olliesgrandad

The franchise operator is critical with chips away. The guy that used to be in Gloucester called Stuart was ace. He repaired a hole in the bumper of my pearlescent white GS300h and you would not know it had been painted. The guy there now is nowhere near as skilled. If you have the right guy the repair can be as good if not better than a Bodyshop. 

I had a claim for peeling lacquer on my 2015RX wheels rejected as a warranty claim but when the dealership pushed the issue Lexus Customer services authorised the refurb of all 4 wheels as a goodwill gesture. I would push the issue further.

Just check it is not uneven wear on the tyres I had a similar worn wheel bearing noise on my 2015 RX450h and it was the way the Dunlop Tyres had worn on the rear. This is not uncommon so just ensure that this is not your problem before changing diffs 

2 hours ago, Richolf said:

Thanks for the comparison.  My RX is my first Lexus and I love it however due to family moving on we are likely to downsize at some point and the NX will be on my list.  NX will also be easier to drive down the narrow lanes in Devon when we go there.  It was not fun having to reverse a quarter of a mile down a narrow lane with beeping from all sides.  But having said that my RX is one of the few cars I appear to have become emotionally attached even after only 3,000 miles.

regarding the fuel consumption I am getting around the same as you but I have noticed 60mph seems to give much better fuel consumption that at 70 if you have the time.

 

 

Like you the RX I found to be a big lump of car in narrow spaces. 

Previously I tried an NX but found it uncomfortable. 

When Covid reduced my work mileage from 500 miles a week to zero I wanted to downsize so have jumped to another relative in the Toyota connected family namely a Subaru Xv. 

Having recently spent a week in Cornwall I can assure you I went places that would have left my RX stranded 😂

24 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

My new RX is supplied with Dunlop Sport MAXX tyres. I’ll see how they are over a few thousand miles but generally I’m happy to have Dunlop fitted.

 

When mine needs replacement tyres, I’ll certainly be going down the ‘all season’ route this time, rather than having a separate set of ‘Winter’ tyres as I have on my last five or six vehicles.

I had the Dunlops on my 2015 RX. 

They tend to wear in a way that causes a noise like a worn wheel bearing. Fortunately Lexus Cheltenham knew of this and a change of tyre put things right. 

Sadly with your new ride you won't be able fit Michelin's as they don't make the size. 

I fitted a Yokahoma Geolander (can't remember the model) which I mentioned in a post on here. They were pretty good and a lot quieter than the factory Bridgestone Duelers. 

They are an all season tyre and are M&S rated although most tyre places list them as a summer tyre. 

On 11/25/2021 at 9:22 PM, LexusRbest said:

Continentals have been excellent, ( only a weeks use) quieter than the original Bridgestone duellers they replaced.

I can hear the radio at 2 at 30 mph

immediate impression when driving away was more feel and precision.

not sure if they aren't a bit stiffer than previous but ride is good.

I like Continental for wet grip  and when braking.

 

 

I never liked the Duelers so when I found my Subaru had them they were gone as soon s my tyre supplier could get set from Michelin. 

This weekend makes me so glad I've got them👍

Congratulations on your new motor. 

I think you will find the seats a lot more comfortable than the NX and I'm sure you won't find much difference in fuel consumption. I sometimes miss mine, but the loss of £500 a month business mileage was a big incentive to downsize. My Subaru is exactly the same shade of pearlescent white as Lexus and I think it is a great colour to keep clean (my GS300h was the same colour). 

Enjoy!! 

Well I've owned my Subaru now since June and covered 4000 miles. 

Firstly the downsides. 

Car has just had 2 urgent recall notices and is booked in for these and a winter check at nearest dealer in Swindon. 

Secondly I enquired on the cost of the next intermediate service. This is £400 which is dearer than Lexus. I enquired about cost of front discs and pads and was amazed that it is a £500 job. 

My 2015 RX was £330 I recall for front brakes. 

Good points. A week in Cornwall made me realise the Subaru is a better vehicle for steep and narrow lanes and offroad. A sat nav guided trip into Polperro would have been a disaster with the RX as even with mirrors folded in the XV would only just squeeze between the houses. 

Full Time Four wheel drive is superb and the eyesight safety system likewise. 

Headlights are superb. Seats are very comfortable. 

Fuel consumption averaging 31mpg but main road driving from Bodmin to Gloucester tank to tank achieved 37mpg.

I will report on my dealership visit after my appointment early December. 

I find it interesting that Subaru and Toyota are so different and yet they are jointly linked in projects and finances. 

Good answer. When I had my RX450h I kept cracking my knee on that panel getting in and out of the car. Once it dropped inside the das5 and Lexus Cheltenham kindly refitted it. Via removing the end of the dash panel. 

AquaI fitted Yokohama Geolander G058 on my 2017 RX450h, they are very quiet and much better than the factory Bridgestones at roughly the same cost. They are M&S rated, They were launched last year and although most places list them as summer tyres they are all season. 

