Smithy2

Appreciate the reply - just what i am looking for!

Yes £30k includes my part ex

I have considered a m240i as the i don't really need a big car and like you the thought of a straight 6 appeals in such a small overall package.  

I expect the 340 is fantastic however for me as a company car it would be 3 -4 times the amount of BIK tax compared to the 330e & the power difference isn't huge (the noise is significantly better though!)

I agree with your sentiments re Lexus - i don';t really see anything in the current line up which appeals enough not to look elsewhere!

Have you seen the leaked photos of the new 3 series?  It is very Lexus esque - the rear looks like GS! 

Copied post from IS forum - any RC owners have an opinion on the below?

Morning all - i have a musing regarding what car to get into next - currently have an "65" reg F Sort IS hybrid - it has the red interior and ML sound and is a lovely place to be!  It is a company car and will be coming to end of the term next year.  Being a petrol head i have already started looking for possible alternatives be that premature or not....

I don't do PCP / HP - we buy the car outright as an asset - Budget is around £30k. I don't have to buy brand new & usually go for something with less than 8k and well specced.  My business mileage is low (majority of miles being for personal use so it is more a perk and the commute is a 12 mile round trip (city driving mainly so the hybrid is useful and the low BIK tax is good)

BUT....

I can't decide what would be good next - i keep the car 3 three years and originally thought a nice RC hybrid would be a "natural progression".  The RC seem to hold their value well and for my budget the RC wouldn't be much younger that the IS, plus the interior (as nice as it is) is the same and the drive train is the same.  I do like the CVT in most cases but there are occasions when i would rather have a DCT or torque auto - my real question is is the RC different enough to keep my interest for another 3 years?

Alternatives i have looked at (but not driven all yet)

BMW 330e - a shadow M Sport, looks nice but even with the spec its like all other BMW's.  The BIK is even lower with this car and it will do my full commute on ev after a full charge at home - it also has combined 250+ bhp and 0-60 in 6 secs which considerably quicker than the RC. Anyone have experience of them? 

Infiniti Q60 - like the RC - great looking coupe - petrol 2.0t with 208 bhp & 8 speed auto - not as rapid as the BMW and no EV - BIK also higher but worth it for the rarity & looks?

Infiniti Q50 Hybrid - i looked at these prior to getting the IS - good looking - normal auto and similar self charging hybrid to Lexus - the USP is the 3.5 V6 and combined output is 360 bhp!  As it is hybrid the BIK is less than the RC and Q60 - i expect fuel economy won't be too great with a large engine but they do sound and go great. 

Anyone think of anything different which might fit the bill or have experience with any of the above?  The car needs to be no more than 3 years old and with a balance of warranty if possible....

Cheers for any input.

Morning all - i have a musing regarding what car to get into next - currently have an "65" reg F Sort IS hybrid - it has the red interior and ML sound and is a lovely place to be!  It is a company car and will be coming to end of the term next year.  Being a petrol head i have already started looking for possible alternatives be that premature or not....

I don't do PCP / HP - we buy the car outright as an asset - Budget is around £30k. I don't have to buy brand new & usually go for something with less than 8k and well specced.  My business mileage is low (majority of miles being for personal use so it is more a perk and the commute is a 12 mile round trip (city driving mainly so the hybrid is useful and the low BIK tax is good)

BUT....

I can't decide what would be good next - i keep the car 3 three years and originally thought a nice RC hybrid would be a "natural progression".  The RC seem to hold their value well and for my budget the RC wouldn't be much younger that the IS, plus the interior (as nice as it is) is the same and the drive train is the same.  I do like the CVT in most cases but there are occasions when i would rather have a DCT or torque auto - my real question is is the RC different enough to keep my interest for another 3 years?

Alternatives i have looked at (but not driven all yet)

BMW 330e - a shadow M Sport, looks nice but even with the spec its like all other BMW's.  The BIK is even lower with this car and it will do my full commute on ev after a full charge at home - it also has combined 250+ bhp and 0-60 in 6 secs which considerably quicker than the RC. Anyone have experience of them? 

