DBIZO

There is of course naught wrong with you liking it over your previous cars. But it doesn't make it objectively better. I dislike the look and feel of it, but love the look and feel of my IS, even thinking of upgrading to a recent Takumi despite of it making absolute zero sense financially. Also, having tried EVs too myself, really not sure what's wrong with an eCVT Lexus' drive. Perhaps more torque, and a higher performing battery pack with a plug-in option? We do lots of journeys, often on routes and to destinations with limited charging abilities. For example, soon visiting friends in Norfolk, it's about 230 miles, and there is no charging around because it's one of those neighbourhoods. Or Lizard Point, Cornwall, again, I didn't see much EV infrastructure where we stayed and toured. Going deep into Lake District. Covering 600-700 miles in a day in Europe. I wouldn't be comfortable attempting any of these in an EV. Why would I? And what's wrong with a plug-in hybrid? Less expensive, covers your day to day drives, more flexible. Someone just reported covering 2300 miles on a full tank in an RX450h+.

About 100 perhaps, estimating £90 for myself. At more regular prices, would be £65-70. Are you seriously suggesting that the premium paid for an EV over a car of the same quality and comfort (it costs like a GS, yet not even an IS), amounting to thousands of pounds, with the added loss of flexibility, range anxiety, risk of delays due to waiting at charger or malfunction, is justified by this cost delta? Also, if you're after economics, I assure you, your depreciation is much higher that whatever you save on petrol. If you financed it, the interest cost is probably higher than what you save.

My primary use for them is engine breaking, either for gentle control of speed (mostly when someone pulls into my lane or I'm blocked from overtaking), or when I want to prime the computer for hard acceleration, so it doesn't take another second for it to realise we want to move apace. Unfortunately, there is no setting that would dictate it to mimic discreet gearing, but downshifting one or two notches during deceleration or steady speeds tends to have the desired / expected effect on gearing. When you go hard on the throttle, the computer will just override pretty much any gearing input, down or up, which in most cases is optimal for torque/power delivery. I think not having virtual discreet gearing is a major marketing miss for Lexus, because that's what people expect initially, especially from a sporty looking car. No one would actually use it 99% of the time once you realise how smooth, comfortable and efficient the eCVT is. I just hired a regular automatic car, the yanky-twitchy pull feels like a joke, but even a Merc automatic is just sloppy and slow. But we are all humans, we want to feel like we are in control, and that our machine is capable of some lofty road stuff. And 1% of time we might actually want to pull off some hairy driving. But yet again, too much common sense from the Japanese.

We sort of know where the focus should be, there is data, there are lots of people whose profession in energy. Insulating homes and incentivizing HVAC upgrades in general (UK has strong skills in industrial HVAC); investing in nuclear R&D and net new capacity to provide low-carbon dispatchable power to the grids anywhere; developing a hydrogen infrastructure and encourage investment into hydrogen and alternative fuel combustion engines and fuel cells; electrification of manufacturing industries, particularly steel; subsidising development of industrial processes that minimize GHG emissions or capture them. Reforesting / depopulating land, including golf courses.

Let's not get carried away. EVs are not a solution to the climate, they are perhaps for air quality in urban areas by shifting pollution elsewhere. Even if you make the completely groundless assumption that electrifying an inherently wasteful and environmentally destructive form of transport (private cars) matters one iota, EVs are massively suboptimal in allocating scarce resource (in this case, the gating factors are largely battery production and rare metals) compared to plug-in hybrids or self-charging hybrids, and a long list of other emission curbing tools such as smart traffic lights, better public transport, electrical bikes, cycling, or more walking.

That's excellent. I'll fuel up on Esso's ethanol free (there is a list somewhere on which supermarkets may sell it too), and give it a go. Have you done any fuel system cleaning lately, with that additive you can buy? Also, is it 225/45 R17 tyres? Now I want to see 50+ mpg in the summer... Still, consumption reported here seems beyond what the IS300h powertrain is designed for. I found that the ES300h uses what Toyota calls fourth generation Lexus hybrid drive, and the Atkinson engine is a new generation with higher compression and thermal efficiency rating. I'll try to find out how the electrical subsystem may differ. It is quite disappointing that Lexus pretty much abandoned the sedan category, and not even the ES has a plug-in option should someone want a city-friendly version. One can only hope they will bring something like an IS or GS to the market with a 20-mile electric range, that would be the sweet spot.

