On 4/22/2023 at 4:04 PM, Neil E said:

Great post Nick, it seems you like the SC🙂 I think you may have liked the earlier model Soarer too. Lexus should have put some better tech in the SC430 and done a bit more to the ride-handling set up but it's still a great car. It is possible to upgrade the suspension to improve the handling without compromising the ride but there's a limit to what can be done before it starts to become the inevitable compromise. Before you commit to never parting with it, you might just want to try the later version with 6-speed trans and various other tweaks to broaden the smile still further. Others may disagree but I think the LC500 is probably good enough to count as the latest SC. 

@Peter1208 I remember seeing your car at the Lexus SC430 meet in Sleaford a couple of years ago. It was the star of the show. It really is a low mileage gem. 

The assembled group were asked to judge the cars in various categories. The only fault I recall finding with it was the then owner who had removed the factory beige mats and inserted black ones instead. Hopefully it came complete with the original beige mats as Lexus no longer produce them. 

 

Thanks Neil, that is very interesting you point this out about the leather seat colour, because the a pillar trim is beige and thought how so? Now this makes sense. I actually don't mind the black leather as it will be easier to maintain I guess. I am going to get it redone with a leather specialist next month so that the seats look sparkle clean and brand new. I will share photos. The car did not come with any mats so I have got a new set from Lexus parts, which will be arriving within days. All in all, this car is being well looked after since its new ownership with me. Once the work is full done, I will be sharing some new photos...

Thanks for the heads up! I am going to get the leather renovated next month so that will be interesting to see how it will look when done! I will share photos for sure. Right now my car is in garage specialist to get the upgrade done with sat nav, rear camera, alloy repairs... I should have it back by mid next week, so will share photos too.

5 minutes ago, Glyn Jennings said:

I am really glad you love your SC it seems if you take the plunge to buy one of these hidden gems and it is a good one it becomes a thing of joy. I also thought it was ugly in it’s early years not helped by the pie plate wheels. After going through several BMW’s I moved over to Lexus. All the BMW’s I owned were M Sport and I really enjoyed them and the service I had from BMW was great. The handling was second to none but you paid for it with the hard suspension and run flat tyres which now how poorly maintained roads are is a big downside.

I subsequently bought my RX450h 2 years ago and love the comfort, the quietness and it is quite exclusive.  I then started looking at the LC500 which I think is stunning but way more than I would want to spend on a second car.  This led me to the SC430 and when I saw what owners had done to improve the looks I was sold plus I think the design has aged well.

I was only causally looking at ones up for sale and saw mine and snapped it up before anyone else got a look in. I hadn’t even told my wife I was thinking of getting one. Eighteen months on I can honestly say it is my favourite of the 29 cars I have ever owned and will keep it as long as I am able to then pass it on to my two son’s.

 

That is amazing to hear what you wrote. I too bought my SC430 without telling my wife but I knew she would approve at some point. I agree with you, it is by far the best car I have ever owned to date. It's special, it has a 'soul' with this V8, it is smooth and powerful and does not let you down. I think people misunderstood what this car was (same for the GS) - too quick to criticise but after years of its existence and proof they are still on the road right now, speaks volume to me...

3 hours ago, Peter1208 said:

Ditto again Nick, my 20 year old SC430, has less than 9,000 miles on the clock, the bodywork and inside the car and almost in showroom condition.  

It is certainly a keeper, however, the only issue I wish to address is some light underbody corrosion which I wish to remove.  Lexus Bristol are also coveting my car 'like a baby' as it is such a rare car to be in their workshop.  The service manager has suggested dry ice blasting the underbody which will do no damage and return the car to new condition.  The downside of this is that there are few UK specialists undertaking this type of work [although more are appearing], but the cost is very very high.  So I am looking for a company that will do this work for a reasonable price.

Thank you for sharing your experience and the love for your beautiful car. Dry ice blasting seems like a good option - keep us updated on this!

