GMB

Quote Benny Hill circa 1970. "Fish n chips? sore finger? Plawn Clackers?"

The only issue that I have come across with the IS cars that I own is stone chips. I can't really blame Lexus for that. Both cars are spot on - up to now🙂. I would be a bit concerned if I had so many issues and hope that you get them easily resolved. BTW IsF is 2012 and 200t is 2017. Maybe lexus quality standards are slipping a bit because the IsF feels bulletproof whereas the 200t feels a bit less solidly built, if that makes sense. Fingers crossed🙀🤞.

Pothole damage. I hit a fairly big one and had the same result. These low profile tyres are very susceptible and not really suitable for our rubbish roads. I got a quote from the tyre place stating pothole damage replacement. Took a photo of the pothole (just go find one😜) and got the money back from the council after filling in one of their anti-personnel claim forms. It took about six weeks in total. BTW When the tyre was off there was absolutely no damage on the inside, just the bulge on the outside.

I was concerned about the theft of fine cars like mine especially because if they took my Wartburg it would never be found in the smokescreen that it leaves behind it. No-one has attempted to steal it. In fact no-one even looks at it. I don't understand when it is such a desirable dream car. It sounds like it had a King Prawn Madras the night before.

They are preparing the ground for a massive sales push very soon. New factories and planned sales at bargain prices from BYD alone. BYD, which markets its cars in Europe and Southeast Asia, had a 13-fold increase in exports from China over the last twelve months! They have already passed all the certification and safety requirements. BYD Yangwang....

I think, go left field and go Wartburg. Cheap economical, free smog. It's the future of motoring in the UK.

The S60 was a 2019 - 69 plate top of the range, beautifully finished, fantastic seats etc. I bought it because I saw one overtake me a couple of years back and loved the design. On a road test I was very impressed and bought an ex-Volvo demo car. 100% reliable and very nippy. I really wanted a T6 or T8 but they were as rare as hens teeth. I think the polestars are not as nice as they once were, look a bit lumpy like those horrid fat Teslas. The only one worth considering is the Polestar 1. Think Gold dust prices! £150K approx. for a decent one. 0-60 3.8seconds😻. "Polestar 1 is also the embodiment of driving joy. With three electric motors and one petrol engine, its hybrid drivetrain has a combined power output of 609 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque, making driving responsive, thrilling, and unparalleled."

I am sorry to say that there are very few new Lexus cars that attract me. I don't want electric or CVT and cannot afford a new RCF or similar ICE. I must stick to used cars for the moment or maybe go Kia Stinger or ( god forbid ) Mustang.

My lexus has two dipsticks. One in the engine bay and the other one behind the steering wheel. I know, my wife told me so. BTW The problem with a missing dipstick is that you cannot do preventative maintenance. I suppose the engine oil light will come on well before it gets too low , but that seems a bit dramatic if that comes on while you are driving on a motorway

Too Chineeese? My S60 T5 ( which was very nice and quite quick ) was made in South Carolina USA. Almost as expensive as Lexus to service. What no dipstick?

The definitive solution is to leave lots of cat food near the car for about a month, then they will get so fat and heavy that they will not be able to jump up onto the bonnet. Squirrels are the biggest problem. One decided to store his stash of acorns in the heater matrix of my car. Turn on the heater blower and the rattling noise was very loud. The dealer spent 4 hours dismantling the heater and showed me a handful of scuffed acorns. I suggested that a mesh on the air intake would be helpful - I did that job myself. Got the heater matrix work done under warranty!😉 Believe it or not I found that he lived under the petrol tank of my motorbike in the garage over winter. I discovered it after seeing the pee stains on the engine.

They really burn fiercely. Great for the kids on bonfire night.

Dongfeng has been cropping up recently. Linas mentioned it in a recent post. After initial scepticism their cars actually look quite nice. But an article in the Daily Express Paranoid edition this morning made me think twice. China unleashes terrifying WW3 superweapon invisible to US defences "The new device is described as a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile and is part of the Dongfeng series - a group of missiles readymade to deliver nuclear warheads. According to the leaked report, the weapon "possesses a high probability of penetrating" US ballistic missile defences." It would seem that tensions in the far East are leading to China potentially chucking Dongfeng cars at infidels. These are the latest missiles models 3.1 Voyah. 3.2 Aeolus (Fengshen) 3.3 Dongfeng EV. 3.4 Fengxing (Forthing) 3.5 Venucia (under Dongfeng-Nissan) 3.6 Fengdu (under Dongfeng-Nissan) 3.7 Junfeng (under DFAC) The A9 looks good: I wonder how much P/X I would get for my 200t against this beauty. Looks a bit Volvo/Passat-ish

I like the sound of the Dongfeng Rich 6. I can hear it now: "I'll just nip to the shops in the Dongfeng". Sounds ultra cool to me. Even better than the Lucid Air or the Build your dreams Yangwang U9 Yes Really! Zeeker or Xpeng anyone?

Well at least Toyota found a good engine. Renault diesel engines are pretty good but not really in the same league Been googling again and found this: The following Mercedes models have a Renault engine: A-Class – A 160 (d), A 180 (d), A 200, A 220e, and A 250 B-Class – B 160 (d), B 180 (d), B 200, and B 250e CLA-Class – CLA 180 (d), CLA 200, and CLA 250e C-Class – C 180 d and C 200 d GLA-Class – GLA 180 d and GLA 200 GLB-Class – GLB 180 d and GLB 200 Citan – 108 CDI, 109 CDI, 110 (CDI), 111 CDI, 112 CDI, and 113 Vito – 109 CDI and 111 CDI

If you find out Linas please let me know!

