Barry14UK

Having previously been hit at the back and got over all the hassle that involved, a car came out of a side street early this evening and was driven into the side of me. I was on a main road. The other car, Audi as previously, was turning left and his offside front bumper and headlamp was badly damaged. The damage to my car was to the rear of my nearside front wing, the frame behind it and the leading edge of the passenger front door with some scraping down most of the remaining nearside. So it was clear that the Audi was driven into me as I was partially past it. My wife was in the front passenger seat and had to climb over to my side and exit by my door as hers wouldn't open without using considerable force and likely causing more damage. I was only doing about 15mph as I traversed some speed bumps about 25 yards before and there were some further on so. Ironically, had I been doing say 20mph I might have got passed before he hit me. Took some pics and expect to post tomorrow. Coincidentally, both cars are insured with AXA, so I hope they will play fair. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. Anybody know where I can buy a used Challenger 2--- oh maybe not, they are probably on route for NATO border with Russia. Perhaps a Humvee if they can be had with RHD!

Can't understand why somebody wouldn't get the exhaust box welded and lights refurbished or replaced with some better used ones. if all that was required or even advertising with these faults. But we don't know the reasoning behind this.

They're pretty good at Ping Pong in China John!

I generally keep my remote alarm/electronic door controller in the driver's pop out drink holder whilst in the car. There have been a couple of times when for some reason or another I have left it there and tried to lock the car using the little indent in the handle and here has been a warning beep at the same time being preventing the door being locked and the alarm set. This the correct way the system should work as it prevents you locking yourself out. However, yesterday I inadvertently left the key in this place, probably because I was carrying some items into my bungalow. It was bucketing down and forgetting the usual key was still in the car, I picked up the spare and used it to lock and set the alarm. It did this and there was not the usual warning beep. I unlocked it with the spare controller this morning and retrieved the one left in the car. The batteries in both controllers are fine and both operate the system as should now. The drink holder is made of plastic and was in the open position anyway, so not providing a faraday cage. It's things like this that make me concerned about relying so much on electronics. I remember Ford had problems with some of their cars cutting out unexpectedly, due I believe to fault in ECU. Don't know I would be happy with steer by wire as in new BZ4 and RZ even if systems used in air planes, but probably duplicated there.

But expect RZ will be heavy and certainly with a lot more power than the UXe. It has been conceded that it will have less range than the similar but lower powered Toyota BZ4 models. Agreed that if BIL and your sister find it does not meet their expectations, they should not find it difficult to sell as when available demand is likely to exceed early supply.

A brave decision, buying without trying or even seeing other than through eye of camera, especially for a model quite different to anything Lexus presently has sold to public. Wish your BIL good luck with it and we will be very interested to learn impressions in due course.

Yes John, Had a few close shaves, not all in vehicles but it's one reason why I prefer to have a larger heavy built car. As you grow older I think you become increasingly more conscious of the need for care and safety measures. I realize I got away with things I would no longer wish to do even on tracks but am still aware that others (or animals) can put one in dangerous situations, so wearing a seat belt is a no brainer on balance, in mitigating risk of serious injury.

Don't try to bring your lunch home like this!! I bought a BMW for spares where the front had been stoved in by driver hitting a deer but seat belt/air bags did their job and driver survived but highly dependent on drivers speed. Am reminded of when as a young motor cyclist a pony or may have been a horse galloped out of the bush towards me. I didn't know what to do for best to slow and hit it or accelerate and hope I passed it before hitting it. I instantaneously decided to do the latter but would still have struck it had it not slowed and reared up very quickly just before impact. I stopped and badly shaken smoked a cigarette before I was able to get back on the bike and continue.

Yes photochromic glasses can be good in most circumstances but they don't change quickly enough to deal with intermittent bright and dark conditions experienced in quickly changing conditions, or at least when I had mine. Maybe this aspect has been improved now. After all welding glass can change pretty instantaneously nowadays.

I asked my Optician for prescription sun glasses a few years ago and he showed me some which he said were the darkest permitted for drivers. The polarized one were certainly better. The drawback is that that I can't read the HUD display when they are on and there comes a tipping point when visibility means they should be removed. I also have some night glasses. These are a very pale tinged towards amber. I bought them at a truckers centre in the USA. Can't say I have seen them in UK. They do help slightly in some conditions. When faced with a blinding light I adopt a trick we were taught in military training to close one eye and open it when it's dark again. This helps the closed eye focus more quicky than if both pupils had been affected by (flares) or in this case bright lights.

As happens sometimes, drivers come onto this forum, get some advice and can't be bothered to say how their problem was resolved which might have benefited others in due course, you for example.

Yes 1 or 2. The Polestar 3 is not due in UK until next year but if similar to the concept could be a serious new contender if well priced. Some interesting info here :- https://topelectricsuv.com/news/polestar/polestar-3-electric-suv-update/#Range_Charging

Not forgetting the compressor as this item is also expensive so marketable if you swap to conventional springs.

Just noticed that the dynax S-50 I suggested is from Bilt Hamber Laboratories at Billericay, so maybe very similar Adrian.

Do let us know when you take delivery and your impressions. Although, we are Lexus biased, we do appreciate that other cars can appeal for various reasons!

Have you decided what you will be looking at if jumping ship ?

I purchased my used RX from Lexus Cheltenham. As I drove from Devon for the first service they provided me with a near new NX for the day thereby enabling me to visit my sister in Stroud. There was no charge made and in view of the distance from N Devon filled my RX with petrol at no cost. A year later they provided a near new UX but charged £15 as my insurance didn't cover it. Also, there was no fuel for the RX this time. The 3rd service I didn't bother with a courtesy car because the space in the UX provided the previous year was so miniscule that it was very difficult to fit my sister and her husband and my wife and myself in it. (Instead, by arrangement we arrived very early at Lexus and wandered off for lunch and collected my car early and visited my sister on the way home having taken them to dinner before leaving for home. I plan to do this again this year but this is the last time I will be using Lexus Cheltenham or possibly any Lexus dealer for service.

