Tickedon

The Lexus RX has made a top 10 list of stolen cars… it’s also much more likely to be stolen than a Fiesta (given how many more Fiestas are on the road compared to relatively few RXs!).

Yes, for the specific 12 month period you’ve chosen. But you also said “No Lexus to be seen, the truth is out there” - and indeed it is, where Lexus cars do feature on the top 10 list depending on exactly which 12 month period the figures cover!

According to Lexus sales figures, just over 58,000 RX (&RXL) have been sold in the UK since 1999. So 1.5% of all RXs sold in the last 23 years were stolen just in that 12 month period. This would be an even higher percentage if you adjusted for the RXs no longer on the road (scrapped, wrecked, previously stolen etc.). Apparently there were 1.5 million Fiesta’s on the road in 2023. So those theft figures work out at a 0.4% theft rate. Or about a quarter of the RX rate…

That’s because there were more Fiesta’s stolen than Lexus sells of a single model each year… The key measure is how many cars per 1,000 or similar are stolen - and sadly Lexus figures don’t look so good that way. That’s what impacts on insurance risk as well.

DriveTheDeal.com will get you not far away from 20% off an Audi A4 depending on exact trim… I moved from an A4 to an NX - I’d never go back and the only thing I miss is the extending seat support! I would also avoid the previous gen RX as regardless of what you do, you’ll be paying the higher insurance rate due to theft risk.

It probably does require a plate, but I’m afraid Lexus haven’t produced one - they are only available for the RX.

When buying a car, my salesman said “it’s being moved tomorrow, so you need to pay sticker price today or you’ll miss out”. I’m not sure he was prepared for my reply of “that’s more cost for you, and maybe the other dealership will be prepared to deal - I typically travel hundreds of miles to get the right car & deal, so no worries”. Funnily enough, we did agree a good price on the car that afternoon…. and it remains the shortest ever distance I’ve had to travel to buy and collect a car!

It’s not just about rerouted wiring but use of the “Toyota Security Key” (encryption/authentication on canbus) in newer models. Manufacturers rarely comment on these things as it somewhat creates a menu for thieves to know what they can easily take…

The very latest NX models (from March 2023 onwards ish) have different keys that use Ultra Wide Band technology (UWB) that allows more accurate timing and thus can detect (and in theory prevent) a relay attack where thieves scan for your keys and can then open and unlock a car. The canbus issue doesn’t involve keys at all. It allows them to plug a device into a car and unlock and start it with no access to any keys. A faraday pouch/box is still required for those without UWB as even if the canbus isn’t vulnerable, you’re still at risk of a relay attack. And probably still recommended even if you do have UWB.

I didn’t have problems with quotes being declined last October, but I’m paying an awful lot to insure my NX 450h+. I have however re-run my quote and only 12 insurers are willing to quote… which is rather worrying, and suggests there may be an issue…

Yes, it works differently on every car. This video shows you for the nx300h: https://youtu.be/LWf8CwApCiI?si=GEuL_odMEWmNsER1

Generally speaking, if a Lexus car is compatible with Openpilot (a self driving system), it has a vulnerable canbus. The new Yaris and Yaris Cross are not listed as compatible (just like the new NX and RX), and that’s the platform the LBX is built on. I’m not sure Lexus will ever officially confirm which cars are or aren’t vulnerable- so I think that’s the best we’re going to get. As Ronnie said, lots of ways and reasons a car gets stolen these days, vulnerable canbus or not.

No, the Ghost works in two different ways depending on the car model it’s fitted to - in some cars it stops you starting the car, in others it stops the car going into drive (which is how it works on the Lexus NX current gen).

Didn’t get a full tank of full (and didn’t expect one) - I’d haggled thousands off the price and preferred cash off then fill up at Costco on way home for less. Did come with a full battery charge though, which was unexpected and a nice touch.

I’d suggest looking at installing a Ghost or similar. £500 and will stop them taking your car, but not damaging it in the process. A new ES can be had with sizable discounts via brokers (£6-7k off) and so the motorway offer seems very high. The WBAC price I’m afraid seems reasonable - £1k per month depreciation in the first year is on the low end compared to many new cars….

It means a relay attack where thieves “scan” for your keys and relay back to the car doesn’t work. UWB uses very specific timing, and a relay can be detected - meaning the car (in theory) won’t unlock if the key isn’t actually within the right distance of the car.

But it isn’t the 60k service. It’s the 6 years (72 months) or 60k service. Many items on a car have both an age limit and mileage limit. Tyres being one common example where many fail with age rather than just usage.

Given they’ve had the car for so long, I would bet they paid considerably more than it’s currently worth… Webuyanycar would offer £9500 for it. I’d personally haggle hard and try to get it for £12k. Worst they can say is no!

For the purposes of the Luxury Car Tax, the £40k limit excludes the first registration fee (£55) and first year’s VED. A car just over £40k can thus avoid the luxury element, if subtracting both of those can take it back under £40k - assuming there isn’t a price increase before it arrives, as the list price is based on the list price the day before the car was registered. Lexus ES is a great example where they’ve held the premium edition price at £40k for a while now, presumably for that reason! What I really don’t understand are manufacturers who apply thousands of pounds in discount or PCP deposit contributions on cars just over £40k. The consumer is still saddled with the £2k in extra luxury VED costs over 6 years, yet the manufacturer still only pockets £35k-ish. Seems silly for all involved.

Review can also be found online, here: https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/lexus/lbx-suv/ Rather amazed they expect 1 in 3 sales to come from the LBX, given its distinctly average emissions and mpg. With the 22% ZEV mandate in the UK this year, and less-than-great Lexus EV options with the poor-selling UX300e & RZ, I’d have assumed Lexus would have focused on selling as many NX and RX 450h+ plugins as the much lower co2 emission figures for those models can be “traded” for credits towards the ZEV mandate.

I tried for ages to find a car under £40k but everything had one compromise too many. This then became my justification for “there’s no point paying it on something just over the £40k limit… make the extra luxury payment worthwhile”. Hence a NX 450h+… I do miss the £20/year I used to pay for my Audi, but I don’t regret having to pay the expensive VED at all, as I have a brilliant car I enjoy driving.

Various brokers have had the new C-HR with £8k discounts available, meaning it’s low £30ks depending on the exact spec. It is a very tempting price for a lot of car - and I’d probably take a 2.0 Premiere and live with the £600/yr VED (as annoying as it is!).

The NX is a much more modern car than the UX. It’s also a lot more premium in terms of materials used and sound deadening etc. While Lexus have done their best to keep the UX updated, I simply wouldn’t be comparing the two models are it’s really night and day difference between them both. Best thing to do is arrange a test drive of each and see what you think.

As Charles said, you usually get a pop up. However, you may need to unpair (“forget”) the phone and car, and re-pair again via Bluetooth to get the pop up and select allow on the smartphone when it asks for permission to share contacts etc.

I’m surprised it would have cost you £60 - as the new policy hasn’t started yet (presumably, based on dates here), it should have been a free cancellation…?