what Polestar, Jaguar, Audi et al are now doing with ev launches, Android and Car Play could soon be the least of Lexus worries, with luxury ev cars slowly but surely becoming mainstream for companies and individuals? But I guess that’s a discussion for another day eh😉

8 hours ago, Tulpen said:

I have a couple of relatives who live on the NC500 route. They have a VERY different opinion on those of you who decide to disrupt their lives. Their livestock are suffering and the, already, poor roads are deteriorating fast. While you are spending a few days imagining you are rally champions, they have to put up with it every day.

Imagine if somebody decided that the roads on your estate were perfect for rally practice......then put it all over the internet!

Just saying...……..

Oh dear, where to start? First off driving an RX350 doesnt make anyone, but esp me, a rally champion😅

Next, all tourist areas have problems to go with the many £millions and hundreds of jobs brought to the area by visitors. Visitors don't normally turn up equipped with road repair equipment, suggest your relis speak to their Government, MP etc. etc.

And finally, unless by 'estate' you mean hundreds of acres of highland slowly but surely being destroyed by poaching of the land for raising animals, then the NC500 is on main roads and doesn't involve any venturing into 'estates'....

Any tourism or increases in numbers causes difficulties for communities everywhere. Surely your relis take holidays and cause problems for others? I bet no prisoners are taken when they go 'rallying' on other peoples'  doorsteps? Just saying..  🙂

We did the NC500 March/April this year, in our RX 350. A fun trip but fully empathise with the above comments about motor home drivers. The day we drove up the Bealach na Bar it snowed on the tops. Came across a dipstick in a hired 16ft motor home near the top (signs at the bottom say no motor homes) scared stiff and expecting me to do all the manoeuvring to let him pass on what is a single track road with small passing places. The terrified look on his face didn’t draw much sympathy from me as I tried to make enough room.....

Next day it was a German registered motorhome on another single lane with passing places and switchback bends doh 🙂

Good, will Android Auto and Car Play be incorporated in UK new spec models?

The latest model BMW 1 series is a front wheel drive with fake plastic intakes in the bumper and the dynamics of a wet sponge. Other BMW models will follow...BMW design is following its core customers into middle/old age.  Audi/VW are the same, and Volvo have occupied that market segment for what seems like forever lol

Once again it seems like Lexus are in trouble only for getting in first 🙂

There is too much on the record evidence of how VW etc use their PR spend with mags to 'force' good coverage, for any objective observer to continue in denial. The unreliability and maintenance costs of German autos, even within warranty,  is legendary. 

Lexus has a market, which is far from VW etc, and thank goodness for that imho:)

The US site is your friend. Try this thread to start with...

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc430-2nd-gen-2001-2010/420790-replacing-a-seat-belt.html

hth

34 minutes ago, GeoffBrown said:

I'm unable to find the post you referred to Herbie, can you put your finger on it?

Am thinking its the one in my post, just above.....

Have a read to the base of this thread - May give you a lead for new bearings

https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/105879-rx450h-loud-creaking-noise-when-steering-at-full-lock/?tab=comments#comment-1048141

Sorry no experience of fitting the above but I only use Vaistech products and have installed them into three Lexus. Vaistech have been making plug and play units for Lexus for decades. Have used their units in SC, GS and now RX. Very high quality, full instructions and any problems they have a helpline where you can speak to the guys who design, make and sell them. No connection, just years of happy digital sounds in my Lexi.

This unit works with the SC. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for....

https://www.vaistech.com/product/sl3u

hth

Michael

On 5/13/2019 at 8:08 PM, Ian_UK said:

Hi - looking for some buying advice please.

My wife was looking for Audi Q5 as her next car but we popped into Lexus showroom and she fell in love with the new RX450h.

I have to say it was gorgeous - but a new one, with all the extras is waaaay out of our price range.

I'm therefore trying to find a used one which "looks" as close to the current model but without the price tag 🙂

I'm not familiar with Lexus brand so looked on the web. I can see the Fourth generation (AL20) was launched in 2015, but the interior of some 2016 cars I have seen still looks older than the current version. Was there a date when the interior received a facelift too?

Thanks,

Ian

Gen4 ‘launched’ in 2015 but not generally on UK sale til 2016 so Gen3 still being sold new into 2016. The answer to your specific question is that the interior design your wife saw and appreciated is only available in the latest Gen4 RX, all previous interiors, and exteriors being quite different. So I’m afraid this is one that could cost you😂 Used prices, even outside of the dealer network, are quite tasty, still, keep looking.

oh, and the reason I know? My wife recently sat in a Mica red 2018 RX with the cream interior in a Lexus Dealer. Since then I’ve been informed that no other RX is permitted as next car😶👀 Mind you, she is right!

hth

Michael

May also be worth reading through this thread. Towards the end a guy with a Gen 3 GS walks through a suggested solution

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-1st-gen-2004-2009/729995-how-to-fix-navigation-error-incorrect-program-disc.html

It sounds like the regional settings could have been buggered up via the hidden menu?

See here for more info, and a wider search on Clublexus.com might give you other possible solutions 

hth

Michael

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/hybrid-technology/392417-please-insert-the-correct-map-dvd.html

If a useful/effective four wheel drive system and suspension set up is important to you then the RX350 is better as the 400 set up is quite different and offers less. 350 mpg is less than the 400h but, perhaps surprisingly, not by a large amount. Everything else is down to personal preferences so best drive the two and see which works better for you🙂 The chain cam on the 350 gives peace of mind. 

What is the price difference in Spain between the 350 and 400h?

On 5/9/2019 at 12:33 PM, Steve Radford said:

Has anyone replaced the blue front and rear badges as mine are tarnished inside? Can they be prised apart and re-furbished?

Prised apart and refurbished is not a realistic option sadly. iirc the badges are fully sealed....hth

ps buying an SE-L with air suspension carries more risk due to the costs of getting the system fixed if it goes, which there is more of a chance of at middle age! But it does offer advantages so if buying one then go in with your eyes open. Plenty of threads on here via a search for more information if you are interested....