Infiniti Q60 - like the RC - great looking coupe - petrol 2.0t with 208 bhp & 8 speed auto - not as rapid as the BMW and no EV - BIK also higher but worth it for the rarity & looks?

Infiniti Q50 Hybrid - i looked at these prior to getting the IS - good looking - normal auto and similar self charging hybrid to Lexus - the USP is the 3.5 V6 and combined output is 360 bhp!  As it is hybrid the BIK is less than the RC and Q60 - i expect fuel economy won't be too great with a large engine but they do sound and go great. 

Anyone think of anything different which might fit the bill or have experience with any of the above?  The car needs to be no more than 3 years old and with a balance of warranty if possible....

Cheers for any input.

I'm due a change quite soon (from an IS 300 F Sport) - but not sure if the RC is different enough to warrant for another 3 years motoring?  Be interesting to learn of your direct comparisons between the IS & RC?

Ok - so i had noticed some water ingress when  opening the boot after a downpour - it appeared to be coming from the plastic shroud which covers the curved boot struts.  It looked as though water ran into the shroud when opening the boot whilst the car was still wet and then when the boot was fully open it tipped the water from the shroud to the inside boot floor.

Investigated a bit further and the carpet was wet on the underside of the parcel shelf in the boot - there are some painted bump stops mounted on the bulkhead which you can by putting your head in the boot and looking upwards - sure enough there were a few dots of rust forming!  Car is now in the dealership and they have confirmed that the rear window bonding has failed on the offside and is allowing water in.  Happily the car is still under warranty and this will be fixed by lexus.

For clarity my car is "65" plate.  Any other owners experiencing dribbles of water into the boot after rain i would suggest checking the areas i mentioned and if you find any moisture chances are you might have the same issue.

Again Lexus Bradford - super effort & speedy diagnosis 

On 5/19/2017 at 11:31 AM, rayaans said:

Long story short, my car went in for its 2 day pampering and I was provided with a 17 plate IS300h Sport for the duration.

Im sure @Smithy2 wont mind me using his picture but this is the exact car provided:

Now, as its an IS, all the comparisons were made against the wife's 2013 IS300h F-Sport. 

First Impressions

The first thing handed to me were the keys! They're the same style as the wife's fob but what struck me first was how cheap they felt. It was hard plastic, the same stuff used for my RX key fob but it felt lighter and less substantial. The wife's key fob is soft touch plastic with a leather effect, similiar to what is used on the dash and IMO it feels and looks much better. I don't know when they changed the fob but if you guys could chime in that'd be great!

See the difference in material?:

 

Exterior

Looking at the car, the first thing that struck me is the colour. Its a bright shade, almost too bright for a Lexus, yet, with the distinct styling and black wheels/mirrors - it actually worked very well!

I still prefer the F-Sport bumper and grill but by the grill and bumper still looks aggressive

Having seen the protection pack in person, I still don't like the mud flaps from an aesthetic viewpoint. Having said that, from a practical perspective, they do keep the car cleaner in torrential rain!

Interior

This is where the main differences between the F-Sport and Sport lie. 

Firstly, no problems with quality or fit and finish. I have to say that the dark grey plastic feels and looks better than the shiny black plastic in my wife's car along with the stainless steel knobs. I also liked the piano black trim more than the F-Sport machined metal and I think the F-Sport would have looked nicer with that in.

I found the seats a bit difficult to get comfortable in compared to the F-Sport seats and they didn't have as much support. The materials used for the seat seemed hard wearing and the Tahara trim was as close to leather as possible.

I found the colour scheme appealing with the grey accents but was unsure about the headliner. It wasn't the same shade of grey and therefore I think it would have looked nicer in black!

