tanimbar

Pompeyscouser asked, "pick up and return [for servicing] still applies with some Lexus dealers. Is it only Hedge End that has removed this facility?" Lexus Hedge End is part of Snow's Group which has withdrawn the pick up and return service across the Group. This includes Lexus Exeter and Plymouth. My car is serviced at Exeter which, prior to this year and the removal of the pick-return service, occupied a driver for 6 hours. Now I drive myself but they give me a courtesy car for 24 hours. The car is serviced on day one and I return on day two. The removal of pick-return is a detrimental and I got the impression that the staff know it. It will cost them custom in the future and shrink the sale of Lexus vehicles across the Southwest (Cornwall, Devon, North Somerset and Hampshire).

The TPMS warning on my 2014 IS300h not only illuminates when the pressures are too low but also when too high. So, for example, if I don't lower the tyre pressure after the winter, to compensate for the warmer weather, then a long motorway/A road journey will set off the over pressure warning. Like most, my initial thought was of a puncture, but a quick pressure check confirmed the tyre pressures were 39-40 PSI.

Thanks for the replies on reversing but they do not address my possible problem. In the SWest many B roads are single track with passing places. If you meet an oncoming car between passing places then one of the cars has to reverse - this usually involves 10s of metres of reversing and at more than walking pace (or you don't get the single finger solute from the sheep farmer). It is something more tricky than reverse parking up a drive when reversing cameras and big mirrors are adequate. The long reverse in an RX450h is what I need to try.

Phil, thanks for the further description of the ride on rough roads. Useful info. Beyond the ride quality the other reason for a long test-drive is vehicle size and reversing back to a passing place on B roads - I do that a lot. Not convinced yet that reversing cameras assist much when the reversing distance is 10s of metres, meaning that using the old fashioned 'view out of the back windows' might still be best.

Phil xxkr, I'm considering replacing my Is300H SE (16 inch wheels) with an Rx 450h for trundling around the SWest area (Exmoor, Dartmoor etc.). Your comment, "On uneven surfaces however it does get you in training for a part in Bill and Ben. " interests me. Would you please expand on your observations regarding uneven surfaces/rough/country B roads. Thanks.

Bad egg smell is from hydrogen sulphide. Probably due to bacteria in the air con system. Get it cleaned. Always leave the air con operating, even in Summer.

Darrude, thanks for the reply. That is exactly the sort of information I was after. Now, if I buy an RX, my expectations will be set at a realistic level, i.e. "I'm afraid to say neither [RXs] have been better than the IS for these issues [BSR (buzz squeak and rattles)]". Out of interest, and because of your Bentley background, did you buy Lexus partly because you decided its cars (IS and RX) are the least prone to BSR compared to other comparable/affordable makes/models? Thanks.

This thread is about the robustness or otherwise of the RX 450h, specifically how it ages when driven daily over more testing roads. Material, design and build quality are the key factors - not how the car has been treated by previous owners.

So, the 4th Gen. RX 450h is more robust than the preceding generations but the squeaky rear suspension is common to all (They all do that, Sir). And 3rd Gen. cars are prone to rear seat noise - that would drive me nuts too. Thanks again to all who have contributed. As a result I will test RX 450h (4th gen.), a late GS 300h and a Honda CR-V Hydrid (CR-Vs are very popular down here in the SW due to their robustness. I have tested a 2.0 litre petrol, auto version but that was gutless).

More information = excellent. But we have contradiction: Rayaans says, "2016 RX is definitely more solid than the older 2009-15 RXs", while jumbojake says, "newer facelift model (2016+) was terrible, particularly the centre console... lean on it and it creaked". Jumbojake's appraisal is probably correct, i.e. if on leaning on something it creaks, then it creaks. Rayaan's note implies improved build quality but I haven't found any information supporting that claim. Remember I'm simply trying to find out which Lexus is more robust (over time). Thanks.

A few days have passed, have some responses and the consensus seems to be that the RX 450h is robust. Definitely more robust than my existing IS 300h. It would have been useful to hear from RX owners who lived in hillier areas where roads more often have a rapid switch in camber and direction which can really test a 'chassis', i.e. it gets twisted, which is probably part of the reason why my IS is ageing quickly. As for possible replacements for the IS: RX 450h, Honda CR-V hybrid, Lexus GS 300h (maybe). I'm grateful to all respondents - thank you.

