EvilRacer329

I've been promised a call back by the end of the day, I gather the issue is logged with Lexus UK. In my case I specifically confirmed that there wasn't anything I would lose in switching to a newer model, so if the dealer screwed up then it's on them. Worst-case scenario, if it can't be retro-fitted, then I'll get them to install a tow hitch instead. I never got around to it on my last car (and still hadn't decided if I need it on this one) but at least then I'll have a reason for not having the kick sensor and will be able to tow small trailers to boot. Nick

It's not in the most intuitive location - but there is a three-way equalizer you can adjust. You've got to go into the music menu, not the settings menu, to find it. Nick

Can confirm all of the above. In summer, the engine sometimes won't fire up until I get out onto faster roads because the A/C can cool the car with the engine off. Once the temperature starts to get lower, it fires up to generate a source of heat. It's actually fascinating - if you sit in traffic sometimes you can watch the engine temperature plummet as the heating system draws heat out of the engine to warm the cabin! Leaving the climate control set to 'off' also seems to inhibit cold starting, but it's far more sensitive in winter, I find. My guess is that they want to make sure there's some heat in the engine before you really step on the gas to join a motorway...? Nick

I took delivery of my new Takumi-pack UX this past weekend and called my dealer this week to ask for similar clarification; no answer yet. Nick

That tracks with what my dealer said. They were confused because the computer said it wasn't there, yet the master build sheet (the thing I photographed further up) said that it should definitely be installed. I'm expecting a call back tomorrow with an update, so I'll report back then! As you say, it might be interesting to find out if there's anyone with the latest generation cars that does have the feature working... Nick

That's...interesting. Everyone I've ever spoken to who's driven those said that they were, in fact, horrendous. Terrible gearbox, no power, noisy, rattly, bumpy, poor-handling, unstable at speed (when they eventually got there), and on one case the sunroof exploded on the motorway. I suspect that if you were to drive one of those today, 23 years later, without any rose-tinted spectacles on, you would find that your recollections are somewhat...skewed. Interior space wise, at least for the front (only) seats, I can believe it felt more spacious - crash regulations in 1999 weren't what they are today, and modern design has trended towards cosier-feeling cabins. It's not possible to build a small car that will pass modern crash standards with as open-feeling a cockpit as cars of yesteryear. Nick

I don't think they disassembled anything, me partner and I were waiting in the handover room and I can imagine that they were desperate not to "ruin the moment". It was embarrassing enough for them as it was! I have every confidence that Lexus UK will instruct them to bring it back and order the necessary parts. Alternatively, maybe I'll just suggest they offer me the tow hitch for free, as that would require them to remove/disable the kick sensor in any case, and then I could fit a remote bicycle carrier... But I did really find that kick feature incredibly useful! Nick

The style pack was actually installed by the dealer, even though it was factory ordered, so I'm sure you could have it fitted retroactively! Thanks for the compliments, I was very happy with my old UX, I'm sure this one won't disappoint. I'll get some more wide-angle shots when I can park it up somewhere with a bit of space! Nick