33 minutes ago, Peter1208 said:

What a great post, I agree with every written word.  

I have owned my 2003 SC430 for only 6 weeks and loving every minute I drive this superb car.

Lexus Bristol even phoned me today to welcome me back to the brand after recently undertaking a completed health check on the SC.  Customer service excellence I have never experienced at any other car dealership.

I have previously owned two RX450’s up until 3 years ago when moved into a Land Rover. What a mistake this was my new Disco Sport requiring a new engine, turbo and transfer box after only 18 months.

So, I am in the process of returning to Lexus for their reliability, comfort and brilliant customer service.

I look forward to hearing more about your new Sat Nav.

Thank you! Indeed it is very special and because the SC is so rare, Lexus staff are treating this car like a diamond. I really love the attention they keep giving to it. I am glad you are feeling exactly every word I wrote in my thread. Yes, Lexus has this reliability that many other brands suffer from and to me, I am sticking with Lexus for good because of that. Who really wants to own a car and have to spend a fortune in the garage to fix parts? No one. Lexus has taken a very clever approach. They keep what they know is reliable and make further tweaks to improve further and extend its reliability. So clever. They never tune their engine above 80% ratio because they know that if they do, it will apply more pressure on the engine. Hence why when people buy a GSF, RCF LC the V8 is tuned just at the right pressure level so that they can enjoy long lasting drive. German cars do so differently and badly as they tune their cars above 90% so more pressure with engine parts will be applied, hence why they break down more easily... Long lasting to Lexus!!

I will keep you posted once the Sat Nav is done with feedback and photos....

Here is the interesting thing, I would like to start beginning what I really thought then of the SC430 when it was launched (when I was not a Lexus customer!): I thought it looked a bit ugly and I could not see why would anyone want this car since 'it has serious limitations' with rear seats, small boot space when the top is folded in and from watching Top Gear series at the time, they kind of put the last nail on the coffin for me when they stated: 'it was the worst car in history'. Years passed and I did not really think much of Lexus then. But the adventure began when I had lots of issues with my BMW F10 520d with water leaking in the footwell of the front passenger seat and BMW staff were rather unhelpful and I was of course upset since I had acquired an approved used vehicle with BMW dealership and they seemed uninterested if you are 'not' driving one of their new cars in the showroom. Perhaps this is a big statement I am making and this was 'just an isolated incident with a particular BMW dealership' who knows? But to look on the bright side, they made me think again and I thought, I used to drive Mercedes cars in the past, with more or less expensive servicing (if you drive big car like E63 6.3 Performance Pack AMG W212) so I wanted a proper change and thought I must try Lexus! 

It is possibly the best decision I have made in my life when it comes to cars, as joining Lexus with my GS450h Mk4 that was purchased at Lexus Edgware Road. Quickly, I was getting hook how good this car is and how amazing it feels driving one too, with excellent reliability and to add more, the Lexus customer service is really a big step above any other dealers I have been - if there was any slight issue, they would do their hardest to make sure you are a happy customer. The experience has been so overwhelmingly good that I kept my Lexus GS for 4 years (this was a record, as most of my previous cars were kept up to 2 years max before buying another model). So it was no brainer to change with ES300h, which is a different kind of car than the GS but such an amazing car of its own giving excellent fuel economy and quietness. I even convinced my wife to get NX300h as her next car from Volkswagen Tiguan - she has been driving it now for 2 years and she is finding it better than any other cars she has driven too. 

So you now know how much my mind has been converted and how much respect I have towards Lexus as a Brand and as a company what they truly believe in. It is really fascinating to understand their success and why. and for us as a customer, I feel we are privileged to be sharing such dedication and passion the Brand holds. So, my mind was doing some additional thinking and I was browsing checking how much can we find SC430 in the market in UK and I was surprised to see how affordable the cars appear to be knowing that they are discontinued. I began watching YouTube videos from car reviewers and car owners and rapidly, I was beginning to fall in love with this car! Crazy to think this when I thought initially that it was an ugly car at its very first launch.

