Rabbers

There has for some years been talk about manufacturers incorporating fingerprint recognition into start buttons as a supposedly highly effective anti theft device, but although such systems can be bought and apparently easily fitted by specialists, the idea does not seem to have caught on. Any thoughts as to why?

Just looked in my 2019 RC F-Sport and found the shield very slightly loose with the bolts perfectly tight. So, having heard no rattles, I would believe this to be normal. But you should mention it to your dealer anyway.

It’s pleasant to read so many enthusiastic comments about the SC430. Around 2005, I think it was, I test-drove one and, despite being much impressed all-round, especially by the comfort and standard of finish, decided not to buy for economic reasons mainly to do with Italian road tax. I recall that shortly afterwards I saw and completely disagreed with a thoroughly negative review of the car by Richard Hammond on Top Gear. The adjectives “clumsy” and “heavy” stick in the memory. Owners who are unacquainted with this review might want to trace and view it, though not if they suffer from high blood pressure.

Neither am I. I’m temperamentally unsuited to leaving my car unlocked and unattended even for a couple of minutes. And yet when I think of the number of times I’ve parked a Lexus without the slightest mishap in neighbourhoods where respectable folk usually fear to tread I am left wondering about life’s mysteries.

I once read an article about parking in the streets of Rome - though it might as well have been any other big city - which discussed much the same problem as posed in the OP, namely the avoidance or limitation of damage potentially caused by thieves. The recommendation, believe it or not, was never to lock your car.

I too use the LDA only on the motorway, where I turn it on almost as a reflex action together with the ACC. When I first had the LDA on the 2016 RC I used it also on normal roads mainly for its novelty value. It frankly irritated the hell out of me until a sudden attack of humility caused me to acknowledge that not keeping to my lane was a symptom of slovenly road discipline. So I then decided to use the LDA as a self-shaming device whereby my non-avoidance of the vibration served as a slap on the wrist. I don’t know if this “training” has proved effective in the longer term since I now use the function only rarely, but I think it might have helped me a little.

There are lots of variables governing fuel consumption, including the effect of air conditioning on it, and, obviously, the frequency and duration of fan activity is a major one. And, be it automatic or manually requested, fan activity is directly related to outside temperatures. Given that these have been substantially and consistently higher than normal so far this summer, it is not illogical to suppose that they are responsible for a noticeable - though by no means dramatic - worsening of fuel consumption in respect of the barely detectable ones usually experienced. It could be added that any observed increase in summer fuel consumption for whatever reason would itself be net of the improvement expected in respect of winter.

I keep the air conditioning in my car permanently on, and, depending on the time of year, I set the cabin temperatures somewhere between a minimum of 18°C (64°F) for short bursts and a maximum rarely much higher than a year-round 21°C (70°F). With daytime temperatures these past few weeks in my area having averaged around 35°C (95°F) with midday highs of 39°C (102°F), I have kept the cabin, once cooled, at the customary 21°C, noticing a worsening of the displayed average fuel consumption from my customary 14.8-15.2 km/l (42-43mpg) to 14.3-14.5km/l (40.5-41mpg). I have seen hot-weather increases in fuel consumption in the past but none quite so measurable. Having read that temperatures in parts of the U.K. are heading in much the same direction, though perhaps not quite to the same levels, I thought these figures worth reporting.

As long as you take extra care when overtaking on narrower roads because of the rhd.

If the DVD is in place and the display is continuously showing the “Loading Map” message, simply depressing the Power on/off knob for a few seconds will immediately bring the map back. This might also work with a “Map Missing” message.

An advantage of the red leather trim, be it Dark Rose or Flare Red, is its ability to resist discolouration from wear better than grey or beige. Admittedly this, in my experience, is to some extent due to F-Sport seats, which I have only ever had in red, being less prone to vertical and lateral pressure, and therefore creasing, especially in the bolster area, because of the flatter padding and stitching configuration. I also suspect attempts to re-touch areas of the leather should the need arise would be easier with red than grey or beige, which are virtually impossible to colour-match.

