colin79666

95 is fine for the CT200h. I usually get Costco fuel as it is cheaper and they use the same cleaners as for the 97 stuff. There are plenty Prius on mini can mileages with no mechanical issues, I’m sure whatever was cheapest was used in them.

As for your query on traffic lights, my tactic depends on the situation. If I think it will be a short stop I just leave it in D with my foot on the brake. If ages or going to blind someone behind I apply the parking brake but leave it in D. Only if I'm going to be stopped for several minutes so I stick it in park. Never use neutral as it stops the battery being charged, that is really only of use if you broke down and needed to be moved off the road. For a longer recovery it needs to have at least the front wheels lifted as the transmission is locked when the power is off.

I think a dealer can turn down the sensitivity if it becomes a problem.

Used in a few models including the Prius (which has the same engine). The CT is quite fussy on the grade of oil, get it wrong and expect higher fuel consumption and possibly rough running.

I briefly considered the new Corolla but went for a second CT instead. The new Corolla is way too expensive for what it offers (especially the new 2 litre), they didn’t even include Apple Car Play in the UK at launch despite it being a new model. I’m not planning to change cars soon but I’ll have to leave Lexus if they only offer SUVs and cars costing 10k more than the CT does. If only they would get the new 2l hybrid in the CT and give it a refreshed infotainment system it would properly compete with the BMW 1 series and Mercedes A class. As said above they risk losing the gateway models into the brand.

Not that surprised about the IS. New model is coming (just not to the UK) so production will presumably be ending. Shame about the CT really, getting a bit long in the tooth but a good starter model for the brand, UX is considerably more expensive and not everyone wants a mini SUV. With the introduction of the ES and UX in the last year or two the lineup was getting a bit big but I'm not sure they are going to end up with a range that covers what the UK market actually wants.

MOT should probably have picked up on that as well. Also done by the dealer?

Bit steep. Current servicing prices are here: https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance/vehicle-service/#pricing Hybrid system check is part of the servicing by dealers when following the Lexus schedule. So is wheel alignment on the majors, mine was slightly out on one corner so my dealer kindly sorted that FOC last week. Hang on. If your car is fairly new the first 3 services should be 2 intermediates and 1 full unless it has already had the 10k?

I think I’d be asking whoever is selling it if they are confident they could do a repair if you claimed. Based on my experience it would have been useless but things might have moved on or repairers in your area may have the right technique that mine don’t. Whether or not to take it is personal choice. A replacement wheel is about £360 so the price you have been quoted is about the same as one new tyre and wheel.

Look for GAP cover elsewhere. I got mine from ALA for less than half that. I didn’t take alloy wheel cover and then dinged one of them but this doesn’t go how you would perhaps think (oh bet he regrets not having the cover). I’m a stickler for things being right/perfect so I tried the best rated wheel repair place within 50 miles and you know what? The grey colour on the f sport is really difficult to match. The repairer was honest enough to say they wouldn’t be able to do it. The dealer body shop (who will probably have the paint codes) were honest and said they could get close but might have to do both wheels on that side to make it look right. In the end I bought a replacement wheel, not something a smart repair insurance policy would cover. In fact no one I approached would even contemplate a smart repair on it, full strip and respray/powercoat or replacement only.

True although bear in mind as long as you are braking gently it won’t actually use the pads on disks to slow down until the last bit below about 10mph, hence the pads can last 100k miles.

I’ve opted to keep it turned on with my CT except when I’m away on holiday at a hotel or something and in range of the car. At home the key is kept in a Defender signal blocking pouch but it’s a bit bulky to take about with me. https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Defender-Signal-Blocking-Pouch-RFID-black/dp/B07B3R5FLG/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1A8TNPWVG4PMZ&dchild=1&keywords=defender+signal+blocker&qid=1589709338&quartzVehicle=1820-798&replacementKeywords=signal+blocker&sprefix=Defender+%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-5

Consider a cat lock.

As above I'd think you are on ok ground (but I'm not a legal expert). After all anyone under 50 who ever used a comparison site would have to put refused down just because Saga didn't give a quote! In your case it wasn't a refusal to renewal either, totally new policy on a different car that they just wouldn't quote for taking all the current facts into account.

Got a letter from Lexus today to say they are adding 3 months onto my breakdown cover for free as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Pretty good of them and mine wasn’t even expiring this year. Not sure what the deal is with servicing at the moment. Car will be due it’s second service next month, perhaps things will be a bit clearer by then and the Lexus website says they are taking a sympathetic approach to warranty and service scheduling.

I usually have something electronic/trance on. I just prefer not to drive to something with many words 🙂 While I'm working from home much of the time I do have to drive into work now and then during lockdown as it can't all be done remotely (ironically I work in IT making it all work so everyone else can work from home).

Might be safest to disconnect the battery first.

Good point as it’s all at 5amp. Might be safest to use motorcycle mode and wait longer? You only really need to get enough power in to let it start the cars systems, once the car boots up it can recharge the 12v battery itself from the traction battery. Its not like a standard engined car where you have to go drive it for a few miles so the alternator can put more back in than it took to crank the engine over, as long as the traction battery isn’t too low.

The manual for mine is quite clear: AGM option 14.7V/5A Use for charging most AGM batteries like Optima and Odyssey. and Recond option 15.8V/1.5A Use to return energy to the empty WET and Ca/Ca batteries. Note it doesn't say Recond for AGM batteries... https://www.ctek.com/storage/ma/3f8cf34932cc46889f1d189ca335379c/cd879e35fdd145898b6b99c549c40292/pdf/7F18A34BA7A2CF91AC9F5404D8EB07FE2E6CAA66/MXS_5.0-manual-low-UK-EN.pdf

A CTek charger should do it fine. There is no old school lock on the boot of the CT but you could get in via the back seat. The 12v battery doesn’t need much power as all it does is boot the computer really, the traction battery is used to power the motors and spin the engine over.

What colour was the smoke and was the engine cold?

Yep, I’ve been running them and with the forecast for these parts to be snow tomorrow I’m glad to have them 🙂

Not sure why a CT would require a flatbed recovery? As long as it’s on one of those trailer things that fold out the back of the van to lift the front wheels off the ground then it should be good to go as the CT is fully fwd. Will be interesting to hear what went wrong here as has been said, drivetrain wise at least they are the most reliable thing on the road. OP have you had a look at the cars history on the owners section of the Lexus website? If it has happened before it might be noted in the service and maintenance history.

Bumper is different. Not 100% sure on doors but I don’t think they have changed.

Insurance is becoming a problem now: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/feb/01/catalytic-converter-thefts-hybrid-car-insurance-toyota-prius?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other I can’t help but think if there was more checking done and enforcement of the rules are scrap dealers this problem would go away. Despite cash being banned there are still too many loopholes and dodgy scrap merchants so this is too easy for criminals.