There are of course downsides. The car has a strange 'bandit locking, system which needs dealer intervention to turn off. The interior is more' robust ' than plush. There is no spare wheel(I know that some Lexus don't have them). However a jack and wheel brace are supplied. Service costs are around the same as Lexus. There are some very complex security features which include a hidden keypad which I have left well alone. The tailgate goes up much higher than the RX which means I don't hit my head anymore, but it is manual not electric so my wife has to stretch to pull it down. I think that at the end of the day there are a lot of similarities with the Toyota brand as Toyota is involved with Subaru. The UK is a really small market for Subaru as most XVs are sold in the US and Australia as Crosstrek. 

Well as a defector (at present) to Subaru I am pleasantly surprised as the car has all the attributes of an SUV without the height. 

Very comfortable with much better controls for the infotainment system than Lexus. 

As for venturing mildly off rod and  narrow lane exploring it is wonderful. 

A trip to Exmoor last week took me down a lane that would have stopped my RX from even contemplating. 

Likewise I realised how good a proper 4x4 is when a Toyota followed me into a parking area and grounded its sills. 

On that day I achieved over 38mpg tankful to tankful. 

As for holiday luggage the roof rails are standard so just a matter of fitting whatever contraption you require on them. In the States a one bedroom roof tent is a popular addition. 

Just a shame that Subaru dealers are so scarce. Mind you I think they are probably close to Lexus for reliability especially as Toyota own 20% of Fuji Heavy Industries. 

Oh and my Subaru has a 5 year warranty (new ones apparently don't). 

Webuyanycar now offering £31350 for my old RX450h. 

Things seem to be generally going crazy. There is going to be a big bump when chips become available. 

Yesterday I drove past the huge car storage area at Avonmouth docks and it was virtually devoid of new cars where normally there are thousands. 

There were a couple of hundred panel vans but not a lot of cars

Well, l am still getting offers from webuyanycar for my old RX450h. 

They originally started at £28500.

The latest offer is £30,335...... Where will it end I wonder. 

Crazy that their software hasn't Identified the plate is on my Subaru. 

On 8/5/2021 at 7:45 PM, rayaans said:

Its more likely to sell at Lexus reading at that price than at a Subaru dealer. 

I was looking at used car prices in general.  Everything has gone up so unless you're buying a new car, it just cancels out. Now, I expect this bubble to burst in about 1 year

Well Just looked for the ad this morning and it appears the car has sold. Be interesting to know if anyone on here purchased it....

Well my old RX450H (VA66BFP) didn't sel at the Subaru Garage I traded it into.

I They couldn't sell it for just shy of £32,000 they were asking.

The car is now for sale at Lexus Reading for a mind blowing £34,800. It has covered 36,800 miles.

When I bought it in November 2019 with 24,000 miles on it I paid £33,950 for it.

Has it really appreciated by £800 in that time ?????? - answeres on a postcard please

Regards Les

1 hour ago, royoftherovers said:

Thanks Les. Glad it is going well for you.

Interestingly a couple of days after you posted about your new Subaru I found myself along the shores of Clatteringshaws Loch in Ayrshire and I found myself parked next to the model that is  your new car. It looked very nice indeed, but it was not as big as I had imagined it to be.

Do carry on enjoying the Sub, reporting back occasionally and I look forward to your return to this Forum.👍

I am so envious of you being in Scotland. 

Surprisingly the interior legroom in the Subaru is almost as good as the RX. 

The boot however is much smaller. 

Ground clearance is extremely good and getting in and out is just a matter of sliding in. 

My wife likes it because at 5 foot tall she doesn't need a stepladded🤣🤣. 

We can also get past it easily to empty the tumble dryer in our garage when it is in the car port. 

For those needing a bigger car the Forester or Outlander are the choices. 

Regards Les

Well now I owned my distant relative Subaru for a few weeks I thought I'd give you an update. 

Firstly I changed the tyres to Cross Climate + this week which has transformed the ride and handling from the factory fit Bridgestone Dueler Sports. The Bridgestones had little wear but having experienced them on my last RX was happy to part company with them. 

For those of you who are currently running on those they have been discontinued. 

When my tyre fitters changed the tyres they were surprised to find the Bridgestones were starting to perish... 

My car was registered on 27th September 2019 so this is probably indicative of it being parked up at the dealership during lockdown ( I know it was off the road from December until I purchased it.). The code on the tyres showed they were manufactured in 2018 so not that old. 

It would appear that servicing costs are not much different to Lexus., mainly because of 4wd oil change costs. 

The fuel consumption as expected is quite "hot". Around 35mpg, but it is petrol only. 

Accessory prices are similar to Lexus. I just purchased 4 mudflaps for £122.

The dealer I purchased the car from included a new set of rubber mats and a boot liner which are about the same price as Lexus. 

The cabin fit and finish is typical Japanese. Quite acceptable, but this is new a £28000 Car so its unfair to compare it with an RX at over twice the price. 

Lack of parking sensors is surprising although the rear camera is very good. 

Infotainment is courtesy of Toyota I understand and apple car play and android auto are standard fare.

