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First_Lexus

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  1. I very much agree. We were taught these, as I remember not specifically but more as a teaching aid when studying classics, Latin and Ancient Greek (which was only for one term each year in place of Latin for about three years - I’m going to say ages about 9-12 but it was a long time ago!). The one that has stuck with me over the years is along the lines of; ”It is sensible to endure those things that you cannot change as worrying about them achieves little.” I guess this is the same one that @Boomer54is also referencing! I can’t remember the context, but I’m sure there was also one along the lines of “Destroy that which you cannot conquer.” I’m unconvinced that is especially useful today, but almost certainly made perfect sense to your average Roman General… I’ve probably posted this previously, but speaking to the youngsters who are still in education in my family makes me slightly depressed. The focus seems to be wholly on ‘training’ rather than ‘education.’ For me, school days are about knowledge for its own sake, at least until age 16 and upwards. I think we now specialise far too early and the prioritisation of science and mathematics over the humanities may make sense in terms of a future workforce but I’m not sure it produces fully rounded members of society. That said, science and maths wasn’t prioritised at all when I was at school, so who am I to talk 😇?
  2. I remember my Father - who passed his driving test while in the Army and in either Egypt or Malaya (as was, I forget which it was) - talking about having to use the ‘pre-selector’ gearbox on his Father’s Armstrong-Siddeley. We’ve never had it so good!
  3. They most certainly have! My disability has meant I’ve driven only automatics since I was eighteen (somehow I managed to learn and pass my test in a manual transmission, God only knows how!). Over the past (cough, cough) ‘few’ years, i.e decades, I’ve owned a few Mini autos (the original sort), torque converter three and four speed autos in Montego and Maestro, Nissan Micra, Renault Scenic and various Hondas. The current Lexus eCVT is superb, having now owned three of them. Learn to drive it differently and it rewards you with smooth progress. It’s a big step forward from the (normal) CVT in my 2004 MINI (my second of those). Even so, I’m a convert to CVT generally. The only automatic I’ve ever owned that I didn’t like was the VW DSG nightmare in a Tiguan. Hesitant to the point of being dangerous, it finally exploded at 40k miles on the M1. When it went bang it blew a hole in the gearbox casing (fortunately replaced under warranty, and then the car sold quickly as I established my experience was far from unusual!). I once worked with a colleague who refused to even consider an automatic, as he said “…I like to feel in control.” I’ve never been in a car with a driver who was in less control 😆.
  4. My gut feel - and that’s all it is - is that a detailer applied when the car is washed and dried lasts longer than those designed to be applied wet. The thing is though, the ‘apply wet’ and then dry with a drying towel such as Alien Magic Aqua or Gyeon Wet Coat are so quick that, especially during Winter, applying them more regularly negates the longevity aspect. The above is totally unscientific I should add…but based on years of applying a great variety of products including high-end traditional waxes such as those from Swissvax which cost a great deal of money!
  5. I posted somewhere else on here recently that I’ve abandoned traditional waxes in favour of quick detailing sprays (whether claiming to be ceramic or not) as the finish and longevity is excellent with a rapid speed and ease of application. One caveat - my RX had a pro-applied GTechniq ceramic coating applied when new two years ago. I’ve been especially impressed with GTechniq c2v3, but also with Alien Magic ‘Boss’ and the CarPro product. Also worth trying those applied at the end of the wash, as I’ve been hugely impressed with Alien Magic Aqua and Gyeon Wet Coat (although there are loads available and all seem to do a good job). Even so, the Alien Magic left a finish after drying that was much the same as if I’d used a quick detailer!
  6. I can only comment on my experience but…I contacted my dealer directly once I found out about the plates. They promised to call back but never did, having claimed to know nothing about the issue! A few weeks later, I contacted Lexus Customer Services direct via email, received an almost immediate reply and the same dealer contacted me within a few hours to book the car in for the work. Courtesy car supplied, work all done as required, couple of small free gifts provided as well! Fair to say that the initial frustration was recovered well in my case by both Lexus and then Lexus Reading.
  7. Uh-oh…we’ve moved on from ZZ Top and now @Minceywill have to get onboard the Vengabus 😆
  8. The key question is, have you got legs and do you know how to use them? 😇
  9. He never said it was a rock band. He might be a bass player in a folk outfit…in which case an old Beetle would be fitting! ...turn up in a 300C with blacked out windows and people will think the guitar case is like Antonio Banderas in Desperado 😇 Depending on the venues that may indeed be wise!