Technology

I personally found the Sport a bit, well....... basic. It almost reminded me of a German car. No electric seats, no auto folding mirrors upon locking, no reversing camera (this was the biggest PITA as Im so used to the camera now!) 

However, I would say that the speedo is simpler and easier to read than the F-Sport one but it just doesn't have the same WOW factor.

Additionally, I couldnt get on with the auto wipers! They just did what they wanted to unlike mine and my wife's car where they are nigh on perfect. 

Driving

Abnormally, this is where the biggest differences lay. 

This particular car was way past its run in period but it felt constrained. It stayed in EV mode longer but this meant the car had to be driven in Sport mode all the time. I tried ECO and it was dreadful. My wife's car feels very different. In Sport mode its ballistic and sometimes too eager whereas in Normal it feels the same as the 17 plate in Sport! I understand there was some calibration done to these in 2014 but didn't realise it'd make a huge difference - well it certainly does!

The ride felt slightly more compliant than the F-Sport but not by much. However, the Sport had a lot more road noise than my wife's F-Sport - odd because they were on the same tyres! They also handled fairly similarly but the F-Sport had better steering IMO. 

Conclusion

All in all, an interesting experience. The 2013 and 2017 IS300h's drive completely differently, very odd IMO but shows how Lexus keep fine tuning these to customer requirements. I almost find my wife's IS too eager to go and throttle response a bit peaky. Perhaps customers commented on this and Lexus delivered. 

Additionally, in hindsight, the Sport cost somewhere in the region of £5k less than an F-Sport. If budget was an issue then its certainly worth considering as its huge value for money, especially compared to the competition and Im sure anyone who has one loves it...

.....just please don't get it in Fuji Red!

Welcome for the picture!  Incidentally I have had that particular car twice now whilst my ML head unit was getting sorted out.  On both occasions i was glad to get my F Sport back.  Didn't get along with the seats and as they are not electric they do not have the slide back comfort exit feature which i like and use. Secondly despite the rotary controller being quicker to use than the mouse control for input of address and changing stations, the DAB was terrible - hardly any stations to be found upon searching.  

However all in all the cars are very similar - the wheels look great and it was nice to get a comparable loan car, rather than an A Class merc when my old c class coupe went in for service! 

They did mention compensation prior to arranging the switch with the other owner, however i indicated to them that it wouldn't benefit me as it is company car,  What i did think of was asking them for a weekend loan of an RCF/ GSF or something as compensation.

Sorry for the delay on updates (if anyone is still interested.....)

Head unit issue was sorted last week.  Lexus Bradford contacted the owner of the Premier IS300 which had a new ML unit fitted & sold at the same time as mine being fitted in my F Sport.  The other owner was most accommodating and agreed for a technician to visit their home and switch my unit for theirs.

The part numbers checked out for both cars and units and hey presto when installed back in my car all functions are present.  The other owner with the Premier hadn't experienced any issues so it seems there is greater compatibility on that model than the F Sport.

All in all a strange situation that was caused by an error from lexus resulting from cannibalizing cars which they have apologized for and probably learned a lesson from!  I will say that they did persevere with the issue and found a resolve which I am happy with.

Cheers for your input with this post! 

On the subject of price for ML;

I have just checked with another dealer and the price for a non-exchange unit is; £6,431.00 + VAT   / On an exchange basis is it £1,931.40 + VAT.

The Bradford dealer never mentioned the exchange option so i will be inquiring if this is available - seems reasonable given that there is some glitch with the current unit.

On 4/2/2017 at 3:47 AM, ganzoom said:

So is it rotine practice for Lexus dealers to canalise their own show room/used car stock for parts rather than just order in new parts?? The words cowboys come to mind :). 

The dealer had already removed the ML unit from the car when i first when to view it before buying - they were already in the process of installing in the other customer's car.  So when i test drove there was no stereo / sat nav etc.  They simply assured me that it would be replaced...  from what they are saying this is where the issue started because the "wrong" model was installed.....?