The Eyesight safety system is amazingly good. 

It is possible to let the car do most of the driving in traffic as when 'locked on' to a vehicle in front the adaptive cruise will brake the car to a standstill and put the brakes on hold. The cruise can also be set at 20mph.

Unlike my Lexus it reacts to cyclists and pedestrians in the road. A couple of days ago a cyclist suddenly cam across in front of me and the car started to brake before I hit the pedal. 

Downsides of ownership? 

Dealers don't do discounts to Subaru Forum premium members.  Nearest dealer to Gloucester is near Swindon. UK Forum is very quiet so I've also joined the US/Canadian forum which is an extremely informative place. Hybrid models only just being introduced. 

Silly little Positive points - The locking wheel nuts are much better finished - chrome plated. The diamond cut alloy wheels seem to be of higher quality than the Lexus ones (surprised they fit them on a proper offroader, but they sell huge volumes in the USA so must be okay). The controls seem more intuitive than Lexus. 

All in all it's not a Lexus but ideal for what I currently need (and my wife will drive it). 

Regards to all

Les 

The car is now on their website   at £32,495 complete with pictures.

2 hours ago, stringbender said:

Thanks for that update Les. Good to hear from you. I'll be on the lookout before too long and I might just see where the Subaru dealer is in Bristol.

Alan

Devizes, Street or Swindon are nearest to you, if you are interested.

Certainly they are nicely screwed together and I think the seats are more comfortable than the Lexus.

Whatever you do - Good hunting.

Apparently there is a shortage in the trade of good used luxury stock at Auction which is why dealers are keen to buy cars at present for good money

Car is apprently undergoing pre-delivery checks and will be for sale in the next few days. If anyone is interested Mark Kennie at Unity on 01676533145 is the guy to speak to.

Regards Les

Having just sold my 2017 Premier with 36,000 miles for £28,500 and now driving a Subaru I'll throw my threepennnyworth in.

Unfortunately my Subaru XV flattened the Battery yesterday ( presumably because the car had been staning around at the dealers during the COVID situation.) Subaru Rescue (AA) attended in less than 30 minutes from my call and got it going. No problem the Deler came and picked it up this morning and dropped me off the new Subaru Forester with the e boxer hybrid set up ( and a full tank of fuel so I could enjoy it).

BTW they delivered my car full of petrol which is a rare thing these days - never had that from Lexus.

Well I think it compares very favourably with the Lexus. If anything the paint and panel finish might be slightly better. The car that I have is fitted with tomtom touchscreen navigation and the full bells and whistles cruise/ radar distance/ lane keep system they call Eyesight ( which my own car has). I drovethe Forester around Gloucester City in the rush hour and with the cruise set I barely touched the pedals as the car was placing itself so accurately behind other traffic. The 'Eyesight System' is superior to the Lexus set up and with a cruise control that can be set to 20mph is great in the 'new world'.

Seats are extremely comfortable and I think the performance is very good from the hybrid set up. In fact I was pleasantly surprised how seamless it is considering this is a new venture for Subaru.

They are of course in bed with Toyota so this might explain things.

Interestingly my own petrol XV was showing an average of 43.6 mpg on a round trip of 180 miles yesterday. The stop start wasn't functioning because of the low Battery so it will be intersting to see how it does when the new Battery is fitted.

It seems for some reason  Dealers are very keen to take RX's at the moment.

If you are consider downsizing to an NX it might be woth looking at a nearly new Subaru with the hybrid drivetrain.

The car sat on my driveway is a 20 plate with 5,000 miles and is priced at £34,995 ( The price label is in the boot ). It is the top spec with full leather.

A new one just creeps under the £40,00 barrier so avoids the extra 6 years tax.- and 5 year warranty.

Interesting times in the Automotive world .....................

If anyone is looking for a  2017 RX450h Premier my old car is being retailed at Unity (Subaru Dealer) in Balshall Common for a couple of weeks before they consider putting it out into the trade.

It has a full Lexus history and in March I put 4 new Yokahama Geolander G058 tyres on it which are all season tyres and ride much better than the standard Bridgestones. They have covered around 2,000 miles max.

Has full protection pack and side steps together with tobacco and cream interior.

It is due a service in August , but it is only a minor one. 

I only sold it because my work mileage since covid has gone to zero  ( losing £450 -£850 a month) and my wife won't drive it.

In the old world I would still be driving it 😞 . I bought it because it was registered 6 weeks before the rules changed on cars over £40,000 so tax is only £115pa

Someone will get the benefits . Mileage is just under 37,000

Best wishes 

Les

Hope you all enjoy the Subaru pics.

I may well return to Lexus in the future, but the loss of between £450 and £850 a month mileage payments really made this decision very easy .

I'm sure I'll look in from time to time , certainly so far I'm very impressed with Unity Motors at Balsall Common- the guy I'm dealing with previously worked at Lexus Birmingham and with Jaguar /Land Rover. He left LandRover because he was fed up with the abusive phone calls from unhappy customers - he said he averaged 7 a day!

Best wishes to you all

Les