Now, 20 years later, this car is really aging well and really shows pure elegance and it has a presence. From viewing the videos and photos, I was under the impression that the car was small but I was wrong. It is a big car for its size and the door panels are quite long. I was worried being 5ft 11 and half that the seat may be too tight and not offering enough leg room - again, I was wrong. The car still has plenty of room and I could still move the seat further back and my legs would struggle to be in good position with pedals. The height is excellent too as my head is not touching the ceiling and there is plenty of room above my head to the ceiling. So this truly impressed me. The exterior looks so good for its age, and the paint work is so well preserved, I was surprised that it is a 2001 year car still doing an amazing job, driving on the road safely and powerfully. But next month, it will be going to the body workshop to do a few minor paint work so that the car looks more perfect than it is.

But let me tell you about the interior: The leather seats are the best seats I have sat in for any cars - the GS was amazing but the SC is in my opinion more comfortable (it is even more comfortable than my ES car and my es is very good in terms of comfort but this SC is really underrated as a car - it is really making me realise that I feel so blessed to have this car now and to truly enjoy motoring driving with it for the next few years to come. I have zero intention to sell it any time soon and it is going to be a keeper - pure and simple. I am also excited to get the leather seats professionally done next month so that they look just like brand new again.

It is by far, the best car I have had to date. It is not a sports cars, because it is heavy but as everyone knows it is a GT car made to make you feel relax doing many miles ahead. And it does this so wonderfully. I love the layout of the dashboard with the wood finish from Yamaha, which gives pure character and the gear stick is so wonderful to use. You turn the engine, the V8 sounds superb - not too loud but enough to tell you that it is a powerful machine if you need the power. It does not make you feel intimidated when you drive the car, as the driving experience is Butterly smooth when you press the accelerator. But press harder, you awaken this V8 and boy, it really is a rocket and it gets you moving so fast, that it makes me laugh like a kid. Even at the traffic light, it can launch super quick if necessary and it does surprise a few drivers too. I do drive sensibly but could not resist the temptation to see what this car can do. It simply put a big smile on my face and every time I look at it, I feel it is going to give me another special drive. That is truly what the SC430 does to your skin when you drive one - I am sure many owners of this car will agree with me on this!

People who say that the back seats are 'useless' - let me tell you this: I have 2 young kids (10 year old boy and 8 year old girl) and both were in the back seat with my sister in Law in the front seat and they were not complaining of the space in the back (yes I had to move my seat a bit more forward but not too much) but everyone was excited and happy to be driven in London. It was so brilliant - my kids adore this car and they are waiting for their next turn to be inside it again. Just brilliant! Best feeling as a dad too!

The next best thing is the roof opening and closing. It is truly remarkable that this car is still doing this at ease after 22 years of its existence! It makes you appreciate Lexus even more and you realise that they are absolutely fanatics in making cars to last. The SC430 is definitely one of them. And yes, you cannot open or close the roof when the car is on the move but I cannot complain as when the system is still working after 22 years, there is simply a reason behind this. The cool thing is that when you open or close it, you draw a lot of attention from other drivers and pedestrians who give you looks as if they wish they were with you in the car. It is even hilarious: I also think some drivers may even be thinking: have I got the right car when I see this one doing this? It is of course, my imagination from seeing their faces looking a little bit envious when you can see the sky in full. I drove it today in central London and it really gave me another prospective how beautiful London is when you have no roof above your head! The SC430 is getting a lot of presence on the road and I have had a few drivers giving the thumbs up. That is a great feeling, you simply feel a bit more special driving such a beautiful car.