Update;

Lexus have now said that the H/U they "should" have fitted to my car which was installed in a premier model has been tracked down.  The other customer (in London) has been contacted and they are apparently happy for my stereo to be swapped with theirs to rectify the issue.

I am still very skeptical about there being any difference between F Sport and Premier editions of the ML unit.  What is amusing is that the dealer tried to tell me that the Premier version is slightly louder then the F Sport!?   

I conceded that this is very far fetched but I suppose i have to let them try to source another one to test (apparently they are thin on the ground...)

With regards the price of a new unit - i fully agree that the £6,500 + VAT price for ML system is very high and i am going to ask for written proof of this.  However if the retail prices for ML home stereo systems are anything to go by it might actually be correct... check this link http://www.karma-av.co.uk/assets/_managed/Price lists/mark levinson 2017 retail price list.pdf

So as it stands I am currently waiting for them to arrange the swap of stereos over and let me know when the drop the car off again.

Should I just ask them to replace under warranty or have a external auto electrician look at the dimming function perhaps?

The longer this drags on the more trivial problem it seems but it should work! 

3 hours ago, rayaans said:

I can't see how putting a Premier unit instead of an F-Sport unit would make much difference - as you say, both have premium nav and I would assume the unit is exactly the same

I dont know what you've done so far so hence :

1) Make sure the headlights are set to auto - the screen dims automatically when the headlights turn on if too dark. There is a chance that they haven't wired it up properly to do this though as it will most likely be connected to the light switch somehow.

2) If someone has turned the headlight on and customised the screen to "Day Mode" it will memorize the setting and therefore the "Day mode" (bright mode) will remain on all the time. Worth checking this to make sure.

Cheers for the input and yes i have been through the entire scenario of auto light settings and dashboard brightness etc.  The function which is missing is the day / night mode - it is stuck in day mode with no option to change to night mode.

When driving at night the dashboard instruments dim as they should when the light sensor asks them to but the central display doesn't change.  So the light sensor is doing it's job but the central screen isn't responding - it is as thought the option of day/night mode has not been programmed into the current head unit.

Edit to say that Lexus technicians have been through all options they can think of even down to testing the individual functions of the wiring harness for the head unit apparently....

I posted a while ago regarding my sat nav / multimedia screen which had not been dimming when the autolights come on... well Lexus have had my car for coming up to a week now and they called me yesterday with an update.

Service to this stage has been great - they have loaned me a brand new IS Sport whilst they work on mine and given regualr updates so i can't fault them for that.

However I will offer some background as they have now advised of the options to rectify the issue.

Before purchasing my car the ML head unit had been removed and used for another customer's car who had a faulty unit.  Fine as I hadn't bought the car at this stage and the dealership confirmed that a brand new unit had been ordered and would be fitted for me upon sale - all good so far.

2 months into ownership and i couldn't find the function to dim the screen - the function simply wasn't there no matter what menu i went through and the brightness of the screen when driving at night (especially on unlit roads) was very distracting.  Even turning the map screen off didn't cure the issue as the overall dimming function was not working - only solution was to turn the screen off which isn't ideal.

Anyway the car went in for them to diagnose and Lexus GB had to get involved as this glitch was news to the dealership and technicians.  The dealership have confirmed yesterday that the replacement head unit which was fitted was for a Premier and not an F Sport (both have premium Nav)  apparently this is what the error is and why the dimming function isn't working.  So basically someone has ordered the wrong unit if this is actually the case (i am a little skeptical however?)

The dealership are saying that if they order a replacement head unit this (may) solve it however they can't say for sure and they are hesititating becuase the new unit from warranty will cost circa £8,000 including VAT.  This is obviously a cost which the dealership must stand.  They have said that they cannot exchange the current unit for new as it is used and they are saying the same if a new unit @ £8k doesn't cure the issue they cannot return this either as it will have been fitted before.  (Again i am a little skeptical about this- after all it is Lexus own warranty company and if the situation was explained properly then there should be a way around this?)