I think cramped back seats are becoming a common theme on a lot of new cars. part of the problem is that the most efficient shape for interior space is a box, which people don't like from an exterior styling perspective. The sloping rear roofs on many modern cars are more aesthetically pleasing, and are also more aerodynamically efficient. Same is true for the hatchback doors - the flatter profiles of older designs are poor aerodynamically, so a more raked design is used. Combine these two together and you get a low roof for rear passengers and limited boot space. Then you have crash safety. Belt lines have been rising for decades - that means more door, less glass. It's also a more modern look that people prefer, but it again creates the appearance of a more cramped interior due to letting in less light. My new UX has white leather and a sunroof, and it feels like a much bigger car than my previous UX with its black leather and no sunroof. The bigger, thicker doors also mean either larger exterior dimensions or smaller interior ones. Next, we have the modern preference for larger wheels. Positioned inboard where they are to allow for rear crumple zones, the larger wheels and correspondingly larger wheel wells are increasingly eating into where the rear doors would be, and pushing the rear seats forwards and inwards. On the other end of the scale, front wheels get pushed further back for the same reasons, which push bulkheads and front seats further back, further encroaching on rear legroom. The UX, like many modern "hatchbacks" has a raised ride height to cater to modern fashions; combined with the equally fashionable lower roofline and you end up squishing the interior volume and headroom. My friend had an old Hyundai i10 that he parked up next to my UX, and his tiny little box on wheels was both closer to the ground and had a taller roof than my UX, and wasn't that much shorter. The larger wheels and bluff front end have the effect of making all modern cars look big and chunky (the UX was described as "a tank" by a friend and "a truck" by a family member) despite that not actually being the case. It sounds like I'm defending poor design, but the reality is that we (consumers) made this bed ourselves. If we all bought Kia Souls with small wheels we'd all have loads of interior space. Instead, we bought things like BMW X6's, huge tanks with barely more interior space than an old Ford Fiesta. Unless tastes change, I can't see future vehicles becoming boxy again, and as previously mentioned - aerodynamics may not allow for it. Long and low would do it, but again - cars are going out of fashion, and everyone wants chunky crossovers and SUVs. My UX has laughably little boot space, and a short road trip with 4 adults and all their luggage stretched it to bursting. But that's happened once in 18 months of ownership, and the rest of the time it's 1-2 adults and minimal luggage, so l it fits me perfectly. The upshot is that I get amazing fuel economy (45-50+ mpg), have a small and (relatively) light car that I can have fun with, and consumables like tyres last forever. An NX or RX would be more practical for when I need to give lifts to lots of people or haul a bunch of stuff, but that's a little bit like buying/heating/cleaning a mansion for the one occasion I need to host a cocktail party. 🙂 Nick

That, too, is very interesting! The fact that my dealer didn't catch it during the PDI suggests that it's not tested for and that maybe dealerships don't have consistent messaging from corporate. Please let me know what you find out, and i'll do the same! I found the feature very useful on my previous UX, and I'll be annoyed if they removed a feature after I ordered it... Nick

Actually, I always prefer driving through country lanes at night because the headlights give both vehicles a sort of early warning that there's another car coming! Nick

I've definitely had a few heart-stopping moments on narrow two-lane or country roads when folks come around corners too fast with their wheels on your side of the white line. I'm certain there'd have been a collision in a larger car... Do those of you driving RX's etc. just stick to bigger roads, avoiding narrow country lanes? Or am I just really bad at gauging where the edges of my car are? 🙂 Nick

37-year-old, parked on driveway, paying about £400 for 10,000 miles a year including commuting. I suspect my age and relatively low number of years no-claims-bonus (4, I think - I didn't have a car for a while) hurt me, but I get discounts via IAM Surety for being a card-holding Advanced Motorist. What was interesting was that switching from a 3-year-old UX250h to a brand-new one made less than £11 difference; I guess they figure the risk profile isn't really any different! Nick

Huh; that is surprising. I certainly didn't have that on my last UX, I'll keep an eye out on my new one... Thanks! Nick

After driving my ex-demo F-Sport for 18 months I've finally taken delivery of my new F-Sport Takumi in Terrain Khaki (or whatever they call it). It's got the Adventure Pack and Style Pack fitted, the latter I think really draws the top and bottom of the car together. The ivory white interior plus sunroof means there's loads of light inside, and the 360-degree camera is almost useless in the rain. Had to drive to Wales and back on Sunday, so got a good chance to put it through its paces, and the Sport S+ mode with the adaptive dampers does a startlingly good job of firming up the ride under hard cornering. I'm sure few Lexus owners drive like that, but I think the ability to switch from smooth, relaxed cruiser to hard-cornering hatchback is brilliant. Any questions, let me know!