I am getting some additional work done with new sat nav system next week Thursday and I am counting the days as if it is Christmas coming. No other cars has made me feel that way. So if you have not got one and think about acquiring a good model with good servicing, I can tell you that it may be the best car you will ever own! Yes it has its faults because it is not that sporty of a car when you go round the bends but you truly do not want to drive it fast like that but enjoy the moment for what this car is meant to be - a proper V8 Grand Tourer. I am not sure you can find one like this to be reliable, to be relatively cheap to buy and a car that will be giving joy for years to come. I now understand that this fuss is all about -  you simply have to drive one to grasp it and you will not regret this experience. I really wish Lexus could re-do another SC430 in the near future. It truly deserves to be in my honest opinion. It was a very advanced car when it was launched for sure and today, it really is doing a remarkable job making many drivers like me feeling excited taking a drive on the road whenever I get the opportunity...

Thanks Ken! That is an excellent idea regarding the rear camera and use the existing top screen to visualise the rear view. I have now made additional enquiries to look at this option!

Ok, here are a few things that I have so far done and will be doing as part of my project to make the car better than it is now:

Lexus alloys centre caps have been placed and I removed the bland ones that were on the alloys, which looked faded. Now it looks better. I also fitted a rubber on the side door (which costed £2! for the set) so that I preserve the paint work whenever I opened the door as they can open very wide indeed...

Next steps...

I tried to make the current Sat Nav worked with a new DVD navigation that I purchased and sadly, it is not working still. I think the dvd reader in the boot may be faulty. So, I have made a decision with upgrading an audio system with new touch screen sat nav with Pioneer, which will have android auto/apple car play - pioneer own navigation system, Spotify, and dvd/CD player all in one (I wanted to keep that to make it more special) - I am getting this done with audio Auto in Royal Parks and they will also replaced the back leather round tops to 2 new ones as the current rear headrests are damaged. I have the job booked in for Thursday next week, so will be able to send photos to share. By the way, this screen will be at the bottom where the cd music and cassette is as it controls the sounds with speakers. Not sure what to do with the top navigation screen, as I do not really fancy having a second screen mirroring the bottom one. So for now I will keep the old sat nav as it is.

In mid-May, I am booking my car to do some minor repair on the body with respray in a few places, so the car will be looking prestine.

On the 25th May, I am booking my car to do leather treatment and rejunevation so that the leather seats look absolutely beautiful and with no marks. Will share photos when this is done too.

After that, I will be looking forward to doing a few road trips with this car, which I am already loving so much! Really special to drive I must say!

8 hours ago, Lexiguy said:

Hi Nick

It's good to see you on this forum and a big welcome to you.

Congratulations on your acquisition it looks great on the pictures except for the one with the big guy stood in the way 🤣 

I have contemplated this upgrade since I purchased my car but deciding whether to upgrade the current pop up screen or have a Tesla type screen to replace the sound system and the switch panel above, see below.

I would buy a head unit replacement from SC430MODS.COM. He has a good reputation and some YouTube videos that are very useful if fitting any of his products.

The full Tesla type units are from AliExpress and it is an expensive purchase from a unknown Internet company like them. On a positive note, I know two people who have taken the plunge and all went well and they have had good service from the units and we're highly delighted.

All the best and keep us informed.

I hope you are able to join us for the annual SC 430 meeting near Coventry in June.

Regards, Anthony 

Thank you for the info - I really appreciate it! I will have a look at this as I have never seen this Tesla style before! But I also like the old units as they look as it kind of keeps the charm for SC430. But will check it out. I will also try to be present at the annual meeting in Coventry on the 24th or 25th June 23. Will find out nearer to the date.

3 hours ago, Tomtit said:

The black leather and maple wood look superb. An excellent contrast.

Thank you!

3 hours ago, scudney said:

Congratulations on you new acquisition, on the subject of upgrading your sat nav I would suggest you do your homework/research first and see what your options are,  as this is unlikely to be a cheap or straightforward fix. Hopefully someone who owns a SC might be able to help/advise accordingly 

Thank you! Believe me, I have been doing quite a bit of research on this and found a few posts about retrofit but many don't really appeal to me. I don't want to have 2 screens with one at the top and one at the bottom. I simply want the top one with a more decent sat nav. So I am looking and I have made a few enquiries. Will share when I know what my options can be...

