Teshoo Lama

Is it just me that finds the satnav to be sufficient for their needs? It hasn't failed me yet, inside or outside the M25 and I'm quite satisfied with the overall experience. I value the integration more than anything. The HUD is the safest place to read directions, and the voice guidance is clear and timely, lowering your music as appropriate. No faffing with mounting and charging other devices. So I guess I'm prepared to cut the integrated system plenty of slack. However, I do agree with the substance of your post. The system has definitely tried to send me - initially - in a direction that doesn't make sense or is sub-optimal. But I'm in the habit of always planning my own major roads, or the first leg at the very least. So I ignore the initial phase and stick to my own plan, then follow the satnav. Having only ever used an ancient, out-of-date TomTom, this is a routine I'm comfortable with.

With a new arrival imminent, I've been trying to fit a bulky rear-facing baby seat behind the driver. This wasn't working, due to the "easy access" system retracting the driver's seat upon exiting the car. Unfortunately, UK 3RX owners don't seem to have been trusted with the "Customization" option in the "Car Settings" menu, that Americans and others can use. Disabling the easy access feature is a dealer-only option. Fortunately, I found the Carista App and OBD2 adapter, which is £15 on Amazon, which apparently makes available the full suite of Lexus dealer settings. I plugged in the adapter, opened the app, it took a while to download some data, and then presented a simple set of menus. Disabling the automatic seat retraction was a cinch. Happily, the steering wheel still retracts, which genuinely helps you leave the car comfortably. I found the seat retraction aspect wasn't really helping anyway. In the process, I noticed another useful setting. I've found the light-sensing headlights to be lacking in sensitivity for my tastes. Headlights don't activate in the overcast late evening gloom, for example. Fortunately you can adjust the sensitivity using Carista! There are five levels, ranging from Darkest to Lightest, which are apparently a function of both light level and time. I tried Lightest, which was too sensitive. Lights were activated while stopping under the shade of a tree on a sunny morning, for example. But "Light" (4/5 sensitivity) has proved to be just right. It's a trivial thing I know, but it's nice to have the car operate at your convenience isn't it? 🙂 That leads me to one final thing I came across while browsing the US Lexus forums, which isn't available as a dealer/Carista setting. If you press and hold the AUTO re-circulate button, a menu pops up on the screen that allows you to change the sensitivity of the smog sensor. It's too early to assess what effect this has had, but having to drive in London traffic, I've set it to the highest sensitivity. I want those diesel fumes out of my Lexus and our lungs!

Really enjoyed reading your trip report Nigel, thanks for sharing it 👍 If I was shopping for a car, I'd find this far more useful than the typical journalist review.

The manual cites both 33 and 36psi, with 36 being the "eco" option.

Oh, I like them. I think they look fantastic. I was more commenting on how a light coloured rubber mat tends to highlight dirt more easily. Obviously the whole point of them is to have a cleanable surface, so it's not a complaint.

If you're a bit obsessive about maintaining a clean car, these beige mats are unforgiving. Considerably more so than their carpet equivalents. Lexus have done a good job of making such a pragmatic accessory look stylish, but boy do they highlight every speck of dirt and debris. I half wish I'd got the black ones! 🙂

The mats arrived and they fit perfectly. Firstly, it's clear that these rubber mats fit very snugly and aren't going to move around at all. The non-slip design on the base reinforces this. What's more, I found that the carpet mats in my car are also facelift versions, but they've been fitted using trim clip adaptors of some kind. Rather than a single plastic pin, they're more like a plastic arm, with hooks on either end. So for added safety, my mats are actually clipped in.

I've read about this case, and I'm not the only one to be sceptical of the "death by carpet" hypothesis. Toyota's throttle-control firmware was found to be poorly architected and vulnerable to "bit flip"-induced errors.

Thank you Nigel. Order placed.

Thanks Alan, much appreciated. Does anyone else have experience with both RX variants?

I'm searching for some beige rubber mats for my 2010 RX. The official eBay shop has PZ49LK035DRJ in stock, which are for the 2012-2015 Facelift model. They say these mats won't fit my car, and that I need PZ49LK0359RJ, which is out of stock. My question is, do owners know better? Did the shape of the mats really change between the pre and post-Facelift models? It occurred to me that the difference in part number may only reflect stylistic changes.

The MOT history only begins in 2017. Perhaps supportive of your import theory, Barry.

Unless prices have tanked in the last couple of months, that price is fairly astonishing 😮

Congratulations on the new ride! I completely agree about the Mark Levinson speakers. They handle everything well, from classical to progressive house 🙂

I have to say, that is a seriously good looking car and an usual colour for an RX. Given that I do very low miles, I was comfortable shopping above the 100k mark. That's where the bargains seem to be. It seems to be a major psychological threshold, for British motorists anyway. I'm not sure it's as meaningful as the price differential between 80k and 100k suggests.