I tried a couple of 300h cars and found them boring. Sorry! But the CVT gearing and the way the engine revs highly on brisk acceleration does not float my boat at all. One man's meat etc etc. I had a brand new VW for a year. Got rid of it after it broke down a couple of times. If you want performance..... Nissan GtR, 370Z, need I go on. Just avoid the German makes after they started making them in tax subsidised countries instead of Germany. BTW Mercedes are now made of Renault bits I am told?

If you are driving around town in lower gears then 22 mpg is normal. You can get lower if you have a heavy right foot. The worst I saw was 17mpg after the car had been in for a service. I think the mechanic must have been called Evel Knievel. Whether it is relevant I do not know but the car always has Shell V power or Tesco Momentum 99 octane in it.

Following Linas' comments I looked up unintended acceleration and found this interesting article: Toyota is reportedly planning to roll out a new feature to prevent accidents caused by pressing the accelerator instead of the brake pedal, resulting in unintended acceleration. The safety function will suppress engine output if the gas pedal is mistakenly pressed when there is a person in front of the vehicle, thereby preventing the vehicle from accelerating towards the pedestrian. The introduction of the new function comes following a spate of high-profile accidents involving elderly people who made mistakes using the gas and brake pedals. In early July, the country’s land, infrastructure, transport and tourism ministry asked Toyota and seven other major domestic automakers to take urgent action regarding sudden acceleration caused by mistakenly pressing the accelerator. Sounds like a stupid idea to me. It defeats the object when you want to burn off the git in the mini cooper. Many years ago I had a sports car with twin SU carbs. The throttle return spring ( attached to the heat shield ) snapped on the M1 at 70 mph and the car was accelerating with no return. The only way to stop was to turn off the ignition and NOT turn the steering wheel. Problem solved with an elastic band and still living to tell the tale.

Hello Kam Here's my experience with the 200t. I have had it just under 2 yrs and it has been rock solid reliable. The best mpg I ever got was a momentary 40mpg on a long ( a bit downhill ) stretch of the M6 near Kendal doing about 65mph in 8th gear. Normally 27mpg around town and country, driving carefully. The car is not a traffic lights racer, in fact most sporty cars will leave you for dead up to about 45mph, but take off from 60 plus is indeed rapid and well over 100 is quickly achieved. Not in the UK I might add😚. Once you get used to the quirky nature of the car I found that it is nice to drive, as long as you let the car do what it wants to do with the engine and gearbox peculiarities. It is fast, quiet and very comfortable and is at its best on long fast roads, not so good around town with the lag and lethargic take-offs. If I want to go faster I take the IsF, not that you can get away with fast driving and keep your licence for long in this country. But that is being SORNed soon due to the recent excessive tax and Insurance costs. Government - 1: Me - Nil. I think you will grow to love it if you give it a chance. BTW it is the only car that I have ever had that has attracted compliments about the way it looks by some passers-by.😕

You could always go upmarket and go for the Wartburg ES 300h. It's a bit like a fatberg but not as greasy.

Here's a bargain at under £40K 1987 Trabant 601S 2 door wagon. This is a very interesting car. manufactured by Veb Sachsenring, this car is most commonly seen in East Germany. It was produced from 1964 to 1990. It has 594CC two stroke 2cyl engine with a 4 speed manual transmission...with a column shift. It boasts a good body and paint. The interior is original. It runs and drives. Guaranteed ULEZ Euro 6 compliant🤣. About £12K plus shipping. Comes with free gas mask and gloves for pushing it. Or you can even get a NEW one but I do not know the price. The "newTrabi" idea becomes the "Trabant nT" concept car The new Trabant nT is supposed to emphasize the trend to simplification and ecological responsibility – without abandoning fun, emotion and safety. Its seed money is the publicity, the sympathy and attention, which the brand Trabant attracts. It already has its fans today. The continuation of the newTrabi story at this year’s IAA in Frankfurt/Main is highly anticipated. In hall 8, the prototype of the “Trabant nT” will be presented to the world public. “We are past the vision– we are in the implementation phase”, emphasizes IndiKar-CEO Ronald Gerschewski, one of the initiators and main actors for the vehicle development. He continues: “Our goal is the series-production-readiness.” In the past two years since Herpa began the “Initiative newTrabi”, they’ve come closer to that goal. The concept is sound and ready for a strong investor to become involved in the serial design and –production. The best-case scenario would see the first “Trabant nT” with electric motor ready for sale in 2012.

Sorry Malcolm Did not mean to be rude. It seems like this is the way it has always been. As this old US cartoon depicts.

Yes Malcolm, that is all we do - moan about our exploitation. We should follow the French example and do something about it. Or do what you suggest Look on the bright side and just be a mug instead.

Mine is £695, and don't even mention the insurance increases. We all know where the money is going - The Tories rich mates at the expense of ordinary decent folk being hammered by the increases in tax and the cost of living. I don't know what we can do about it apart from stopping spending on cars, holidays etc. Then, no consumer spending = no VAT revenue or punitive taxation = Gov't rethink maybe? I really think that this government wants us all to live in some kind of post war East German economy. How much is the tax on a Trabant?