2 hours ago, Peter1208 said:

Congratulations Nick on buying an SC430 and a good idea to make it a keeper.

I too purchased a 2003 SC430 two months ago and am also considering a new Sat Nav, however, as John said this can be a rather expensive retrofit.  I have been quoted up to £1,400 so far.  If you do find someone to undertake this work, [at a reasonable price], perhaps you could inform the group please. 

Thanks. I am doing some research and will let you know if I find anything cheaper. £1,400 is definitely way too much...

Hi everyone, 

I am super excited to be owning this SC430 2001 model, which will be a keeper in addition with my other 2 existing cars (NX300h and ES300h). I had always dreamed to have this car one day in our home, as I find it really special and iconic with its hard top that comes out elegantly. What a machine I must say! As soon as I bought it, I took it out to Lexus Edgware Road for a full check up and service and all is very good indeed. Whoever owned this car had purchased it from this Lexus dealership so they know the car quite well. Good to know... I have a project in mind, which is to upgrade the sat nav screen and I would be quite happy if anyone would be able to recommend any retrofit specialist willing to do the work. I am interested in getting a more up to date sat nav screen with a better resolution if possible... Meanwhile, feel free to see photos!

1 hour ago, Frank the Hornet said:

Cannot agree more with these comments. Driving in any of the London Borough's we all need to be so aware with this increasingly aggressive approach from the Mayor towards motorists when a simple honest mistake leads to a fine.

My 2012 RX450H has the original Maps on Sat Nav & the most common is that of reduced speed limits with apparently no consultation or notice. Ducks Hill Road, Ruislip  was always 60MPH two successive reductions now put this to 40 MPH. My Sat Nav shows the 60 MPH This road does not have a bad record for accidents, this is replicated throughout London. I find when I drive now questioning myself what law have I inadvertently broken particularly if I am in an unfamiliar part of town.

Interestingly being close to the Greater London border with Hertfordshire there does not appear to be evidence to suggest that Herefordshire is taking this response.

Change.org have a petition details below if anyone is interested further

Stop Sadiq Khan expanding the ULEZ to all the London borough 2023

Tim Rowling started this petition to UK Parliament and 2 others

The mayor, Sadiq Khan has asked Transport for London to launch a consultation on expanding the Ulez from its current boundary of the North and South Circular roads to cover all 33 boroughs.

Sadiq Khan is planning to push the extension of the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to all the London boroughs. This will price working Londoners off the roads and cause the scrapage of perfectly good cars causing a terrible impact on the environment  !! 
Extending the Ultra Low Emission Zone even further than to the current north and south circular limit will mean anyone OUTSIDE the zone will have to pay : £12.50 for cars, vans and motorbikes to drive in the zone, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year..

OUTER LONDON IS RESIDENTIAL & should NOT be subject to the ULEZ ..

EVEN IF YOU LIVE NOWHERE NEAR LONDON PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION BECAUSE : ONCE THIS IS PASSED IN LONDON IT WILL BE COMING TO MORE TOWNS/CITIES

You can read a newspaper article about it here:

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ulez-ultra-low-emission-zone-expand-greater-london-sadiq-khan-b986027.html?amp

 

I have friends that have recently purchased cars on finance that will not be compliant, but will be trapped as they can’t afford to upgrade them..

Others that would have to pay £12.50 to visit sick relatives, this is simply not acceptable..

190,152 have signed. Let’s get to 200,000!

 

 

At 200,000 signatures, this petition becomes one of the top signed on Change.org!