Lancashire to central London yesterday. That was driving fairly normally, with some coaxing of the hybrid system. Proper hypermiling, if that's your thing, I'd say 40+ is eminently possible.

Being new to the RX, all the comparison shopping is still fresh in my mind. It's actually a relatively economical option when bought second-hand, given the high mpg for the class, low tax and exemptions (like the free parking permit in Westminster, which is otherwise £145. Then there's expanded ULEZ in 2021). It's also easy on the discs and pads isn't it? Those savings will add up. Luxury and economy in the same package. I mean, what do other big, heavy automatic V6 petrol SUVs get? Low 20s per gallon at best. High teens on an equivalent Range Rover? I did 37 mpg from Lancashire to central London today.

Agreed about the tyre pressure. 36psi is the recommended Eco option in the manual, and strikes me as a good balance of economy, grip and ride quality. I think one of the rules of "hypermiling ethics" is you don't disrupt or annoy other drivers. So I think as long as you're maintaining good lane discipline, I don't see a problem with taking your speed down a notch. On more minor roads, sometimes I find people (Audi drivers) get annoyed at a long, smooth regenerative brake to a red light, but I invariably coast up alongside them moments later.

That is absolutely phenomenal. What's your best "between fill-ups" figure?

I took my RX to Lexus Bolton today for the diagnostic check and a satnav update. First off, the general service was on another level. I walked in with my 9 year old, second hand RX that they've never seen before, and was treated like I had recently purchased a brand new vehicle from them. It was just an all round pleasant experience. A technician took the car out for a motorway test, and also did a full inspection. In a nutshell, the car is absolutely fine! I'm not imagining the noise. The tech called me and told me it was the CVT transmission. He said it's normal, and that I don't have anything to worry about. He didn't say this specifically, but I suspect it's basically the sound of an older, high mileage example like mine. He also texted me a link to a video report, which I've not had the chance to watch yet. He also added that he's been servicing the 3RX since its release, and Lexus Bolton have never seen a 3RX hybrid system or transmission failure in that time. Not bad for a 10 year period! To cap it all off, since there was nothing wrong, they didn't charge me anything for the diagnostic session (originally quoted at £120). So all in all, a great result. I will be that little bit more relaxed on my journey back to London tomorrow. Major kudos to Lexus Bolton. Based on my experience today, I'd recommend them in a heartbeat.

Recently fitted the CrossClimates and very happy with the lack of road noise. I don't think you'll be disappointed. It always slays me that people will borrow a fortune to acquire a car loaded with thousands of pounds of safety equipment, then whack four budget tyres on and hope for the best.

I'm averaging 36mpg, with AC. My best tank has been 39. I drove like a pensioner to get that number, mind. I'm still in the honeymoon period, where hypermiling is fun, rather than tedious. I'm sure I'll get bored and stop bothering, for the sake of 4mpg. As people suggest, I think the car itself will get you 32 with regular sensible driving, which is fantastic for a petrol vehicle of this nature. If hypermiling is your idea of fun, I found this guy's presentation and driving videos very helpful:

The warranty seems to only apply to the battery, and in any case, the car has done more than 10k since the last hybrid health check in January, so that warranty period has expired. The previous owners thing is probably what has turned a potentially innocuous noise into impending doom 🙂 That said, the dealer didn't hesitate to hand over the VIN so I could check the full service history on the Lexus website. There's absolutely nothing of concern in there.

As suspected, the hybrid health check is really only a battery test and won't suffice. I've booked it in for a one hour diagnostic. The discrepancy in pricing for things between dealerships is interesting. For example, Lexus Edgware Road want £180 for the diagnostic and no less than £390 for a satnav update. Lexus Bolton is £120 for the diagnostic and £160 for the satnav. Obviously I won't be getting the satnav done if the hybrid system is shot 🙂

Thanks Roy, sobering stuff. Incidentally, I wasn't sold the warranty as such, and I wouldn't go out of my way to buy one. The dealer seems to sell all his cars with this warranty as part of the package, as a matter of course. His website and adverts all state "six month warranty included at full asking price". I negotiated a reasonable sum off asking, but asked to keep the warranty all the same, and he went with it. I didn't see any real downside for me, given I'd already taken the price down to what I considered a fair price. I'm aware a 6-month warranty is a marketing sleight-of-hand on a used car. But I think the product is a legitimate offering on his part though, since he offers 1 and 2-year warranty extensions, which I declined.