  10. Dacia came tenth out of 32 brands in the What Car? Survey last year. Ahead of Honda surprisingly. And Subaru. In the super mini category the Yaris was third bottom! Other than that no real surprises in the survey. German brands generally rubbish, Lexus generally excellent. https://www.whatcar.com/news/2022-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n23418
  11. I think they make the most sense in the ultra poverty spec - flat white paint, steel wheels with no trims, black plastic bumpers…
  12. Not Japanese, and don’t shoot me, but…for a totally unremarkable and practical ‘gig’ car what about a Dacia Sandero? Old Renault tech, so all of the gremlins long since ironed out. My understanding is they’re robust because they’re simple - Dacia’s business model can’t soak up lots of warranty claims! For about £6k maximum you’d be looking at a 2018/19 car with 40-60k miles, as well as the approval of James May. 😆 I’ll get my coat…
  13. I’ll ‘third’ this. With the ‘magic seats’ from (about) 2005 onwards they’re superb on space and reliable as well. I can’t see one being a theft magnet either, unless there’s an eighty year-old car thief looking for a thrill… 😜
  14. I have another moan. Telephone call centre messages before they put you through. I listened to one today that was four minutes long! First telling me that the wait would be longer than usual because it was an ‘exceptionally busy time’ (it wasn’t - once the automated messages finished I went straight to a human being), reminding me that it would be easier to book online at www.company.com (it isn’t, that’s why I’m calling!), then telling me about COVID restrictions they have in place (really?) and finally reminding me that ‘if I have a pet, it will need to be kept in a separate room when they visit.’ This was my favourite. ‘A pet.’ Any pet? What about a goldfish? Do they even realise how ridiculous these messages are now?
  15. I need to moan about the younger generation not understanding my cultural references. I’m quite happy not to understand their cultural references - that’s just sensible - but they should learn Monty Python at school, amongst others!
  16. I was always under the impression that the A30 was a Roman road - well, that it followed the original anyway. If that is the case then I’d suggest the widening scheme started sometime after AD43…😆
  17. That late Summer blast seems to have ended. It’s dull, damp and much cooler here today - it’s not even forecast to reach 70F which will be something of a blessed relief!
  18. I’d like to think - perhaps naively - that market towns, villages and suchlike near to major routes would prioritise getting fast chargers and use it as a way of regenerating high streets. I’m thinking less grim motorway service stations and more small coffee shops in a pleasant urban location with plenty of options for shopping and leisure. The journey may become as important as the destination, much as it was in the post-war period when cars were less reliable and there were fewer motorways and major trunk roads. As a child, no trip to the coast was complete without a picnic stop in the New Forest or a trip to a restaurant for lunch or dinner (depending on whether on the way or the return) in Winchester or similar. Obviously what will actually happen is more chargers in out of town settings with us all condemned to faceless retail parks with nothing but Costa Coffee, KFC, Tesco etc. Perhaps we get what we deserve?!
  19. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/get-ready-for-the-petrol-station-renaissance/ ^^ This is slightly tongue in cheek, but makes an interesting point. Service station stops - whether on the motorway or elsewhere - are generally for convenience only. Nobody in their right mind would want to spend longer than they have to in the current options, perhaps with a couple of exceptions such as the ‘farm shop’ services on the M6 motorway. That begs the question…as more and more people transition to EVs, and thus have to spend 30-60 minutes charging (assuming no queue to wait to do so) instead of perhaps 5-10 minutes filling up with petrol or diesel, the services must have to adapt to offer a better experience. Or perhaps they won’t bother if it costs money and they have a captive audience anyway!
  20. I probably cleaned my first car - properly I mean, not as a young child helping out - in the late 1970s. The difference in products and speed of application is astonishing - even in the last decade since I last showed my MINI(s) things have progressed at pace. AutoGlym SRP used to be the ‘go to’ product for most people, but in recent years with ceramic coatings and ‘quick detailing’ products I can’t see the point of a wax, at least not on a modern paint finish. Bear in mind that’s coming from somebody who used to spend a small fortune* on Swissvax products, and then spent hours applying them! * as an aside, if anybody is interested in how to obtain a small fortune, I can help. Start with a big fortune and invest poorly. I digress… Accepting that my current car has a professionally applied GTechniq ceramic coating, as did my last one, I can’t see why anybody would need anything other than a good ‘QD’ such as c2v3 (I’ve got a few similar in my arsenal, including Angelwax Enigma, CarPro Reload, Alien Magic Boss etc.). All have a degree of protection these days and, having used them on cars with little or no protection or care (my family aren’t all as careful with their vehicles as I am!) the results are excellent. Clearly there is a degree of decontamination required - CarPro TRIX does the job for me - and the results aren’t perfect, but good enough to draw amazed and appreciative responses from most bystanders. All cars will have some swirls. Washing as carefully as possible to minimise these, and being as gentle as possible with the paintwork is the way to go imho. Prevention is better than cure. Finally; - no, I’m Spartacus - wine. Don’t forget the wine… - no, no, no, no…no women here… - JEHOVAH!
  21. I’ve heard it called that as well. Also white with a red interior I’m pretty sure I read somewhere was known as the ‘Moby D i c k’ spec.
  22. Beautiful. Not sure I’d like to have a heavy front end collision with that as the landing for my head, but…beautiful even so.
  23. Do it. DO IT! Life’s too short etc. My personal preference would be a lighter metallic exterior colour with red interior, or a tan interior (accepting not available on the ES based on comments here) but think of it this way…how many black interiors have you had? The fact you’ve even asked the question tells me you’re ready to take the plunge and have something different!
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