Recent signers

Malcolm Webb signed 43 seconds ago

Ruth Dartford signed 51 seconds ago

Belinda Oconnell Gray signed 8 minutes ago

jerry Agbenyo signed 22 minutes ago

Carol Benham signed 25 minutes ago

Faustina Gyan signed 34 minutes ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report a policy violation

I agree with you 100%. It is such an agressive move and really is so unfair to all motorists. Government wants people to own cars but they don't want them to use them in principle. If this goes on too far, the car industry will also suffer badly, if not already suffering due to the recession we are going to be bearing this year. If they really want to remove all barriers and help us get on with our lives without the hassles they have created, it will surely be bringing confidence back for all motorists to drive around without fear of getting fines. I personally would remove the ULEZ as it is not the way forward. They want people to drive cleaner cars, give incentive for them to buy cars offering money towards purchase of a new or used vehicle. Remove crazy parking fees and allow cars to par for the first 2 hours for free in central London, would be a sensible approach to help businesses thrive. if a car stays longer than 2 hours, then charge the full fee automatically - this would tell the driver that we are acting fairly. Remove all speed bumps to bring back the smooth roads, and have the average speed cameras instead if roads have been subjects to road car accidents. bring back all our lanes desperately needed. Bus lane priority, should be spared if traffic is densed. Make our roads for cars as initially intended to be. That is the way to bring our economy going. Get traffic moving, and you get more things done. If road work takes place - impose strict deadlines to minimise interruption to 48 hours max and get companies to work on the clock day and night if need be. Take the example of Japan - they can fix roads in 24 hours after gigantic hole appearance on the road. Get trains moving on time (just like in Japan) and if driver is 1 minute late, the driver would apologise in Japan! Get a whole different mindset altogether and work more as a collective and we can do immense things in this country. The thing is are we prepared to do this? I doubt it...

2 hours ago, Sundance said:

Sadiq Khan's traffic plans for London are pure revenue raisers as TfL has been mismanaged and is in huge debt.  TfL admits that reducing speed restrictions will increase fine income, indeed they have targeted a figure of 1 million prosecutions per year for speeding.

The extension of the ULEZ zone is another revenue raiser but the ramifications to all low income earners and small businesses will be crippling. The Mayor doesn't care, he simply wants to show that he can balance the books before he leaves office. It's illogical, unnecessary, impractical and down right undemocratic as most citizens in London Boroughs will agree.

I agree with your comment and it is an absolute scandal to be in such situation. He is by far the worst London Mayor. He should have concentrated in punishing knife crimes, and made every possible way to improve our roads not reducing the width and lanes. We live in a large city with over 9 million Londoners and they keep building high rise buildings everywhere so more people will be living in congested areas and it means more cars on the road. So how could they think for one second that the roads need to be reduced?? It does not make any sense. We can see Ambulance, Police, Fire Brigade struggling to move around in emergencies. The other day, I drove on Regent St in Central London and it used to be 2 lanes on either side, now it has been reduced to one lane so the bus is on the same lane and cars have to wait for the bus to stop, as no possibility of overtaking it because they spent a fortune raising the kurbs on pavements in the middle of the road so have to stay on your lane or you scrap the side of your car... This is utter madness. Another example: Hyde Park Corner, is now a 20mph road towards Marble Arch (it used to be 40mph for years!!) and down to 1 lane for all cars (it used to be 4 lanes!) so you begin with the 4 lanes at the round about of Hyde Park and then you have to wait for your turn to join the only one lane to drive all the way up to Marble Arch. They prioritised one lane for the cyclist, one lane for the bus and one lane that has been converted into wider pavement. Absolutely stupid in my opinion. So nothing is moving and emergency services cannot get through. Where is the logic in this? And it is 20mph... The world has gone mad.

Thanks everyone. I agree it is a cash cow machine needed to get all the incomes it can get. Awful. We use the Police to do that rather than catching real criminals...

Hi all,

My wife just received by post her speeding notice for driving on Scrubs Lane A219 at 28mph instead of 20mph - we do not know what will happen next as she was asked to fill in a form confirming the name of the driver who made this offense. I reckon she could end up having 3 points on her licence with a fine.