Okay, reports here are truly incredible. That's a big car. I don't really get much better than 45mpg for full tanks in my IS300h, although I'm often not easy, but even if I wanted to optimize consumption on long summer journeys, I don't think anything more than high 40s or low 50s would be realistic unless going to the extreme of hiding behind slipstreams and doing 60 on As and Ms. Does anyone know how, if, the ES300h powertrain has been upgraded from the IS300h? Is it a bigger or perhaps more powerful battery pack? The ECU optimized more? The Atkinson engine is even more fuel efficient?

+1 only dealer, Hedge End in my case, and even bought tyres and get them fitted, try to avoid everything else, I've got serious trust issues. I also believe that mechanic shops, car hand washes, tyre shops, anything to do with cars really, must be the shadiest businesses on this side of the law. Every time I end up in one, either out of a poor decision or necessity (puncture), I feel like I'm entering an underground world I mostly see in movies.

I use Autoglym leather clean and then care balm. Instructions are fairly clear, but here is my recommended routine: Vacuum well first, maybe with the help of a soft brush (toothbrush even) to agitate particles in crevices and where it might collect them - you don't really need to do this every time, just when it gets visible. Then apply cleaner to a larger cloth or sponge, again, help it with a soft brush to get muck out of difficult spots if needed. Then use a damp cloth to wipe clean, and wash it in a bucket of water or running water now and then. Then comes the care balm, softly massaging, with the sponge provided, be particularly generous where you see the leather cracking. Wait it to absorb and dry, you can leave it for hours or overnight even. Then buff with microfibre cloth. I like mine when it looks slightly wet, but people complain there buttocks keep slipping around.

Someone, call the Spanish Inquisition on Renato!

When spaces are tight, logic dictates to park in an alternating pattern of forward-reverse so that driver/passenger sides match up between cars - passenger sides can be a few inches from each other, leaving plenty of space on the drivers' side. But that would require an extra 0.0001% mental effort. Surely we cannot expect that.

I'm just here to say I, the exceptional, sympathise. Ignore fellow commenters, they are numb on sedatives. This was a member of the cretinati, it's a large movement. On the plus side, they at least folded the mirrors, but that's probably only because it's automatic and they wouldn't know how to turn it off.

Just drove to Heathrow and back on the M25, M3 and A3 during midday - extremely heavy traffic everywhere. I'm sure these fuel prices are tough for many, but it's clearly not expensive enough. If it helped with traffic, I'd rather see £3 a litre. But it doesn't seem to help. Also, is there a way to make vehicle consume more in Lane 2 and 3? That would be fantastic. I'll never believe the majority of journeys and miles on the roads are necessary. Maybe it's because most of our miles are frankly unnecessary, we drive mostly for shopping and leisure, and we drive lots because where we moved. EVs remain unsustainable in the very sense, economically and practically for the majority of car owners (they cost 5-10k more at least for the same car, most don't have home charging option at which point is that inexpensive), and also environmentally, for industrial capacity, and the grid. Let's see in a few years once this fossil peak passes and EV gain more sales, how the fuel vs. electricity costs will look like. Brownouts and stranded EVs are coming.

Well done! No, I don't, but there is this one - I'm unable to justify an expense to hold coins. Nadex Coin Holder Pro, Fits in Car Cup Holder : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive You probably don't, as long as the car is locked - even better, you can deactivate your fob's radio broadcasting, look up the manual, don't know by heart. If paranoid, lock the car with the physical key if the car is in the open and you don't know who might be sitting around to intercept. I sometimes do that at motorway service stations, when I cannot really get a comfortable reading of my surroundings. There is a very detailed response above already, but can confirm, yes, slow deceleration is best, followed by light breaking (it's regen). One of the limitations of the IS300h hybrid system (because it's now pushing over 10 years as a technology platform), is the limited regen power. What I also do, but maybe someone will weigh in against it, is that if regen / light breaking is not enough (or the speed is too high), I start applying engine break using the flappy paddle for manual downshifting to help deceleration without applying the break pads. There are no clutches and distinct gearsets in the transaxle, so the additional wear is minimal/negligible - or so should I think. And I'm on cruise control as much as I can, urban areas often too. In don't drive slow, yet still can achieve around 45 mpg on average. Under ideal circumstances, it's 50ish, rarely high 50s. Pushing on motorways it's low 40s, my worst in winter across Europe was 38mpg.