Presently drive an IS 300h (SE, 16 inch wheels, 2014, 52k miles) around the B roads of Somerset and Devon and have done for 3 years and 22k miles. For the first six months on these B roads the car's body would regularly creak and groan but the dashboard etc. did little creaking. Now the car body flexes silently, the front doors shimmy on the B pillars and the interior plastics (dashboard etc.) creak. This can last for many minutes/miles until the next piece of smooth tarmac. On motorways or A roads the car is mostly silent. So, the IS 300h was not designed for how I use it. The body etc. are quickly getting old. No complaints because it is excellent in many other ways. I'm thinking of a RX 450h as a replacement and I don't want the next car to age as quickly as the IS 300h. The question, for you owner's of a RX 450h driven mostly on rural and B roads, is the car robust; does it creak and groan or otherwise indicate that it doesn't handle rough roads well? Is your car ageing well or badly? An indication of where you live, how long you've driven it and how far, would be helpful. Any other suggestions for replacements gladly received but not Lexus ES, UX or NX because I suspect these designs would age badly like the IS 300h. Thanks.

Have IS300H, 2014, SE, owned two years and never reset trip computer; shows 51 mpg. Seems the average annual consumption is 48-52 mpg. Overtaking: when you know you need to quickly overtake turn mode selector to Sport. Just before you overtake select a lower 'gear'. The result is a quick overtake. The trick is not to not exceed the speed limit too much.

Might be a fungal growth - mould. Note how the area appears to have grown outwards and the bright white periphery where the fungus is still active. Maybe.

As others have said it's due largely to increased tyre width, i.e. more rolling resistance. You've gone from 205 width on all four wheels of the SE giving 52 mpg (matches my SE exactly) to 45 mpg in the Sport on 225 fronts and 255 rears. The width difference between the two models is +10% fronts, +24% rears (rounded); the difference in fuel use is c. +15%. That is what you would expect; no surprise; Sport is fine.

The paddles do work as Lexus intended and I don't understand why people, especially mechanics, think otherwise. I use a down-shift (or 2) when descending long, steep hills. I select a lower 'gear' if I'm preparing to overtake; the transmission drops a 'gear' (not really on a CVT but you know what I mean) and the engine revs rise in preparation for the overtake. That mechanic is simply displaying his ignorance. The fact that he works at Bristol, one of my local Lexus dealers, gives me cause for concern.

More on Michelin CrossClimates .... Q&A on HonestJohn website - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/honest-johns-motoring-agony-column/2017-01/honest-johns-motoring-agony-column-27-01-2017-part-2/ Questioner relates that IS 300h with 16 inch wheels (SE - [the model I run]) is on CrossClimates and says, " Noise better but car feels unstable at speed. ". Honest John answers, " feels unstable at speed is peculiar. First, check that the Cross Climates are all on the right way round (they are directional tyres). If they are, try reducing the pressures. I ran a Honda HR-V on them for 10 months and 10,000 miles at cold pressures of 31PSI all round and they were excellent. Quiet, soft riding and giving far better steering feel, which a Lexus tends to need. " A peculiar exchange of information. Any one running CrossClimates on IS 300H SE care to comment?

Anyone yet tried Michelin Cross-Climates?

Alpine, Do you mean CTEK battery chargers from http://www.ctek.com/gb/en/chargers/12v ? Which CTEK model did you choose? Thanks, Tanimbar