Honestly, it is utterly ridiculous. This is a long wide straight road to Hammersmith and if anyone is driving at 20mph, you will feel like you are not driving at all - a few months ago it was 30mph (as it has been for years!!). Why are they doing this? It is beyond me.

London Mayor has imposed 20 mph zones in lots of places and mainly towards central London and it is becoming a farce and a money pit machine ripping people off. The Police have a van catching all motorists on this road now, so I guess they are making huge amount of money wherever possible. It is disgusting and it makes me mad.

We are living in a Woke era full of crazy people deciding to make changes from what was working before. 4 lanes have gone to 1 lane, so traffic is horrendous in many parts of London. School restricted zone streets are active in many boroughs in London, so if you happen to drive past a school and there is a restricted zone, you will end up getting a parking tickets sent to your home address to pay £130 fine. Driving in London is becoming less enjoyable nowadays. Many businesses are already feeling the impact with the introduction of ULEZ expansion and the Congestion Charge is killing businesses in Central London. But the Mayor will not care. He hates cars that is quite clear and wants to make it harder and harder for anyone to enjoy driving our own vehicle. I really feel sorry for anyone who drives a sports car in London, as they are in serious peril to risk speeding notices in all kind of places... Our roads are in bad shapes will pot holes in lots of them. I drive daily avoiding a number of them for weeks now. The London Mayor should concentrate making our road worthy again not restricting lanes, or speed limits (when roads are safe to drive 30mph!!), or even put speed bumps (that is another one I hate!!). Speed bump is the MAIN REASON why people get SUV! So Council hates SUVs but they have done nothing to convince people not to buy them. Speed bump is a very good and valid reason to have an SUV for my liking. If they were bringing our roads to be smooth without speed bumps, people would certainly consider normal cars over SUVs... I am fed up of these non-sense stupidities. Instead of speed bump have average speed camera, that would work for me and many people. I think it is bloody time to bring back what roads are meant to be! They should be prioritised for cars. I don't want to talk about cyclists as they are another problem on the list, never stopping on the traffic light is one that I find frustrating or coming in front of your car at the traffic light so you cannot drive until they move... We are moving backward in my opinion and it will get much worst. I would not be surprised if they reduced the speed from 20pmh to 15 mph in a few years from now on. we might as well walk and get the car moving with us like a pet with our automated app on the mobile phone... We are not that far to be that stupid!

Here are some images showing what the system provides on the whole with android auto and other functions. I took some photos to share with you...

By the way, this is the intro when the system switches on... I forgot to show it earlier! it takes about 15-20 seconds to fully get ready and the android auto comes on automatically. I press menu button for 2 seconds to get the Lexus system and again 2 seconds to go back to new system. Really cool and easy to use.

1 hour ago, Herbie said:

That looks brilliant Nick, great job. Well done mate, I'm sure you'll love it.

Thanks! It was done for my wife and she is loving it so far. I will try it every now and then I get a chance to drive this car... Really cool!

34 minutes ago, Simon F said:

As a total klutz, I'm always in awe of people who can do this kind of thing.  Finished result looks great - nice job!

Thanks! It was quite easy to do to be fair. I was surprised and I think I could re-do the same all over again.

1 hour ago, sym_nx said:

Looks great! What was the cost and how long did the install take ?

Thanks the cost was £779 after Dollar conversion. It included delivery and They made sure that the device was just right for my car so all cables were suited for the model (and made sure it was also all in English as default) and they fitted the AA wireless inside the monitor so I never have to plug in to get Android Auto or apple Car Play. It is a bit pricey but I wanted to be sure I get a good quality model and I was confident that they only do navigation for every Lexus model. The monitor is great and really upscale the interior in my opinion.

The overall installation took me around 2 hours. I had to stop in the middle to do school pick up but I was half way there when I stopped with all the new system plug in and working smoothly. The second part was to put all the bits back (Easy) and then to play with the system and try all options... Everything is as it says, so really happy!