As a result they are reluctant to order a new unit and have suggested alternative options;

1.  I live with the fault and they offer some form of compensation.  Thing is the car is a company purchased vehicle so any compensation will go to the company and not myself who has been inconvenienced.

2. They buy a car identical to mine from the Lexus network with the correct head unit and swap them over.   This seems excessive however the dealer says that this would cost them considerably less just replacing the head unit.  Main issue with this is how long it will take....

Dealership have confirmed that they agree none of this is my issue as all functions are expected to work and the car is under warranty still.  My issue is that i simply want it to work as it should and I am patient about it.

Just wanted to put this out to the masses to see if anyone has any thoughts?  Am I being fickle if I insist on replacement head unit after all they say it isn't guaranteed to work!  but they could be saying that to throw me off....

Over to you.... 

I like the look of them on both cars.  My car came with the protection pack, however for a 65 plate it didn't include the mudflaps unfortunately.

I have asked Lexus to price them up for me though, i will put the price up on here when i find out 

My car has finally been taken in for an issue with the sat nav screen not dimming at night and Lexus Bradford have loaned me a 300h Sport.

Car has just 14m on the clock and whilst a 2017 registration it is not the facelifted model i don't think?  

Comparisons with my F-Sport;

Media center - rotary control on this one (mouse on the F-sport)  I am quite used the mouse on my car now and the interface on the new car is slightly different (graphics look better) but the rotary controller is fine.

Wheels - divide opinion - they stand out well in black against the red (not sure if i like the red though!)

Interior - (p)leather and cloth but contrasting colours which is nice 

Missing tech;

Cooling seats - no

Reversing camera - no

LFA instrument cluster - no

Suspension - feels less crashy over bad surfaces but is definitely softer in the corners with a little more roll - not sure which i prefer yet...

Mudguards - my car being white it shows the dirt quickly and with the wheels on the IS nicely filling the arches this results in much grime accumulating around the front and rear wheelarches.  I note that this Sport model has mudguards fitted - i think they look ok and would serve a purpose - any opinions??

4 minutes ago, DanD said:

Don't like the white one, sorry... too "boy racer" for me... and too impractical for our roads.

I followed a debadged NX this morning, and I liked the uncluttered look. I think I read somewhere that you can remove badges by sliding dental floss behind the badges. Is this the best way? - How do you deal with the residue?

Yes this works - a little heat from a hairdryer will ensure the residual glue will soften and should peel off - the ideal tool will be pliable and plastic so as not to scratch the paint- there are cheap "trim tool" kits available on eBay which do the trick.

I very much doubt it is 4 wheel drive!

Possibly lowered yes, however the gap on the front wheelarch still remains quite big (always thought that of the standard car too)  The front end looks good with the splitter though - suits the sharp creases.

Seen this IS300h for sale at a well know garage near me - just wondered what peoples opinions on it were?  I toyed with the idea of a front splitter myself (my car is white splitter would be black)  Not got around to it yet.

The car for sale has front and side splitters, rear diffuser and twin exhaust upgrade.  The wheels look pretty good too to my eye - a similar spindle design to F Sports but more racy perhaps?

Or is it all overkill and ruined a lovely motor?

Advert here : https://redlinespecialistcars.co.uk/used-cars/lexus-is-300h-2-5-f-sport-e-cvt-4dr-knaresborough-201701301820726/

Can anyone help with this?  The day and night sensor for my sat nav screen either isn't working or it isn't set up correctly.

I have been through the manual and there is a section highlighting that there should be an option to switch between day and night modes manually or turn the screen off completely.  The turn off option is available but the day / night option doesn't appear for some reason?

I understand that when lights are set to auto the nav screen should dim when the lights come one but no matter what setting he lights are on the screen won't dim and is very distracting at night.

Anyone else had a similar issue?