You will have noticed when I started this thread that my interest was in the difference in 'ride quality' between different models (wheel sizes) of the IS 300h. This was because I already knew that the car .... "is a very competent saloon. Its well-balanced chassis, revised suspension and lightweight, rigid bodyshell combine to make it very satisfying in corners as well as a comfortable, refined cruiser on motorway jaunts. And while its engine and gearbox aren't optimally suited to deliver the enthusiastic driving dynamics its bodywork promises, it is nonetheless a very characterful and attractive alternative to the diesel powered Germans with the quality and performance to match. " Pinched the above from a magazine. This third gen. IS (2013-on in UK) has stiffer front suspension, revised new rear suspension and a much stiffer chassis compared to the previous model. It wasn't designed to hide all road imperfections, to isolate the occupants from pot-holes etc. Hence, even on my SE's 16 inch wheels, I feel cat's eyes and the road surface; on higher grade models with 17+ inch wheels these effects will be enhanced - guaranteed but to varying degree. So my use of words like 'compliant' and 'generally smooth' and 'unruffled' relate to the IS 300H SE. I could use the same words for a Merc E class and therein lies the problem: words are relative, contextualised and horribly imprecise. The public need published accelerations (due to body movement) for all cars, then there would be a standard body of work that negates the subjective meaning of words like 'smooth'. I expect the industry does have these data (probably not as a single collection) but why hasn't a journalist used his smart-phone with its accelerometers, while driving on a standard stretch of road, to measure and publish these deflections for all the cars he/she tests? Simple, effective, easy to understand and tabularise. And while I'm scribbling - I find the IS 300H most fascinating component is the software. It's a clever car. For example, hit the power button and the car will usually sit there on electrical power. Engage drive (forwards or backwards) and let the car roll. It will move a few metres (maybe one) and then use the momentum of the car to start the petrol engine (if it needs to). Smart. Maybe all hybrids do this - I don't know - but it makes me chuckle.

As the OP I thought I'd let the contributors know that I've purchased a 2014 IS 300H SE on splendid 16 inch wheels. Not done many miles yet but it does soak up all but the deepest holes etc. and the ride is generally smooth, compliant and unruffled by rural roads in Somerset. And not a squeak of complaint. There may be one drawback - that low nose which might cause problems on some of the single-track B roads I use. Seems to be a general issue because of the six or so ISs I checked before purchase, all had chamfered under-noses. But I knew that before purchase and still decided the other positive features outweighed this one. Thanks to all for the various comments. regards, T.

This is getting tricky! I don't think I should give too many details about the flooding incident, ownership etc. in case that leads to the identification of the dealership. The car is not an insurance write-off but then, maybe, there was no claim. In any case, I have just discovered that the Cat A, B, C and D scheme is entirely voluntary - an industry scheme without statutory support. (This is a statement of fact and not intended to imply any impropriety on the part of the dealership.) The engine is 'brand new'. 200h - the car entered a flood, possibly a ford (I don't know the full details), that other cars had passed through. The Lexus ingested water and came to a halt. It must have been in the water for some time. I'm told that the flood level was low, that the ingestion was very surprising and that the damage was restricted to the engine. As a point of interest, the angular shape of various components in the nose, the large grill area and the horizontal leading elements to the lower skirt, might channel water into the IS 300h when other makes noses would push the water away. Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions etc. I've decided to walk away.

Thank you ColinBarber for, I assume, looking up the wording in the warranty documents. I'm grateful. The wording matches what I thought must be the case, i.e. car is flooded, no 12 year corrosion warranty cover. Essentially the Lexus dealer is asking buyers to believe that the car will not suffer flood related problems. Flip a coin - take a gamble - that is what the dealer is expecting the buyer to participate in. Not sure what I think about this ..... good car, new engine, good price ... do I feel lucky for the next 5-10 years? Probably not. Thanks all.

Lexus have an 'Additional 12-year anti-corrosion and perforation warranty' and a '3 year paintwork and surface rust warranty' on the IS 300H (maybe standard across all vehicles- don't know). I'm looking at an IS 300h Luxury that apparently was driven through flood water, ingested same causing hydraulic lock and ruined engine. New engine installed by Lexus techs. But I can't get a straight answer from Lexus dealer about the status of the corrosion/rust/paint warranties. I would guess that at least the 12 year anti-corrosion and perforation warranty would have an exclusion clause for a flooding event. Would an owner with access to the warranty docs. please take a look. I'd be very grateful. Thank you.

Tyre pressures for the SE and Luxury I tested? I did ask what they were set to and, after hesitation, the salesman said 32 psi. I thought then that he was quoting what he remembered of the official figures but didn't actually know the real pressures in the test vehicles. So, I agree, that was one uncontrolled variable.