As regard makers of cars that were largely limited to premium cars, nearly all have either ceased production, like Bristol for example, or gone from one crises to another with support from other manufacturers or wealthy individuals/groups such as Aston Martin, or been taken over like Rolls Royce and Bentley by BMW and VW respectively or Maserati added to the Fiat Group just as some examples. Some manufactures other than just acquiring premium brands have set up a more elite representation using group technology and funding. The last two aspects have become increasingly important due to the high cost of research and development of their higher priced models, and the main reason why small output prestige model only stand alone car manufacturers could not complete. So manufactures enjoy the kudos of an acquired premium name or an up market range formed under another name for a smaller number of sales but this is supported by the funds of all the larger selling group. It remains a subject of argument as to which models from different manufacturers can be described as premium or is it just because a manufacturer is considered a premium one all it's models are considered so? Tesla have developed and incorporated more advanced technology but many would not consider they are premium cars due to shortcomings elsewhere, although outselling competitors in their sector. Whether the RZ with it's introductory specification will be regarded as premium remains to be seen, although it's price is likely to be so.

Interesting John. The 4th Generation RX would be nice and I have considered it as a replacement for my 3rd Generation but my present car does all that I need and it's slightly more compact than the later car which is a consideration with some of the narrow lanes we have in North Devon. Yet it remains comfortable, which I find is further enhanced by having the tyres at slightly below recommended pressures, unless heavily loaded. In due course, I might replace it with an all electric car. However, it's early days for these and I feel there will be improvements, particularly in battery technology that will cause heavy depreciation in early models. So I will probably wait two or three years before taking the plunge. There will also be greater choice of such vehicles by then.

I would tend to avoid cheap/aluminium jacks and only use a reputable one in positions Lexus indicate for your car. Must admit I probably went a bit OTT and bought a "Compac 3T" with low chassis to get under my BMW but this also serves for my RX. Even though the Compac is a great albeit expensive jack, I always use axle stands or some dense concrete blocks to gain extra height.

Looks are always going to be "in the eye of the beholder". I would say that anybody who knows a little about cars if asked what car this was, they would identify this as being a Lexus. It does make a statement and is very different in looks to it's all electric competitors. Generally I quite like the looks although there are aspects I am not keen on. I like the inside although like leather. How the remote steering will work on our pot holed roads will be interesting to ascertain. Battery range is disappointing for what should be cutting edge. I understand Toyota are fairly well advanced on solid state batteries and hoped these might be incorporated. When these are introduced it will be a substantial upgrade and could hit the used market. This has to be priced significantly higher than the Bz4 and brand loyalty aside, non committed to marque motorists may well be tempted to go elsewhere. The KiaEV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 oushine it in some areas and have a head start. Actual reviews by impartial testers will be interesting and provide much more information and impressions than all the hype found when new models are revealed by manufacturers.

I would want to remove as much rust as possible, repair/replace any parts badly affected, then treat with chemical converter. Thereafter, I would treat surfaces with preventative. There are now better options than Waxoy. There can be difficult areas to reach including inside sills. For the latter I have in the past used an extreme duty anti-corrosion wax called dynax S-50 which is sprayed from a very large rattle can. It's from Bilt Hamber Laboratories and did well in comparative tests with similar products. I removed the sill cover plates from my BMW and used flexible nozzle to spray before replacing these. (This generally applies to all marques). My thinking based on past experience, is that the earlier treated and protected, the easier and less expensive it is to deal with, so I wouldn't just clean off rust and hope it will not become worse affected, unless the car will soon be scrapped. You don't want to have to clean rust off all over again. Suggest OP has a good look and considers doing himself, in need piecemeal and weighs this against cost of a professional job.

Sorry, my list is only as John's plus Toyotec (mentioned in different areas elsewhere) plus their branch in Redhill, Surrey which another member recommended awhile back. Of course, it's preferable to build a relationship with a local indie and where one is near if possible but they seem to be few and far between. The next best thing would seem to be to take your car to your nearest or most convenient indie for regular service and if you get caught out with significant problem get your car taken to the nearest indie to where you need assistance or to nearest Lexus dealership. My car is approaching the sort of age when there is an argument for indie servicing. I stay with my daughter (Covid lockdown excepted), two or 3 times a year for a few days and she is fairly close to the location of one of the listed indies, so I may well look at this option next year and perhaps thereafter.

When it comes to belts, age as well as mileage causes degradation so must betaken into consideration.

Front air struts on mine were just over £1000 each and the pump for air suspension is also expensive. Whereas on some cars having air suspension greatly improves the ride, the general opinion seems to be that it is of little benefit on the RX (where fitted on those models). In fact it was dropped for all the RX 4th Generation models. One journey of 20 or so miles each week keeps my battery charged, although it is fairly new and I fitted a slightly larger one. I found that after a week or two doing 20 miles a week the voltage would drop on my previous one so I trickle charged it with a smart charger once a week. So the age of the battery as well as mileage can help determine how often it needs supplementary charging or earlier if it has been allowed to go flat for some time. The emergency device that Herbs mentions can be a get out of jail in the event of a flat battery but needs to be accessible without needing to get into the boot/hatch. Herbs can verify this through experience!!! In view of all the hassle, it would have been sensible if Lexus had fitted a volt meter as Herbs did to his previous 3rd Generation RX, thereby enabling a ready check on the 12v battery voltage and need to charge when needed.