I haven't got much new information to add, just to report on that the engine feels to be running smoother on Esso's ethanol-free premium fuel - I noticed it when the engine cuts in and out while stationary, feels smoother, less of a twitch/shake to the chassis. I might be imagining as a result of mental distress after paying north of £1.8 for a litre...

Hmmm...might want to consider crashing on your bike to get some insurance payout to cover for your Tesla servicing?

Living on the edge I see!

Looks like Sonic Titanium, like ours - works well with the her curves, I really think it's a stunning object. Bit late, but all I can add is, from bad experience, is that get a new 12V battery regardless of anything else, and have it installed by a Lexus dealer. What you read about above from Phil about the 12V battery is the critical maintenance point of a Lexus hybrid. For peace of mind, do yourself a favour. It's not a major expenditure, around 1% of the cost of the car. I made a formal complaint to a Lexus dealer after a uncomfortable incident, and they accepted responsibility. In hindsight, I rather had it replaced at my own expense to prevent what happened a couple of months into ownership. You can never really know how long the car sat somewhere without being started up (probably weeks on end), and lead-acid batteries don't take deep discharge well. These cars have small 12V batteries, which reach deep discharge levels sooner. Combine that with a couple of years of age, because they don't usually last more than 6, and some get tired of it all at the age of 4, and you're looking at a lurking fault. Again, I'm putting a very fine point on this because it happened to me, on arrival at Stansted late at night, and took many hours to get the car up and running. It may not be as simple as generic 'jump starting'. I tried (I had jump starter backup batteries), roadside assistance (Lexus by AA). He tried. For hours. It was a dark night, cold, and raining. We were discussing plan C (giving up and getting the car towed), when randomly the car's computer managed to boot up and initiate the hybrid system using the traction battery. Even though I knew about this weakness, bought a high-capacity jump starter, even switched off auto unlock to reduce the load, it did not manage to get through 14 days in a car park. You need your 12V battery in good health if you want your 300h to reliably start up after only a few days of being left alone. End of pontification.

A lot depends on taxation.

I wouldn't know what I'd have done, it depends. I'd have looked into fuel sourcing for individual oil companies, their latest Russia policy etc. Also, there is a UK phase out in motion on Russian oil (which doesn't affect petrol, because it's already 0% Russian), which could have meant I'm not taking a full tank, but wait it out if I can help. And yes, ultimately we don't have to drive around for most of the time, I could use the bike too to nearby shops, we don't actually have to go to retail parks etc. However, it's moot with a petrol car.

It has probably been discussed earlier, so apologies if redundant: I'm about to fuel up, which made me look at where petrol's coming from in the UK. Apparently, none of it is from Russia. Full tank it is then.

Just curious, have you driven around the Model 3 before ordering? It strikes me as a massive downgrade for you in cabin and ride quality.

According to Lexus brochures, yes, HUD and power boot are standard. Worse still, they are not even an option with other trims...if I get to the point of actually buying a GS, my vanity will want those features. Lexus_GS_e-brochure.pdf

The AVS is the same, and the F-Sport should be quite comfortable in Normal mode, but the 19" wheel/tyres will give you a harsher ride compared to the 18" wheels on the Premier. I'm also looking at GS450h Mk4, but preferring the Premier: Mark Levinson and premium navi as standard, HUD, powered boot lid, more adjustable passenger seat, rear heated seats, sun shades.

On iD mobile (Carephone Warehouse MVNO) - it runs on the 3 network, clearly throttled, Internet often barely useable. It's cheap. Six quid a month for 5GB data and unlimited minutes and texts. I don't really care if it doesn't work, I'll admit.