Hello everyone,

I am pleased to share some updates with the new Lexion sat nav. It is now fitted and it works beautifully! Really happy with the product and everything was installed easily and with the help of Lexion engineer via whatsapp, he made the whole process quite easy whenever I was getting stuck. It is not difficult to do but you have to take your time and plan well your day, which is what I just did today. The result is outstanding and android Auto wireless is on smoothly and without any issues whatsoever and the main Lexus factory set up system is also accessible too. It is worth mentioning that there is no extra box to fit in inside but the main screen has all the processors and components to get the wireless apple car play and Android Auto working. The system can be also updated via Bluetooth cable that I fitted inside the glove box and there add a second cable for SIM card if you want your car to have WIFI. But for our needs, if we need the wifi I active the HOT SPOT wifi on my phone and I can access wifi. you can use Youtube too for anyone interested. On our Android Auto, we have all the same functionalities that anyone would get with this connection. It is well worth it in my opinion. My wife is super happy now.

Really pleased! Here are some photos for your eyes!

20 hours ago, Slucky said:

Nice review Nick. I myself share the same views and have a white ES F Sport Takumi. 
I have got used to the the length now. And can not miss it in a parking lot due the long nose sticking out like a baby shark with that smiling grill. 
I have also learnt to play around the power bands to get the best torque and power the system has to offer. 

Amazing! Glad you love it! I discovered one new thing the other day. If you open the window when it is raining and the engine is on, you will get a warning on your odometer with a small window question pop up on the left side of your odometer: would you like to close your window? Yes or No. So you could close the window by pressing the button on the steering wheel rather than the window button when the questions pops up. Never knew that!

On 12/28/2022 at 5:21 PM, Julncamp54 said:

Thank you Nick for your very comprehensive review of the ES300H 

I’ve had my ES 300 Takumi (my22) since March 2022 and have now completed some 15k miles. change in circumstances forced the car to be used most days rather than garaged, washed weekly and used on special occasions only.

however I would like to add a few personal points to Nicks original post which may help other owners 

For driving around town in built up,areas I tend to use the ECO mode as it limits the power uptake and is more efficient also I find it easier to stay within the 30 mph limit than in NORMAL mode where a slight accelerator press can sedately propel u above the legal limit. 
I found cold weather played havoc with  the overall MPG, I dropped to av 43mpg when normally I get well over 55 mpg on my usual journeys.

On a visit to the Lake District I  chose to use SPORT mode which I felt gave a better driving and handling experience when  motoring around the hills and lanes  then use the down shifts( flappy paddles-)  to get sufficient engine braking on steep descents.

I had the digital wing mirrors option and after this time I’m in  a position to give some feedback on them. Basically in good  light conditions they give clear images  and are easy to view on the displays attached to the front doors. However, for night time use glass mirrors are far superior.  The main problem is the camera and video software can’t cope with the high contrasts levels of dark  surroundings and bright headlights and the resulting display is very poor with flared images. with the cold and damp weather the camera lens mist up quickly and unless the mirror heaters are used the images are virtually opaque. The mirror heaters work in conjunction with the rear window heater and are on for 10 mins before auto shut off.  I always have to have kitchen roll and water sprayer in the car to keep the camera lenses on the whole car clear of water and grime. Never use dry cloth as could scratch the lenses.    Good job the internal mirror is okay.

however where I prefer the digital mirrors and find them invaluable is the parking alignment lines when parking using the rear view camera. The other plus point is i can glance at the displays where as before I had to move my head left and right to see the wing mirrors as they were not in my line of view

any niggles …..

the coin tray box on the rhs of driver needs a foam padding in it to stop coins or keys rattling. 

Front and rear cameras don’t half get dirty quickly in poor weather conditions 

needing to use a cable to connect apple car play.

other wise I will concur with other uses that the car is truly superb.

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing and thank you for sharing your experience with this very special car. I only recently started using the Eco mode and I can see it is better to drive in town with this mode too...