I don't know if the colours in question correspond, perhaps by other names, to "Dark Rose" and the lighter "Flare Red". The former was the standard red in the 2016 RC300h F-Sport and was replaced by the latter in the 2019 facelift. Given that the black cloth roof lining and the black principal plastic surfaces remained unchanged, the lightening of the shade of red had the effect of livening up the cabin somewhat, and I immediately liked the change. Whether the change was necessary is of course open to debate, but I imagine Lexus based it on customer surveys. Tastes differ, but I find red leather is generally well suited to "silver"-bodied cars as exemplified by Lexus' "Sonic Titanium".

Then it looks like you’re good to go. Have a nice trip!

Indeed so, but I would also be a little concerned about the German police as they might consider it an offence. They are known to skulk around motorway services, hotel car-parks etc., checking for roadworthiness. I would suggest you check with the German Embassy or Consulate about the acceptability of mixed treads.

I think I know the type you mean, chamois-like, and made in thin and less thin versions, the latter quite absorbent. I’m sorry if I sound like a dispenser of housekeeping tips in a lady’s magazine but while I agree that the thin version is good for wiping off liquids and foams, I find that it can develop a mildewy smell unless scrupulously washed and dried after every use. Also, preservation slightly damp in a plastic envelope is undesirable for much the same reason. Or so has been my experience even with supposedly premium branded ones.

Never been completely happy with microfibre cloths for applying or removing glass cleaning products. Prefer good old-fashioned cotton ones because they seem to spread and absorb liquids better, with less smudging.

I understand - correct me if I’m wrong - that the Stones have gone woke and dropped Brown Sugar from their future live repertoire. So that’s what I’m listening to today … and maybe the next few days too.

I have driven the entire length of Germany to Denmark on the autobahn several times in the RC300h (in both the 2019 and 2016 models), taking advantage of the absence of speed limits on long stretches where I aim to maintain a minimum cruising speed of 160kmh (100mph), this being a level I feel I can manage for long periods without straining my faculties. Depending on weather, traffic, roadworks etc., and the speed limits around cities, my average speed for the whole drive hovers around 110-115kmh (68-71mph) with fuel consumption, measured brim-to-brim, of 12.5-14.0km/l (36-39mpg). Subsequent stays in Denmark also involve mainly motorway driving but with fairly strict adherence to the local limit of 110kmh (68mph) relieved by rare and relatively short 130kmh (80mph) stretches. Here, I average 90-100kmh (56-62mph), achieving far greater constancies of speed than in Germany, with an overall consumption of around 17km/l (48mpg) inclusive of occasional peaks of 19.5km/l (55mpg) on some long drives. Although these consumption figures are specific to the RC I would imagine that the percentage differences between German- and Danish-type scenarios would also apply to other Lexus models with the same or similar powertrain or more recent evolutions thereof. That better consumption results from lower and more constant speeds is hardly surprising. What is surprising is the prospectively very large margin for economising illustrated by the above figures and underlined by reports in this thread of spectacularly good results obtained by the ES simply by sticking to speed limits. Were I to discipline myself to habitually driving no faster than is permitted or is strictly necessary without feeling as though I am driving a crock, I would save a hell of a lot of fuel and money and might even learn to derive some satisfaction from it.

I think this thread has become a bit tangled.

You mean SEAT before VW took them over?

And to think I was previously only worried about the Mob putting out a contract ….

I’m Spartacus! … No! I’m Spartacus !! …..

I see Lexus has slipped to sixth place in the 2022 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey from third in 2021. The survey is based on the number of reported complaints during the first ninety days of new car ownership. The winner, amazingly, was Buick, and KIA marginally pipped Lexus for fifth place. Lexus, one is glad to learn, was top among premium cars. The results for the Toyota Group require closer analysis, especially in relation to electronic components availabilities during the Pandemic.

This being a Lexus owners’ forum, the narratives naturally tend to be one-sided. But, dare I say it, there must be someone somewhere in the world whose car got a ding or scratch from parking next to a Lexus.

My wife and I have long had a running bet about whether we will find a car or cars next to ours after parking by choice in glorious isolation in remote parts of car-parks. She says we will and, as the optimist in the family, I say we won’t. My estimate is that she’s ahead two to one.