Cheers 

On 7/30/2016 at 2:20 PM, arumjaved123 said:

Hi All, thanks for the feedback glad you like it. Regarding the rear lights at the bottom of the bumper yes the bumper has to come off very simple to do. Remove grommets holding back tray in place undneath. Then remove ten mill self tappers one on the right arch liners and one on the left. After that remove the two self tappers which are located under the tailgate when open. It should then pop out. Once removed the bottom crappy reflectors are held with a screw. Undo these and the reflector pops out. Once this is out got to the battery of the car and check the wires on the led light to see which light you prefer the one with two lines or the whole thing mark these negative and posative. In many cases I extended the wire from the orginal led I.e. Negative and positive to make life easy when the bumper is on. Then pop the led in and run the wire through to the rear tailgate seal. When the bumper is off you will see the rear crash sesnor use the nut on this for you earth as it is touching the body, then feed the posative to the inside of the car. You will need to remove the inside trim of the boot to get access to the rear light loom. Using a tester find the live either for the side lights or brake lights. ( this live will power the light) I have mine connected to the side light loom wire. With a very sharp blade take away some plastic or use a wire Clip to the posative light wire. And do the same on the other side. You will have one wire coming in which is the posative which goes to the rear light loom which is the posative wire. Both earth wires can be put on the back sensor bolt. Both side wires will need to be extended so reach inside and the earth to the bolt. Once done they will look lovely  as you can see. I extended the wire from the main loom first the posative and then joined the led wire to this for piece of mind. Let me know if you get stuck guys. 

Excellent - thanks for the feedback.  I have purchased a set of the Led's - they have 3 modes apparently - side light, brake and indicator - did you wire yours for multiple features of just side lights?

I have not done any wiring before really so I am thinking of taking it to an auto electrician - unless it is is actually very simple?

Hi - nice mods - can you tell me a bit about fitting the additional lights at the bottom of the rear bumper?  Is there a link to where you purchased them and do you have to remove the bumper to fit.  Lastly - have you spliced the wiring so that they illuminate automatically with the rear lights?

Many thanks!

14 hours ago, capese21 said:

The "decoder" boxes are just a couple of resisters in potting compound. They will still get hot. I took one apart to see what was in it. I also found the universal connector a bit of a loose fit.  The LED bulbs are also longer & heavier and the ones I fitted had a note on them to apply glue so they don't fall out!  

Not sure I am going to bother on the GS unless i can find a LED bulb that doesn't require resisters.  It may also be possible to swap the indicator relay that doesn't hyper flash with LED`s.

This may work, I will see if it is the same as fitted.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-relay-flasher-Hazzard-FIX-rate-8-pins-Toyota-Nissan-Subaru-Mazda-/142017793390?hash=item2110eb8d6e:g:GxsAAOSwtJZXVrwv

Like the idea of just changing the relay, however i have looked on the U.S site and apparently there isn't one on the 3rd gen IS - it is integrated behind the instrument cluster or something.  Also just checked with Lexus parts and they couldn't locate a relay specifically for indicators - only only for all lighting apparently.

Yes i have looked at the decoder boxes, where did you mount the box on your LS?  I am not sure if there is enough room for the box behind the taillight on the IS

23 minutes ago, capese21 said:

You need load resisters. LED bulbs do not draw enough current so the car thinks there is a bulb out hence the fast flash.

 

I fitted LED bulbs to my previous IS300h. I mounted the resisters in a small diecast box to help dissipate the heat.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/322078979919?lpid=122&chn=ps&googleloc=1007128&poi=&campaignid=620865095&device=c&adgroupid=27378760866&rlsatarget=pla-181484320146&adtype=pla&crdt=0

Yeah i have been reading up a bit on the U.S site - there are some bulbs with resistors built in but including shipping they are £120 for 4!  Do you know if the load resistors on your link will fit inside the light cluster?  Just wondering where to locate them otherwise.  Also, are they easy to fit - never really had to use them with other cars - are they a solder and heat shrink job?  Where in the line do they fit?